The self-publishing journey

Why should you self-publish?
Not so long ago the self-publishing process was frowned upon by traditional publishers. Reviewers were not interested in reading self-published books. Bookstores would rarely consider stocking a self-published book (except, perhaps, if it was one written by a local customer, preferably a ‘celebrity’). Numerous ‘horror stories’ circulated citing examples of people who had handed over thousands of dollars to unscrupulous vanity presses, never to see them ever again. The situation was nothing short of a nightmare.

Thankfully, the situation has changed dramatically, helped by a number of ‘exposes’ of disreputable companies, an increased number of professional companies providing legitimate, high-quality services to help aspiring authors get their books into print, and the high number of success stories of brilliant writers who have turned their ideas into profitable books. The self-publishing industry has changed the publishing world. Publishing is no longer only for a few people. Many people whose books would have remained unwritten, and certainly unpublished, have taken the ball into their own court and have decided to self-publish their books – from family, corporate and association histories, fiction, childrens’ books, business and self-help books. Self-publishing has made publishing accessible to all.

Is self-publishing for me?
Your manuscript may be written, or your creative thoughts may still be in action, but either way you are at the stage of thinking about publishing options for your book. We have put together a list of the benefits Publish-me offers to help you take the next step in your self-publishing journey.

Seven good reasons for choosing Publish-me to help you with your book:

Never before has self-publishing been so easy or accessible!

1. Test the marketplace: You would like to publish your book to test it in the marketplace or to make your submission to a traditional publisher stand out. Publish-me can help you produce a high quality, professional and impressive looking book.
   
   
2. Preserve your family history: Your family history is important – with self-publishing you can now ensure that those precious stories and photographs are never lost. Publish-me can help you ensure that your dear old uncle doesn't get away with embellishing his stories around the dinner table, and exaggerating as time passes! The perfect family heirloom!
   
   
3. Choose your own design: You have the fun of choosing everything about the book from the look of its cover to the inside layout. Publish-me can help you choose the most suitable design for your book based on its intended audience.
   
   
4. A specialist audience: You have gone to great effort to write your book, but know that it will only appeal to a small group of people – self-publishing is the perfect solution. Publish-me will share your excitement and help you produce the book that you have always dreamed about!
   
   
5. Make your book your business: If you want to make your book your business, self-publishing is perfect for you – it means that you are not beholden to anyone else and you own all the material to do with as you wish. Publish-me offers a range of services and packages – you just pick and choose what you want.
   
   
6. Commemorate your organisation: If you are involved with an organisation, association or company, self-publishing means that you can produce that commemorative volume that will preserve your organisations' history, or record processes, documents and other important events, professionally published. Publish-me can help you produce a long-lasting and durable work that is testament of the success of your organisation, association or company.
   
   
7. Set your own budget: And remember, you can spend as little or as much money as you like!

What are the benefits?

1. You get professional service and guaranteed quality every step of the way
2. You will be advised by experienced book publishers and industry professionals
3. Access experienced writers, editors and designers
   
4. You get all the revenues from the sale of your book, not just a royalty
   
5. You retain the copyright
6. Our unique 'imprint' offer: design your own spine logo, or choose one of our four logos
   
7. You can publish your book quickly
   
8. Low risk, due to small print quantities, which also means your book need never go out of print
   
9. You retain control of your book at all times
   
10. You get to choose from our range of publishing packages that suit your specific needs

You can rest assured…
Before you make the decision to engage Publish-me to help produce your book, we thought you would like to see our guarantees. Not only will you have single point of contact throughout the whole publishing process, we also guarantee to:

• Deliver your books on the agreed date
• Deliver your books at the agreed price
• Provide the best service we can at all times, and, most importantly,
• Provide you with a high quality finished product which you will be proud to show to your friends and family.

The things you need to know
We hope you can see the benefits of letting Publish-me work with you to produce your book, now you need to ask yourself some questions:

1. What packages are available?
2. How much it will cost?
3. How long it will take?
4. What shape and size will my book be?
5. How many books should I print?
6. What is the process?
7. How can I market my book?

Why not take a look at the Frequently Asked Questions section, or give Publish-me a call on 02 9327 5196 to discuss your requirements in detail.

So what happens now?
The Self-Publishing Process with Publish-me: Seven Simple Steps

1. Complete your manuscript
2. Pick your package and choose your imprint
3. Send us an email or give us a phone call
4. Publish-me will send you a publishing proposal complete with timeframes
5. Agree the proposal and send us your manuscript
6. Review the cover and the text proofs
7. Ready, steady...Go! Your books are ready!

You are in good company!
Self-publishing is nothing new. Over the years, thousands of writers have made the decision to self-publish their books. In fact, in choosing to self-publish your book, you are joining an extensive club with a long list of prestigious members, including: John Milton, Mark Twain, Beatrix Potter, Rudyard Kipling, D. H. Lawrence, Walt Whitman, and Margaret Atwood, as well as all the writers featured on our Books for sale page.

No doubt you will have heard of Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, who sold more than a million copies of his self-published book in less than three years, and Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson who originally self-published The One-Minute Manager.