11/17/10

Where Can I Self Publish?

I am trying to find a good company to self-publish my book. I have used Lulu.com in the past but am not happy that their finished products are not professional looking. They used to be, but have changed. It is also hard to get them to respond to errors as they are getting so many clients.

Do you offer self-publishing? If so, what are your prices, and how do you go about publishing books?

I haven't used Lulu in a long time. I wasn't aware that their quality had decreased. That's too bad because they were a good resource and I've recommend them in the past. Anyone else used Lulu recently? Can you confirm that their quality is less than it used to be?

More recently, I've used Amazon's CreateSpace. That is who I used for Stolen Christmas. I was very pleased with the result. Like Lulu, you must send them print-ready files.

One thing to remember is that these companies are automated. They do no editing or design work, unless you pay extra. The quality of what you get back is determined by the quality of the files you send them.

If you're going big time small press, you could check out Lightning Source. They do a good job.

There are also places like AuthorHouse and iUniverse who make self-publishing fairly easy. I don't recommend them because I have not been at all impressed with their editing services (which cost extra). They are inconsistent in their quality.

No, LDS Publisher does not do self-publishing or any type of publishing, other than the story contests. This persona is a publishing advice columnist. Period.

There is an ad for LibrisPro running over in my sidebar. I make no endorsements or claims for this company, only point out that their ad gives you a link to explore.

Readers, if you assist self-publishers and would like to toot your own horn, or if you have used the services of a company you can recommend, feel free to leave info in the comments section.

3 comments:

Marny said...

I do book design for self-publishers as well as for small presses. I have prepared files for a number of different printers. I have done poetry books, novels, self-help, and children's books, including the design of Counting the Cost, which won a Whitney Award last year. You can see samples in my portfolio on my Web site.

Marny said...

If you are going to use a "self-publishing company" (really, an oxymoron), first read Mark
Levine's book The Fine Print, which compares most of the companies by price and contract options.

Tristi Pinkston said...

I edit for authors, self-published and those who go through traditional publishing houses. You can check out my work at http://www.tristipinkstonediting.blogspot.com

As far as houses go, I publish one of my books through CreateSpace, and have really been very pleased with them.