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!