Self publishing a book is not too hard. Selling it is!
It's very easy if you use a service like LuLu. Com which is where I pulblished my book. But as others have pointed out selling a book is the hard part.
This is why even successful authors go on a book tour. If you have a way to get radio and television interviews you'll do well, but without that it's going to be next to impossible to make any real money unless you have some other ready source to generate sales.
Well, it was suprisingly easy. Even then, it wasn't me that published it! I contacted a company named XLIBRIS in Philidelphia.
They have multiple publishing services. Having lost my job, I was eager to have my story put out in the market ASAp, and self publsihing seamed to be the easiest way at the timeI read thier broucher, and discussed over the phone with a representative what was best. I price was agreed, I paid the first half, finished my story, sent it, and paid the rest.
Then we agreed changes of spelling, the front cover, author portait, and synopsys. They said where they would advertise and sell, and off we went. It took 4 months to complete the deal!
Even so, its still touch and go. THE LONELY WALK is only on sale onlone, at amazon, books direct, and barnsandnoble. It was selling in the street store Borders, but we all know what happened to them!
In 3 years ive only sold 32 copies. I didn't expect a blockbuster, but I hope to live confortably and get abit of attention! Never the less, this was good experience.
I cannot begin to imagine what it must be like for somebody to slave over printing thier own work , working the machines, preaching in the street...i'll leave it at that. I hope this answer helps you. And thank you for your quick welcoming Andrew.
Jonathan Shaw.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.