Several years ago, when I published my first novel, I used an editor who claimed to be the editor for some famous writers. I attended his online classes and tried to listen to his advice. While he edited my novel, he also cautioned that he did not in any way comment on the quality of the story. When I received the edited version back, I was horrified at all the errors. His advice to me was to correct them and submit to a publishing company. Traditionally, he told me, self-publishing was a fad and no one would take my book seriously.

     Most people would have taken his advice seriously and submitted the book to traditional publishing companies. Always marching to the beat of my own drum, I decided to self-publish. It was then that I searched for the perfect self-publishing company. I was naïve. Like most beginning writers, I thought that when my book was published, it would become a bestseller. I would quit my day job and become a full-time writing genius. I would be rich and enjoy a comfortable life, signing books at bookstores. My books would be made into movies. Oh, and while I was indulging the publishing fantasy, I might add that I could eat all of the chocolate and cupcakes I desired and never gain a pound.

     And so the nightmare began. I began comparing self-publishing companies. I looked at their pricing and compared. I analyzed the services they had to offer. I read books to find out what I needed. I purchased items that I found out later were not necessary or useful.

     The reality of the traditional publishing companies resembles other business: they have cut back. There are fewer editors than reviewing more manuscripts. They do not provide the marketing and publicity services as in the past. Book advances are a thing of the past, unless you were previously president of a country or you are a celebrity. You might be able to get an advance if you did something scandalous with a celebrity or a president but, let’s face it; the opportunity for such a scandal is rare. There is not much behavior that we consider scandalous anymore.

     So we are left with self-publishing. Old timers will tell you that these authors lack credibility. Their assessment is wrong. Self- publishing is good for authors and consumers. It provides reading material that was unavailable before because it wasn’t what the traditional publishers considered “mainstream”. It also provides readers the opportunity to embrace a whole new generation of authors.

     This book is meant to be a guide to avoid the pitfalls that I encountered with my first self-publishing company and help you ask the right questions when choosing the right company for your needs as an author.

     You might be asking if there are advantages to self- publishing. Here is a few of them:

-   You retain all of the rights to your books

-   You have complete control over your book’s design

-   You can publish quickly

-   You can distribute your book worldwide

-   Your book will remain in print

-   You have availability in all formats (soft and hard cover and e-book)

-   You can target your niche market

-   You control of your book’s pricing and your royalties

All of these are considerations in self-publishing. If you go with traditional publishing companies, it can take years to find someone to accept you manuscript. After that, it can take eighteen months or more to get it to market. With self- publishing, your book can be ready for market in as little as two months.

     Most traditional publishers do not allow you to retain the rights to your books. That takes the creative control out of your hands and gives it to the publisher. Self- publishing allows you to retain the rights to your books and create the book exactly the way that you envision it.

Juliet Dillon Clark is the author of five novels and CEDO of Winsome Entertainment Group. For more information about how you can get your book published, call (661)251-6900 or email juliet@julietclark.com.