self publishing

Self-publishing has become a catch-all term that can be used to describe vanity publishing, subsidy publishing or independent ("indie") publishing.

A vanity publisher will accept any manuscript submitted to it and turn that manuscript into a book via its own editing, packaging and manufacture processes, all of which are offered to the author for a fee. The author must commit to buying a minimum quantity of the resulting book. Usually, the author must sign over some or all of her rights to the work being published for a fixed term as well. The vanity publisher may also offer ebook or audiobook production services, book distribution and marketing services on a fee basis.

Subsidy publishing is virtually identical to vanity publishing, except that subsidy publishers have a manuscript selection process and some subsidy outfits do not require the author to sign over future publication rights.

Indie publishing is used to describe the activities of individual authors or author collectives who essentially act as their own publishers. Editing, cover design, typesetting, printing, distribution and other services are hired by the indie publisher as needed, but the indie publisher himself manages the entire process and retains all rights to his work.

by April L. Hamilton Are you a writer, passionate about this or any other topic? Join Blogcritics!

Latest blogosphere posts tagged “self publishing”

• 2009: The Year That Was - Coming Soon

  
  POD, Self Publishing and Independent Publishing — Authority: 425
  Things have been extremely quite over the past week with people tied up with some big, red, fat guy arriving in a few days. With the month of December and the year drawing to a close, I will shortly be posting a review, in several parts, for the publishing year that was. And what it year it was. Over the coming ...
  1 day ago

• A conversation with author Alan Korwin: self publishing and book promotion

  
  Valley PR Blog — Authority: 423
  Book publicity is a talent that a lot of authors don’t possess.  However you feel about the controversial topic of gun laws, (and I’m squarely in the middle), you have to admire someone like  Alan Korwin .   Through hard work and a natural promotional ability, he has taken his Arizona Gun Owner’s Guide ...
  2 days ago

• Publishing Confusion

  
  Writers First Aid — Authority: 415
  When my first book was published in 1983 by Atheneum Books for Children in New York, things were black and white. You were either published by a reputable publisher (usually in New York) or you used a (gasp!) vanity press. There was only one real distinction: real publishers paid you, and vanity presses ...
  2 days ago

• Avoiding Self-Publishing Mistakes

  
  The Joy of Self-Publishing — Authority: 103
  by Business Editor on December 21st, 2009Even if this is your first time self-publishing, there is no excuse for you to commit mistakes. Committing mistakes with your self-published book can project the perception that your work is made in an unprofessional way and this can significantly hinder your success.Here are ...
  2 days ago

• Where the Money Comes From

  
  Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent — Authority: 570
  Ever since last month when the publishing world erupted in a brouhaha about Harlequin and Thomas Nelson entering the business of self-publishing , Ive been watching the reports, reading the blogs and mulling this over. It took me awhile to identify what was really bothering me about all of this. But I finally ...
  2 days ago

• Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-12-20

  
  Sandro Salsi's Blog — Authority: 133
  Photoshop video tutorials: http://davro-digital.com/wp/ # The Ugly Truth: http://www.matthewmccarty.com/ # Transform Your Home With Inspiration: http://acanth.com/diy-rat-extermination/ # Detached Ideas on Vitally Important Topics: http://www.arisbe.com/detached/?p=7099 # Search Based Keyword Tool ...
  2 days ago

• Raider International Publishing - Updated 2009

  
  POD, Self Publishing and Independent Publishing — Authority: 425
  Some recent correspondence prompted me to check back on Raider International Publishing . In fact, over the past two years of this sites existence, the Raider publisher review and linked postings have actually recorded some of the highest visitors here. Just for all those surfers who opened Google and typed in ...
  3 days ago

• The Best Christmas Gifts

  
  Letters from Scanlon Creek — Authority: 91
  Hi everyone. Hope this note finds you well and full of Holiday cheer. May your tree be tall with piled over with generous bounty! It’s been a busy time here at Sky Lake Entertainment. ‘The Orphans of the Creek’ has just been through a vigorous editing process and I’m quite excited about how the novel is ...
  3 days ago

• Sacreligious Christmas!

