published or self published? what do you think?

Micheallatour,

Well it depends on several factors - the biggest of which is what do you want to do/get out of this? Fame/Fortune/Both?

It also depends on what your book is about and your 'cred' factor. I.E most publishers will want you to have some expertise in the subject matter with the hopes you can help promote the book. Also some topics have a better market than others - publishers no matter what they may claim still look to make a profit.

If you can not convince an acquisition editor or agent of the market potential of your subject (or yourself) then self publishing may be the only option.

If you want to have it published by a 'regular' publishing house then I'd suggest looking at competing titles and see who put them out and which house may not have a title in print yet. You can research each publisher at the library using The Writer's Market (which you can subscribe to online too - but most public libraries have a copy as well). If the publishers accept unsolicited manuscripts (a rarity today) then you can ship off an outline and cover letter and sample chapter to the editor indicated in your research (call and make sure they're still there! Editors move around a lot).

This can take some time since you have to wait for a response - sometimes it can take 6 weeks or more. If they'll accept simultaneous submissions then you can parallel process - but never do a multiple submission to a publisher that doesn't accept them.

Since this can take a lot of time - and most houses don't accept mss from authors - only agents; it might make more sense to try and find an agent to shop around your title. Again it depends on the market and title. Writer's Digest is a good resource for finding and dealing with agents and publishers.

If you're looking for money only - or a guaranteed publishing - then self publishing is the way to go. I learned that the hard way after my first 3 books were published way back in the mid 90's. It took a sound thumping on the head - and a copy of Dan Poynter's Self Publishing manual - to convince me if I wanted to make the big bucks to go with self publishing. Still - I've done both since then as each has its pros and cons.

As you can tell there are a lot things to consider and I'd be more than happy to discuss things with you; so feel free to drop me a PM. If you're book is in the computer area (software, operating systems, etc) I can give you an intro to my agent if it makes sense.

Good luck!
best,
--Jack

Jack lays it out well here. I haven't published a print book yet -
but because I'm really not that brilliant I think I'm going to self-publish
to start and then maybe go with a larger publisher later.

Incidentally, John Sayles, the film director/novelist was unable
to find a publisher for his latest book. The guy is a famous
literary author. The publishing industry is not currently very
inclined to take risks.

Lulu books are kinda cheesy. I have a few and they are just
a little flimsy compared to mass-printed books. Bookstore
owners and savvy book buyers will recognize print-on-demand
books and have in the past had a tendency to disapprove.

If you want to get your book printed cheaply at all (so you
can earn a profit) you need to get 1000 or more printed and
bound. It's the binding where they get you. Printing and
collating you can get done anywhere. Binding your own
books isn't that complicated - small comic companies do it all
the time with graphic novels for comic conventions. Since
the print costs are significant with these glossy color books
and demand unpredictable the small presses may print and
bind 100 at a time and make more according to demand.

If this seems silly to you think about how silly you'll feel with
900 books you can't sell in your garage.

Selling your book may or may not be a lot of work. You may
find that having a book in print does more for your reputation
as an expert than it puts dollars in your pocket. Even if your
book doesn't sell many copies being a published print author
puts a feather in your cap that sets you apart in the marketplace.

Why am I always indecently late to all the posts that interest me?

Everything I could have said has been said already... and with much better vocabulary than mine!

Thank you OP for posing the question, and everyone involved in the thread for your answers.

If you are going to submit your work to established publishers, even small ones, then realize that luck, timing, and economy will often determine your short-term success. Keep it simple, and keep trying.