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How to Publish Books for Less

Book publishing used to be prohibitively expensive for authors without a publisher. The print on demand book publishing model mitigates the expense and risks associated with traditional book publishing. Because your book is only printed when an online order is placed, you don't pay to print books that you don't sell nor do you pay for storage while you wait for sales. This reduces your costs significantly. The downside of self-publishing is that as well as writing, you have to format, edit, proof and market your book. For some, this is a thrilling challenge, but for others it is a distraction.

Instructions

  1. Preparing your Document

    • 1

      Open the book draft document. Delete all edit notes from the draft and run the spell-checker tool. Then do a self-edit to catch what your spell-checker tool may have missed.

    • 2

      Open a blank document in your preferred word processor, such as Microsoft Word or Open Office and select "Page Settings." In the "Dimensions" box, enter the dimensions that you want your book to be. There are various shapes and sizes of books. Naturally the smaller the book, the less it will cost to print. However, your artistic vision should overrule any financial benefits at this stage. Make a note of the size you want. If you upload this document and attempt to print a different sized book, the text and images won't fit on the page.

    • 3

      Copy the draft book text into the blank document. Start each new chapter on the left-hand page and insert the images on the right-hand page. Leave two pages blank at the front.

    • 4

      Align all images centrally. Click on each image and select the "Center Align" box at the top of the page. Proof read the manuscript and click save. Once saved, click "File," select "Export As" and select "PDF."

    Print on Demand

    • 5

      Go to your chosen print on demand supplier, such as Lulu.com or Createspace.com and click the "Sign Up" link. When prompted, enter your name and email address. This is all you need to sign up.

    • 6

      Select "No" if prompted to set up a premium membership. Such memberships are suitable only for people with money to spend on marketing and technical assistance. Since you want to publish books for less, you can handle those aspects yourself. Select "Yes" when prompted to sell on Amazon.com. Print on demand publishers typically provide this service for free. It's in their interest for your book to sell since they receive a percentage.

    • 7

      Select "Publish." When prompted, select a book size. Enter the dimensions for which your document is formatted.

    • 8

      Select "Upload Files." Hit "Browse" and select your formatted document from the computer.

    • 9

      Select the "Cover Wizard" to make a cover. This is cheaper than the typical "Custom Cover" options that print on demand publishers offer. Select a "Theme" from the cover options, type in your title and upload a photograph from your computer. Click "Publish." Copy the link from the publisher site once the book is live. Paste this link into your "Status" box on all social media platforms that you use, such as Facebook and Twitter. Social media is a cheap way of promoting an online product.

Book Publishing

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