From Manuscript to Publication - How I Published My Book

"I hate writing. I enjoy having written" ;.That quote from Dorothy Parker sure summed this labor of love for me. One thing's for certain, writing my book wasn't a simple undertaking. The writer's block; discipline of writing at dedicated times; writing in the dark because my best ideas always seemed ahead just before drifting off to sleep or in the first morning hours are all, thankfully, behind me now.

Finally my manuscript was finished. I knew because I didn't even consider rewriting or editing - not one chapter, verse or dialogue. I was done! It's hard to spell out the sense of pride of committing one's vision to paper and watching it grow into a finished book. However, there clearly was no time to stand on laurels. What was I supposed to accomplish next? How do I get my writing from manuscript to a published book?

The first thing Used to do was copyright my work. I really could put the copyright symbol on my manuscript and what the law states automatically protects this creative work. However registering officially with the U.S. Copyright Office in Washington DC gives me the main advantage of having a public record of copyright claim in the case of an infringement suit. Additionally, it protects my benefit my heirs some seventy years after I die. The fee around this writing was $45 - money I considered well spent.

Next, I hired a specialist editor. Even if I were an English major or my closest friend taught it, there are writing styles that rise above typos, mistakes in grammar or redundancy. Professionally published books have an established contextual style for format, punctuation, citations, quotations, etc. and merely a professional editor could help me with this. To be able to watch on costs I hired an editorial service that charged by the word. It had been much simpler to prove the expenses per word versus an editorial service that charged by the hour.

Now I was ready to pick a publisher. I learned that in order to submit my manuscript to traditional publishers, I had a need to consult the Writer's Market publication. It's the source for where, when, how and who to offer what one has written. After some research, I didn't opt for a traditional publisher for a number of reasons: (1) I'd probably need certainly to hire a literary agent because so many publishers wouldn't even look at my work without one. (2) Most traditional publishers work with an 18 month production cycle this means I wouldn't see my work in book form for at the least a year or more. (3) The rejection letters that comes before someone editor decides my work may be worth publishing - need I say more? And (4) publishers' royalties run between 5-15% after sales, manufacturing costs, etc. Now, of course, if my book becomes a best seller that 15% would look pretty good. However I needed to keep over 5 to 15% profit from the sale of my book.

This led me to analyze self publishing options. What I found was:

(1) Local Printer - Offset Process would be too costly. I've a friend who experimented with publish a children's book this way. She discovered that she'd have had to price each book over $100 just to break even!

(2) Print on Demand (POD) - Pays a royalty to writer of 1-1.5%

- I'd pay ($$$) upfront and again when each book sold - I'd receive a couple of copies of my book for the ($$$) - Ownership rights are held by POD for a specified period - Examples: Lulu, Xlibris, iUniverse

This is the approach to take if I recently wished to see my work on the net or wished to leave a heritage for my family. Furthermore I learned so it would be a mistake to skip the editorial service before using a POD - the manuscript submitted isn't edited, spell checked or checked for typos. In other words what I submit is what I get back in book form.

(3) Book Packager - Independent contractor prints all phases of book

-Prints amount of books I needed at an acceptable cost. -Professional bookstore quality. -Ownership rights remain with me -All arises from sales belong to me. -Examples: BooksJustBooks.com, blurb.com

The Book packaging agency was usually the one I chose. This process is very hands on - which I like. I was involved with every part, from the option of type font to the layout and finally the cover art - which I selected from my own sources. The ultimate product reflected my vision for my book.

Self-publishing satisfied my desire to see my work on the net in a regular manner. The new technology using laser printing and the ability to use word publishing software all offered a quick turnaround. In just a couple of months I had professional quality books brought to my door. I was completely satisfied and impressed with the ultimate product.

Early in the process I sent applications for an ISBN (International Standard Book Number). This number identifies the book title and me while the publisher for marketing purposes. An ISBN is essential to offer to bookstores, place with distributors, wholesalers and libraries nationally and internationally.

I went one step farther and sent applications for an LCCN (Library of Congress Catalog Number) to join up and catalog my title in the centralized Library's Catalog Collection in Washington DC.