3 Ways to Publish Your Book

If I told you how easy it is to publish a book, would that encourage you to finish your novel, memoir, or "how-to" book?

Well the quick answer is, "Yes, it's easier than ever to publish your book." However, the first question you need to ask yourself is:

What is my goal in publishing my book?

If you are writing for your family and friends, then you have many options available to you as far as printing a few copies at your local print shop or online.

If your goal is to make your book commercial and available worldwide, in print form as well as an e-book, then you need to ask yourself the following 3 questions:

• Am I going to try the traditional route first: get an agent, or a small press interested in my book? (This can take time.)
• Am I going to publish with CreateSpace, a member of the Amazon group of companies and get my book on Amazon using their ISBN (International Standard Book Number) and their extended distribution services?
• Am I going to set up my own publishing company, purchase my own ISBN and have full control of my publishing and distribution? (For example, setting up the discount rate I want to offer bookstores and making my books returnable so I can get into brick and mortar bookstores?

I decided to go with the third option, which was to set up my own publishing company. I purchased a set of 10 ISBN's at a discounted rate, and as I needed one for the print version, and another for the e-book, I have already used two ISBN's.

After much research, I selected design company 1106 Design for my book cover and interior layout, a company I knew was professional and would make me proud of my cover and the interior formatting of my book. They also helped me format the e-book for .mobi (Kindle) and .epub (Nook, and other readers.)

As a small publisher, I can also print with other companies, such as LSI (Lightning Source Ingram--they offer POD (print on demand) for small publishers; another reason why I decided to set up my own publishing company and purchase my own ISBN's.

There are so many options available today for writers who wish to publish their own books, or start their own publishing company.This post only covers a few options, and is not intended to be a listing of all the companies that you can find online.

If you'd like to learn more, I started a group called Gutsy Indie Publishers on FaceBook, where indie authors interact with one another as well as professional editors, book promoters, and other experts, to help one another answer all the questions we may have.

If you have any questions about writing, publishing or marketing, you can also e-mail me directly at: sonia@soniamarsh.com, and I'll be happy to help you.

Next week, I shall give you tips on marketing and promoting your book.

I'd like to invite you to my book launch party at Laguna beach Books on August 30th, from 6-7:30 p.m. Click here for directions and information.

Sonia Marsh Bio:

Sonia Marsh is a “Gutsy” woman who can pack her carry-on and move to another country in one day. She’s a motivational speaker who inspires her audiences to get out of their comfort zone and take a risk. She says everyone has a “My Gutsy Story”; some just need a little help to uncover theirs. Her story, told in her travel memoir Freeways to Flip-Flops: A Family’s Year of Gutsy Living on a Tropical Island, is about chucking it all and uprooting her family to reconnect on an island in Belize. Download the first chapter for free.

Freeways to Flip-Flops: A Family's Year of Gutsy Living on a Tropical Island, is now available on Amazon.

Sonia welcomes new friends, bloggers, writers and readers at Soniamarsh.com. You can contact her at: sonia@soniamarsh.com.