Launching Self-help Group for Self-publishing

There are any number of testimonials saying it is easy to self-publish, and it is much more lucrative than going through a traditional publisher.

We have seen cases where self-publishing works. However, we do not have personal experience with anyone who said it is easy. What we normally hear about are the countless problems and the steep learning curve associated with putting out your own book. If you have tried it, you know what we are saying here.

Given the challenges of self-publishing, we are starting a support group for our member authors who self-publish. I invite you to join us.

Our first meeting will be Wednesday, February 6, at 5:30 PM. At that meeting we will talk about what we want to do with the group and when we next want to meet.

My vision is for the group to be self-directing. Here is the way I see it going:

• At least part of the first meeting will be to poll the members for topics that interest them. We will brainstorm about resources we have for exploring these topics or answering the questions we have.
• Many participants already have valuable information they can share with the group. These are questions I have heard authors asking:
  • what company have you used?
    • what was your experience with that company?
    • Did you get the services you expected?
    • what did it cost?
  • Where did you go to get:
    • Editing for your text
    • Typing and layout
    • Illustrations, graphics
    • Reviewers
  • How have you marketed your book?
    • Is your marketing working?
    • Any luck getting your book into stores? Libraries?
  • what issues did you run into that you found particularly difficult?
• I think it would be interesting to invite speakers who could discuss these issues (and others) with us.
• Over time, it may be possible to develop a stable of resources to whom we could refer our group members when they need help.