Each of the three ways has its advantages and disadvantages, its pitfalls and rewards. It is important for a writer who wishes to see his or her book in print to consider all three options and decide for themselves what is best for them, considering the costs, the effort involved and the time it takes to take a book through the process from manuscript to the bookseller's shelves or website.
Self Publish
It is very easy to self publish your book – there are several web sites where all you need to do is download the content of the book, choose a cover or download a cover design and order as many copies as you think you will be able to sell (for example, lulu.com, or createspace.com, owned by Amazon the Amazon group of companies. There are also “vanity presses,” like iUniverse.com and Kora Press.com that will do all the work for you – layout design, editing, printing and distribution. They will also obtain an ISBN (bar code) for you as well as a CIP, which makes it possible for libraries to purchase and catalog your book. Sometimes a self-published book may be picked up by a traditional publisher and even become a bestseller, as in the case of “The Celestine Prophecy.”
Be Published
As many first time authors will confirm, it is a daunting task to become published by a traditional publisher and the process takes a long time, sometimes even years. The best way to get the attention of a publisher is to find an agent who will represent you; publishers tend to build relationships of trust with an agent and will often listen to their recommendations.
You can check out a free interview with four agents to find out more about what agents are looking for (HowtoGetALiteraryAgent.com). Many publishers will not accept unsolicited manuscripts and even if they do, it will probably take a long time for them to read and evaluate a new writer’s work. If they do decide to publish the book, they will no doubt edit it and suggest their own layout design, often changing and rewriting major parts of the book.
The main objective for the publisher is to make money and releasing a new title by an unknown author always represents a risk. A publisher will want to know how you will promote your book and what kind of “platform” you may have (meaning an interested audience, like people who subscribe to your newsletter or blog, or attend your seminars). They will want to know who your target audience is – who the book was written for. They might change the title and the whole feel of the book to make it more appealing to its potential readers as well as the casual customer, who might discover it browsing through the shelves of their local bookstore.
Become a Publisher
This third way is the best way to keep control of your product on the one hand and to ensure that your book will be published by a “proper” publisher; however, to become a publisher does involve a lot of work. First, you will need to find a name for your publishing business that has not been taken, register the business, find someone to edit, lay out and design your book, or do it all yourself. Then you will need to buy ISBN numbers (from Bowker.com), arrange for CIPs (Cataloguing in Publication) to be added to the finished product and find a printer. Even with all this in place, you still need to promote your book and sell it!
One thing all writers agree on is that only best-selling authors make a living from their writing; for most writers a book is a “glorified business card” that opens doors to further engagements, like teaching or public speaking. It is also a wonderful feeling to hold in one's hands a published book that has arrived straight from the printers – well worth the effort and learning curve that had brought you to this moment!
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