Self Published, Traditional Publisher

by Ellen DuBois on 03/14/12

Hello Everyone,

I decided to create a blog for this site. Seemed to make sense and hopefully I can offer some form of inspiration or a useful idea or two to writers who are looking to draw from a fellow writer's experiences.

Live and learn.

I think I'll start this blog off talking about moving from a traditional publisher to self publisher. I made this move for one book: I Never Held You- a book about miscarriage, healing and recovery.

Back in 2006, my book was published traditionally through a small but reputable publisher. It did fairly well for three years, during which time I also ran a support site called MiscarriageHelp.com. I still run the site.

Fast forward to 2009. The economy was what is was and my publisher made the decision to cut nonfiction from their line of books. I was left scrambling and wanted my book back 'out there' in a hurry. My position on Amazon.com was good and I didn't want to lose it. My blog was also fed directly to my author page on Amazon, and God forbid I lost that!

On top of it all, I had to get MiscarriageHelp.com rebuilt and hosted by another company so I could continue offering a place of support for those who had lived through the pain of miscarriage.

I was very confused and overwhelmed, to say the least. But, I had to keep my head on straight and focus on the tasks at hand: getting my book republished and my website rebuilt. However, I didn't want to make any decisions in haste. Why do more harm than good?

My book: The options were to submit my manuscript to traditional publishing houses, (again), and go through the long, nail-biting waiting process and/or to investigate my self publishing options. I was never one for the self publishing,  but then I came across Createspace.

Who is Createspace?

"CreateSpace, a member of the Amazon group of companies, provides innovative tools and services to help authors, filmmakers and musicians publish and distribute their creative content to millions of potential customers. Our manufacture on-demand technology makes it easy and economical for content creators to make their books, films, and music available across a variety of retail and wholesale channels, including Amazon.com and CreateSpace.com, without an upfront investment in inventory.

The sizable and rapidly expanding range of books, DVDs and CDs available through the CreateSpace platform - now in excess of 2 million titles - exemplifies how quickly on-demand production and distribution are being adopted!"

At the time, I knew very little about them, but my research proved positive. Additionally, I went with my gut. I picked up the phone and talked to some fabulous people who were helpful, upbeat and genuine.

After discussing the various packages with Createspace, I decided to pay for a new cover design and layout of my book. I worked one on one with a team of dedicated professionals who were top-notch. I had solid ideas for what I wanted in a cover and was presented with two designs to choose from based on what I described. One was right on with my ideas. The other was an excellent design based on their creative department's vision. I loved both covers, but the one that spoke to me was what I envisioned, so I went with it and haven't looked back.

 

My book sales are better than they ever were with my former pubisher. With the advent of Kindle's popularity, my electronic sales often outweigh my paperback sales. Both, and I need to stress this, far exceed book sales prior to my move to Createspace. My author page at Amazon remained in tact. Within a few months my book was ready and 'out there' again. My blog continued to feed directly to my author page, (after rebuilding it using a webhosting company I was already very familiar with, Homestead.com).

If you're looking for a way to get your book from your office and into the hands of readers: Get Published: Take your book from manuscript to the masses with self-publishing and print-on-demand from CreateSpace.

I still hold all rights to my book, but to be honest, I don't plan on making any moves from Createspace. I know it's the best decision I've ever made concerning the success and reach of I Never Held You. I know it because numbers don't lie.

My website: As for Homestead.com, I've been with them for over ten years, and when it came to rebuilding MiscarriageHelp.com, they were the company for me. Over the years, I've learned enough about HTML to get by, but with Homestead, you don't need to know HTML. It's an extremely professional, user-friendly web hosting company with excellent customer service. Think, dream, picture your site and build it. Literally. I was able to create MiscarriageHelp.com the way I wanted it to be, with full control over my site design, administration and more. Note: I think a website should accompany your book. It's an excellent way to reach your readers, and in my case, an invaluable tool, offering support to those who need it. Learn How to Build a Professional Website in Minutes. By the Makers of Quickbooks.

I hope you've found something helpful in this post. There are many, many options for you, the writer who wants to get published. Do your homework. Try not to make rash decisions and in the end, I believe you'll find what's right for you. What I've shared worked for me, and I'm so grateful it did.

Wishing you the very best in your writing and more,

Ellen

 

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