Self-taught self-publishing

Once you get to know me you'll find out I have a tendency to immerse myself in a subject, reading everything I can get my hands on . . . sure, some of the material repeats itself (and some doesn't).

Then, I go do something else and forget about what I've read . . . sometimes the act of letting my subconscious work on the matter provides a better solution than if I actively worked on the answer. And sometimes another answer is presented to me from a different source.

Self-publishing my book is a case in point . . .

For some time now, I've been getting emails from a company called AuthorHouse about self-publishing my book. Not that they know I have a book to self-publish, but they're there, willing to offer their services ("they're," "there," "their"). Something in my gut kept telling me to let 'em slide . . .

A couple months ago, I went to a lecture given by an author who used AuthorHouse for his self-published book . . . he told how AuthorHouse was always there (until they got his money, then they all but disappeared). ERK!! "There but for the Grace of God go I," I thought.

I did a Google search for "self-publishing comparison" . . . and in my reading, I found Lulu.com. It was considered one of the better self-publishing companies, so I looked over their website to see what I could see. I was considering self-publishing my work as an eBook, to cover the costs of printing a paperback version.

Then, I found "The Fine Print of Self-Publishing" on http://www.book-publishers-compared.com/. This is a fine site, and the downloadable book is written by Mark Levine, an attorney who compares the contracts of 45 self-publishing companies. I'm working my way through the book. My own book is on hold, until I can make a better informed decision . . .

(AuthorHouse is listed as a publisher to avoid . . . Lulu is listed as a pretty good self-publisher (two steps up from AuthorHouse) . . . I'm looking over the list of outstanding self-publishers (one step up from Lulu). Wish me luck.)