How Do I Get My Book Published for Free?

It’s possibly the most common question I get by e-mail from my Blog viewers, “How do I publish my book for free?” My answer; it can be done.

The odds of being picked up by a traditional publisher are slim; especially for the first-time author. This is likely the reason more than 80 percent of books are self-published. Most of these new self-published authors spend much more money on their book publishing than necessary. Companies such as Authorhouse or Outskirts Press charge a minimum of $200.00 for their basic services. This amount excludes some of the most important services such as editing, layout, and cover design; all “over-priced” additional fees. I’ve spoken to some new authors who invested over $10,000.00 to publish their first book. If you look at these company Websites you will see this is not even close to the most expensive package they offer. Visiting these self-publishing Websites can make a new author believe it is necessary to spend this much to release a successful book-not true.

If you are looking to publish your first book, or if you overspent your budget on your first book and are looking for a better avenue for your next, there are some free self-publishing options available to you. But remember, there will always be those unavoidable “extras” with any book publishing project. You do not want to skimp on things like page layout, cover design, and editing, and editing, and editing!!! A poorly designed book will get poor reviews and most likely WILL NOT SELL!

In my book, A Book Inside, How to Write, Publish, and Sell Your Story, I cover the proper way to layout your pages as well as itemizing the necessary components for your particular book. I strongly suggest if this will be your first book project or you have minimal success with your first release, you order this book and do it the right way from the start. Everything needed from start to finish to complete your book the right way and publish a professional looking piece of literature is covered in the book as an easy-to-follow guide.

In reference to editing your manuscript, do not do-it-yourself unless you are at a minimum, an English major with a Master’s Degree. Even then, I previously read one manuscript self-edited by a writer with such a degree and found numerous typos which made the script hard to read.

If you must, and only if you must, follow these guidelines to get the best you can from your editing efforts;

*Use your spell check program.
*Read your script out loud at least 3 times looking for mistakes.
*Check for the same words repeated to closely and use Thesaurus to find other word options.
*Ask at least three non-bias friends to read your manuscript to help find your mistakes.
*Read it, read it, and read it more!

There are a few “truly” free book publishers available. Again, your book must be ready-to-publish before you attempt to submit to these sites. Otherwise, your final product may not present professionally at all. One of the best I’ve heard of (from authors who have used it) is Createspace.com by Amazon. It’s fairly easy and the only requirement is you must buy one of your own books. Your book is also listed on Amazon.com automatically and the ISBN is free.

Another with fair reviews by users is LuLu.com. However, with LuLu you still will need to submit your book to other bookseller sites such as Amazon.com unless you purchase their distribution package (no longer free).

Publish America will accept most manuscripts for publishing and will do the basic editing and cover design for you free. However, I caution you to accept their cover designs as most of the ones I’ve seen are horrific. You can design your own and submit it to them for approval.

In this post, I may be coming on as if book publishing is free and easy—it’s not. More than 90 percent of the books I used to review (quit because of this issue), were unprofessional, unedited, or just plain poorly written. Books such as these are not enjoyable to read. This may be why I feel so strongly about writers doing it correctly the first time. It’s your dream—don’t disappoint yourself. Be proud of your finished book! Learn the right process and professional way to write and publish your story before you leap in.




A Book Inside, How to Write, Publish, and Sell Your Story is available through Amazon.com and direct from the author at Authors Box Bookstore.

Are Pyramids Too Big for Publishing? The Day Steven Myers Fulfilled His Dream

We’ve all been there-the big day. We worked for months, sometimes years. And now it’s here-our book is done! Can we all reach this goal? Of course we can. But we need guidance, persistence, and most of all the courage to see it through and believe we can do it. Our own book in print-yes we can!

Steven Myers has now joined the rank of “published author.” How did he do it and how does he feel now? In this interview, I will talk to him about his first book, hot off the press, Lost Technologies of the Great Pyramid, How the Great Pyramid was Built.

Carol Denbow: Steven, so glad you’re here to share this amazing experience with us. First I would like to congratulate you on this massive accomplishment and say, I can’t wait to read your book!

You and I met more than a year ago in a small town in Oregon where I had a vendor booth set up at a summer festival. I was talking with, and selling my books to festival attendees; you were one of them. In fact, you bought a copy of my book, A Book Inside, How to Write, Publish, and Sell Your Story. Out of sheer curiosity (and I should have more confidence than to ask), did the book help guide you in any way?

Steven Myers: Absolutely! Your book was a goldmine of technical information to be sure. It helped in a big way as a reference to guide me through the labyrinth of creating a manuscript and turning it into a finished product. I referred often to your book as a guide virtually every step of the way.

Carol Denbow: Wow, thank you Steven! That’s great to hear.

Many writers work on their book projects for long periods of time and eventually give up on ever finishing. How did you stay focused on yours, how long did it take you to complete the book?

Steven Myers: Wow, that’s a good question! The best way I can answer is that I had a book inside of me; I felt compelled to get it out. The book became more than a project, it was a compulsion. I gave all that I could to the book project. I allocated huge blocks of time to researching the subject matter and worked everyday writing the manuscript. I had been researching the subject for over twenty years and it took about seven years to write the manuscript. All I know concerning why I was able to finish this work, is that it became a life-quest for me. I knew that if I kept working I would not fail; only if I quit would I be defeated. So I simply kept working until the manuscript was finished and the book was completed!

Carol Denbow: That’s inspirational to hear and I hope your story helps influence other writers to keep on going with their projects.

You live in a small town of about 4,500 population. This must have limited your access to resources. So where and how did you find the resources to complete and publish your book?

