Anyone who has ever tried it will tell you that achieving success with self publishing is not quite as easy as some would make it out to be.
If it was, there would be no need for self publishing companies to assist people who want to self publish their own work.
There's no doubt that the basic act of self publishing your book, especially in electronic format on the Internet, can be very straightforward.
Successfully selling it or creating a standout professional packaging for it, however, is another matter.
Let's look at some of the services offered by self publishing companies for the self publisher who wants writing and publishing to be not just a hobby, but a serious profession.
Cover Design and Formatting A cover can determine to a large extent whether your book gets noticed by casual browsers or not.
Correct text formatting and layout is also important if you are serious about putting out a professional product.
Most self publishing companies offer these services.
Copy Editing Often overlooked, this is actually a critical step for the serious author.
Having your work copy edited can eliminate obvious mistakes that may annoy readers and turn off any serious publishers who may get hold of your book.
Some self publishing companies offer this as a service.
Digital File Conversion Perhaps the holy grail of self publishing right now is the Internet.
While in it's simplest form digital file conversion can be as easy as exporting your document to a PDF file, there are other considerations.
Large Internet storefronts like Amazon and their Kindle store requires a specific format, and some self publishing companies can help you to properly prepare and convert your book for this platform.
ISBN & Barcodes Many self publishing companies can help you getting an ISBN assigned to your book, and also barcode it.
An ISBN is required if you want to sell your book in bookstores or other major storefronts.
Marketing No one is going to buy your book if they don't know it exists.
With self publishing, the burden of marketing and promotion will fall largely on you, and you have to be prepared for this.
However, self publishing companies can assist you with the marketing and distribution of your work, some even able to create press kits or marketing packages for your book.
You're an author, and want to write.
You don't want to get bogged down with the techie part of book design, cover design, and the host of other non-writing elements.
For the serious self publisher, self publishing companies can provide important services.
Make sure you shop around though and test the responsiveness of various companies before deciding on one.
If it was, there would be no need for self publishing companies to assist people who want to self publish their own work.
There's no doubt that the basic act of self publishing your book, especially in electronic format on the Internet, can be very straightforward.
Successfully selling it or creating a standout professional packaging for it, however, is another matter.
Let's look at some of the services offered by self publishing companies for the self publisher who wants writing and publishing to be not just a hobby, but a serious profession.
Cover Design and Formatting A cover can determine to a large extent whether your book gets noticed by casual browsers or not.
Correct text formatting and layout is also important if you are serious about putting out a professional product.
Most self publishing companies offer these services.
Copy Editing Often overlooked, this is actually a critical step for the serious author.
Having your work copy edited can eliminate obvious mistakes that may annoy readers and turn off any serious publishers who may get hold of your book.
Some self publishing companies offer this as a service.
Digital File Conversion Perhaps the holy grail of self publishing right now is the Internet.
While in it's simplest form digital file conversion can be as easy as exporting your document to a PDF file, there are other considerations.
Large Internet storefronts like Amazon and their Kindle store requires a specific format, and some self publishing companies can help you to properly prepare and convert your book for this platform.
ISBN & Barcodes Many self publishing companies can help you getting an ISBN assigned to your book, and also barcode it.
An ISBN is required if you want to sell your book in bookstores or other major storefronts.
Marketing No one is going to buy your book if they don't know it exists.
With self publishing, the burden of marketing and promotion will fall largely on you, and you have to be prepared for this.
However, self publishing companies can assist you with the marketing and distribution of your work, some even able to create press kits or marketing packages for your book.
You're an author, and want to write.
You don't want to get bogged down with the techie part of book design, cover design, and the host of other non-writing elements.
For the serious self publisher, self publishing companies can provide important services.
Make sure you shop around though and test the responsiveness of various companies before deciding on one.