To Publish Or Not To Publish

ome years now a quiet revolution has been takingwith piles of books unsold that end up being
place within the publishing industry. Technology hasdestroyed. The downside is that high street prices
been gradually winding up and getting its actfor on-demand books are slightly higher. But the
together. And the result is that writers now haveupside is your book is never out of print. You can
more options than ever to get published. But islaunch your book as often as you decide. You can
this shift of power really for the better?even use it to test the market. If your book has
That is the question…been rejected by the traditional houses, through
It used to be that the big decision as to whetheron-demand publishing you can prove that your
or not a manuscript was ever dusted downbook has an audience and was a winner after all.
polished up and revealed to the world was takenRemember, the pressures on traditional publishing
by the traditional publishing houses. Of courseare ever increasing. They are inundated with
there has always been Vanity Publishers. Butmanuscripts. It's no wonder they pass on the
these were never a serious contender thatmajority of submissions. But if you publish through
threatened to change publishing in a big way.an on-demand publisher and your book starts to
However, over the past decade or so Onperform on the open market, it's not uncommon
Demand Publishing has been steadily gatheringfor the traditional publishers to show an interest.
momentum and is now a serious alternative toX Factor…let's be honest!
the big publishing houses.When going down the route of on-demand
My aim with Archy The Flying Dolphin was topublishing a writer must be realistic. Not all books
write a fantasy adventure… a rollercoasterare totally commercial vehicles that have potential
ride of fun, excitement and danger, where evilto become bestsellers. So be honest about the
lurks around every mysterious corner. All thelimitations. Go into the venture with your eyes
colorful and memorable characters came naturally,wide open and your goals clearly set. That way
from the story, as if they had been there allyou will enjoy the experience and create a
along. But my overriding goal was always to keeppossibility that you will realize achievable goals.
my reader intrigued and entertained.Steer clear of improbable hopes and dreams in
And my next step was getting published, takingorder to avoid the heartbreaking disappointments.
the various options into consideration.However, if your book truly has the potential to
P.O.D.end up on the bestseller list and be turned into
Print On Demand Publishing is not new. But overthe next blockbuster movie, then employ a
the past decade or so it has evolved and is finallyprofessional reader/editor to confirm your belief,
making its mark in the world. By printing books tofind the best marketing company you can afford,
order it eliminates the initial expensive runs.and…go for it!
Publishers or Self-Published Authors are not left