Having just recieved quite a good voluntary redundancy settlement and with time on my hands I am in a position to consider self-publishing my novel. I have seen articles and websites on the "bona fide" publishing companies offering this service, so I won't be going down the old "vanity publishing" road.

Thoughts? Is it worth it? Any success / failure stories?

I just don't want to spend more endless days and nights trying to get the synopsis just right to attract an agent or publisher - who might put me in the slush file anyway and my novel may never get published.

I want to control my work - just like I am controling the music I write by setting up my own "record label" and selling my CDs online. As I see it, its time for me to "put up or shut up" and invest in myself.

Michael, there are several threads on this, which should come up with a site search.

HollyB (aka Anne of Goldenford Books) is probably the WW guru.

Emma

Thanks Emma

I deny the claim to be any kind of a "guru", Michael (though thanks for the thought, Emma!), but I'm a believer in self-publishing, as well as good independent publishers and mainstream publishers! I think there's a place for us all ...

It sounds as though you already have a good idea of what you're doing in any case - what with the music connection etc - setting up your own company (either yourself or with like-minded friends) is the best way forward and you can then concentrate on the local market and producing a quality product(s) for it (as Goldenford tries to do). And it's great fun too! - which isn't something that's said enough - just as anyone who sets up their own business will tell you.

I'd say though that it's vital to get a professional editor and put your book through the mill to get it as good as it possibly can be. Don't produce too many copies at first (Antony Rowe are good printers and do small & print-on-demand print runs too), and have reasonable expectations.

Richard, our real onsite self-publishing guru(!), will also have loads of good advice - and isn't there a thread on this that he did sometime?

A
xxx

Michael, if you're going down this route, marketing and distribution is the biggest hurdle. Many bookshops won't stock s-p books because they have too many typos, and they look like s-p productions. To get round this, an attractive cover and a professional edit are essential.

Try Matador. They’re a division of Troubador, and their package looks good.

http://www.troubador.co.uk/matador/default.asp

Dee

Hi Michael- have drawn this to Richard's attention and he'll no doubt be in touch via this thread asap.

Michael - good luck with the venture. But as Dee and others say, make it look good. Even if we'd written masterpieces, cutting corners in 'finish' would be a handicap to our work if we went this route.

Jim

Thanks for all the replies.

Yes, I'll make sure the book is edited (it will cost more of course but there is no alternative).

Michael

Michael,

Just to endorse much (all?) of what has been said. I have indeed been very pleased with Antony Rowe and would recommend them (and no, I don't get a percentage! I just like to promote folk who work honestly and efficiently!)

I'd also endorse the points about making it as good as you can and about it being fun. Magical to see the first copy - and with print-on-demand you don't have to invest mega-bucks to get to that point.

If there is anything specific that you want to ask me - do WW email - though bear in mind my experience is with non-fiction which is generally much easier to market than fiction (because there's usually a specialist, potentially interested group).

Keep us posted as to how it goes. And all the very best with it...

Richard.