Philopsychy Press Self-Publishing Aids
12 Questions for Prospective Self-Publishers
Self-publishing is not for everybody. Unlike vanity publishing, it is not an "easy way" to get a book published. Rather, it involves much hard work. If you are seriously considering publishing your own book, either on your own or with the help of Philopsychy Press (PPP), you should therefore ask yourself the following twelve questions before going any further. They are given in the order of their likely importance, and arranged under four headings. The more "no's" you have, the more likely it is that self-publishing would not be a good option for you to pursue. If you come up with twelve "yes's", then the PPP publishing plan is probably an ideal path for you to follow, so we suggest you contact us further. The twelve questions are organized under the following four headings:
- 1. Have I written (or am I writing) my book out of a commitment to discover the truth and/or out of a sense of love for my prospective reader, and not out of a desire for fame, wealth, or status?
- 2. Do I have evidence (e.g., published journal articles, letters from editors/readers, etc.) that my writing style is clear and readable, and that my ideas are fresh and original?
- 3. Am I typically more inclined to pursue a project to the end, come thick or thin, than to give up or put it off when other more interesting projects appear on the horizon?
- 4. Do I have either (a) enough time (roughly ten hours per week for the first year) to market a book myself, or (b) enough money to hire someone to market it for me?
- 5. Can I afford the cost (e.g., roughly US$2000 for an initial press run of 1000 standard sized softcover books, 200 pages in length, and another US$2000 for average marketing/sales costs)?
- 6. Am I ready for the risk--i.e., would I be able to avoid getting unduly upset or disappointed if I were never to recover all of the money I invested in publishing my book?
- 7. Am I a skilled editor and an established scholar in the field of my book? or Have I sent (or am I planning to send) my manuscript to skilled editors and established scholars for their detailed comments and suggestions for revisions?
- 8. Am I able either (a) to produce the final, camera-ready printout of the manuscript myself, using a standard word processing program, or (b) hire someone to do this for me?
- 9. Do I have access to address lists of people (e.g., association members or journal subscribers) who are likely to be especially interested in buying a copy of my book?
- 10. Am I willing to release my book from the strict requirements of current copyright laws (as typically interpreted), and give my readers the freedom to do with my ideas what they wish?
- 11. Does my own attitude and the tone of my writing fit in with the ideals of PPP--i.e., do I see scholarship as a way to understand and encourage "soul-loving", is my work both creative and scholarly, and is my method basically constructive rather than merely analytic or critical.
- 12. Am I willing, in return for some assistance from PPP, to pay a small surcharge (probably about 10%) in addition to the cost of printing my book in Hong Kong? (Note: The resulting amount is still likely to be less than the cost of printing in Europe or North America.)
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This page last updated on 20 February 1996
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