I Self Published with Publish America

This article explains how I went about self publishing my book Five Minutes Till Race Time. It will explain the process that I went through from start to finish on my book.

About six years ago, I started writing a book about the early journeys of my life. Once, I had finished the rough draft, I started looking for a company to publish my book. I sent out about 20 letters to various publishing companies. Most of these companies wanted a financial commitment from me. Costs ran from $400 to $3000.

After much searching, I found a company called Publish America. They would publish my book at no cost to myself. In fact, they would provide me with two copies plus a one dollar bill that I could frame.

I sent my manuscript off to them through email. After about three weeks, they sent my copy back to me for revision. There were grammar and sentence mistakes. I corrected them and had an English teacher proof read the script for me. I returned it to the company. About a week later, it was returned with only two corrections to be made. I also was told that my title could not be used. It had already been taken by someone. So I changed the title from Running On Empty to Five Minutes Till Race Time. It was accepted.

I then had the option of sketching my own book cover or having them suggest one. I opted for their suggestion of doing one. I was very impressed with their selection. They provided me with ISBN number. All published books need one.

About two weeks later, I received by books in the mail. I also received instructions on how I could order books and how others could purchase them through Publish America, Amazon.com and Borders.

The Good
I was able to publish my book at no cost. It was quick and time saving. The product was impressive. Care was taken with spelling and grammar. Final results were left up to me. The contract was easy to read and follow.

The Bad
I made a small 20 percent off each book sold. I was paid this twice a year, once in March and again in August. I had do all the marketing myself. I had to establish my own book signings.

Other Possibilities
Publish America has offered to make my book a hardback, an E-book, send it over seas and often has deals of 10 books for the price of four.

Note
If you are looking to do a few books, this is an excellent company. However, do not expect to get rich, or have your book become a movie script or even be a best seller. I also think that this is a great way for someone aspiring in writing to begin their career. You will learn a lot about the publishing industry.

Finally, I would suggest doing an E-book. Sales on E-books are up 255% over regular books. The use of the Kindle is changing the way we read purchase and read books.