Self-Publishing:
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Have times changed, or have I?
I think it's the times. Here's what I used to say about self-publishing children's books. (And subsidy publishing too.)
The first-hand self-publishing experiences catalogued below are frequently added to. Soto check back here regularly for updates, or subscribe to our feed by clicking in the RSS box in the left column.
Almost all of what I said is still true. (And so I really do urge you to read that page.) But what I failed to fully appreciate was that we're living in a new age. There are people who publish themselves and do so successfully. However...
Those people are still few and far between. And there's one thing they all seem to have in common:
Full realization that it was up to them to market and sell their books. Simply listing it on Amazon will not do the trick.
"Build it and they will come" doesn't work. When you take on the role of your own publisher, finishing the writing of your book is only the beginning.
(A self publisher in Australia makes that fact very clear.)
So what I want to do on this page is expose you to people who have self-published. (To read their experiences, page past the form below.) I want you to learn from their experiences, both positive and negative. Also...
I want you to read the book that inspired me to turn off my negativity about the whole notion of bypassing the traditional children's book publishers.
The Long Tail is about this new marketing age that we live in. Please read what I have to say about it. Then read why a proper website is an essential part of any effort to self publish and sell children's books.
If you have any personal experience with self-publishing or subsidy publishing, I hope you'll share, using the form below.
What Have You Learned First Hand About Self-Publishing?
(Or Subsidy Publishing?)
Have you done it? Have you done the research and decided against it? If you have any unbiased first-hand experience with self-publishing, people are eager to hear it. Please, please share!
(This is not for promotion of your book, though you are free to mention its title, and I will provide a link to it on Amazon.)
Self-Publishing Experiences
Read the SelfPub experiences of other visitors to this site...
Writer with His Own Bookstore Proves Book Has Appeal
Hobo Did Indeed Find a Home
Print on demand by Booklocker
I love books and I don't remember not being able to read. So, I guess it's natural ...
Book of Poems Finds Common Thread
Self published, Outskirts Press
I began writing poems over 20 years ago. My wife and i were always big fans of Shel Silverstein. The poems for children ...
Fu Fu's for President Obama and Diversity Publishing
Self publishing by Waldenhouse
Everyone reading this section hopes to have a winner of a book project or we would not be hear to listen to others. Eight ...
It's Been Rewarding and Painful....
Here’s my story
I believe I've found a niche that hasn't been published before. (That's what we all hope anyways).
Everyone I've talked to says,...
Building Castles and Books
Self publishing, via my high-speed printer in my basement!
Castle Books Publishing, my own company.
I have been a university professor (of anatomy)...
Publishing the Angry Way
Self publishing, subsidy, or print on demand?
We self-published, which meant we needed to publish 5,000 copies so that we wouldn't lose money if we ...
Diamond in the Rough
print on demand from xlibris
i have been writing poetry and children's stories since i was young. i tried sending my stories to conventional publishers ...
Never Too Young to Publish
Print on Demand by Xlibris
Miles Rabun and William Rabun, the 9 and 7-year-old young authors of the children's picture book, My Grandma's Backyard,...
Key to Success Multitasking/Multipublishing/
My book was published by an innovative publisher (Star Publish) so I am self published and have a POD book printed by Ingram.
My life crashed in ruins ...
Out of the drawer and into a book!
Print on Demand by Troy Book Makers
Self-publishing is a liberation - it has set me free - to see my project finished, get the book out of my drawer ...
Independent Publishing Done Right, Now on to the Marketing
AdventuresOfSammy.com was born from the devastating reality of childhood obesity statistics being high and on the rise. It also disturbed me that the ...
Self-publishing My Way out of Frustration
Print on demand by iUniverse
I am a freelance writer who earns his living mostly from contract writing and magazine articles and columns. However, my ...
Why Not Truly Self Publish?
Award-winning author and publisher Carol A. Miller is truly self publishing and d/b/a Defiance in Print, which is not an easy task.
The publishing ...
Publishing a book step by step
Here is how I created and published my picturebook step by step. If you follow these steps you won't have any problem creating your own book and taking ...
The Good, the Bad & the Ugly
Self published, printing by Stellar-Grafix, Singapore
As an Author I give my full, undivided attention to the task of absorbing myself in my 'work-of-...
Self-publishing, a passionate way of life!
Self published (lots of times) with printing by:
Net Publications
TWP Singapore/TWP America
Central Plains Publishing
Local, Kwik Kopy printer
Local,...
Another Side of the Story
Print on Demand, Trafford (first 2 books)
Self Publishing, Friesens (reprint of first 2 and print of #3 and #4)
I had been avoiding the self-publishing ...
Spread the Peanut Butter on thick!!
Self published, printing by Peanut Butter Publishing, Seattle, WA
I have written & illustrated a series about a Black cat named Miss American Bronte....
I started self publishing as a child!
When I created my first children's books, I was a youngster myself. It was during the summer of 1950 and I was eight years old, living in New York.
As ...
Olive's Self Publishing Journey
Olive Evans is no longer with us to tell her beautiful self publishing story. This piece was written by her husband, David.
When Olive Evans walked ...
Look for your niche
Subsidy, by Jorlan Publishing
I had been told and told that I needed to publish my cat sonnets, that I got into the minds of cats, that cat-lovers would ...
The secret to successful self publishing
Janet on self publishing
Believe it or not, I do know the secret. I've had my own little publishing company for almost five years,...
My book, my way
I went for it and it worked. I won honorable mention in the Writer's Digest International Self-Published Book Contest - finishing in the top 5 out of over ...
A Landscape Painter Creates a Children's Book
print on demand, Outskirts Press
Pastel landscapes is what I generally devote my full attention to, and I am a well known artist in my area.
