Publish Your Manuscript

Trying to become one of the lucky few that are chosen by trade publishing houses can be a gut-wrenching process. The odds are against you, yet you keep submitting and keep getting rejected. The allure of the major publishers and how easy it is once you have been selected makes you keep trying. Eventually, however, there comes a time when you have submitted your manuscript to all of the major publishers who would take it, and you have exhausted your options with that type of publishing.

What to Do When All You Have Are Rejections

That is the time to either go back to the drawing board and do a 100 percent rewrite or publish your own manuscript. Publishers don't know everything, and they may not have it right when it comes to your work. If you are confident that there is an audience for your book, why not publish it yourself?

In order to publish your own manuscript, you will have to front the money for production. You can either choose to produce a large number of books at a discount, or to produce the books as they are required for a higher cost. There are benefits to both options. If you produce a few thousand copies of your book, you can get them for anywhere between one and three dollars a piece. That is a lot of money up front, but if you sell them all, you can make a significant profit. If you choose to print them as needed, they could cost you as much as six dollars a piece. You will not have to put up as much money to begin with, but your profit margin will be diminished.

If you have a way to promote the book and can be reasonably certain that you will be able to sell some, self publishing can be very lucrative. If you are unsure about the promotion part of the process, you should not expect to make any money. Promotion is key to turning a profit. However, there are some self publishing firms out there that can aid in the marketing and promotional process.