Steven Myers: You are right that a small town offers limitations. Yet we live in a time of many resources. Certainly I borrowed countless books from the local town library. That was a great resource. But the most fantastic wonder that transcends any small town’s limitations is the computer and the internet. These resources, unavailable to generations past, give us the tools and information to complete research, write a manuscript, and create a book.

Carol Denbow: Not everyone is an accomplished author who writes a book. What were your strengths and weaknesses as an author?

Steven Myers: As for weakness I have quite a few. I am actually not well suited to be an author. I am dyslexic and have a very difficult time spelling. That makes proofreading extremely frustrating. Also, I created the illustrations for my book, yet I am quite colorblind. Through perseverance, and help from family, friends, and associates, I was able to transcend these deficiencies to reach my goal of creating a book. I do have a few attributes a writer needs. I have a wholehearted commitment to the project and I am able to put together my thoughts into sentences. But my best attribute is that when I am faced with a research or writing obstacle, I am able to be tenacious in solving the problem. Transforming the manuscript into a PDF document created a number of hurtles for me. I was able to research and find out what I need to know to complete the tasks of creating my book.

Carol Denbow: You published your book through Creatspace.com, would you now recommend them as a publishing option for others, and why?

Steven Myers: Yes I would, because they seem to be easy to work with and a well organized company. The book is produced very professionally. Also Createspace is associated with amazon.com which should help in a number of ways.

Carol Denbow: Did you submit your manuscript to any traditional publishers? Did you receive the “Dear John” letter from any? If so, how did that make you feel?

Steven Myers: Yes I did. Actually, I negotiated with two different conventional publishers. One wanted me to water-down the manuscript making the book less controversial; that was unacceptable. The other publisher was very interested in the book but I wanted to keep the TV and movie rights. The publisher was adamant in wanting me to give up those rights. Only then would they publish the book. I came to realize that the publisher would not have done any promotion for the book. I came to the understating as well that in this new era of publication options, I can eliminate the middleman and be actively involved in the publishing myself. I will be proactive in book promotion and keep the TV and movie rights. In this day and age, conventional publishers did not offer a significant advantage to use their services.

Carol Denbow: You are a smart fellow. I noticed that long before your book was to be released, you started a non-profit foundation for the study of the Great Pyramid; what a wonderful idea, as this will work as a pre-marketing prompt and “should” help with book sales. Please tell us about the foundation.

Steven Myers: Yes I am the founder of a 501 (c) 3 Oregon based non-profit organization called the Pharaoh’s Pump Foundation. Our Website is at: www.thepump.org. The subject matter of my book is the result of the research conducted at our foundation. It is a natural tie-in to promote my book at the foundation’s Website just as the book promotes the foundation. It is a perfect synergistic relationship. I have donated a limited number of signed copies to the foundation. There the books are offered as a fundraising campaign. In this way I can have a “virtual book signing” and the foundation can raise some needed funding.

Carol Denbow: You have recently experienced the joys of being published. Simply put, how does this make you feel?

Steven Myers: I have written a number of articles on this same subject which has been published in various print magazines. But I cannot tell you the absolute thrill and sense of accomplishment of first holding a book in your hands that you created. To see someone reading your book will give any new author a rush of excitement that words cannot convey.

Carol Denbow: Many pre-published authors are not aware that the “real work” begins after their book is released. What additional plans do you have to market your book now that it’s out in the world?

Steven Myers: You’re correct. Believe it or not there is as much work in promotion as there is in writing a manuscript. It is important to realize that the skills to write a manuscript are quite different than the skills needed to promote a book. Many well written books are poorly promoted. I have experience in promoting the foundation I am involved in and will use those skills to promote the book. I have been on numerous radio shows as a guest promoting the research about the Great Pyramid. My goal is to be the guest on fifty radio shows to promote the book. Several of the local newspapers have done articles on me and the research I’ve done. Now they can do articles about me and the book. I also intend to write a number of articles in print magazines which will help promote the book. We are going to produce a YouTube documentary which will promote the book as well. We will use this documentary to “pitch a deal” to a TV network to create a TV quality documentary. Plus I will do some lectures and book readings and of course I have a Website at: StevenMyers.org.

Carol Denbow: I could go on forever Steven. This is “the” moment so many of my Blog viewers are awaiting; to be published and actually hold in hand a copy of their book. Unfortunately, we have to close this interview (running out of room on the home page!). What advice do you have for writers wanting to write a book and get published?

Steven Myers: To be an author is the most completive endeavor on earth. The reader can choose from reading the classics, Shakespeare, or virtually any book on earth. That is what every contemporary author is facing as competition. Yet the world always craves new books to read. The world needs authors to meet this challenge. Writing my book was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Yet at the same time, it was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. I recommend to anyone who has a book inside of them to do the work to reach the daunting goal of making that book a reality. The rewards will make the effort worth it!

Carol Denbow: Okay, Lost Technologies of the Great Pyramid, How the Great Pyramid was Built; Steven Myers first release. Give us some links to order this book or learn more about it.

Steven Myers: For more information about my book you can go directly to the publisher at: createspace.com/3412494. For the Amazon.com link go Amazon.com/Pyramid. You can also go to the Pharaoh’s Pump Foundations http://www.thepump.org/Joomla/index.php or my web page at: StevenMyers.org to find out more about the book and our research.

Carol Denbow: Steven, thank you so much for sharing this wonderful time with us, and again, congratulation on what looks to be an intriguing piece of literature.

Steven Myers: Thank you for your book, A Book Inside, How to Write, Publish, and Sell Your Story. Your book helped my book become a reality. We have met in person and you are a very intelligent author who is outstanding in actively promoting your work. That is a powerful combination! I know that you will be a constant resource in the months ahead as I do what I can to promote my book. Thanks again for the opportunity this interview provides.