Anyone written/self published a book?

axisus

I'm always kicking around sci-fi stories in my head, and I've got three ideas that I'm trying to flesh out a bit more and see if I like them/if they work. They are just getting up to something like a 4-5 page synopsis really. In the old days you couldn't publish without a book deal, and they were virtually impossible to get - even Harry Potter was rejected everywhere! But obviously it is much more possible now with the whole kindle market etc,

Anyone done any self-publishing?

Grunfeld

I've looked into it.  Amazon have CreateSpace which I thought might be useful for the distribution side of things but they have other services too.

I know two people who have self-published and
1)  Getting someone who is able to format the book properly across all reading platforms is worth it.  Also, some people who profess to be able to do this simply can't.  I see that CreateSpace offer that service as it happens. 
2)  The second person had a professional artist do the cover.  Obviously that costs, but not so much, but the result just looked professional. 

quarky

My Mum does some books/ebooks (or as she said to me a few weeks ago "I'm actually a publisher author of an actual book, not just an ebook!" ). Marketing seems to be the real bitch. These days, writing a book, getting a book cover done, those are the easier bits, it is getting the book noticed that is the killer, and there is where a publisher would really help. There are people who have had success without one, but it isn't easy.

You could also look at local writers clubs/associations. They will be plenty of people in similar situations to you who have already gone on and published, and can give you advice.

boogieman

A couple of friends have done it. It’s easy enough to do the printing, design etc. The hardest part is always going to be getting the book publicised, so it generates sales demand, and then having somewhere to sell it... that’s the advantage of a proper publishing deal: they already have all the contacts. Depends really if you just want to see your name on the cover to say “I wrote that!” or whether you want to make money out of it (which from personal experience is really difficult. I co wrote a book that sold a couple of thousand copies and I only just managed to cover my costs. You need to be at a Dan Brown level of sales to actually make a living at it). 

57Deluxe

seems also if you write any old tosh about something controversial instantly gets you worldwide sales...

Bygone_Tones

Just start writing it would be my advice. Do it for yourself because you want to be creative, not to make money from it. Be consistent and write a little bit every day.

Worry about the publishing and stuff later if you want to go that route.

Wolfetone

I'm a third the way (27k words so far) through a science fiction/fantasy novel right now. I started writing it about fourteen years ago and strangely, I read a thread on here a week ago about things that you'd started and not finished and it has re-inspired me to continue so, off I have gone.

I haven't even thought about publishing but will when the final paragraph is penned.

axisus

Bygone_Tones said:

Just start writing it would be my advice. Do it for yourself because you want to be creative, not to make money from it. Be consistent and write a little bit every day.

Worry about the publishing and stuff later if you want to go that route.

Good point! I think I shall take that approach for the forseeable future. No point in worrying about selling/distributing a product if you don't have the product. Having said that, it's interesting to know in the back of your mind if there are people who have had any success.

Funkfingers

My mother self-published a collection of poems. The required number of copies are lodged with the British Library. A few went to relatives. Any remaining hard copies are in the attic. 

Writing something is not difficult. Knocking it into readable shape is not difficult. The mechanics of typesetting and printing are not especially difficult. Garnering interest and converting it into sales is the tricky bit. This requires a large advertising budget.

axisus said:

even Harry Potter was rejected everywhere!

That might have been because many of the publishing house decision makers were old enough to remember the ideas that Rowling was plagiarising. 

axisus

Funkfingers said:

axisus said:

even Harry Potter was rejected everywhere!

That might have been because many of the publishing house decision makers were old enough to remember the ideas that Rowling was plagiarising. 

Not really, there was nothing directly like Harry Potter. Any publishing house would fall over themselves to print any book with a fraction of the Potter sales. Not that I personally have interest in them, I haven't read a word!

boogieman

axisus said:

Funkfingers said:

axisus said:

even Harry Potter was rejected everywhere!

That might have been because many of the publishing house decision makers were old enough to remember the ideas that Rowling was plagiarising. 

Not really, there was nothing directly like Harry Potter. Any publishing house would fall over themselves to print any book with a fraction of the Potter sales. Not that I personally have interest in them, I haven't read a word!

Trouble is, a publisher can’t predict what the sales for a new author are going to be, it’s a guessing game for them. Bearing in mind publishers make peanuts out of printed media these days, you can see why they are extremely picky about who they choose to run with. It’s harder than ever now for a new author to get a publishing deal..... the first question most publishing houses asked me when I was toting my book manuscript around was “what have you had published before?” It’s a catch 22 situation.  No wonder a lot of people chose to go down the self publishing route. 

Fretwired

axisus said:

I'm always kicking around sci-fi stories in my head, and I've got three ideas that I'm trying to flesh out a bit more and see if I like them/if they work. They are just getting up to something like a 4-5 page synopsis really. In the old days you couldn't publish without a book deal, and they were virtually impossible to get - even Harry Potter was rejected everywhere! But obviously it is much more possible now with the whole kindle market etc,

Anyone done any self-publishing?

Yes - quite a few times.

stimpsonslostson

I've got 4 childrens books written & illustrated (badly- I can't draw/paint, but I try to give an impression of what I have in mind)
I have several more in the draft/notes stage, they're all on my iPad- I write them as bedtime stories for my kids & their friends. 

MrsLostSon keeps telling me to look into getting them published, but it seems hard... They aren't suitable for the ebook route really, so I'd be looking at "traditional print medium". I KNOW I'd need to get a proper illustrator on board to make them stand out. 

I guess it's a bit like my musical output- I need to get over the great of rejection & put it out there rather than protecting my ego. 

littlegreenman

Fretwired said:

axisus said:

I'm always kicking around sci-fi stories in my head, and I've got three ideas that I'm trying to flesh out a bit more and see if I like them/if they work. They are just getting up to something like a 4-5 page synopsis really. In the old days you couldn't publish without a book deal, and they were virtually impossible to get - even Harry Potter was rejected everywhere! But obviously it is much more possible now with the whole kindle market etc,

Anyone done any self-publishing?

Yes - quite a few times.

Most useful post of 2018 so far...

Grunfeld

stimpsonslostson said:

They aren't suitable for the ebook route really, so I'd be looking at "traditional print medium".

Dunno if you already know this but some places -- Amazon being the biggest -- do a print on demand service. 
Couple of months ago I got an ebook I liked so I wanted a paper reference version too.
The book which came was printed on demand in response to my order.  Took a few days extra to arrive iirc.  But like days, not weeks.
It looks just like a regular book because that's exactly what it is.  Really nice job.
I don't know what the limits of the technology are, but for "normal" books, can't fault it.