You are joining the ranks of some of the most well-known authors, including Deepak Chopra, James Joyce, Gertrude Stein and Anais Nin. In fact, you probably have several self-published titles in your own library. What Color is Your Parachute by Richard Nelson Bolles and Irma Rombauer’s The Joy of Cooking are two examples.

So you’ve decided to self-publish the book you have worked so hard to write. Congratulations! You have taken an important step, But, have you decided to self-publish with a book packager?

You are joining the ranks of some of the most well-known authors, including Deepak Chopra, James Joyce, Gertrude Stein and Anais Nin. In fact, you probably have several self-published titles in your own library. What Color is Your Parachute by Richard Nelson Bolles and Irma Rombauer’s The Joy of Cooking are two examples.

Two options to self-publish your memoir

When you self-publish, there are two viable possibilities.

1. One is to do all the work yourself. This is possible, but the learning curve can be steep.
2. The other possibility is to self publish with a book packager .  This option comes with a number of services that will facilitate the task of getting your book out into the world. The learning curve when you self-publish with a book packager is greatly diminished.

A. If you’ve decided to self-publish your with a book-packager, there are certain things you should expect from the publishing process.

A book-packager should allow you to retain full control of the text, the design and the illustrations, and to keep 100% of the cover price for every sale. Think of the book-packager as a hired freelancer. You order a service, contract a fee, and when your book is produced, their job and your obligation are finished. Although lines are sometimes blurred these days with book-packagers taking on the role of agent as well, a reputable service will have clear outlines for each of their services available.

B. Sometimes, clients say they don’t want to self-publish with a book packager because that is a service a printer can provide? Is this so?

No. This is not right.

Printers work on the very technical and specific portion of your book’s production–turning electronic files into a printed book. They do not specialize in design, or the finer points of book marketing (yes the book design stage is art of marketing), which should dictate certain choices make about the look of your book. Ultimately, the self-publish‘s job is to be the expert in the middle who makes sure you have considered all the options and decided on each element before the project goes to press. Your choices need to be translated into the language the printer needs to produce the book you dream of. These are not decisions a printer should make.

Services you will want to have when you self-publish with a book packager:

• editing
• ghostwriting
• book and cover design
• providing illustrations
• photograph/artwork scanning, restoration, and preparation
• proofreading
• pre-press file preparation
• production coordination
• negotiating and overseeing printing and binding services
• marketing consultation
• marketing

When you self-publish with a book packager, the company ought to provide the technical expertise and services authors need to turn their manuscripts into professional, independently-published books. An experienced book-packager can do all or some of the work necessary to help you to accomplish your dream. Whether you choose to handle various steps yourself, or prefer support from A to Z, a book packager ought to offer a comprehensive “A la carte” menu of services to choose from.

Good luck as you self-publish your book!