  
  CONSPIRE! — Authority: 124
  Maxeem pulls ahead (for now) in the RACE TO END EPIC FANTASY EXTREMELY RAPIDLY (Updates continue at: http://comiclusion.blogspot.com ) WARNING: This comic is NOT work/religion/science/family friendly But that should probably be expected from our crowd. ;P
  4 days ago

• Twitter Updates for 2009-12-18

  
  Sandro Salsi's Blog — Authority: 133
  Search Based Keyword Tool Short Video: http://www.sandrosalsi.com/blog/2348/search-based-keyword-tool-short-video/ # Self publishing experience: http://www.shared-self-publishing.com/flower-arrangements-made-simple.html # Pay per click advertising tip (6): run brand ads alone FIRST. They have the highest CTR ...
  4 days ago

• “So Dark the Night”–Progress Report

  
  Beautiful Desolation — Authority: 99
  I fear my old friend Evgeny Nightstalk is getting more than a trifle cross with me. He is, after all, the narrator and (ostensibly) author of So Dark the Night .  And he doesn’t take kindly to picky, petty-minded editors who go over his writing with the scrutiny of an electron microscope. “Fer Chrissakes, ...
  5 days ago

• Wherefore Print on Demand by Marc Schuster

  
  The Nervous Breakdown — Authority: 597
  When I said that I was an English teacher, a friend of mine, who shall remain nameless, added that I was a writer, too. This, it turned out, was the opportunity the man behind the counter was waiting for—a chance to plug his girlfriend’s book. It was a book of poetry, he explained, as he scribbled his ...
  5 days ago

• Old Romance Released

  
  Donna Magazine — Authority: 129
  I have a new book called Old Romance . You can buy it at: http://stores.lulu.com/kakonged . for $16.99. There is also a sale this month to get 20 per cent off when you enter the code HOHOHO. It is also available on Amazon Kindle. It is a book about past romances I have had written in a creative non-fiction format. ...
  5 days ago

• Initial Draft open to review self-published Fantasy titles

  
  Initial Draft — Authority: 106
  Ive given a lot of thought to how I can contribute to moving my chosen genre forward (other than writing my own books, since thats already well in motion). Id like to give back to the community that has been so generous to me. From personal experience, I know how difficult it is to garner reviews for self-published ...
  5 days ago

• Blogs@Baruch Semester in Review: Part Four, Extra-Curricular Blogging

  
  cac.ophony.org — Authority: 120
  The Baruch College community has begun to see Blogs@Baruch not merely as a blogging platform or substitute course management system, but also as powerful tool for meeting a wide range of self-publishing needs. A variety of constituencies at the College have begun using the system for a variety of internal and ...
  5 days ago

• Here Are Some Memoir Writing Tips

  
  Becoming Who You Want To Be — Authority: 147
  The relating of stories is as old as time itself. We read stories about other people all the time because we want to hold onto traditions. We are fascinated with history. We use stories to teach the reader. And we write stories so we can learn more about our subject material. When we write our own story we learn more ...
  1 week ago

• Pay thousands…sell 150 books.

  
  Trivial Pursuits — Authority: 477
  So while I was link gathering for Sunday’s post on Get the word out , I found this post at Juno Books. The really good part was this: If nothing else, self-publishing is a choice a writer needs to make only after seriously considering it and only if they understand the amount of money they commit may never be ...
  1 week ago

• Twitter Tips for Book Publishers

  
  The Joy of Self-Publishing — Authority: 103
  36 Twitter Tips for Book PublishersHow to tweet your way to successful title and author promotions. Plus, 5 ways your company can benefit from Twitter (and 6 tips to help you maximize your following) By Noelle SkodzinskiFor better or worse, Twitter has become part of our culture. While some people still may not see ...
  1 week ago

• Author Kristie Leigh Maguire Reflects on Self-Publishing

  
  Home Biz Notes — Authority: 466
  Kristie Leigh Maguire by Stan Tovrea After I wrote the post, Will the Harlequin Controversy Affect Your Self-Publishing Route?  award winning, self-published author, Kristie Leigh Maguire , provided this informative guest post.  She presents self-publishing from the author and publisher’s viewpoint. Now ...
  1 week ago

• Good Clients (Like This One) Understand a Good Writer’s Value (and Will Pay…)

  
  The Well-Fed Writer Blog — Authority: 466
  I couldn’t have scripted it better myself. A little background…. Got a call from a prospect in early November. About 18 months earlier (May 2008), the local daily, The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, did a “Why I Love My Job” feature on yours truly in the Sunday paper. Following a few live seminars I’d done ...
  1 week ago

Comments about self publishing