book publishing/manufacturing

ContinentalPrintingSupplies

OK everyone, i have another strange question and really don`t know which catagory is best to put it in, so i`ve opted for `category stew`.  i hope that is right.
anyway, i have been wondering for some time how to get a book from pen and paper to the stores shelves.  even if i self publish it - what is the process it needs to go thru.  i have a great computer program and an awesome printer, so i can easily type it into being.  then, let`s say, i take it to kinkos and have it bound - then what?? 
do i have to go thru the sending it to the publishers, only to get rejected like 1000 times, or is there a way to avoid all of this and go from printer to store shelves without the middle man.
i know there are authors in this group -  so i`m asking - how did you do it??  how can i??
thanks!!
oh yeah, and btw, my son`s school`s yearbook company is terrible - mistakes galore and the pages are just crappy looking - maybe i could become a yearbook publisher - other than conflicting of time and effort, what would i need to know about doing this??  how would i convince a school that i would do a much better job than who they have now??
thanks again

theswaynester

I`d check out www.lulu.com</A>. As one possibility for self-publishing without a lot of up-front costs.
Matt

Ellay

Yes...Lulu.Com...I second that!!!

ContinentalPrintingSupplies

thank you for the sites, and direction . . i checked out lulu.com more right now than para publishing, only because of time.  now i have another question.
if i prepare the book myself, like lulu.com does, can i get it on amazon.com, or in the bookstores myself??  last summer i put together a great looking paperback copy of a roster-style yearbook for the baseball league, complete with autograph page, photos, binding and the like.  just like what i saw at lulu.com.  now, how do i get it (my book) to the bookstores??
if i can do what lulu does to prepare the book, what steps are they taking to get it to the bookstores??  can i take them myself and eliminate the middleman??
thanks again.

LogoMotives

I would recommend that anyone considering writing a book get a copy of  [url=ttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1582973946/qid=1147894388/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-2215155-5419338?s=books&v=glance&n=283155]Writers Market: Where and How to Sell What You Write[/url].  It`s a valuable resource about many aspects of the publishing industry - including submitting book proposals to publishers, agents, marketing and promoting, etc. (It`s also published by a division of the company that published my first book)I was very lucky in regards to getting my first book published.  A couple authors I knew kept hounding me about writing a book of my own.  One gave me the name of her favorite editor at a publishing house and told me to call.  I called the firm, asked for the editor and was told she was no longer with the company.  The receptionist asked if I wanted to speak with the new acquisitions editor and I said "sure."  The woman came on the phone and said "Jeff Fisher? I know who you are. I`d love to do a book with you."  It`s not usually that easy.Since my first book was released, in December 2004, I`ve had three other U.S. publishers and one in Singapore contact me about writing books for them.  I`m currently writing my second book for my original publisher with a September due date for the finished manuscript. I was also lucky along the way as several friends who are writers and editors, including the author of the novel Fight Club (among many others now), have been a great source of information and suggestions in dealing with the odd world of publishing and marketing/promoting a book.  It`s great to learn the necessary lessons from the mistakes of others.  One of the biggest thrills for me was seeing my book for the very first time - on the shelf of my favorite bookstore, Powell`s City of Books.I do know several authors who self-published their books and promoted the hell out of them personally.  Initially they had a great deal of luck getting the books into independent bookstores.  A great source of contact info on independent booksellers is BookSense.com.  Word of mouth, well-placed positive reviews, television and radio appearances, speaking engagements, web sites and blogs - in addition to the independent bookstore sales and customers asking for the book - resulted in the big Internet booksellers taking on the books as a sales item.  Even with a lage publishing house behind me, my book is just one of hundreds they produce each year and much of the marketing has been my responsibility. I was warned about that fact by other authors published by the same company.Kevin Carrol, author of Rules of the Red Rubber Ball, (and another author I know) initially self-published his book.  The buzz created by the media resulted in it being picked up and reissued by a publisher able to get it sold by any bookseller, including the online biggies.iUniverse is a well-respected "vanity press" company that often advertises in The New York Times Book Review.  They are somehow affiliated with Barnes & Noble.  They also claim that "all of their books can be ordered through local bookstores, their own web site, and any e-retailer including bn.com and Amazon."  Other such companies are probably able to provide the same types of services.- J.

steve

One possibility is to produce an e-book that you can sell online (eBay,
your own website, etc.). That way you don`t have to pay for publishing,
distribution, etc. If the e-book sells you can decide if you want to
approach a hard copy publisher. At least then you`d have a track record.

As for becoming a yearbook publisher, you seem to be all over the map
when it comes to business ideas. Just because someone else is doing a
poor job doesn`t mean you should go into that business. If you`re
anything like me, you have limited time, energy and resources. It`s
better to choose one thing and do it really well.

ContinentalPrintingSupplies

Jeff,
Thank you for your information.  I will have to take more time to research all your ideas and websites.  I am familiar with the Writers Market, as I have taken writing courses in the past.  I figure it will be best for me to self publish my material, as it may not be too well received by the mass media markets.  And I guess that is the assistance I am seeking.
Again, you have provided me with a lot of work and will require some time for further research.
thank you.
tracy

CalgaryPix

Another resource you might check is blitzprint.com One of the cool things they can do is have versions dependant upon whatever characteristics you decide on - one of the samples they showed was a childrens book that would include the individual childs name, plus colours would change for boys and girls, some of the illustrations would change - and it doesn`t cost any more to set that up.Imagine creating a business resource book with sections specfically designed for different industries / markets without having to print a separate run of books for each. Blitz print can do one at a time and drop ship for you.(PS - no I don`t work for them but am very impressed by their work.)

workfactorydave

Tracy,
You could sell on Amazon by joining their "marketplace" program to sell books. Getting it listed in the traditional book wholesalers (Ingram, Baker & Taylor) is usually difficult for a self-published book. Do lots of research before you self-pub to make sure that`s the route you want to go. Takes a lot of work and self-promotion, but can be worth it.

-Dave
Palari Books
www.palaribooks.com