More writers choosing to self-publish, author says

 


By Ed Collins

More writers are choosing to self-publish their books even though it can be expensive and involves lots of extra work, according to Sandy Bernstein, author of the recently self- published “The Door in the Sky,” a fantasy book for young adults.

Speaking before the North Shore Writers Group on May 10 at the Deerfield Public Library, Bernstein said many changes are now taking place in the publishing industry and writers are finding new opportunities to create and distribute their works.

“While the traditional big book publishing houses are still very active in producing best sellers, they have also have become very selective about the manuscripts they choose for publication and their cost for printing and promoting them.” Bernstein said.

But self-publishing is not cheap either, she indicates. Self-published authors have to do a lot of extra work that the big publishers often cover under their contract with an author. Hiring experts are necessary to design the book cover, suggest internal type selection, and produce page layouts are necessary.

Proof-reading of the manuscript is essential to check for mis-spellings and use of proper grammar. Contracts with national advertisers, promotion experts, and book distribution personnel to sell the book are also usually required additional expenses.

One way for a low-budget author to conserve costs is to work with Amazon Inc. in the preparation and sale of low-cost e-books, she said. Amazon sells both fictional and non-fiction e-books for less that $10.

“If you are going to self-publish, you also must have a website,” Bernstein said. “It’s a special opportunity to promote book review material to critics in advance of your book’s release.” Bernstein said.

However, the negative side of self-publishing she said is that the author must promote and market the book’s sales themselves. This can be both time-consuming by taking away  an author’s valuable writing time, and is also quite expensive.

The next meeting of the North Shore Writers Group will be on Saturday, June 14, at the Deerfield Public Library, 920 N. Waukegan Road, next to Village Hall. Additional information on the Group can be obtained through: nswg@yahoo.com