Self-Publishing Solutions:
Publish your book for free
and sell it on Amazon.com



The mission of Self-Publishing Solutions is to address the two main problems new and unknown authors have: getting published and selling books. We will discuss the problems and solutions associated with self-publishing, and how to promote and sell your books online.



Why self-publish?

Amazon.com has done much to make self-publishing legitimate. Their book detail page for a self-published book is identical to the detail page for a traditionally published book. The barriers to self-publishing have been falling since the advent of the personal computer. Print-on-Demand (POD) gave self-publishing a huge boost. Today, you can self-publish for free.

CreateSpace, an affiliate of Amazon.com, is my favorite self-publishing company. I strongly recommend CreateSpace for all new and unknown authors, whether you are publishing for free or using their services.

Other reasons for self-publishing include:

  • Traditional publishing is in decline. Major publishers, like major film studios, are interested in blockbusters and authors with name recognition. They are accepting fewer and fewer manuscripts. It is increasingly difficult for good and even great authors to be published.

  • You retain all your rights.

  • You make more money per book.

  • Personal satisfaction.

Why CreateSpace?

  • Low wholesale book pricing (essential to your success and not available from most self-publishing companies)

  • CreateSpace automatically assigns a free US-based ISBN (and EAN) to your book (a $99.00 value).

  • It makes your book available for sale through Amazon.com with the same detail page as a traditionally published book.

  • You can create your cover with their Cover Creation Wizard. They also have templates for image editing programs.

  • Generous royalties.

  • High quality product.

  • Network with thousands of other authors and industry professionals in the free online CreateSpace Community. Get feedback on your writing.

NOTE: Since I am fairly gushing about CreateSpace, you should know about my relationship with CreateSpace. Yes, I am now an affiliate. If you open a CreateSpace account (free) through the Self-Publishing Solutions website, I will earn a modest referral commission.

The inspiration for Self-Publishing Solutions comes from my personal experience with Createspace when they published my book, The Misadventures of Russell Quigley. It was a delightful experience and I am delighted with my detail page on Amazon.com. My recommendations are based on my experience and not on my commissions.

You have options:

  • Start a publishing business! Some believe this is the only way to become a real self-publisher. Purchase a an ISBN. Pick a name. That is all it takes to become a publisher with CreateSpace.

  • Let CreateSpace design, format, print, and publish your book. More expensive, but it takes the work and worry out of self-publishing.

  • Publish for free with CreateSpace! Is there a catch? Of course. You have to do all the work. You have to design and format your book, create the cover, and convert your files to PDF.

    One of the goals of Self-Publishing Solutions is to teach you to accomplish all the tasks of self-publishing. Imagine the pride and self confidence that will come with knowing that you can write and publish a book anytime you want.

Get access to FREE book publishing tools, resources, and a growing online community of authors. Learn how.

Self-Publishing Solutions is dedicated to helping new and struggling authors with limited budgets publish and sell their books.

Self Publishing Solutions Blog
My SPS Blog teaches new authors to publish their books for free and sell them on Amazon.com. Imagine the confidence you will have when you know that you can write and publish a book whenever you want.
Self Publishing Problems
ASK Dave about your self-publishing problems. If he doesn’t know the answer, he will either find it or point you in the right direction.
Book Design
Book design is everything that affects the appearance of a book.
Book Design Wizard
The Book Design Wizard simplifies book design and page layout, so that anyone can prepare a manuscript for publication using Microsoft word. It is a huge time saver.
Poetry Book Creator
The Poetry Book Creator makes it easy to design and layout a book of poetry. It will save you time, even if you are a Microsoft® Word expert.
Typography
Typography is the art and science of the design, selection, and arrangement of type.
Cover Design
Create an appropriate cover design that will be readable online at thumbnail size.
Page Layout
Doing your own page layout can save you hundreds of dollars. This is the place to learn page layout.
Self-Editing
Self-editing is the Achilles heel of self-publishing. Plan ahead to minimize errors. Word’s Find and Replace is a powerful editing tool.
Portable Document Format
Portable Document Format (PDF) is an electronic file format developed by Adobe Systems.
Self-Publishing
A stigma languishes over self-publishing, but only in the minds of authors and publishers. Readers rarely check to see who the publisher is. This is unfortunate because self-publishing is the future.
CreateSpace
CreateSpace uses Print On Demand printers to create books when customers order them, so no inventory is needed. You can make your books available to millions of customers by selling on Amazon.com.
CreateSpace Membership
CreateSpace membership is FREE and comes with the tools and resources you need to self-publish your book FREE or with the aid of CreateSpace services. Come; join a large community of indie publishers.
Lulu
Lulu will publish your book for free, but distribution is limited to their site. However, you can get full distribution for a reasonable fee.
Aventine Press
Aventine Press ranked among the best companies in Stacie Vander Pol’s book, <I>Top Self Publishing Firms,</I> and in Mark Levine’s book, <I>The Fine Print of Self Publishing.</I>
eBooks
eBooks can be defined as any electronic document designed to be the digital equivalent of a printed book. What are the advantages and disadvantages of eBooks?
Smashwords
SmashWords is an ebook publishing company that converts Word files into all popular ebook formats. They raised the bar by offering authors 85% of the net profits and a great distribution system.
Selling Books
Selling books is easier than ever before. There are many ways to promote your books. Use everything. Maximize your presence on Amazon, promote your book online, and yes, even use traditional methods.
Book Reviews
Write your own book reviews, and publish them here. Add your bio and a link to your website.
ISBN
ISBN: What is it? Where can I get one? How much will it cost from Bowker? How much will it cost from CreateSpace?
Site Build It
Site Build It is the key to online business success for non-techies. It is fill in the blank simple, yet one of the most powerful business platforms available today. Certified Proof of Success.
Web Writing
Effective web writing gets ranked well by search engines. It attracts visitors with interesting and valuable information. Effective web writing also gets visitors to do something or to buy something.
David Griffiths
David Griffiths is the author of <I>Self Publishing Solutions,</I> a website dedicated to enabling new authors to publish and sell their books for free.
Contact
Your comments are welcome.
Privacy Policy
Self-Publishing-Solutions' Privacy Policy Statement. Your privacy is important to me.
Russell Quigley
The Misadventures of Russell Quigley is a collection of hilarious short stories woven into the fabric of Russell's life as a Navy photographer. Russell was the kind of man that irritated everyone.
Ebook Template
he ePub eBook Template easily formats Word documents for the Kindle and the Nook. Add this valuable skill to your resume, and save hundreds of dollars. Take advantage of Amazon’s 70% royalty!
Contribute to Self-Publishing Solutions
Would you like to share your knowledge about self-publishing solutions? Great, find out how you can submit your story or tip here.