Where can I go to self-publish a book?
I just want to say, because it’s in your interest, that many self-publishing operations offer little in support of the writer after publication. I know several writers, mainly in mystery and romance novel categories, who were thinking of self-publishing and decided to just “for the sake of novelty” send their manuscripts to editors. One of them ended up getting a four-book deal with Harlequin. While that may not wet a lot of people’s whistles, I think it’s admirable that she tried. There are thousands of publishers in this country and, if you did your homework you might find one or several that would be interested in your book. I knew a quirky guy in college that I wish I were still in contact with that I read about years later had been shortlisted for a major poetry award; when we were in college and I worked in the mailroom, I was constantly putting letters from vanity presses in his mailbox. I am happy to see people reach out with courage, rather than money.
Here’s a list of the major print-on-demand publishers (not endorsing all of these) WordClay XLibris Author House Book Locker (developed by the people at Writer’s Weekly to be especially author-friendly) iUniverse Mimeo ArborBooks BookSurge I have seen books made from both services, and they are pretty comparable, All of these places use the same printer (Lightning Source).
I used iUniverse for my book (self-linky). I considered going the standard publisher route, but I wrote the book in high school and wanted to get it out by the time I graduated, which gave me all of six months. Self-publishing through a digital press was the only way to go in that respect, and since it didn’t require a big outlay of cash at the outset, cost wasn’t really an issue. It’s true that you’re really not going to get any support from a self-publisher; you’re one your own. I’d suggest shopping your book around to agents and publishers a little bit first, but if you really want to see your name in print, or if you know that your book is going to have a really small audience (a family history, perhaps), the digital press self-publishers aren’t a bad way to go. I ended up selling my book on consignment and taking orders for it, and probably ended up moving 800-1000 copies. Not enough to retire
