Self Publish a Novel

By Lanee’ Blunt

Self publishing a novel is very respectable. You are in control of every stage of your novel and can keep it in print as long as you want. It will never be out of print it’s your decision. It’s often hard for a new writer to break into the publishing market, so why not self-publish?

It’s often hard for a new writer to break in and get a novel published, so why not self-publish?

Rewrite your novel before submitting it for publication. Run each chapter through spell checker and get someone to read and edit your novel. Check your plot points for weak construction.

Choose a name and register your publishing company by applying for a “Doing Business As” (DBA). You have to file a “fictitious name” or DBA registration form. In some states, you have to register a DBA with the state government or the county clerk’s office. Get your ISBN’s for your book. Put your novel on a desktop publishing program and copy in a PDF format and take it to a printer.

Getting a printer for your novel will require that you get bids from printers.  Work with printers that have their pricing online and compare prices. Most printers offer the same thing, so you can read comments about them or even ask in online publishing communities if anyone has had trouble working with one of them and what their finished product looked like.


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Self Publishing Your Book

By Lanee’ Blunt

Getting your first book published can be a challenge. You have finished your book, congratulations. You may know deep in your heart that you have written an excellent book that you believe in, but are unable to get anyone in the publishing industry to notice the book.  Why not publish the book yourself?

It doesn’t take a lot of money and if you are willing to do the work then you can easily become a self publisher.

Start a publishing company and choose a name for it. Register your company name by applying for a “Doing Business As” (DBA). You have to file a “fictitious name” or DBA registration form. In some states, you have to register a DBA with the state government or the county clerk’s office.

Apply for an ISBN’s for your book. An ISBN number is required before you can hire your printer. Apply for your ISBN numbers Bowker.com.

Go to their website and get the information about obtaining an ISBN. You can sell your ebook on your own website.

Do your homework and get bids from printers. Submit a request for quote (RFQ) from their sales department. Go to their website and get their contact information. Send out at least 10 (RFQ). Evaluate each by price per book, quality and freight charges. Select your printer by the best price and customer service.

Once you have written your book you can easily sell it. Sell it on your own website, hold book signings, and promote your book.

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How to Open a Publishing Company

By Lanee’ Blunt

Owning a publishing company is a rewarding experience. You can publish your own books and take in manuscripts from others and become a small publisher. When you are starting out you can work from a home office. Start a publishing company by operating as a sole proprietorship the start up cost is low; no employees are required and publish books right away with minimum overhead.

Apply for a sole proprietorship. If your publishing company is going to have a name other than your own you will need a “doing business as” (DBA). You will have to apply for a DBA. You have to file a “fictitious name” or “Doing Business As” (DBA) registration form. In some states, you have to register a DBA with the state government or the county clerk’s office. You will need your driver’s license or state ID card with your application. Legal title to the assets of the publishing company is yours the liabilities and the equity of the publishing company are part of your net worth. You will have full risk as a sole proprietorship.

Apply for an employee identification number (EIN) with the federal government. Fill-out the necessary forms and send them back to the federal government and they will return it to you with your EIN number. As a sole proprietorship when you hire employees you need to use the EIN.

You will need a budget of $3,000 to $5,000 to publish a book. The cost will be more if the book will be unusually large or in full color. Printing expense for most printers will require you to pay one third of the money to start, one third when the book is ready to print and the other third of the money will be due upon completion. Promote your book.

Reference:

Para Publishing: Starting and Running Your Publishing Business

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Self Publishing an Ebook

By Lanee’ Blunt

Creating an ebook is easy and anyone can self publish an ebook in today’s market. Once you purchase an ebook compiler you can get to work writing your ebook. The best part is, all of the profits are yours. 

Know Your Focus

Determine the subject of your ebook. What will be the key information that your customer will want to read about. There are ways to determine what to write about by going to forums in your expertise, and go through all the post reading all of the questions.

Sell Your Ebook

You can sell your ebook on your own website. Once you have written your ebook you can easily sell it. You can get it published with a PDF file and sell it on your own website. For a more professional ebook where you can sell to major online bookstores and have users download from online ebook stores; for example Amazon Kindle Store, Barnes & Noble Nook Books, Apple iBookstore, and Sony Reader Store. You will need to purchase an ISBN number to work with some online stores but not all of them require one.

