Should You Learn How to Publish a Book for Yourself?

Have you ever heard of the field of self-publishing? While many people think that self-publishing is a modern-day fan, but actually writers have been publishing their own work since printing presses have been in operation. What HAS changed is the types of new technology that have been brought to bear -- technology which increasingly makes self-published books rival the quality of books printed by big-name publishers.

Why would anyone go to all the trouble to learn how to publish a book on their own? Perhaps the biggest reason is: control. The traditional approach to getting a book published involves submitting the manuscript to a publisher for review -- and even those manuscripts which have been accepted for publication will still be subjected to a stringent editorial review. Many authors, however, dislike others making these kinds of judgments about their writing. These authors will choose to self-publish so as to retain complete control over the contents of their book.

Another reason why some authors choose to self-publish their book is simply because they are new writers, and are not known to the public. Often times these are first-time writers and cannot command the attention of the larger publishing houses. Another reason might be to publish books for which there is a very limited appeal. For example, writers who have written a history of a small community may find there is little interest in their book outside of that community.

Another fact of life in the publishing world: it may be difficult (if not impossible) to get traditional publishing companies interested in a book dealing with controversial subjects. If the book is perceived as hate literature, or racially or sexually insensitive, publishing companies may refuse to even consider it for publication.

In addition to retaining control, many authors publish their own books simply to retain 100% of the net profits of any sales. By self-publishing, they can be assured of more than just an advance and royalties -- instead all profits flow completely to them.

For those writers opting to go the self-publishing route, there are some potential pitfalls to be aware of. One of these is the very real threat of companies who exist simply to rip off the writer -- often times by charging a multitude of ad-on fees. Another potential problem is the fact that a self-published author will normally have to do quite a bit of their own marketing in order to promote sales of the book.

One big obstacle in the path to self-publishing success is the fact that most commercial bookstores will not stock these kinds of books on their shelves. And while you may be able to secure some sales from an online (Internet) source, the fact remains that many people still buy their books in bookstores -- and if your book will not be stocked in bookstores, you will be effectively cut out from a large segment of the book-buying public.

In summary, we can say that although it is possible for any author to learn how to publish a book on their own, that they should probably avoid doing so if they desire to be a commercial success as a writer. After all, when was the last time you saw a self-published author on the New York Times best-seller list? On the other hand, if commercial success is not a priority for you then self-publishing may be a good option.

Learn How to Publish Your own Book by visiting http://www.self-publishing-world.com where you can also learn about online Book Publishing

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