Being a published author can be a rewarding and profitable experience. Sharing your expertise in a book can inspire others, promote your message or interest and spark local or national publicity. When we put our ideas on paper, we make a commitment to what we represent. This adds substance and credibility to what we say and do. People tend to take us more seriously when we have dedicated the time and the effort to write a book.

With several thousand manuscripts being submitted to publishing houses each week, only a very small percentage are selected. Persuading a publisher to finance and distribute your book is often a frustrating experience filled with rejection letters and delays. Even then, limited promotional backing for first-time authors often restricts the books potential. Unless you are a celebrity, a prolific writer, or have a proven track record, chances are slim of your gaining the favor of a commercial publisher.

All is not lost. Consider how Wayne Dyer (Erroneous Zones) James Redfield (Celestine Prophecy) and Richard Bolles (What Color is Your Parachute) got started. Publishers failed to see the value of their message. As a result, they self-published. Self-publishing has become one of the fastest growing segments in the publishing industry. Because of the computer and desktop software, anyone can publish a book for a fraction of what it once cost. If your book proves successful, the same people who turned you down may come knocking at your door. Then, you can negotiate terms from a position of strength and experience.

No one can predict the commercial success of a book. The only way to find out is to give your idea the best possible chance to succeed with the least risk. To write a book is an art; to publish it is a business. This is often overlooked until you are stuck with a garage full of unsold books.

Your financial risk can be offset significantly by determining if there is a market for your book. Share your manuscript with members of your target audience, and ask them for an honest assessment. If you are still enthusiastic, print a small quantity and see how it sells beyond your friends and family. If it sells, print more; if it doesn't, you are not out a fortune. This is called test marketing.

Is self-publishing the answer? Answering the following questions will provide some practical insight to help determine the feasibility of publishing on your own.

1. Is my book written for a specific market niche or group of people? It is very expensive to promote a book to a wide (non-specific) audience.

2. Do I have a means to sell my book direct? Selling books direct (at the retail price to your target audience) is the most profitable way to recover the initial self-publishing investment. Heavy discounts to wholesalers and bookstores and can be costly for slow moving books.

3. Am I willing to go out and promote my book? As a general rule for authors ... A book stops selling when the author does.

If you answered yes to the previous questions, self-publishing may be a realistic alternative. The next step is to do your homework by reading several books on the subject and talk with others who have published on their own.

© 1997 Mark Ortman