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Step-by-Step Instructions:
How to Self-Publish Your Book

So, you think you might want to self-publish your own book? I've been researching how to proceed so that I can self-publish my own books. Here is a step-by-step guide to self-publishing.

1) Write a top-notch manuscript and have it professionally edited. There are published writers, professional editors, and others who offer editing services for a small fee. Fees are usually based upon the length of your manuscript. You may be charged by the word, by the page, or by the hour.

2) If your book requires illustrations, you can find someone to provide illustrations for a fee. If you check out the Illustrating sites we have listed, you might be able to find someone you can work with. Looking at the industry sites, you may also be able to find other illustration resources.

3) Acquire a block of ISBN numbers. In the United States, you can obtain ISBNs through R. R. Bowker's ISBN site. ISBNs are purchased in blocks of 10 or more numbers. You can also read their Frequently Asked Questions about ISBNs to learn more about them.

4) Assign an ISBN to your book. Report the ISBN assignment to R. R. Bowker for their "Books In Print" database, which is the information clearning house for the U.S.A. Book Publishing industry.

5) Have your book published.. You can get publishing services through a number of providers, but I have yet to screen them for the best available. Lightning Source, listed below, is a complete package provider, as is Greenleaf Book Group, and you may find one of them will fill your needs sufficiently. More to come on this step.

6) List your book with distribution channels such as Amazon, Biblio, Greenleaf Book Group, Barnes and Noble, etc. Amazon will accept listings for your book and this will provide you an instant distribution point. Biblio and Greenleaf Book Group are book distributors which can help you will reach a significant number of booksellers across the country. Alternately, you can carry and self-distribute your book through online sales outlets such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I would recommend pursuing distribution through at least one direct outlet and through a distributor to maximize your market exposure.

Alternately, you might consider complete digital fulfillment through Lightning Source, a subsidiary of Ingram Industries Inc. Ingram is one of the largest retail book distributors in the U.S.. Lightning Source offers a suite of digital fulfillment services, comprehensive packages for print-on-demand, and distribution services. Ideal candidates for Lightning Source are publishers, large and small, in need of digital printing and distribution services worldwide.

"Learning Abled Kids, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com."

2010 Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market
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Step-by-Step Instructions: How to Self-Publish Your Book

Step-by-Step Instructions:
How to Self-Publish Your Book