Self Publishing - Quite a Sardoodledom!

by Krishna Dalal

A Spelling Bee Tale

Print on demand by Lightning Source

A roller coaster - many ups and downs, but always exciting! That's how I would describe my year of self publishing...

I began by reading and absorbing as much as I could! I need to learn everything, and try to be very thorough before making decisions. Books, websites, blogs...I devoured information before jumping into the process.

Then, I started by establishing a publishing company (One Word Publishing). I wanted to think long-term, and hope to even publish other authors' works someday. After going through the rather simple task of creating the business (a 'Doing Business As' form filed with the local county office), I went through the more fun aspects...logo, business cards, website, etc.

Next, I took on the task of finding an illustrator. I knew this step could make or break the entire book (since it's a children's book). I used Guru.com (a freelance site) to post my project, and received tons of replies! After seeing some samples, I selected Jessica Warrick. It was a pleasure working with her, and she did an amazing job!

Next up...selecting a printer. I was deciding between Createspace, Lulu, and Lightning Source. I finally selected Lightning Source. Yes, it has very stringent submission guidelines, and is not for amateurs), but their direct link to Ingram sold me! Plus, it was worth the quality of the books.

Just released the book...and am in the throes of marketing! While it's challenging as a self publisher, I'm just keeping a level head and enjoying the process. I've had lots of positive feedback from small reviewers and bloggers, and even received a review from Midwest Book Review! Taking it one day at a time.

I hope this post helps people! Please feel free to contact me if I can be of any more help. I know I couldn't have done it without the comments, suggestions, and stories of others! In fact, my initial research brought me to this site (10 months ago), and I learned so much by reading everyone's experiences! (Webmaster's note: Thank you for saying so, Krishna!

A year later, the dream of Sardoodledom: A Spelling Bee Tale has come true!