Self-Publishing and YOU

[bluntsword]

I know there are some of your who are the creative bunch, so I thought I would share this.

I've just launched a project I started back in November. It's a Bible study for youth about what Jesus had to say about hypocrites.

ANNNND you're back.

What I want to talk about isn't the Bible study.

I want to talk up what I used to publish it and how you could publish your stuff.

At the beginning I went the ebook route through Kindle. It was a pretty easy thing, but I had to do a lot of the formatting on Microsoft Word, which was a little bit of a pain. Then I had to format it into a PDF so that I could upload to another site I'll talk about in a minute. Another pain.

BUT, now that I've finished I've stumbled across another website called Pressbooks.com

Here's their guide to writing with their site.

Basically, they treat chapter creation like you would write a blog. You add chapters, front matter, book cover, an appendix, or whatever you like. It lets you organize, edit, AND let others review your work without you having to email them or send them a physical document. It's all on the site. You just give them permission to view whatever chapter you want.

The great thing?

Free.

The better thing?

When you're done you can export your work into files that are ready to be uploaded to kindle, nook, a generally epub file AND a PDF with a size of your choosing.

Instant ebook without the formatting!

I thought that was the coolest.

So, what do you do with that print ready PDF you've got? Try to pay someone to print it for you for a ridiculous price? That's what I thought. I was frustrated because I kept running into options that cost lots of money. Lots of money I don't have.

Then I found Create Space. It's a branch of Amazon that makes print on demand books. At first it seems liek your only choice is to pay for their services, however, you can actually produce your own book for free (only one small cost that I'll mention in a moment).

You upload the PDF from the pressbooks website I talked about, upload a cover you've created OR use their cover creator (free) to make you're own. You can't move text boxes around, which is a bummer, but you can upload custom photos.

Once you're done, you order a proof (the small cost I mentioned. The proof for my book was $6, including shipping).

Then you get your proof in the mail and freak out a little bit because you're holding a book you wrote in your hands.



You know how much you've paid to have an ebook and a print on demand book? $6. Or whatever your proof costs.

Guess what? When you finish, you even have your book listed on Amazon. Print and ebook linked together.

Then you can order copies of your own. They are VERY cheap. Mine cost me $3 a book (printing and shipping).

If you're the writing type, PLEASE take advantage of these really cool resources and publish your work! It's been a really crazy ride for me.

Oh, and if you have NO clue what to do after you've written and published a book, get on create space's resources page and look up all the tips they give. They've been very helpful.

Hope this helps you future authors.


Faker

[Acolyte]

Not an author, but I'm sure anyone thinking about publishing will find this very informative.


(also, someone is selling a used copy of your book for $33, lolwut?)

[bluntsword]

And the dude below that guy for $50.

What the what?

[mouse]

Self publishing is a scam, even through Amazon and such (especially through Amazon and such). It's a scheme entirely based around the fact that any new order will want to order at least one copy of their own book for vanity reasons. Then they'll charge you $25 or whatever for the opportunity for your book to be ordered by Toffs & Hatwearers Bookstores Ltd.

[bluntsword]

Self publishing is a scam, even through Amazon and such (especially through Amazon and such). It's a scheme entirely based around the fact that any new order will want to order at least one copy of their own book for vanity reasons. Then they'll charge you $25 or whatever for the opportunity for your book to be ordered by Toffs & Hatwearers Bookstores Ltd.

Hmm, I can sense your frustration but I disagree.

For starters, the $25 is optional, so that is a moot point.

I'm not devoting more than an hour a day to selling my book, and so far it's in three bookstores. I've sold 23 hard copies and over 15 kindle versions.

I seem to be missing the part where it's a scam, but I would love for you to elaborate. How were you scammed when you self-published your book?

[strike]

ignore mouse

[mouse]

I'm just butthurt because my book never sold anything; but it's common knowledge that these companies (and others such as board game print-on-demand and whatnot) make their money by authors buying their own books, that's how vanity presses have worked for decades. They don't push your books themselves and it's unlikely they'll get anywhere without your own marketing on top. But prove me wrong, I hope you do well.

Also

(also, someone is selling a used copy of your book for $33, lolwut?)

Someone did the same with me and I have no idea why. Bought my self published book and flipped it on Amazon for 5x the price.

[bluntsword]

What's your book about mouse?

They don't push your books themselves and it's unlikely they'll get anywhere without your own marketing on top. But prove me wrong, I hope you do well.

I read a lot about traditional publishers, and from what I gathered unless your name will be printed on your book larger than the title of the book, you have to do your own advertising and pushing anyways.

At least that's what "they" said.

128ministries.org

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