Wendy Stetina

Top 5 Reasons to Self Publish in February

The chaos of the holidays is finally over, and 2012 is just getting started. Like most writers, you probably have “publish a book” on your list of things to do in 2012. Well, February is a great time to make that dream come true. Here are five reasons why.

Promotions

Like most businesses, self-publishing companies offer excellent deals after the holidays. Sometimes, these promotions are even better than the holiday deals. For instance, Outskirts Press is currently offering a $300.00 Mad Money credit that can be applied to any production or marketing option.

Valentine’s Day

Obviously, you could give the gift of self-publishing to someone you love, but what about you? This year, give yourself a Valentine’s Day gift and finally see your book in print.

Time is on Your Side

If you cross publishing off your New Year’s Resolution list in February, you are left with the rest of the year to market your book, begin other projects or just enjoy the satisfaction of publishing a book.

Winter is Still Here

When the nice weather arrives, it can be hard to sit inside working on your book. Take advantage of the winter weather. Spend those hours inside working on your book, and you can accomplish your dream of publishing before all the BBQs and beach trips.

2012 is a Political Year

Having your book published before the general election will make it easier to market. This is especially true for books about hot topics and politics because people will be reading about these topics before the election.

ABOUT WENDY STETINA: Wendy Stetina is a sales and marketing professional with over 30 years experience in the printing and publishing industry. Wendy works as the Director of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps and publishing consultants; and together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order to help them publish the book of their dreams. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction, or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Wendy Stetina can put you on the right path.

Wendy Speaks

Famous Self-Published Author: Beatrix Potter

Did you know that the first Peter Rabbit book was self-published? When Beatrix Potter submitted the first manuscript, she received several rejection letters. She decided to self-publish a limited edition. After seeing the printed book and recognizing the commercial possibilities, Publisher Frederick Warne changed his opinion and agreed to publish a color copy of the book. To date, the story has been translated into 36 languages and has sold over 45 million copies. This could be your children’s book.

Wendy Speaks

Self-Publishing and Technology

Technology plays a huge part in the self-publishing process. Years ago, authors would hand carry their manuscripts to a printer for typesetting. Today, almost everything is done via the internet and computers. At Outskirts Press, 90% of all manuscripts we receive are submitted in a Microsoft Word document. Hardcopies, manuscripts printed on paper, are becoming a thing of the past. Occasionally, we will receive a hardcopy. In these cases, we have to rekey the document so we have a digital file that can be manipulated during formatting. This requires the publishing company to do extra work and increases the chance of errors.

Below are a few basic guidelines to make the self-publishing process as stress-free as possible for the author:

Own a current personal computer with internet access. A high speed connection is preferable.
Have the ability to navigate the internet and the self-publishing company’s website.
Use a current version of a common word processing program such a Microsoft Word and have a reasonable proficiency with the program.
Have the ability to send and receive emails with attachments.

If you have difficult working with technology, find someone who can help you. You may also consider taking a course on computers to help you improve your skills.

Uncategorized, Wendy Speaks

How Much Does It Cost to Self-Publish?

Many authors ask, “How much does it cost to self-publish?” The question should be “What should an author invest in their project based on their marketing goals?” Most authors self-publish in hopes of selling their book. While your book needs to be appealing and have good content, a solid marketing plan is essential to selling to your book.

I always recommend professional copyediting and a custom cover to all authors who are serious about sales. Authors are given approximately eight seconds for potential buyers to decide if they like the cover enough to consider purchasing the book. Therefore, the cover needs to be unique and eye-catching. In addition, nothing will “kill” a sale faster than a manuscript that is riddled with typographical errors or bad grammar. This is especially important for non-fiction books that are positioning the author as a credible expert.

Self-publishing should be looked at from a business perspective. I cannot imagine any business, new or old, not budgeting for advertising. When prospective authors ask me how much money they need to include in their self-publishing budget, I typically respond that $2500.00 is the average amount. In this estimate, I have allotted $1500.00 to the actual production of the book. The additional $1000.00 should be used for marketing services. The cost for professional copyediting is not included in this amount, but I do recommend investing in professional copyediting.

Although many people spend more or less than this amount, I believe this is a good estimate for self-publishing authors. However, it comes down to each individual’s goals for their book and their individual reason for publishing.

Wendy Speaks

How To Submit Print Ready Files

Although most authors allow the self-publishing company to create the cover art and to format the manuscript to industry standards, it is not uncommon for some authors to hire a graphic designer to create the digital artwork for their cover. In these cases, the work needs to adhere to the self-publishing company’s exact specifications. For instance, Outskirts Press explains these specifications in the Print Ready File Creation Guidelines. Be sure to ask your self-publishing company for information on their specific requirements.

During the pre-production phase of publishing, authors will submit a mock-up of their cover. This confirms that the authors and their graphic specialist understand that the cover includes the front cover, the spine and the back cover. Once authors are in production and they approve the interior file for printing, the self-publishing company will send the author the exact cover template for the designer to marry with his/her design. The publishing company will wait until the interior file is perfect before sending this template to authors because the company needs to know the exact page count to determine the exact width of the spine. The template also comes with the authors unique ISBN number, bar code and chosen retail price. Additionally, the publishing company will supply a copy of their logo to be placed on the back cover.

Print Ready Interiors are not as common and are typically submitted by authors who have very complicated interiors with many images and/or charts and graphs. Again, an outside graphic artist is typically involved as most authors do not have the programs or expertise to create these files to meet stringent industry standards. POD (print on demand) is an extremely specific process and has non-flexible technical requirements. For specific requirements and submission details, contact your self-publishing company.

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