Let’s hear it for the Self-Published Authors out there!!
Yes, I am one of the millions that chose to self-publish on Amazon under the Kindle Direct Publishing program. It has been such a learning experience.
I’m not a novice in navigating a computer but I must say the adventure did give me pause. The KDP instructions were precise and given for both Windows and Mac. I was able to format my Word document and fit it for publishing as an eBook and paperback. All I had to do was follow directions; An accomplishment all its own.
Go to https://kdp.amazon.com and give it a shot. All you need is your Amazon ID and password to log on. It doesn’t cost a penny. You can purchase as few as one or as many as 999 copies at a time to market on your own, helping you get your name out there. Your work will be available on Amazon.com and Amazon sites worldwide if you wish.
KDP will send you a royalty check for the books other people purchase on Amazon. You will need to do the marketing on your own or you can get KDP assistance (for a reasonable price) for advertising your work. KDP will also help you price your book and provide and ISBN number.
Amazon offers an Author’s page where you can showcase yourself and the books you have published. All this is at no charge to you. Again, you only pay for the books you purchase yourself. You also maintain the rights to your book.
Of Course, the most ideal way to publish your work is via a literary agent. It does require a lot of work on your part. Learning how to write a query letter, how to target the right agency, how to identify your audience, how to create a memorable hook line, and more, are talents that need to be developed. Many well-known authors had many, many rejections before they got that first real book deal. Now, they are famous and agents chase after them. You have to do your homework and keep trying. It will be well worth the effort. In a future post, I will share the highlights of the operation with you.
What I am getting at is that you do not have to pay your life savings to get your book published. When your query gets accepted by an agent who wants to see more of your sample, (or better yet, if they want to see your entire manuscript), the agent will go to work with you to try to sell it to a bonafide publishing company. The agent will also advise you and, if needed, get your work edited and prepared for the final publishing. Then YOU get paid your advance royalty. The agent will receive, on average, about 10 percent. They did the work for you and will continue to do so. Bottom line: you do not have to pay a publishing company to publish your book.
Beware: There are many publishing companies out there that say they want to publish your work and it will only cost $2500 or even over $5000.00! These companies usually pursue you. They will offer you the world. Of course they tell you they will market your book and get it in the stores. Unfortunately, I have heard too many stories that say the results were less than satisfactory and they were only allowed to get a handful of books for their own use.
See the difference? There are companies that offer services but want thousands of dollars to publish your book. Finding a literary agent costs nothing but your time and effort and the result is a payment to you. Self-publishing costs nothing but your time and effort and the result is a payment to you.
Do your homework.
Flo Radke, author 