| The Real Question | | | | your homework. There are always individuals that |
| Are you trying to find ways to better promote | | | | take advantage of people in business. Therefore, |
| your product or service? Would you like to publish | | | | beware of publishing scams. Here are my top |
| a book for credibility but lack the time and | | | | picks for publishing portals for entrepreneurs in |
| knowledge? Today, I will show you an effective | | | | 2007: |
| method for gaining this desired expertise. | | | | |
| Publishing portals are a non-traditional method for | | | | 1. Xlibris ( - publishing affiliation: Random House. |
| publishing. In the traditional publishing process, a | | | | 2. BookSurge ( - publishing affiliation: 3. Lulu ( |
| writer must find a literary agent and pitch his | | | | 4. Outskirtspress ( |
| book to a major publisher. This is not an easy | | | | 5. Morris Publishing ( |
| process and filled with many disappointments. | | | | 6. ( - publishing affiliation: Barnes & Noble |
| The whole process can take over a year, if a | | | | 7. Authorhouse ( |
| writer is fortunate. As a business owner, you | | | | 8. Bookmasters ( |
| don't have time to deal with bureaucracy. Time is | | | | 9. Nightengale Press ( |
| money. Publishing portals allow for faster publishing. | | | | 10. Dogear Publishing ( |
| They are distinguished by their self-publishing | | | | The Path Forward |
| characteristics, their similarity to the vanity press, | | | | Fortunately, publishing portals provide a good |
| and a heavy reliance on emerging technologies. | | | | option for savvy entrepreneurs. A published book |
| The Inside Scoop | | | | can increase your influence and promote your |
| At the heart of this technology is print-on-demand | | | | brand in the market. Non-traditional publishing |
| (POD) technology. POD allows authors to print | | | | methods are not for everyone, though. Follow my |
| books one at a time or in smaller quantities than | | | | publishing strategy. First, identify some POD |
| at a traditional press. It is a cost effective | | | | companies that will potentially meet their needs. |
| approach to testing a market and growing a base | | | | Second, visit these websites and compare the |
| of followers. With this approach, individuals can | | | | companies and their publishing packages. |
| expect to get royalties between 20-50%; | | | | Furthermore, writers should analyze cost, |
| however, some such companies do not provide | | | | contracts, and publishing services. Finally, the |
| royalties at all. | | | | writer should contact some authors on the POD |
| This is better than a traditional publisher but your | | | | company's publishing list (most author emails can |
| profit is limited. Most POD writers sell less than | | | | be locate on the Internet) to see if they are |
| 200 books on average. Pay close attention to the | | | | happy. With preparation, you will gain a market |
| contract. To get the best deal, you must still do | | | | advantage as a published writer. |