A guide to getting your book published

When it comes to getting your book published, you essentially have three options: Mainstream commercial publishers, self-publishing or Vanity or Print on Demand publishing (POD).

Publishing a book is very tough business. I won't lie to you.

Mainstream publishing

Getting your book published through a mainstream publishing company is a long shot. Of course, it can be done, just look at the thousands of new books published each year, but the truth of the matter is that of the nearly 53,000 books put out each year by commercial publishers, only about 10 percent will ever be financially successful.

Much of this, unfortunately, has to do with the fact that big publishing houses spend an inordinately disproportionate amount of their advertising dollars on big-name authors with a proven track record.

In other words, if they can't guarantee you will make them a big return on their investment, you are basically out of luck.

And let's face it, what good is it doing you to have a book in print if no one buys it? I mean, isn't that the goal? Sure, it's nice to see your name in print, but believe me that novelty wears off quickly when the bills start pouring in.

Maybe you have even tried getting your book published through the mainstream route already. If so, I can pretty much guarantee that unless your name starts with Stephen or John and ends in King or Grisham, you received the proverbial nicely worded, yet stingingly blunt rejection slip.

Don't feel bad… you are not alone.

Did you know that Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind was actually rejected 38 times before a publisher finally took it on?

Even Stephen King, received 30 "nos" before Carrie was published.

And what about that hugely famous young British wizard who has captured the hearts of millions worldwide? That's right, J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter received no less than 12 rejection slips before the series was picked up.

I guess it just goes to show that the multi-million-dollar publishing houses don't know everything!

For any aspiring author, repeated rejection can easily crush any hopes or dreams of finally seeing your book in print. And even if by some miracle you do succeed in getting your book published through one of these companies, as a new author, you will be so nickled and dimed you will begin to wonder why you even bothered to write the book in the first place.

Most mainstream publishers only offer new authors a 10 to 15 percent royalty on their book. Work that out when you also take into consideration how many books actually make money through conventional publishing. The odds are stacked against you from the moment you send them your labor of love, which to them, is nothing more than one of the 500 other inconspicuous manuscripts that come across their desk each week.

So, where does that leave you?

Other options for getting published

Well, it leaves you with two other options for getting your book published. You can self publish your work or you can use a Print on Demand book publisher.

As the name suggests, if you choose to go the self-publishing route, you will be responsible for every aspect of the publishing process. In many cases, that may be more than you bargained for.

For example, as a self-publisher, you will need to arrange everything from getting an ISBN to editing, designing and formatting your book so it is print ready. You will have to find a printer, someone to sell your book, distribute it, market it and basically micro-manage every aspect of the process.

It sounds exhausting just thinking about it.

The good news however, is that you get to keep all the profits. The bad news… unless you have some good contacts and knowledge of the ins and outs of the publishing world, you won't likely see much profit to keep.

So, have I scared you off yet? Have you tossed your book into the nearest trashcan? Well, before you call it quits, there is still one option left for getting your book published and I always save the best for last!

Print on Demand publishing is a growing industry. In a way, it combines the best of commercial publishing with self-publishing a book.

This format not only allows you more control over your work, but also gives you the freedom to decide how many books you want to print, where they will be sold and even how they will be sold.

Many Print on Demand book publishers also offer such things as cover design, illustrator services and in-house editing. They may also provide you with varying degrees of help when it comes to printing your book.

Where the majority of these companies fall short however, is that once you have your book in hand, their job is done. You are left to fend for yourself in a highly competitive market in which over 195,000 new titles are published each year in the US alone. So, unless you have some good contacts and a knack for marketing your own book effectively, you will be left with a shelf full of books and no one to read them.

This is where we can help you.

After years of research into every aspect of the publishing industry, we quickly realized that the most important part of the self publishing services print on demand book publishers provide to their authors, is essentially missing.

Simply put, what good is a book if no one reads it?

And in order for someone to read it, you have to know how to sell your book. So, if you stick with me just a little bit longer, in the next section I will give you some unique sales and book marketing tips that will help you make a profit after getting your book published.

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