Overview of Self-publishing

This is a very short overview of self-publishing. I usually provide this list to authors who ask me what they should do if they want to publish their own title. While the overview might be an oversimplification of the tasks involved in starting up a publishing venture, the thing I stress most to authors in conversation is the need for further research into these topics and dedication to gaining attention for their book. 

1. Research book printing companies to compare prices and options if you are planning on keeping an inventory on hand. Otherwise, research print-on-demand (POD) companies.

• Personally, I have printed inventory with Morris Publishing and BookMasters and have found good and bad qualities with each. Morris Publishing was easy to work with and shipped the books within three months (a very standard time frame in the book printing industry). However, they do not offer matte covers which I've found to be more durable, and they only offer white paper options. BookMasters was extremely difficult to work with, but produced beautiful matte covered books with cream colored pages. They were also able to shrink wrap each individual book for an extra charge.
• Having kept inventories and researched POD companies, I believe POD has some distinct advantages. I especially liked the look of Createspace (https://www.createspace.com/) by Amazon.com. They have an option to make your book available for free and they pay you royalties on copies sold.

2. Obtain an ISBN.

• Bowker.com is the official distributor of ISBNs. If you purchase them anywhere else, they will already be listed with Bowker as belonging to someone other than you. There is no way to change who an ISBN belongs to.
• Bowker.com offers ISBNs on their website (http://isbn.org/standards/home/index.asp) in sets of 10, 100, and 1000, etc. You may also purchase a single ISBN.
• You will also have the option to purchase bar codes through Bowker.com. It is important to know how much your book will cost when purchasing your bar code, as this information is included on the bar code.

3. Obtain a Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN)

• Use this website, http://pcn.loc.gov/ to access the Preassigned Control Number Program of the Library of Congress. You will need a LCCN if you are planning to market your book to libraries and book dealers. Don't forget to send them a copy of your book once it's in print. This could lead to being kicked out of the PCN program.

4. Edit, edit, and edit your manuscript. Then find someone else who is willing to do the same – preferably someone who works with the written word on a daily basis. It is always a good idea to consider hiring a professional editor. It's money well spent if it helps you produce a book free of grammatical errors and typos.

5. Obtain an official copyright of your title once it has come through it's final round of edits.

6. Read “The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing” by Marilyn Ross and Sue Collier for advice for every step of the publishing process, including many tips for marketing your title.

7. Design a cover and/or interior illustrations, or hire a graphic designer to do it for you.

8. Leave time between production and publication timelines to send out review copies to potential reviewers. Reviewers typically require three months lead time.

9. Research and pitch reputable book distributors such as Baker & Taylor or Ingram.

10. Be prepared to really market yourself. Develop a pitch for newspapers, magazines, tv, radio, etc. Look for opportunities to do book signings, and highlight why your book is relevant, different and needed by potential buyers.

Why do I need an ISBN?

One of the greatest joys of writing a book is having the opportunity to share it with others. So much effort and creativity is put into a writer's work that the sharing of it can be one of the most rewarding experiences of the process.

This is one of the motivators that sends so many novelists in search of book printers and self-publishing companies. There they are inundated with vague information (at least, that's how it was in the past when I first started Lily Ruth Publishing) about ISBNs, barcodes, LCCN's, book layout, bleeds, etc.

So what are these items, and why are they important? I'll start with the ISBNs in this article and cover the other topics in later posts.

An ISBN is a 10 or 13-digit International Standard Book Number that identifies the publisher of the title. This number is assigned only to books published in the United States and can be purchased in blocks of 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000 and 100,000 numbers. It is also possible to purchase just one ISBN for a self-published book.

Beginning publishers often ask if it is necessary to purchase an ISBN for their book. The answer depends on what their publishing goals are. To publish a fiction or nonfiction title for the sake of sharing it with family members and close friends might not warrant an ISBN, as an ISBN useful and necessary in marketing.

I've heard it asked “Couldn't I put a barcode on my book and skip the ISBN?” While it is certainly possible to purchase a barcode without first owning an ISBN, keep in mind that most bookstores use the Bookland EAN barcode because it allows for the embedding of an ISBN.

The U.S. Bowker ISBN Agency states on their website that “the purpose of an ISBN is to establish and identify one title or edition of a title from one specific publisher and is unique to that edition, allowing for more efficient marketing of products by booksellers, libraries, universities, wholesalers and distributors.”

So if you wish to market and sell your title through bookstores and distributors (or even online, in most cases) you will definitely want to purchase an ISBN.

Finally, make sure you purchase your ISBN(s) through the official U.S. ISBN agency, Bowker. This is especially important because ISBNs purchased through Bowker are assigned to the purchaser and can't be reassigned.

There are websites out there that will try to sell you a 'used' ISBN. I encountered this back when I ran the first print run of “My Weird Family Series: My Vampire Cousin.” At the time, the Bowker website was less than user-friendly and I was having difficulty figuring out how to purchase a single ISBN from them. I ran across a handful of websites offering to sell a single ISBN and transfer ownership, and decided to call Bowker's customer support number before making a purchase. At that time I was told ISBN ownership could not be transferred and purchasing a single ISBN through another site or individual would result in them owning the unique identifier to my client's book.

Moral of the story? Always do your homework when it comes to book printing/publishing. There's a lot to learn and a lot of information to take in at once, but it's better to study it all up front so you can make decisions in the best interest of your book.