FAQs of Independent Publishers

COMMON QUESTIONS FIELDED AMONG INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS

FAQ’s
For people just starting out in the publishing world for the first time, it can be a nerve-wracking and stressful process; however here are some things you should know when going down the road of self-publishing.

DO I NEED TO COPYRIGHT MY BOOK BEFORE IT’S PUBLISHED? HOW DO I DO IT?
Copyrighting your book is essential; this protects you from anyone else using your work, or claiming it as their own. The process of copyrighting your book is simple: just follow the directions on the Library of Congress website; submit your completed application, include a non-returnable copy of your literary work, and pay the $30 fee. You can turn your manuscript in before it is in the final version of the book; as long as the content doesn’t change substantially, then your book will still retain the copyright. You will receive a Certificate of Registration in about four to five months; you do not have to wait until you have the copyright certificate to publish your manuscript, simply give the publishing company a copy of the certificate when it arrives.

DOES THE PUBLISHING PROCESS TAKE A LONG TIME?
Depending on the company, publishing a book with an independent or small press publisher is usually a fairly short process. If your manuscript is complete and edited, you submit your manuscript to the company; they make it into the first draft and ship it out to you so you can check for any mistakes or typos that need to be fixed. The changes that need to be made would be applied, and the process would be repeated one more time, sending you the second draft so you can look it over one last time to ensure the final draft of your book meets your requirements. From the time that you turn in your manuscript, until the time you receive your first draft is approximately three weeks, while the entire publishing process takes only about two to three months; at which point you will be able to sell your book via online booksellers, your own personal webpage, and at major bookstores nationwide, not to mention the hundreds of markets outside of the bookstore arena.

WHAT FORMAT SHOULD MY MANUSCRIPT BE IN WHEN I TURN IT IN TO BE PUBLISHED?
For most independents, your manuscript should be in Microsoft Word or WordPerfect, and should be on disc or emailed to the publisher. If you submit the manuscript in the form of a hardcopy, if they even accept it, you will be charged extra for any typing or scanning that needs to be done. Your manuscript will most likely change in the number of pages it is, as it will be formatted with the publisher’s software to fit the size of the book you have chosen.

DO I NEED TO FIND ILLUSTRATIONS OR PICTURES ON MY OWN?
Yes, in most cases, you need to supply the illustrations or pictures you will use; while most publishing companies will help design the cover art and the more complicated layouts of books, most publishing companies do not offer in-house illustrators or illustration services, but most do have artists who they recommend if you are without an illustrator.

HOW CAN I INCLUDE THE ILLUSTRATIONS IN MY BOOK?
It is preferred, and less costly to send your illustrations or pictures via email or disc in either .tif, .jpg or .png file name extensions; if this is not possible then the illustrations or pictures can be scanned into the computer; the graphic designer can then take your illustrations or pictures and put them into the book wherever they need to go.

DO I HAVE TO DO THE EDITING ON MY OWN?
Most publishing companies offer services to help with the production of your book, including grammatical editing, content editing, typing services and scanning of photos and artwork.

HOW IS THE RETAIL PRICE FOR MY BOOK SET?
Most self-publishing companies will allow you to decide how much you want to sell your book for, and thereby, you set the retail price. They can discuss with you how much of a profit you will make with the retail price that you’ve decided on, and make suggestions to help you in your decision.

HOW CAN PEOPLE ORDER MY BOOK?
When you publish a book, it is given an International Serial Book Number, or ISBN. When the publishing company assigns an ISBN to your book; this puts your book into the database known as Books In Print. This also allows people to order your book from any major bookstore nationwide; your book will also be available to major distributors and retailers once the book is listed in Books In Print.

CAN I GET HELP WITH THE MARKETING FOR MY BOOK?
Most independent publishing companies offer different publishing packages. This allows you to choose the package that works best for you, whether you prefer just a simple package that allows you to handle the publicity and marketing yourself, or whether you want a publicity package designed specifically for your book and a regional marketing plan conducted by the publishing company for you, most companies can help figure out which package will work best for you.

CONGRATULATIONS!
These FAQ’s should help you understand the process of publishing your book with an independent publishing company. If you still have questions, most independents are small and enjoy helping writers who are new to the business. And most will be happy to offer advice on which process is best for you. Congratulations on deciding to publish your work, and good luck to you!

Heather Breaz, Publishing Account Representative
Lifevest Publishing, Inc.
http://www.lifevestpublishing.com/
http://www.authorstobelievein.com/