A Guide to Self-Publishing

The internet and technology is changing the world. Never before has information been so accessible to each of us so quickly and so far reaching. With new technology and wide spread use of computer devices that are more portable than ever, industries like publishing and media have been turned on their head. The good news is that self-publishing has never been easier and cost effective for private individuals. In addition, publishing without printing in the form of e-books is exploding rapidly too.

Online publishing

If you are interested in writing that great American novel, drafting your memoir, or writing a “how-to” book, I have good news for you: Publishing your own work is very possible and can be profitable. Whether you want to generate a new income stream or whether you want to complement your body of work, you can now move forward with your book without the hassle or barriers of literary agents, giant publishing houses, and expensive media budgets.

With opportunities for writers growing more and more each day, publishing today is a lot different than even ten years ago. If you want to write and sell your own book, here are a few options for you.

Amazon’s Create Space: Now with the power and reach of Amazon.com, you can create your own book or audio CD and sell it in two formats – either electronic format or hard copy. Amazon allows you to charge your price and collect your particular royalty per unit sold. The prices vary for different sizes and whether you want full-color photos or not, which is standard. The great thing is that there is no cost to you upfront. Amazon also takes the burden of printing, shipping, and dealing with customers. You take the profits!

Xlibris: Another great publishing solution that allows anyone to publish a book and have available in hard copy. Your book could either be bought through their site directly, or a partnering with their sales force which includes Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble Booksellers. A small fee may apply but it is well worth it as they also take your product, print it, and sell it to your customers. They send you a royalty check (or deposit) every quarter.

ClickBank: If you want to create your own e-book or audio set, you can sell it on ClickBank, They charge a $50 start up fee and take a percentage of the transaction, but you have access to their deep and wide affiliate network who are hungry to sell your product. This is an excellent solution if you are interested in making a profit by sharing the marketing burden for a small cut of the profits. For example, you can sell 100 units of your e-book from your own efforts for a full percentage of the profits, or you can sell 1000 units of your e-book with 60% of the profit. I’d choose the affiliate network and save yourself some time!

E-junkie:  E-junkie is another ready to use built in system you can use to sell your books directly from your website. It collects funds directly from your customer’s PayPal account and then puts it into your PayPal account. This is one of the simplest solutions for anyone with a blog or website and would like to sell their book or electronic data.

Self-publishing opportunities

Many of these money-making opportunities should remove any “writer’s block”!  Certainly, there are many advantages that come with publishing your own stuff. The ability to sell and transfer information for a profit has never been easier. Times are changing, so check back for further updates to this article.