Acknowledgements
Anna Crosbie has first-hand experience of the advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing. She also has first-hand experience of the bonuses and pitfalls of having someone else publish your book for you. Her first book Feng Shite: A Little Book of House Messing (Boxtree) has sold over 50,000 copies. Her most recent self-published book, Britain's Hot Potato: A Boiled Down Guide to the European Union, has sold 4000 copies to date - with limited help from its miniscule marketing budget!
With thanks to my agent Peter Buckman for giving me confidence and determination, and to my husband Tony, for putting up with it.
Those of us who are passionate about the books we write dream of seeing our book in print. Some of us dream of seeing it on a bookshelf in a book store, or even mentioned in the bestsellers’ list. Others of us dream of just holding it in our hands and witnessing the evolution of our tirelessly written manuscript into a proper book format.
Having experienced the joys and frustrations of having my books published by mainstream publishers, I decided in 2004 to publish my next two books myself: one non-fiction book and one novel. Several months later I was able to reflect on the joys and frustrations of publishing my own books. In a nutshell, it is not easy, nor simple, nor a guaranteed means of making vast profits. However, publishing your own book is a rewarding experience, and if you approach it with the necessary degree of business planning, it can be a financially rewarding experience also.
In this book you will find the information you need to inform your self-publishing decisions.
- What do you want to achieve?
- What are you willing and able to invest?
- What do you need to know about the publishing industry before you start?
- And, of course, budgeting, marketing, and selling.
Writing your book is only the beginning: the hard work comes next. In the course of researching the case studies included in Chapter 10, I spoke to many people who have published their own books. All of them reiterated this point in their own way: publishing your book takes ongoing commitment. In the case studies you will see the hugely different approaches people have taken to self-publishing. Some were delighted to print just a small number of copies for family and friends. Others viewed their self-publishing as a long-term business investment.
I have written this book to guide you through the process of publishing your own book. I hope it not only informs you, but also inspires you to give it a try.
Happy publishing!
