How to Publish a Book
So you've finished writing a book? Congratulations! It's cathartic isn't it? After struggling through writer's block and editing to within an inch of your life, one would think the toughest part is over - and you're right - well almost. If this is your first attempt at getting published, the process may seem bewildering, so take the time to do your research and then make an informed choice. Figuring out how to publish a book, need not be stressful, and there are a number of options that are available to you. While you may choose to go the traditional way, technology and the wonder that is the world wide web have opened up new avenues hitherto unexplored and therefore unexploited. But first, let's talk about the different ways to get published.
How to Get Published
The traditional route to getting a book published is to get yourself an agent who will pitch your book to a publisher, or a number of publishers - for a fee, of course. This might be a difficult prospect if you're a first time author; apart from the difficulty of finding a publisher, the process may well take ages, before someone shows an interest in your manuscript. Often, in the case of first timers, the publisher buys the rights to the novel, which basically means that the company can do pretty much what they want with your work, in terms of cover design, editing, marketing, even content. As an author, you'd only see the green stuff (if you do at all), after the publisher has recovered all his costs, and it's not really likely to make you a millionaire.
How to Publish a Book Yourself
If commercial publishing doesn't seem to be working for you, you may want to consider the option of publishing your own work. This process, called self publishing, lets you retain the rights and royalties of your book, but obviously lacks the distributive power and reach of a respected publishing house. Essentially self publication would mean you run the gamut of printing out your own copies, getting them bound, designing the cover, and then selling them - yourself. There are however some self publishing companies that can do this for you, without actually worrying about your book's content; some vanity presses also do what is known as print on command or POD, which essentially means they'll churn out copies as and when needed, a useful option. Amazon and ebay are companies that let you sell your own books online. The major benefit of learning how to publish a book yourself is that you don't need anyone's permission, you get to make all the decisions that influence what the book looks like, and it's way way faster than going through endless publishing houses - the downside? You pay for it yourself. Another potential problem to consider is that POD books are easily recognizable by book reviewers, and may not offer you the critical editing solutions, or the slick design and look that are part and parcel of a publishing house.
How to Publish a Book Online
With the web advancing at the rate it is, it was only a matter of time before online book publishing was an option, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that this is yet another way to learn how to publish a book. A number of sites like Lulu and Blurb, allow you to publish books online, and give you up to 80% of the proceeds, after deducting printing costs and associated fees. In addition they have a good deal of reach and access to potential readers and buyers, which is always a help. E-books are now applications that can be downloaded onto gadgets like the Kindle and the iPhone, and of course onto a PC, so that's another option to consider. Some companies even allows you to select the price of your e-book, although in general, they keep a hefty portion of the proceeds. Typically online self publications are practically teaching you how to publish a book for free, since you don't actually pay for anything unless you buy a copy - a portion of the sale goes to the company that publishes it, but with Print On Demand, this is a win-win situation for most authors for whom the publishing house route is fraught with too many issues to navigate.
Whichever route you choose to take, it's important to educate yourself and learn how to publish a book with the various options available. While you may face a good deal of rejections with publishing houses, take heart - apart from self publication, e-books and the web, remember J.K. Rowling, who trudged through 12 publication companies, which rejected Harry Potter before Bloomsbury had the sense and the judgment to pick up and publish one of the most successful series of all time. Patience and perseverance, or quick publication - choose what works for you and get ready to see your work in print!
