Many
authors launch their writing careers by self-publishing their first book
from home. Spencer Johnson, author of the best-selling Who Moved My Cheese?
began by self-publishing The One-Minute Manager with coauthor Ken Blanchard.
What Color Is Your Parachute? by Richard Nelson Bolles is another well-known
book that began life as a self-published title.
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Yet, for every best-selling book, there are many books that never become
national bestsellers, but which earn their authors thousands of dollars each
year. Titles that earn profits year after year are called backlist titles.
Small Time Operator: How To Start Your Own Small Business, Keep Your
Books, Pay Your Taxes, And Stay Out Of Trouble! by Bernard Kamoroff is an
example of self-published book that is a perennial strong seller because it
provides valuable information. Over two decades, Small Time Operator has
sold over 500,000 copies.
Most non-fiction self-publishers won't achieve best-selling books, but
they can publish titles that provide strong sales over many years.
Self-publishers should look upon each title they launch as a potential
revenue stream that can extend for many years.
Self-publishing is easy today because of enhancements in
Printing-On-Demand (POD) and digital printing technology, which allow
cost-effective, ultra-small press runs. Today, it's possible for a new
author to print 125 high-quality books for $500 or less. A small first press
run minimizes the financial risk to the author. The largest risk in
self-publishing is often the author's time.
Publishing skills, such as editing and cover design, can be outsourced to
freelancers. Or, publishers wishing to do-it-themselves can learn publishing
skills relatively easily. Adobe Pagemaker 7 is a common program for laying
out and design the interior of books. In addition to many books teaching
Pagemaker, most technical colleges have reasonably-priced classes where you
can learn the basics of Pagemaker.
Many self-publishers initially pack and ship their own books. However, as
a publishing company grows, it's often desirable to outsource fulfillment,
meaning another company is hired to pack and ship book orders. Outsourcing
fulfillment allows a small home-based publishing company to sell tens of
thousands or even hundreds of thousands of books a year. Without outsourcing
fulfillment, it would be difficult to pack and ship 100,000 books per year
from home.
Self-publishers must establish relationships with book wholesalers,
distributors, and major bookstores. Finally, successful self-publishers
spend much time promoting and marketing their books. Many of the most
popular books come from authors who are popular speakers or seminar
presenters.
