Self-Publishing with a Print-on-Demand Company

Before you, the writer decides to self-publish, I strongly urge you to research the difference between a vanity press and a print-on-demand company.  With vanity presses, you pay a fee immediately before your publication can be printed, and generally, you would have to offer a minimum of 1,000 copies.  Many writers, if not successful marketers, will end up with boxes of books in their garage. The best way to self-publish is to go with a print-on-demand (POD) company such as LuLu.com, which gives you the opportunity to design your book and make it saleable, without putting down any money.  Although I strongly suggest the writer buy a proof copy before letting others buy their work, this is a better economical decision.  The pros of publishing with LuLu are that you, the writer, are entitled to 80% of your profits, have full control of content, cover, marketing audience, title, store distribution, editing, and design. When creating a book on LuLu, it is the most significant (next to actual content and editing). Simple things like where the page number should go, where the headings should be placed, how the copyright page should look, etc., are all decisions made for designing a book. In this article, four topics are discussed: design layout for a saleable book, information on getting your book sold to Barnes & Noble as well as Border's, and a step-by-step process of publishing with a print-on-demand company, LuLu.com. 

~  Essential Parts of a Book Include: