Is Self-publishing Right For You?

Is Self-publishing Right For You?
Written by Laura Browne

Are you a consultant that wants to build credibility and increase your business or do you have a novel sitting in your drawer. If so, you might want to consider self-publishing.

Have you written a book that you want to get published? Are you a consultant that wants to increase your business and credibility with a book? Or do you have a novel sitting in your desk drawer that you hope will make you the next Stephen King or J.K. Rowling? Self-publishing may be the answer. An article in the New York Times on January 27, 2009 titled, Self-Publishers Flourish as Writers Pay the Tab noted how the publishing world has changed.

The traditional way to get published was to find an agent who would pitch your book to the large publishing houses. You could also send it to smaller publishing houses yourself. This is still the dream for many writers. Unfortunately many more have found the traditional contract to be elusive and they may spend years trying to get it.

So some writers are deciding to do it themselves. They can find a printer and fill their garage or basement with books. Other writers have chosen to work with POD (Print On Demand) companies that only print books when they are ordered. Either way, the writers keep control over the books and are responsible for all the marketing, sales, and distribution.

I have three books in print and I have tried all these methods. Most recently, I have self-published a novel with CreateSpace, a subsidiary of Amazon.com, and have been very pleased with the results.

So when does it make sense to self-publish? For many consultants, having a book adds credibility and gives them opportunities to build their businesses. This can be a great idea for 2009 since they don’t have to wait for a traditional publisher. It could also make sense to self-publish if you have a book aimed at a limited audience. For example, if you’ve written a history of your family, you might not need more than 100 copies but those copies could be very special to you.

There are good and bad points to traditional publishing and self-publishing. You need to decide what is most important to you before you decide which to choose. For example, how much money and how much time do you want to spend? The good news is that you have more publishing options than ever before. So whether you’ve written a children’s book that you hope will make you the next J.K. Rowling, a “How To” book that you hope will help millions, or a memoir for your immediate family, you can find a way to get published.

Laura Browne is an author, corporate trainer and speaker specializing in communication, networking, and management issues. She is the author of 3 books (2 business books and a novel). She is a business writer for Examiner.com and writes a monthly humor column for The Point North magazine. She has been quoted as a workplace expert in leading publications including the San Francisco Chronicle, Family Circle magazine, Arizona Woman magazine, and Cosmopolitan.

She offers a webinar on Secrets to Getting Your Book Published at Business Expert Webinars. For more information, go to:
http://www.businessexpertwebinars.com/component/option,com_php/Itemid,67/user,291/afflink,bewlaurabrowne112908