| Have you ever walked into a bookstore and | | | | assist with this. |
| looked at an interesting title of a good book and | | | | Therefore, I highly recommend that you go |
| wondered what it was like to be on the other | | | | through a company that offers your book the |
| side as the writer? Somewhere along the way, | | | | same benefits as those that come from publishing |
| that author, before he or she was famous, | | | | houses. These print-on-demand companies are |
| discovered that they like to tell stories. Unlike | | | | iUniverse and Author House. Upon the completion |
| thousands of books that convey interesting facts, | | | | and launch of your project, the benefits you |
| which range from the insect world to the far | | | | would want are: |
| reaches of the cosmos, are simply informative. | | | | - A retailer's discount of 40% off the list price. |
| But as for novels, they tell a story. Many people | | | | This means that your royalties will have to be |
| can write a book. This is not to say that books | | | | adjusted to the lowest amount which is about |
| are easy to write. Some books take years of | | | | 10%. The lower the royalty the better the retailer |
| research, especially biographies and history books. | | | | discount. It's better to have a 10% royalty and |
| But those who write novels, their literary | | | | more book sales than a 20% royalty with less |
| adventure take on a different form; they are | | | | book sales. |
| story-based in structure. And in many cases, | | | | - Next, you want your book to have a retailer's |
| story-based compositions (including biographies and | | | | return policy. If a bookstore buys twenty copies |
| autobiographies) are literarily enhanced for the | | | | and they sell only five, they are able to return the |
| entertainment of the readers. Novelists have a | | | | remaining fifteen. The bookstore will get a full |
| compelling desire to create stories from what | | | | refund for each book. The good part is that you |
| their minds can conjure up. Thus, in the process | | | | will still keep the royalties for all twenty books. |
| of creating a novel, he or she essentially becomes | | | | But to obtain the above benefits (a retailer's |
| the god of their world. And when a novelists sets | | | | discount and a buy back policy) you will have to |
| out to write a story, they are gearing up to | | | | purchase a publishing package that includes those |
| launch their book into the vast, book-reading | | | | benefits. |
| population all over America. | | | | This particular publishing package will demand that |
| In my personal life, I knew that someday I would | | | | you adhere to the following: |
| write a novel. And when that day came, I began | | | | - The publisher's editorial review of your |
| researching the avenues of the publishing world. | | | | manuscript. |
| And after a few hours of internet researched, I | | | | If your manuscript is very clean and already |
| quickly discovered that there are two ways to | | | | edited, you may receive a good editorial review. |
| get published. The first way is through a traditional | | | | Then your manuscript will go onto publication. |
| publishing house. The second is through a | | | | But if your manuscript has errors, they will |
| self-publishing company, also known as | | | | demand the following in order for your book to |
| print-on-demand. I chose self-publishing for two | | | | get these benefits. |
| reasons. For one, I wanted to retain the rights of | | | | - Your manuscript must go through a copy and |
| my book. Secondly, I wanted to be in full control | | | | line edit. If necessary, they will recommend a |
| of my story. | | | | content edit as well. |
| Getting picked up by a conventional publishing | | | | - Lastly, you book must go through a proofread |
| house is sometimes very difficult. Therefore, you | | | | edit. |
| may consider self-publishing. And please note that | | | | Then your book will go onto publication. In some |
| eCommerce (internet sales) is climbing every | | | | cases, a good story will not earn the benefits if |
| year. Thirty to thirty-five percent of all book sales | | | | the reviewer feels the story is not of professional |
| occur in bookstores. The remaining sixty-five to | | | | quality. But don't worry. The publisher has outside |
| seventy percent occur through the internet. My | | | | reviewers as well. If you send your book to one |
| book is going through an exciting internet | | | | of them and they deliver a good report, then you |
| marketing campaign. And the packages that you | | | | will be granted the above benefits. |
| can buy will help your book get noticed. But if you | | | | To recap, the self-publishing companies and |
| have your mind set on getting your book onto | | | | marketing packages will help your dreams come |
| the shelves of bookstores, (besides the internet) | | | | true. |
| then you need a self-publishing company that can | | | | |