Writing and Self Publishing - How Hands on Are You?

The world of self publishing, vanity publishing, and on-demand publishing, is changing so rapidly that it's hard to keep up with everything. At the very least, it's confusing to a writer trying to find a way to get her first book published.

The lure of having your work in print often overshadows common sense. I don't know what it is that mesmerizes people about seeing their work, and especially their name in print. I remember years ago, when I was doing some offset press work, how wrapped up people got in seeing their name on a business card or letterhead. The rest of the business information be damned, but the name had to be spelled right and in plain view. Wow! I can even remember times when the business name and services provided by a company were difficult to find on the card or leaflet, but the owner's name stood out like a sore thumb. We even had retired people come in and order business cards with nothing but their name, address, and phone number listed. Sometimes the words retired, or proud grandparent made their way onto the card, but that name had to be the most prominent feature, in a rich, embossed lettering.

Okay, enough about patting yourself on the back and the pitfalls associated with doing that. If you have written a great manuscript and are looking to get it into print, then you are already good at telling yourself encouraging things. You probably don't need the extra strokes from someone only willing to do it for several hundred dollars.

First of all, be sure of what you are looking for in a publisher, be it working directly with a publishing house or using a reputable agent to hook you up with the right people. If neither of those seem to be the correct choice, then self publishing is a valid option for you.

Although my knowledge of the above mentioned areas struggles to keep pace with changes in the industry, I'll try to give some general advice and references here that you can run with. Don't take my word to be gospel about anything, but do your research and be 100% comfortable with any decision before acting on it.