It isn’t easy to publish your own book; there’s a long process, and it isn’t cheap. But while it is recommended to have a big publisher publish your book, there are a few alternatives that can be just as effective.
Self-publishing
Deciding to publish your book without a traditional publisher is not an easy decision, but it really depends on the genre of your book, your experience in writing and sales, as well as your intentions for the book. Generally, self-publishing is for business people or novelists new to the industry. The key is to market your book. But in order to market your book, you need to find somewhere to print it.
Emptying your wallet
There are numerous options when it comes to self-publishing; all the way from free to what’s called “vanity” presses. Those are the companies that offer to publish your book for up to $10,000, print thousands of copies, but only do minimal marketing. Essentially, if you go with a “vanity” press, you’re going to have a whole lot of books and nowhere to put them.
Thankfully, there are cheaper alternatives to “vanity” presses that won’t force you to give all your money away.
Espresso book publishing machine
This wonderful piece of technology is able to produce a finished book in a matter of minutes. There are only about 70 bookstores and libraries with this publishing machine, one being the Brooklyn Public Library, and people can actually watch the book be manufactured. The machine is also relatively cheap; printing a book of 40 to 100 pages costs $8. That leaves so much more time to focus on marketing.
Takeaway
While it may be intimidating to take the leap and publish a book on your own, it might be a good path for you. Big publishing companies tend to turn down a lot of potential clients, but make sure you give them a shot first. Just always keep in mind that there are other ways to publish a book.
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