More Self-Publishing Research

I attended a self-publishing class last night at Los Angeles City College. It was very helpful and interesting. The gentleman who taught the class, Mike Rounds, showed us a book he had published through a commercial publishing house, and said he earns a royalty of eighty cents per copy sold. He also showed us a self-published book of his on a similar topic, and said he earns about eight dollars on each copy after his printing costs are taken out. He said he is equally responsible for the promotion on both books; the publishing house does nothing to promote the product they print and distribute - they produce hundreds of items, and it’s just another project to them. Even if he sells far fewer of the self-published books, he makes a lot more money on them, with less effort. He gives lectures and teaches classes in order to promote his work and instructs others how to do the same, and generates interest that way. The class covered everything you need to know before you make the decision to self-publish, and I also purchased a CD with more information in PDF format that I can print to create a checklist for more research. I still don’t know yet if I am going to pursue self-publishing or try to find a small press for my work, but I continue to prioritize my creative vision above any other concern. I want my words to be published the way I wrote them. I care what the bookcover looks like – I am commissioning an artist friend to develop a visual idea that I generated but don’t have the skills to create myself. A publisher won’t let the author have any say in the cover design. I care what font is used and I care what the layout looks like – again, things I would have no say over if I go with a commercial press. I don’t want to be just another project to a busy company. I am still daunted by the cost outlay upfront to produce a finished book product (it’s not terrible, but it is an investment, and I am a writer and not rich), and the amount of work I would need to do to ready the manuscript for printing and to distribute it once it was published. However, I also feel a sense of wild freedom at the thought of owning my books outright, and being the only person who has any say in how they are produced, promoted and distributed. It all boils down to this either/or: money upfront, less trouble and the credibility of being published by an established house VS creative control and the self-development of shepherding a project through every step of fruition. I know what my personal values are and I am starting to get a pretty clear picture of where this is headed.