The Insiders Guide to Self Publishing

If you were to publish again, what would you do differently?

Very little, if anything at all. The only thing I might consider would be getting a professional editor to give the manuscript the once over before submitting it for publication (I did though have it critiqued), and possibly organize some advance reviews to be printed on the back of the book and placed on my own website. I may also consider asking another, well known writer to write the foreword.

I am lucky in that with the second updated edition, which was issued in May 2007, I had several glowing reviews in various magazines timed to coincide with the books release. One of these was particularly glowing, since it compared the book to no less than Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion, stating that my book served the opposite viewpoint. This then has been printed on the back cover of this new edition, while the remaining reviews have been printed in the prelims, on the first two pages as you open the book.

How do you rate your overall experience of working with your publisher?

I would definately use them again and have already recommended them to several friends! Everything was explained in plain English with no sales patter and no bullshit. This is how I am and I like to work with people who are similar to me.

Do you have any advice for others who are embarking on self-publishing?

The best advice I could give would be to research the market thoroughly and understand the publishing industry and how it works, so there are no hidden surprises and you know what you want and need before you even start to approach publishers. Make a list of important questions, and do not be fobbed off or taken in by fancy suits and sales patter - what matters is do you get on with this person, and does the company they represent have a solid reputation. Can they deliver on their promises and do they offer value for money? What are the hidden costs? Remember that there is no such thing as a free lunch.

Also trust your intuition and let it work for you - there were several websites I looked at which did not 'feel right', for reasons that seemed unclear. I have since discovered that one of these was in serious financial difficulties and being sued by a number of disgruntled authors who seem unlikely to get their money back.

With all POD companies, no matter how much they might say that they can help with marketing and publicity, the truth is that unless you have the resources to hire a publicist, then you are pretty much on your own. The most important questions are therefore what is their distribution, what are their print costs and what are their royalties. Therefore go for the best deal you can get with the company that best fits your own ideals and objectives, and make sure you understand your own obligations to them. Read the contract thoroughly and do not sign anything until you are 101 percent happy! Also go for one that offers a non-exclusive contract that does not lock you in for a set number of years, that way, should you be approached by a traditional publisher, you are free to take them up on their offer.

Many self publishing books tell you that the first few weeks of your books life are crucial. Yet, as POD books are never out of print (provided you pay an annual fee of around £20), they actually have a longer shelf life. I would therefore advise self published authors to go for steady, long term sales rather than a short spurt of growth. A website is the most essential tool that you can have, since the majority of your sales will be via this route. Your own site will open up sales in all different countries without you necessarily having to do a thing, apart from make regular updates. Properly designed, with articles on a variety of different subjects, your site will soon get on the search engines, and people will find it and buy the book. Internet forums and yahoo groups can also be useful as a means of letting people know that you out there, but remember that many of them may also have rules against advertising and these forums can be addictive. This is a cyber unreality world and is not a substitute for the real thing.

Last, but by no means least

Attitudes to POD are changing as more and more people embrace this route and although it cannot compare to working with a real editor (so I am told!) it is a very viable alternative and was definately the right choice for me. The only other thing I would add is that people do judge books by covers, so it vitally important to get this right; the same with the back coevr blurb. Decisions whether or not to buy are often made purely on thsi basis. It is absolutely essential to get your book professionally proof read, as you cannot do this yourself. I did the editing myself, but found my proof reader absolutely invaluable. Because of his scientific background, he was able to spot many things that I had missed or written incorrectly, and the book looks much more professsional as a result. These days it is impossible to tell the difference between POD and traditionally published books, and the buying public don't care anyway - it is only the large publishers who seem to have a problem with POD - even though they themselves use it for their low selling titles. Not many people know this, but it is a fact.