Comments on: Cites & Insights 7:4 available http://walt.lishost.org/2007/03/cites-insights-74-available/ The library voice of the radical middle. Wed, 22 May 2013 20:18:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: walt http://walt.lishost.org/2007/03/cites-insights-74-available/comment-page-1/#comment-26727 walt Fri, 23 Mar 2007 14:56:37 +0000 http://walt.lishost.org/?p=505#comment-26727 We’ll see. The problem with self-publishing, particularly if you go naked (without ISBN/Ingram distribution), is that you’re dependent on your own promotion and name for all sales. While I don’t plan to reveal actual sales, I do plan to offer general comments on how it is or isn’t going. But my case may not be generally applicable: For better or worse, I have a fairly well-established name and reasonably broad publicity mechanisms. (So do you, but that’s not always the case.)

I would never go the Lulu route for a first or second or third book in the library field if a traditional publisher was available, unless timing or other circumstances made it an obvious winner.

On the other hand, the Lulu approach is a whole lot better than using a vanity press if what you plan is just a few copies of your work for a small audience–per-book costs may be higher but the overall outlay is likely to be lower.

Anyway, we shall see. It’s hard to type with crossed fingers, but…

]]> By: steven bell http://walt.lishost.org/2007/03/cites-insights-74-available/comment-page-1/#comment-26724 steven bell Fri, 23 Mar 2007 12:44:11 +0000 http://walt.lishost.org/?p=505#comment-26724 Congratulations on the publication of your book. I plan to get a copy and look forward to reading it.

You’ve been talking about doing this for a while – and now you did it. I think it provides a good model for others who may want to self-publish their writings.

StevenB

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