Once upon a time (wink), if someone wanted to self-publish a book, they had to get ready to spend some big bucks and lug the books themselves to independent book stores in hopes they would sell a few copies.
Now, thanks to the e-book revolution, it costs far less to get a book published.
Here are some reasons self-publishing e-books is so popular: • It's cheap.
Amazon's e-book creator, for example, is free.
You can't get any cheaper than that.
However, you can expect to spend some money if you plan to hire a graphics artist to design your cover or a copy editor to edit your book.
If you're serious about self-publishing, both are recommended.
• It's easy.
You don't need to be a computer genius to create your e-book.
It's almost as easy as cut and paste, and online tutorials are really helpful.
• You can make good money.
The secret is to not price your book too highly.
Some people are making tens of thousands of dollars selling their e-books for just.
99! You get 70 percent of the price, Amazon (for example) gets 30 percent.
In fact, you get more per sale than traditional paperbacks.
And because the price is so low, more people are willing to give new authors a try.
• You can reach a larger audience.
Anyone with an e-reader can find your books.
All you have to do is promote yourself a bit through Twitter and Facebook.
As your sales increase, word of mouth will also help sales.
And because the price of e-books is so low, more people will be willing to give you a try.
• You can write whatever you want.
No longer are writers constrained to write what New York editors think readers want to read.
Now you can truly write the book of your heart and get it published.
So many gifted writers cannot get published simply because someone in New York has decided no one wants to read your book.
Did you know someone submitted the classic The Yearling by Marjorie K.
Rawlings to a publisher not long ago (as a test) and it was rejected? Writers have already discovered what New York publishers haven't-that there's a huge audience for books that are different and push the envelope.
More and more people are going the digital route, both in what they publish and what they read.
There will come a time when authors bypass traditional publication routes altogether.
While that will mean a decrease in quality in some cases, it will also give gifted, exciting writers a chance to get published.