Should you self-publish your book?

[domenic Pappalardo]

Yes, if you can do the same thing a standard publisher does.
Have a good idea of what is selling.
Have the money to print 7,000 to 20,000 books.
Hire someone in the business to design a cover.
Contract with a distributor. You need this to get into book stores.
Have a buy-back contract a book store will except. Normal is three months.
have $50,000+ to print the books.

A standard publishe is happy if they break even on a book. So, be happy if you break even.

Do I think it is a good Idea to self-publish? No way in hell. You will hear great stories from non-standard publisher who will tell you the people in New York city don't take on new writers...That is BS, they do.

You have (or will) put many hours, months, and yes years into you book...Don't let anyone take you for a ride. Here are four golden rules:

Never pay an agent or publisher.
Make your book ready for the printer. (no errors.)
Secure an agent. Most standard publishers will only work with an agent.
Learn the publishing industry.
Join a writers group in your area.

You may have heard that some writers have made good money by self-publishing...yes that is true...I can count them (for the complete history of the world) on one hand.
I guess it depends why you want the book published. If it's just for family and friends, self publish. If you want to make money...get a real agent.
Note: real agents do not seek out writers.
Learn that the publishing industry is a business...a very hard business with no short cuts.

[Susie Sunshine]

In this day and age there are reputable publishers out there that don't require an author to have an agent. Agents are swamped with so many queries a day. There are new, small, traditional publishing houses now that will take an author without an agent. Check for one of them. Sometimes they are better because they work with the author and don't have as many commitments as a bigger house.

[Norm Goldman]

Don't forget to hire a competent professional editor. One of the major shortcomings of self-published books is their lack of editing.

Another element to consider is that very often self-publishing of a book concerning a particular topic creates a kind of business card for yourself and may establish yourself as an expert.

Good luck!

Norm, Bookpleasures.com

[Christy Pinheiro]

You can use a POD publisher like Lighning Source, CreateSpace, or Booksurge. It's the best option for niche non-fiction, and has been very profitable for me. You can publish for less than $1,000.

I don't know how well POD will work for fiction, but I'm pretty sure if you published a teenage novel with "vampire" anywhere on the cover these days, you'll could probably do pretty well.


Pineapple Publications
Step By Step Self-Publishing

[Shelagh Watkins]

Hi Domenic,

You will find a list of the Major New York Publishers here:


http://www.agentquery.com/publishing_mp.aspx

Good luck!