As a self published author several doors automatically close, including chain book stores, libraries and official reviews.
While earlier, manuscripts gathered dust in drawers while you waited for the elusive agent or publisher to make that fateful call, such is not the case today. Several options are open to authors in terms of choosing the appropriate avenue for publishing.
Some work through agents and traditional publishers.While there is no doubt a traditional publisher gets you more avenues for sale including leading bookstores and libraries, you receive a pittance per book. This means that the onus of marketing your book is entirely on you if you want to see any royalties at the end of the year. Returns from bookstores, warehousing fees, agent fees, are all deducted from your initial advance. So unless you are Oprah Winfrey or Sarah Palin you cannot expect any returns on your effort. You end up making at best 50 cents per book. Unless your sale is in the hundred thousands forget about making money.
There are several Vanity Publishers that will publish your book and even do the formatting and book cover for a price. Once again you have no guarantees about being sold in either bookstores or libraries. You also have to be able to store the 500-1000 copies you order and deal with inventory. In order to get your book into small stores you strike a deal with each individual bookstore and most of them charge a fee for stocking your book and they take 50% of the sale price. Assuming you sell a book for 20 $ after your initial cost of printing, postage and warehousing you might make a couple of dollars at best.
You also have the option of printing from China where the cost per book reduces drastically but then there is the problem of dealing with a huge inventory and the burden of marketing. If you choose this option then you need to hone your bookkeeping skills because at the end of each year, bookstores return unsold books. Then there is the additional problem of keeping track of different deals with stores and keeping track of money sales etc.
After months of research I figured that what I do best is write and I didn’t want to be spending all my time keeping accounts. So I went for Print on demand with Create Space. I did have teething problems grappling with technology but once I got the book cover done, I merely formatted on Word using very basic formatting and uploaded to Create Space. Pricing my book at 2.5 times the printing cost I make a lot more money selling through Amazon including Kindle.(Nook is not doing as well)
I was also very lucky to get a publisher in India and enjoy seeing my book displayed in bookstores. I had a very successful book tour and hope to reaffirm my presence as a serious writer with my second book in the works. Although I am aware I won’t make much money in India, at least I don’t have the hassle of trying to grapple with distribution and sales long distance. I know this is my first book but it certainly isn’t my last.
As far as marketing is concerned, I spend a couple of hours a day following leads, writing to newspapers, book clubs and am free the rest of the day to do what I like to do best; Writing. There is no end to marketing. You have to decide how much you want to do and be regular with follow ups. I have decided to focus on local opportunities as this reduces travel costs.
Becoming famous or successful is a matter of destiny. As far as I am concerned I wrote from the heart So far, whoever has read my book has loved it. Going viral can happen in minutes, hours or years. But I am not concerned with that. What matters is that I maintain my authenticity as an author and continue to write from the heart. If my intention is strong I will get what is due to me. Whatever comes my way is a bonus if it is positive and a small setback if otherwise.