1. What are the main challenges to self-publishing a book?
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Having to take on the business aspect of publishing and marketing your book. The difference between writing a book and publishing a book is quite dramatic. Writing is an art, whereas publishing is a business.
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Having to learn everything so quickly. This is why research and preparation are absolutely essential for success.
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Cash flow. As seasoned self-publishers know, publishing a book out-of-pocket requires a fair amount of funding.
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Time management. Because self-publishing can be very time consuming, successful self-publishers usually learn to become experts at prioritizing and planning.
2.
Are
there any tax advantages for self-publishers?
Absolutely!
To self-publish means that you are
running your own business. The government
realizes that it takes an investment to run
a business and allows the self-publisher to
deduct any work-related expense from gross
income. This means anything from post-it notes
to a laptop computer is tax-deductible, if
purchased for business purposes.
3.
How do I copyright my book?
Let's
address why you should copyright first:
Copyright protection arises automatically
the moment the author fixes the work in a
tangible form (i.e. when a writer writes a
story), without the author having to do anything.
So, why copyright your work if you're automatically
protected?
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Registration establishes a public record of
your copyright and puts everyone in the world
on notice of your copyright.
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You cannot sue somebody for copyright infringement
until you have registered your work with the
Copyright Office.
Bottom
Line: Legally, your manuscript
is automatically copyrighted the moment it's
created. When someone says "get a copyright,"
they really mean "register the copyright
with the government."
Keep
in mind, there's no need to register an article
or story before it's accepted for publication.
If you register within three months of first
publication and prior to the infringement,
you're entitled to sue for the full range
of damages noted above. If you register after
that, you may sue only for actual damages
plus the profits, but you can do so even if
registration postdates the infringement.
Another
reason not to register unpublished work: it
may make you a target for solicitation. Many
subsidy publishers and questionable literary
agents contact writers who register copyrights
for their books.
Now,
let's address how to copyright your book:
The
most common approach is to use the copyright
symbol with the year and your name (Copyright © 2004
Your Name) and including it on the copyright
page of your manuscript. You can register
your work yourself for a small fee. Search
Google for the copyright forms required
by your particular country.
RESOURCE: Need a copyright? Here is an easy-to-use
U.S. Copyright registration system that
will guide you through to the appropriate
form selection. See www.clickandcopyright.com
4.
What
is the proper manuscript format?
The
proper manuscript format is:
- Double-spaced
lines
- 1"
- 1 1/2" margins
- One
side of the paper (on standard white)
- 12
point clean font (I recommend courier)
On
the first page in the upper left corner, include
your name and contact information, including
your email and Web address if you have one.
Place an approximate word count in the upper
right corner. Place the title of your story
about halfway down the first page.
Center
your title; one double space below your title,
center your byline.
Place
a header in the upper right corner of every
page of your manuscript except the first.
The header should consist of the surname from
your byline, one or two important words from
the title of your story, and the current page
number.
Many
editors accept manuscripts in electronic format.
This means you can send them your manuscript
via email or on disk. Be sure to ask them
which format they prefer - paper or electronic.
Read
this
great article that gives detailed information
on proper manuscript
format and can explain
what to do, and what not to do, in a very
clear way.
5.
What is an ISBN and where can I get
one for my book?
An
ISBN (known as an International Standard
Book Number) is a unique identifying
number for your book. You will
need this number to enter your book into the
marketplace. Every book sold in bookstores
throughout the world has its own ISBN, and
the ISBN helps to ensure that the books are
identified, ordered, and shipped correctly.
In the U.S. you can only purchase ISBNs from
R.R.
Bowker company; in Canada you can only
get them from the National
Library of Canada. The barcode on a book's
cover includes both the ISBN and scanning
information.
Whoever
purchases the ISBN is the publisher.
There seems to be a lot of confusion
over this issue. If you pay to have your book
published through one of the many POD companies
and they provide the ISBN, they, not you are
the publisher of the book. If you
want to self-publish, you must buy your own
ISBNs. Likewise, do not sell someone
else one of your ISBNs. If you are the purchaser
of the ISBN, then you are the legal publisher
of the book.
You'll
need a separate ISBN for the hardcover, softcover,
audio, video, and e-book versions of your
book. Even if the content is the
same, each unique version requires a unique
ISBN. That way, when a bookstore or library
orders your book by ISBN, they will get the
version desired.
Almost
any question that you may have about ISBNs
can be answered here: http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/isbn/us/isbnqa.asp
UPDATE: January
2007 there will be a transition of the
ISBN from a 10-digit number to a 13-digit
number. Get
your free copy of ISBN-13 for Dummies
here @ http://www.bisg.org/isbn-13/for.dummies.html
6.
Do I need my own Web site?
Absolutely. The
Internet advances the self-published author
to the same playing field as the big boys.
It’s an inexpensive way to put your
book in front of millions of potential customers.
With your own Web site, you can allow interested
persons to download a sample chapter plus
customers can order directly from you – this
means that YOU get to keep 100%
of the profits.
For
more information visit our Web
Design page.
7.
How
can I find an illustrator for my book?
Check
out the Society
of Children's Books Writers & Illustrators,
which acts as a network for the exchange of
knowledge between writers, illustrators, editors,
publishers, agents, librarians, educators,
booksellers and others involved with literature
for young people.
You
can also shop Elance -
We found over 500 active profiles for "illustrator."
8. What
is “print-on-demand (POD)" publishing?
Fairly
recent technological advances make
it possible to produce a single bound book
in response to each incoming order.
The
on-demand publishing approach saves the self-publishing
author what might otherwise be a considerable
investment in printing and storage of books.
Since books are printed only after an order
is received and payment verified, it is the
book buyer who pays for the printing when
it occurs, not the author.
We
are beginning to see more and more
vanity/subsidy publishers that use POD
technology offer full returns. Publishers
that don't have a full return policy virtually
have no chance with selling their books
to bookstores or libraries.
Advantages:
With on-demand publishing, books are printed
as they are ordered. This technology allows
you to store and print your book in electronic
form, eliminating the two great costs of publishing...
warehousing and large print runs.
Disadvantages:
Print-on-demand books are not returnable
by most wholesalers or bookstores. This creates
a certain level of resistance for bookstores
to order print-on-demand books for their inventory.
To remedy this, ask them to buy a few copies
to see how your book sells or offer to sell
the books on consignment.
