Julie Lence's Blog - Posts Tagged "self-publish"
Create Space
In today's world, many authors have chosen to go into self-publishing. With Amazon's Kindle and Smashwords, it is now easier to publish your own work and make it available for purchase to the public. Most stores sell E-readers, and having hundreds of books on one device is appealing to a wide range of people. But there are many who prefer an actual book to an electronic gadget, and that's where Create Space comes in.
Affiliated with Amazon, Create Space affords an author a means to publish his own book in print. Once you've completed the process, your book is available for purchase thru Amazon and Create Space, and a few other outlets should you opt for that route.
Is Create Space an easy tool to use? Unless you're computer savy, you're first time might prove challenging, as it did for me. It took me a while to learn how to navigate the step-by-step process and use the tools Create Space provides, but I kept at it, because I was determined to see No Luck At All in print format. Thankfully, Create Space has a community forum and a 24/7 call center to help authors solve problems. (I have used the call center and am always fascinated by how fast my phone rings when I click the button that says "call me now".) The entire step-by-step process is designed to make your book the best it can be, and each phase must be complete before you go on to the next one.
First up is creating your account and listing your title and name. Create Space will then offer to assign you an ISBN number or you can get your own--I let them do it. The next step is polishing your interior file. You can either use the templates Create Space provides or you can format and upload your own files. I use their template, but either way, I strongly urge you to edit your file completely (spelling, punctuation, etc.) before you upload it to Create Space. Once your interior file is complete the next step is your cover. Again, you're given the option of using their tools or your own. If you design your own cover, it must meet their requirements. Once you complete these processes you can buy a proof copy before the book is released for sale--buy one and read it from cover to cover. This is another good way to catch and fix any grammar errors you might have missed during the Interior Files process before you release the book for sale.
I like Create Space and continue to work with them. (Currently, I'm working on getting Zanna's Outlaw into print through Create Space.) I am able to upload interior and cover files as many times as I want, until they meet Create Space's requirements and my own, to include after I have receieved a proof copy and decide to make changes. The people at the call center are friendly, knowledgeable and strive to do their best to resolve whatever problem(s) you are experiencing. The end product is a high quality paperback book you'll be proud of. And Create Space is always striving to update their tools and make the process that much easier.
If you're looking to self-publish in print, give Create Space a try. It might take you some time in the beginning, as it did me, but the time I invested was time well spent. My sincere thanks to the Create Space team for helping me realize a dream that was born years ago and continues to this day as I keep writing western historical romances.
Affiliated with Amazon, Create Space affords an author a means to publish his own book in print. Once you've completed the process, your book is available for purchase thru Amazon and Create Space, and a few other outlets should you opt for that route.
Is Create Space an easy tool to use? Unless you're computer savy, you're first time might prove challenging, as it did for me. It took me a while to learn how to navigate the step-by-step process and use the tools Create Space provides, but I kept at it, because I was determined to see No Luck At All in print format. Thankfully, Create Space has a community forum and a 24/7 call center to help authors solve problems. (I have used the call center and am always fascinated by how fast my phone rings when I click the button that says "call me now".) The entire step-by-step process is designed to make your book the best it can be, and each phase must be complete before you go on to the next one.
First up is creating your account and listing your title and name. Create Space will then offer to assign you an ISBN number or you can get your own--I let them do it. The next step is polishing your interior file. You can either use the templates Create Space provides or you can format and upload your own files. I use their template, but either way, I strongly urge you to edit your file completely (spelling, punctuation, etc.) before you upload it to Create Space. Once your interior file is complete the next step is your cover. Again, you're given the option of using their tools or your own. If you design your own cover, it must meet their requirements. Once you complete these processes you can buy a proof copy before the book is released for sale--buy one and read it from cover to cover. This is another good way to catch and fix any grammar errors you might have missed during the Interior Files process before you release the book for sale.
I like Create Space and continue to work with them. (Currently, I'm working on getting Zanna's Outlaw into print through Create Space.) I am able to upload interior and cover files as many times as I want, until they meet Create Space's requirements and my own, to include after I have receieved a proof copy and decide to make changes. The people at the call center are friendly, knowledgeable and strive to do their best to resolve whatever problem(s) you are experiencing. The end product is a high quality paperback book you'll be proud of. And Create Space is always striving to update their tools and make the process that much easier.
If you're looking to self-publish in print, give Create Space a try. It might take you some time in the beginning, as it did me, but the time I invested was time well spent. My sincere thanks to the Create Space team for helping me realize a dream that was born years ago and continues to this day as I keep writing western historical romances.
