Is self-publishing worth it? I am a young writer who really wants to get published. I write fiction/fantasy. All the information I've found about publishing is like a horror story about how hard it is. I recently went to a self-publishing site. It seems like a good idea, but it's so expensive! Does anyone know whether it's worth it?

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Very much so! Conventional publishing is the horror story -- you have little or no control over your work once it leaves your hands, you have to basically know somebody who knows somebody to even break in, and we're talking about MAJOR financial expense in order to break even. Most publishers simply can't afford to take that kind of risk. I've used AuthorHouse, the world's leading self-publisher, for my last two books. Please feel free to check it out; how expensive it ultimately turns out to be depends how much you want to do! Each of my two books, Progeny and Legacy, ending up costing about $800 to produce. And I had control over everything -- AuthorHouse didn't make a move without my approval. You sound like you're writing in my field; I'd love to hear more about what you've written -- I'm sure it's great, distinctly you, and you want to keep it that way. With self-publishing like that you'll find at AuthorHouse, you can't go wrong. Sincerely yours, David Alvin

Okay, first off, you DO NOT need to "know somebody who knows somebody". You just need to be a good writer. If you self publish, it will cost hundreds of dollars, and all you are doing is "printing" your book. It will not be distributed and on shelves in book stores across the country. It will be listed on places like Amazon.com, but the per-book-price will be higher than the usual amount. (Normally, anyway.) THe only way someone can get yoru book is if they order it online or they special order it at a book store. Just becuase you paied to get your book published doesn't mean that you're now a published author. Also, about 90% of your sales are going to be sales YOU made the contact on. Your book isn't going to just sell itself. "Horror Stories" Is a harsh way of putting it. Publishing is a competitive business-- very competitive. It takes a lot of committment and hard work to get anywhere. I've been writing about 3 years, but only been serious about it for 1 and a half. . I signed an agent in January and have been working on revising. By the end of the year I hope to have a book deal. If you dont want to pay money, then just keep trying. Eventually your persistance will pay off....and I highly reccomend trying to get an agent first.

Self publishing is fine if you want a nice book for friends and family and whatever independent booktores will take it. But for a more professional product and a book that is more likely to make an impact a publishing house is the way to go. If you are worried about the business end of start contacting literary agents. The input of a good agent and a good publisher can make your book shine! Good luck!

Getting a publisher to pick up your book, edit it with you, have a professional designer design it, and have expert marketers place it with bookstores as well as reviewers, means that your work was good enough for them to invest all that time, effort and money on your behalf. Self-publishing a book means you have a few bucks to spare, and has nothing to do with the quality of your work. May be good, may be horrible. No way of knowing simply from the fact that it's been printed, because you paid for it. Publishers do not take your book away from you; they work with you to make it better. With all due respect to self-published authors, I suspect those of you who put down conventional publishing have never been picked up by a real publishing house. That's fine, and again, this may not necessarily be a reflection on the quality of your work (although it usually is). But in any case, you are not in any position to comment on how one "loses control" of one's work by having it picked up by professionals who, after all, know something about quality with respect to literature.

Coinciding with Amanda and The Roo's comments self-publishing is fine to get your book in a well-presented form for selling. But should you ever successfully contact a reputable literary agent to request representation never put as your references that you have used a vanity publishing method. These agents know the difference in quality writing and those having to pay to get their manuscripts in published form. In their viewpoint, vanity publishing will print anything so long as the author has the front-money to do it. This is just another part of the equation at getting published to consider.

Don't do it! If you self-publish, it is nothing you'll want to claim as a publishing credit since most publishers give no credence to "vanity/self-published" pieces. Also, your book will not be on the shelves of libraries, bookstores. You need to first get some publishing credits by submitting to journals or magazines. I've found the Writer's Market to be great as a starting place. Buy a copy . Inside you will find markets for all categories and submission guidelines. You have to start out small and build from there. Be patient.