How to Publish Your Own Book

By Michelle Hainer

Ofer Aronskind of Short Hills, N.J., has written three novels. Unfortunately, he hasn't yet found a company that will publish them. So after receiving hundreds of rejection letters, Aronskind decided to self-publish using resources he found on the Internet.

Last year, Aronskind successfully published one of his novels with the help of iUniverse, a company that turns completed manuscripts into printed books. 

"We all want to leave a little something behind," says Aronskind. And for this father of three, his legacy is a work of fiction called Summer Sleep-Away, a story based loosely on his experiences at a childhood summer camp. "People are constantly telling me that my book brought back such fond memories for them," he says. "It's a really cool thing."

With the help of the web, self-publishing is within reach for so many people today -- whether you're a fledgling novelist like Aronskind, or you just want to get your family history down on paper. "You can self-publish your book in two weeks," says Dan Poynter author of the Self Publishing Manual (Para Publishing). "A traditional publisher can take up to two years to get to press."

Here are some ideas for how to self-publish your book using resources from the Internet:

1.  Consider print-on-demand (POD) publishing  If you do a Google search for "self-publish a book" chances are you will find POD publishers like iUniverse, LuLu Publishing and BookSurge. Companies like these will essentially do everything for you -- edit the book, design the cover and get it listed on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. The fees for POD publishers range from $200 to $1000, depending on the services you need.

Before you select a POD, you might consider taking the time to compare their final products by ordering a copy of one of the books they have for sale. (POD publishers often sell their authors' work on their sites.) "Doing this will show you how quickly they can expedite and ship an order and it will be very telling of the production quality of their books," says Penny Sansevieri, an author and CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., a company that teaches people how to self-publish. A book shouldn't take longer than a week to ship and the quality of the cover, paper texture and ink should be as good as a book you'd buy in a bookstore. Go with the printer that has the fastest turnaround time and the highest quality for the price. Also take care to read any customer reviews of the services that are available.

2.  Assemble your own creative team  If you choose not to use a print-on-demand publisher, but still want your book to have a professional look and feel, you can hire several people to help you complete it. At the very least, you'll want to seek out an editor, a book cover artist and a printer.

Be sure to interview anyone you plan to hire -- especially an editor who will be fine-tuning your masterpiece. "Before you hire anyone, ask if they've ever edited this category before," recommends Poynter. And get proof of their work.

If you want to talk with other writers who've been through this kind of self-publishing process, or get recommendations for professionals who can help, sign up for Yahoo Group's free email listing.

To search for editors and book cover illustrators, try posting an ad on Craigslist or MediaBistro. For tips on how to select the right editor, visit ParaPublishing. And to get quotes on book printers in your area, visit Print Industry.

3.  Publicize your book online and off  Sure, it'd be nice if your book was prominently displayed in your favorite book store, but that's not the only vehicle for promoting your work. If you are tech savvy, you can create a web site that provides images and details about your book, you and where to buy it. If email is more manageable, write down the relevant promotional details and email it to a list of your friends and contacts (and encourage them to forward to their friends and contacts). And if your book is listed on Amazon, use the tools provided by the site to promote it even more. For example, create an Amazon Connect author blog, which appears on your book's listing page. Using Amazon Connect, you can promote any additional information like book signings and readings that you might be doing at local establishments (such as a caf‚ or school).

Jillian Robinson, who self-published her book Change Your Life Through Travel (Footsteps Media) last year, went on a three-month road trip across America to promote her work. "You have to find your niche outside of bookstores," says Robinson, who does book signings at stores that sell travel gear. "You need to have an interesting topic, a good looking book and a willingness to persevere."

So if yours is a non-fiction book about a topic that will appeal to a certain niche -- such as children's birthday party themes or dog parks in St. Louis -- you might want to send your book information to regionally focused web sites or bloggers that cover similar topics.

For Aronskind, just knowing that one of his books is finally out there in the world is enough for him. "It's a pretty good feeling to be at a dinner party and have people ask you where they can buy your book and be able to say Amazon," he says. "I'm very proud of that."