MEMBER AUTHOR
A∆K Authors Share the Ins and Outs of Self-Publishing By Betty Sherrod, KAPPAN Staff writer
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t was a hot and humid August afternoon, the kind where there was no breeze, the temperature soared to 102°, the weather map showed a heat advisory for our area and we were asked to check on our elderly neighbors. It was the perfect day for being inside where it was cool and quiet. The laptop called me. Unfortunately, I answered its Betty Sherrod, KAPPAN call and decided to research “How writer, begins her own to Publish Your Own Book.” It’s book. “It was a dark and been on my bucket list; yes, I want stormy night…..” to write a children’s book, hire a watercolor illustrator, publish the book and wait for the phone calls. I envisioned being a guest on someone’s podcast, being interviewed on TV, reading my book aloud at schools all over the United States, flying here and there and, yes…..being recognized at the airport. I thought I could learn everything I needed to know in an hour or so using the Internet. Not so. Amazon KDP, Amazon Publishing, Amazon Select, Barnes and Noble Press, Rakuten Kobo, Publish Drive, Smash Words, Lulu and Bookbaby were just a few of the websites I found. I was in the middle of a tornado of information that led me nowhere, left me mentally exhausted and overwhelmed and sent me to the cabinet looking for Tylenol. There had to be an easier way. I knew that many of my A∆K sisters had self-published, and I was sure they would be happy to share their experiences, so I posted my request on A∆K CONNECT. The responses came. Sharon Chase Hoseley of WA Sharon Chase Hoseley Beta Beta used a local company for
her first self-published book. An editor assisted her with organizing the pictures and words, her own painting was used for the cover, the price was reasonable, and she purchased her own ISBN (International Standard Book Number). When the company closed, she found another group in Spokane, WA to take over publishing her book, but neither company was able to promote it. She had publishing companies hounding her to gain her business. The company she chose priced the book too high and promised TV interviews, book fairs, radio interviews and contest entries, but after spending $25,000, “I finally awoke to the fact that I had no proof that any of these events had any effect on the sales of my book,” she said. Sharon was disappointed again after the completion of her second book in 2020. After one of the biggest book distributors in the US had a disagreement with her publisher, the publishing company wanted to put her books on KDP Amazon. She had paid to have the company do the work for her, but she could have gone through KDP Amazon at no cost. Sharon’s advice? “Find a local publisher, get to know them and interview people who have had their books published at that business. Don’t rush into a deal that sounds too good to be true. It probably is.” Through this publishing maze, Sharon has produced three books. Cindy Curtis, SC Upsilon Sapphire Sister, was an elementary educator for over 26 years and taught creative writing to Grades 3-8. Before she wrote her first book, she had written articles for magazines and local publications. “Breaking into the book publishing field as a new author was difficult,” she said. Publishing companies were not interested unless “you had an agent or had connections,” she recalled. Because she chose to self-publish, Cindy was able to start quickly. She had control over the price and her profit, and was able to sell using online vendors such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble.The costs, she found, are minimal unless you hire people to help with formatting and editing. She also found that if you choose to use a print on demand
“Home is where the Heart is. Heart is where the Cookie is. Do the math. Home is Cookie!” Cookie Monster ~Lottie Roy, FL Upsilon 24
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