Reference:

Writer’s Break: How to Self-Publish your Ebook; Gary McLaren; 2011

Web Source: Self Publishing Your Own Ebooks; Shelley Lowery

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Self Publishing: Finding the Right Printer

By Lanee’ Blunt

Self publish your book
Kylpyamme

Finding the right printer for your book seems like an easy task, but you must find a cost effective printer that knows how to work with a small publisher. Some printers don’t want to work with new first time publishers. Selecting the right printer for your book is imperative.

Be Selective

Getting a printer for your book requires you to get bids from printers. Submit a request for quote (RFQ) from their sales department you can usually go to their website and get their contact information. Send out at least 10 (RFQ). Evaluate each by price per book, quality and freight charges. Select your printer by the best price and customer service. You are a new publisher and you will want all of your questions answered before you commit your time and money.

Homework

You must research if you want to find a printer that is cost effective.  Search for printers online with instant pricing and buy from one of them. Work with printers that have their pricing online and compare prices. Most printers offer the same thing, so you can read comments about them or even ask in online publishing communities if anyone has had trouble working with one of them and what their finished product looked like.

Reference:

Creative Minds Press: Find a Printer

Publishing Basics; How Do I Find a Printer to Print My Book Cost Effectively? Ron Pramschufer; 2006

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How to Become a Self-Publisher

By Lanee' Blunt

A writer can write an excellent book and become a self-publisher. It’s often hard for a new writer to break into the publishing market, so why not self-publish?

If you have written a book and want to publish the book yourself there are many rewards for doing it. You can keep all of the profits, and have full control.

Publishing Company

Choose a name for your new publishing company. Register your company name by applying for a “Doing Business As” (DBA). You have to file a “fictitious name” or DBA registration form. In some states, you have to register a DBA with the state government or the county clerk’s office.

ISBN

Get your ISBN’s for your book. You will need this number before you can go to a printer. You can get them from Bowker. Go to their website and get the information about obtaining an ISBN. Apply for your ISBN numbers Bowker.com.

Post Office Box

Get a post office box and use the PO Box addresses for your publishing house, unless you want your fans showing up at your home.  Apply for a business account. Shop around for printers and ask them to send you samples of completed books before you decide on one type of printer. Make sure that your book is free of errors and revised, although you may have to edit your own book. Some editor’s work as freelancers and can be found online.

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How to Start a Publishing Company as a Sole Proprietor

by Lanee' Blunt

Introduction

Self publishing a book allows you to eliminate the middleman which is the commercial publisher to produce the book yourself. A sole proprietorship is a business owned by a single individual. Start a publishing company by operating as a sole proprietorship the start up cost is low; no employees are required and publish books right away with minimum overhead. At the time of publication, Self Publishing Resources reports that 8,000 to 11,000 new publishers enter the field every year and they are mostly self-publishers.

Choose a name for your publishing company before you go to press. If you operate your publishing company under your name and call it John Smith, your publishing company may appear amateurish. A fictitious name will give the impression that you have an established business which is important when applying for printing estimates, ISBN numbers, and asking for paper mill samples.

Apply for a DBA. You have to file a “fictitious name” or “Doing Business As” (DBA) registration form. In some states, you have to register a DBA with the state government or the county clerk’s office.

Acquire a post office box. Your place of business may be your home in the beginning. In a home-office there is room to fill orders and write. Using a post office box as an address on your books and your stationary is acceptable, because even the big firms use P.O. boxes.

Take precautions. A post office box is also a security measure to keep your fans from showing up at your residence. Give your business name and your book title to the post office when filling out the registration card, so they will give you your mail no matter how it is addressed.

Apply for an employee identification number (EIN) with the federal government. Fill-out the necessary forms and send them back to the federal government and they will return it to you with your EIN number. As a sole proprietorship until you hire employees you won’t need to use the EIN as it is not a requirement.

Get your business bank account. This is optional. You can get a business checking account with your publishing company name.

Print stationary. Design a logo that will be easily applicable to your stationary. Have letterhead, envelopes and business cards printed for the new publishing company.

Tips & Warnings

• You don’t have to worry about your books being out of print, and you can print as many and as often as you like keeping your book in print for many years.

• Taking-on investors is risky, because the return on their investment may be too slow for them.

References

“The Self-Publishing Manual”; Dan Poynter; 2003

Resource

Self-Publishing Resources.com   

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