HOW DO YOU PUBLISH YOUR BOOK? WHAT DOES IT COST?

Have been asked the questions "How do I publish my book, what does it cost?"  Well, here are FIVE ways to get published ...

1. If you do-it-yourself and self-publish on Createspace.com or Lulu.com, it costs you nothing, basically depending on what kind of distribution you want. You do have to format the book to certain specifications (size) and design your own cover ... then convert them to PDF formats. AND of course it will be produced and printed exactly as you upload it to both websites. So you must know what you're doing as far as design goes, and have flawless edits. If you want it only to appear in Lulu's bookstore (not needing an ISBN number) it will cost you zero. They both have price packages if you wish to have someone else do your covers, however. And to get it on Amazon.com, and in other major bookstores, the book must have an ISBN.  Both will do that for you, but will charge you for the number.  You can also buy your own ISBN at  isbn-us.com or at bowker.com.

2. You can submit your manuscript to PublishAmerica.com for their acceptance, costs you nothing. If they accept it (they usually accept most) they will assign it an ISBN and you're in like flint. One of their editors will do a spell and punctuation check, minor edits, that you will approve. They will also design the cover. All at no cost. If you want more in-depth edits, you'll have to pay for that (which I would encourage). Then after a year, your book will be published, and will be available to all bookstores and online stores. Again, at no cost to you.

3. You can submit your manuscript to either independent publishers or major publishers, or both. These you can find online through publisher searches and you will follow their manuscript submission guidelines. Check out who published other books similar to yours and submit to them. These are traditional publishers when they do not charge you, but they are very selective. Ninrty-nine times out of a hundred you'll be rejected as an unknown writer unless of course you have a product that grabs the editor's attention, is well-written, and guarantees to be a good seller. These are the publishers from which writers talk about getting all the rejection letters, wall-papering their walls with them.

4. You can go to iUniverse, Outskirts Press, Xlibris and other self-publishers who charge you up front to design and print your book for you. Will usually run anywhere from $199 to $4000, depending on who you select. Tons of them out there. You are the publisher of your own book and will be listed as such. They will also get it out there to all the online bookstores. It'll be available to onland bookstores through their distributors, same as all the above.

5. Now if all else fails, find an agent and hand the ball of wax over to him/her.  Let him do all the frustrating legwork.   Then start writing your next book.


Good Luck!


My publishing company (R. J. Buckley Publishing) falls into the third category. During the months of Jan-Mar we accept queries. Submission guidelines are posted on the website www.rjbuckleypublishing.com .