7 Self Publishing Myths And The Truth Behind It All

By Author: Adam Ross
Total Articles: 117
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You already have what it takes to self-publish your first book. And like other successful writers and authors turned publishers you can create or increase your passive income stream each month. Your competitors wish you would never discover the truth about these myths.
You may be asking "What if I don't have what it takes to self-publish?" You do. You've already accomplished the hard part of writing your book. Now it's time to publish it to the world. Believe it or not the world is waiting for your unique tips and solutions to their problems in YOUR FIELD. If you want to increase your present income or just get started now, read these seven myth busters and apply them.
Myth 1: The best book for a newbie to write is a novel.
Truth: Actually, non-fiction is your best route. Informative, how-to books sell well on the Internet. Also, they are overall easier to place in bookstores. The main reason for this; people who need information will buy it from any source as long as it looks reputable. After all, what do they stand to lose--a few dollars?
On the other hand, people looking for entertainment or an emotional ...
... experience from a book want to know what they're getting before they begin reading. An unknown author of fiction is an emotional risk. What if you don't deliver? I'm not saying there aren't any risk-takers among the reading public. There are; they're just not as plentiful as new writers might wish.
"Distribution has to do with the availability of books. POD books are distributed through Ingram and Baker and Taylor when the publisher prints through the Ingram print division (Lightning Source aka LSI). If the publisher is actually a printer, he may not use LSI and in that case he will not be able to offer distribution through Ingram. Most POD publishers do offer this distribution, but there are some who charge extra for it."
"Does it matter if you have Ingram distribution? I think it does. Without it, making your book available is going to be ever more difficult. It won't be listed on Amazon or with other booksellers unless you make those arrangements yourself. Potential readers won't be able to go into a bookstore and have the clerk find your book on their system. Without distribution, your book is virtually invisible. Not many, if anyone will be able to find it."
Myth 2: The only successful books are those published by big name writers or famous people.
Truth: Again, there are self published books that sell notably well and then were picked up by major publishers and made it even bigger. In general, most books make a small income for the author. As long as the book is good to begin with, the more it's promoted to its target audience, the better it will sell.
Myth 3: There is no distribution offered for POD published books.
Truth: Unlike traditional self-publishing, POD publishing often offers some distribution. Some POD publishers charge extra for this, but in reality, POD books are automatically set up to be distributed through Ingram and Baker & Taylor through LSI (the Ingram print on demand division).
Myth 4: All I have to do is write the book. I don't have anything to do with marketing and sales.
Truth: Consider this; there are over a million books in print. I must tell you if you want yours to stand out and sell, you should be prepared to work. Selling books is a business, and it takes hard work just like any other business.
Myth 5: Traditional publishers wouldn't expect me to market my own book.
Truth: Read what a Senior Editor at Harper Collins said: "I won't even look at a book unless the author is prepared to do a book tour and book signings... " There's no way around it; you must be prepared to be your best salesman-market your book.
Myth 6: Bookstores never stock POD published books.
Truth: Never say never; sometimes they will at a local level when dealing directly with the author. They also stock POD published books if they're returnable through Ingram. Otherwise, they probably won't, at least not at the time of this writing. However, this may change very soon when Ingram gets their new stocking/returnability policy up and running.
Myth 7: POD books can't be returned.
Truth: Most POD books are not returnable. Even so, at the time of this writing more and more POD publishers now offer returnability options in their packaged services.
SUMMARY
You can publish a book faster and easier than ever if you know how. People are daily looking for practical information and knowledge that you have. Don't let your ideas, knowledge and expertise fade away. Put it to work for you in your very own book. Remember, take the tips above and bust any self-publishing myths away that hold you back from your successful book.

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