Self-publishing

Self-Publishing

In traditional publishing, the publisher bears the costs, such as editing, marketing, and paying advances, and reaps a substantial share of the profits; by comparison, in self-publishing, the author bears all of these costs but earns a higher share of the profits.

The self-publishing landscape has changed considerably in the past two decades with new technologies such as the Internet, and the $1 billion market continues to change at a rapid pace. Increasingly there are numerous alternatives to traditional publishing, and self-publishing is becoming the first choice for writers.

With this growth in activity, the book world has become flooded with titles, much of it of low quality, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for self-publishers to differentiate one's offerings from the stew of average offerings.

Most self-published books sell very few copies, although there are approximately a dozen books that sell into the millions. The quality of self-published works varies considerably.

It’s been a blessing to work with the team at CLC Kenya… You are professional, you take your work seriously and I love the final product. The editors did an awesome job!

Book: Conceive Achieve (July 2017)
Visibility: Keswick, Prestige, CLC, Eldoret, Kitale, Kericho, Nakuru and Swaziland.
Other titles: Conceive Achieve for Teens, Conceive Achieve Journal.

To the team at CLC Kenya… thank you for breathing life into this book…

I pray we shall have many more opportunities to change the world as we bring more books to life.

Book: It’s About Time (May 2017)
Visibility: Keswick, Prestige, CLC, Eldoret, Kitale, Kericho, Nakuru and Swaziland
Other titles: It’s About Time for Teens, It’s About Time Journal and It’s About Time Study Guide.

The Advantages of Self-Publishing

Speed: An author finds out right away whether a book is a hit with readers; there is not a six-month or longer delay typical with an established publisher since the usual back-and-forth steps with a publisher are bypassed. It is possible to release a book within a few weeks after it’s finished. Further, it is possible to avoid the lengthy process of trying to find a literary agent to secure a publishing contract.

Freedom to begin the next book. An author can self-publish and then begin work on the next project, potentially being more prolific, although this presumes that the first book won’t need any marketing effort.

A greater share of royalties. Self-published authors earn four to five times more per unit than if an author works with a traditional publisher, sometimes 70% of the sale price.

Pitch books straight to the readers. There is no intermediary censoring what might be shown to the public. The route to readers is more direct.

How does Self-Publishing Work?

1. Write the manuscript.
2. Edit the manuscript.
3. Design the book cover
4. Design the inside text layout
5. Apply for an ISBN
6. Apply for copyright.
7. Look at sample prints.
8. Print-On-Demand (POD).
9. Set the cover price for your book.
10. Book launch.
11. Develop press materials for your book.
12. Plan and implement a comprehensive marketing, public relations, and advertising campaign.
13. Develop a Web site to promote your book.
14. Begin pre-selling your book (pre-selling includes sending out press materials, promoting the book to distributors, lining up booksellers to sell the book, taking out ads, and so on).
15. Have your book listed with online retailers.
16. Continue promoting and marketing your book as you take orders.