A Self Publishing Book Publisher
Comes in Two Distinct Flavors

How do you know which self publishing book publisher will give you the most bang for the buck? You're looking for a company that will:

• Produce a quality product
• Deliver quality service
• Customize a plan to meet your budget
• Include marketing and promotion (if your budget permits)

Some writers are ambitious enough to want to do all the work themselves, but others prefer to let a professional self publishing company do the grunt work for them. Here are the basic differences between the two types of services:

Self Publishing: The author contacts a do-it-yourself turnkey online company that rapidly converts your manuscript into a bar-coded, registered, printed and bound book and lets you buy back published copies from them. Initial fees are relatively inexpensive, and they charge extra for book doctoring, editing, proofing, designing, promoting and marketing. (Frequently these publishers do not offer book marketing and promotion, so they are considered one step above a copy & print company). The author buys copies of the printed book at a discount.

Co-Publishing: A book must be accepted for publication; usually 75% of the submitted manuscripts are rejected. The author works personally with book industry professionals who are expert book doctors, editors, design and layout professionals, proofreaders, marketers and promoters. (The co-publisher participates in marketing and promotion costs.) With the co-publisher's guidance and final approval, the author is in charge of the appearance and market value of the final product, but the co-publisher does not interfere with the book's content or message. Co-publishers offer shared revenues as well as royalties, foreign rights and other opportunities.

Research your options before signing on the dotted line! Before deciding how you wish to publish your book, here's a quick check list:

• Study the book industry. Learn everything there is to know about publishing.
• Research industries related to book publishing (audio books, ebooks, films, etc.).
• Develop a clear picture of which method you wish to use for publishing your books (and articles).
• Visit many self publishing book publishers' websites.
• Become familiar with book industry associations (Literary Marketplace, Publishers Marketing Association, etc.) and other publishing spots on the internet.
• Join internet publishing forums.
• Interview authors to learn which self-publishing book publisher they chose, and why.

For more information about self-publishing, click here.

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