Writing ...
It's time to consider other ways of getting into print
self publishing, subsidy and print on demand by Lulu, createspace.com and others
There is a certain stigma attached to so-called 'vanity presses'. These ...
Traditional vs Independent Publishing - Having Tried it Both Ways...
Author of The Knot Fairy and The Sock Fairy
I am the author of seven cookbooks that were published by a large publishing company, and two children’...
I finally buried traditional publishing
Self published with a local printer, then online distribution
I was having trouble finding a traditional publisher for my first children's books, even ...
Publishing is NOT Writing-Work is not play but can be rewarding
Print on demand, Lulu
It has taken years and diligence to complete the publishing process to a final near professional level. I have just finished my ...
I know My Eggs Are Going To Hatch Because I am Sitting On My Eggs
Self published, printing by Father & Son Associates
My story began of course when I wrote my book "What's On The Other Side of The Rainbow? (The Secret ...
Self Publishing - A High Energy Endeavor
Self Publishing and Print on Demand by Sir Speedy and BookMasters
If a writer enjoys the complex art of publishing their work, I know for sure they ...
Self publishing the way to go?
Self published, print on demand, Trafford
After doing some research in whether or not self-publishing was the way to go or not, I finally decided in ...
A 42 year veteran of 1st grade self publishes!
Author of the Gramma Shirah books .
When I retired from 42 years as a teacher I missed being with little kids. I decided to write my book Gramma ...
Bringing Obara to Life!
Author of Obara the Merchant, Obara the Gatekeeper, and Well, My Teacher Said
The two picture books I've written and published are adaptations of ...
It took longer than giving birth to an elephant, but it was worth it!
Lisa Galjanic, Author: When Leaves Die, When Fish Are Mean, When Squirrels Try, When Caterpillars Grow Up, When Bees Win, When Flowers Dance
As a self-...
Easy Writer!
Print on Demand through BookSurge
Yes, the inspiration came "easy" after observing for many years the relationship between my husband and his motorcycle,...
Writing and Publishing a Father/Daughter Book
Print-on-demand thru Lulu
After my little girl was born, I began searching through a local bookstore for stories about fathers and daughters and was ...
An online writer
Self published by online serialisation, followed by PDF file, and podcasts.
L. Lee Lowe is the author of the YA fantasy novel Mortal Ghost , short ...
One Pea Who Burst From Her Pod
Self published, PeasePod Books, LLC
Nestled tightly in my pod of four, I never thought I'd end up creating, printing, marketing, and peddling my picture ...
How I came to self-publish
Self published
From an early age I had been trying to find my niche. At the age of 27 years I penned my first poem, ‘Lulu, the gorgeous gorilla’ as ...
Good POD Spot
Print on Demand, Lulu
My experience of publishing on demand has been good but marketing is the issue. With my co-author, who is a photographer, I produced ...
Making money on your first book
I wrote my first book ( Pasta Pazoo. More Better Spaghetti ) in 1995 and made a few feeble attempts at getting it published through traditional channels....
Seven Stories, But Infinite Lessons!
I may have written Seven Stories , but I've learned that there are infinite experiences to learn from as a writer and self-publisher. Most of them are ...
Push That Book!
You've pretty much said it all. Promotion is key. Making the decision to self-publish really worked for us since our ultimate goal is to launch Angie the ...
Writing is a Bow-Wow Blast!!!
How did I combine my love of animals and my appreciation for the true spirit of children? I self-published a children's book about my dog, Riley.
The ...
Tired of waiting for traditional publishers to respond? Life is just too short!
I submitted my children's picture book - Snailsworth, a slow little story - to a traditional publisher that claimed to respond within a month. Six months ...
"I Don't Want to Die Unpublished"
I never wanted to self-publish. I felt and still feel that I was/am on the bubble of getting a contract from a publisher or agent. But in April 2005, I ...
Self publisher: synonymous with working my tail off.
Author of: Amanda Noble, Zookeeper Extraordinaire
After dreaming of writing for years, I stepped into the nearest closet and wrote in the shadows ...
My Self-Publishing Success
Author of: I Went to the Party in Kalamazoo
I've dreamed of being a published writer ever since I was nine or ten years old. That was more ...
Book Eight Years in Making
Print on Demand by CreateSpace
Eight Years to Write, One Month to Publish!
I am a father of four, ranging in age from twelve to eighteen. I have ...
Out of the woods...
Self publishing by lulu.com
My first book, Tales of the Tree People "To tree...or not to tree?" was traditionally published. I knew that my material ...
Life is short! Make your dreams come true and inspire people of all ages!
I am the self published author of Ugly as a Toad, a well loved children's picture book. I published through authorhouse publishing company.
I have ...
Smooth Sailing so far.
Print on demand by Xulon Press
The name of my book is "The Three Billy Goats Gruff and The Three Little Souls.
It is available at amazon.com and ...
Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda...so I did!
Reflecting back over the fifty-six years of my dad's life, I could hear his words echoing in my head. "Woulda, coulda, shoulda, but I didn't."
He was ...
Great Experience and Easier than I thought
Print on demand, soft and hard cover, by Booksurge
I designed the book and prepared all of the necessary files, so it was easier and cheaper for me ...
The Bubble Truck
Self published
hard work marketing but fun. Next book out in spring 2009
Visit the Home of the Bubble Truck .
Book, Doll, Download and More
Not rated yet
Self-published 5,000 quality paperbacks but now Ebook and MP3 Audio file on www.LuLucom.
Out on a Limb...or Who's the New Doll in Town?
"Most ...
Want to read many more stories like these? Visit my other site, The Shared Self Publishing Experience.
Best Children's Books - Find, Read or Write home.
