Self Publishing - It's for Everyone!

One of the scariest parts of writing is submitting to publishers and waiting on an acceptance or rejection letter. But with the power of the internet, many aspiring (and seasoned) writers can actually affordably self publish their own works quickly and easily! This article is designed to give you an overview of several online self publishing companies and how they compare to each other.

IUniverse
Iuniverse is one of the larger self publishing companies out there, and is affiliated with Barnes and Noble bookstores. From the individual wanting to publish on the small scale to those interested in mass marketing, there is a package available.

The Fast Track option is $299 (online submission only) and is for authors who want only a few copies, and have no photos or illustrations. For this fee, you will receive one free author's copy, an ISBN number and stock cover design. The book will also be included in Iuniverse's online catalog.

The Select option is $499 (add $100 for mail in submission), and includes the features in the Fast Track option, except that you get a custom cover for your book instead of the stock design. Also Iuniverse will distribute your book through retailers and online at amazon.com as well as bn.com.

The Premier package is $799 (add $100 for mail in submission) and includes the added features of an editorial review of your book, plus 9 free copies and marketing help.

The Premier Plus option if $1099 (add $100 for mail in submission) gives you personalized help with a custom cover design, one on one author support, Publisher's Choice eligibility, and a listing in Books In Print.
Iuniverse also offers marketing and publicity packages as addon on services for you to sell your book.

Lulu
Lulu touts itself as a free publishing service. Which is not to say that you don't have to pay any fees for printng. Not only do they publish books, but you can also publish calenders, photo cds, brochures and more. The free service lets you set your own price on the book, and there are no minimums to meet. Prices for printing are done a la carte, since there is no publishing fee, you only pay for the things you want, such as the type of book binding or multiple illustrations. Example prices for a pocket paperback are: $4.53 for saddle binding on the book, and two cents per page of black and white printing. All editing and formatting are done by the author, not by Lulu.

Lulu works its commissions by adding 25% on to the total that you are selling your book for. That is the price that will be advertised, so you will bring home the amount that you wanted to price the book at, since Lulu will mark your book up by 25%, and that is their commission for publishing. Which basically gives you a royalty of 80% of the published price.

Outskirts
Outskirts is another company that specializes only in self publishing. They offer 5 different levels of publishing starting at $199 up to $999. The benefits you receive with the higher plans include such help as press releases, custom artwork, ISBN assignment, major online bookseller listings, barcoding and copyright registration. No matter which plan, Outskirts will evaluate your manuscript, format your copy and give you access to a members only author section with helpful industry contact information. Prices are set by the author, and the royalties will depend on how many copies are sold and the price that you set.

Outskirts also offers an affiliate plan, if you refer anyone to Outskirts and they publish a book, you will receive a 10% finders fee. One caveat with Outskirts is that they can refuse your manuscript for publication. You will be notified within one week if they decide not to allow the publishing to continue.

Cold Tree Press
Cold Tree Press is dedicated to individual publishers and authors. This is a smaller company with more individualized attention. Submissions are done online in electronic format. There is a flat fee for publishing, with no add on options for more money. The flat fee for a paperback option is $900. The flat fee for a hardback book is $1200, and there is the package of both for $1400 (which includes separate ISBN numbers). For this fee, the author received formatting, printing, corrections and custom cover designs (up to 3). From the time the manuscript is submitted, publishing will take approximately 60 days.

The commisions through Cold Tree Press are as follows: books sold directly through Cold Tree Press receive a 30% royalty of the list price. Books sold through any other outlet give a 15% royalty. If the author wishes to purchase books directly, they will be sold at a 40% discount off the list price.

After perusing the sites above, decide on what level of publishing you need, and what your budget is. From a handful of copies to share among friends to a large marketing campaign, there is something available to fill any of your publishing needs.