Book Publishing 101: Inside Information to Getting Your First Book or Novel Published by Martha Maeda

Author:Martha Maeda
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: book publising, writing, first book, first novel, published, first time author
Publisher: Atlanic Publishing Group
Published: 2013-06-04T00:00:00+00:00

Finding a Printer

You will need information such as the trim size (dimensions of your book), number of books, and type and quality of the cover in order to get quotes from printing services and compare prices. Think about how you are going to sell your book — as hard copies at seminars and lectures, wholesale to bookstores through a distributor, POD through online booksellers, or solely as an e-book. This will determine what types of printing and design services you need, as well as how many copies you should order.

Types of printing services

There are three basic types of book printing services, POD, digital printing, and offset printing. Some book printers offer more than one type of printing, and some are affiliated with distribution networks or offer additional services.

POD (print on demand)

Books are printed digitally only when needed to fill an order. There are two basic models of POD publishing companies. Subsidized POD publishing companies such as AuthorHouse ® (www.authorhouse.com ) and iUniverse ® (www.iuniverse.com ) package printing with other services such as page design, cover design, an ISBN, and distribution. The basic package costs several hundred dollars, and you receive royalties on the sales of your book. You are assigned one of the publisher’s ISBNs, so your book lists the POD company as your publisher. The typesetting and interior design are typically mediocre but acceptable, and you are given a choice of several cover design templates. For hundreds of dollars more, you can have your book professionally edited and indexed, and you can buy various marketing services and publicity packages that include press releases and posters. Your book is made available through v arious sales channels including Amazon.com and book distributors and can be sold as an e-book. These services are an option if you do not have the know-how to prod uce your own book or the time to shop for and work with a book designer and cover artist. In a few short weeks, your printed book will be in your hands and available for purchase online. You can buy as many copies as you need and order more at any time. The add-on services, such as paid book reviews and marketing packages, are expensive and of questionable value. They make money from authors for the publishing company and cannot be compared to the publicity campaigns of conventional publishers. You probably will get better results if you write your own press releases and information sheets. See Appendix B for a sample press release and information sheet. Spend your marketing budget sending out promotional copies to a targeted list of people whom you know will be genuinely interested in your book.

POD printers such as Amazon’s CreateSpace ® (www.createspace.com ) and Lulu ® (www.lulu.com) offer do-it-yourself POD models. For a small setup fee ($40 on CreateSpace), you upload a PDF of your formatted manuscript and your own cover design. CreateSpace also offers cover design templates that allow you to design your own cover online with clip art or your own uploaded images.

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