Friday, February 5

Self-Publishing, Why So Confusing?

One thing I didn't understand when I decided to self-publish is there are so many options to choose from. I did know what I wanted and found a self-publishing company that offered the services I felt that met my needs at the time. I do have a clear understanding now in arears of all these options and realize I did do what was right for my book at the time, beginners luck I suppose. Consider yourself self-published if you go any other route than with a traditional publisher. (You may actually have it published far sooner then waiting around buried in rejection letters - ha!) Out of the muck I've found three ways to go when self-publishing; 1) become your own publishing company, 2) find a publishing company that does the setup work for you, finds a printer to print your books, and then you pile them in your basement and do the rest yourself, or, 3) find a print on demand (POD) company that offers a combination of services that fit into your vision for your book. Regardless of which way you go, plan on spending a lot of time to get the book published. The marketing is pretty much left to you, although some self-publishing companies do offer some services, for a price! Don't be fooled, if you do end up publishing with a traditional publisher, marketing your book will still be pretty much be left up to you as well... I read about Joe Writer, he found a traditional publishing company to publish his book, ended up not selling many of his books, but at least was able to say he was published by a "real" publisher. Poor Joe! And surprisingly enough if you do self-publish, and market your book well, traditional publishers will take a closer look at you if you do decide to try to submit your work later. Personally I'm satisfied that I self-published, it's been rewarding, I've learned a lot and I'm proud to have accomplished what many people never will. I'm going to leave you with this book, 3rd edition, of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing, by Mark Levine, Copyright 2008. It is priceless and should be a must-read if you are considering self-publishing! http://bit.ly/aCUosS I will go into more detail about the three ways in my next post on self-publishing. And oh, by the way, check out my website, www.suzantylerdecker.com to learn more about my 1st self-published book - Johnny Green and the Little Green Man!

Thursday, February 4

The God of Recycling

Wow! When I saw all the boxes last night I broke into a cold sweat! It seems like I've been waiting for this day for such a long time, and it's finally come! Just look at the tower of boxes. It's really exciting...the books are in my garage...just like other authors! Now to go through the list, one for this person, 10 for this shop, 6 for these libraires...I know I'll be down to a small box once the count is over. Spreading the word about recycling through a little boy, Johnny Green, is so satisfying - a ritual we should all be taking part in daily, recycling that is. The cans go here, the bottles go here and the paper goes in this pile. Just like sorting through the books. I think there is a God of Recycling that watches us to see what we are going to do with that piece of junk mail that the mailman delivers us. Now, once people read Johnny Green, they will always sense the presence of the God of Recycling! How could you not with a story as unbelievable as this! You can order your book through Xlibris, or wait and order it from Amazon or B&N in the near future! Enjoy it!