Learn About Self-Publishing at Pen In Hand

With advances in technology and the ability to cheaply and easily produce e-books and print-on-demand-books, self-publishing has grown immensely in the past several years. But it has always been around. Just do an internet search and you can find the identities of several writers who started or spent their entire careers as self-publishers. Self-publishing can be rewarding and lucrative but there are a lot of things to consider. How much will you do yourself? Will you secure the services of a subsidized or so-called vanity publisher or will you open your own publishing company and take care of everything from production to distribution? And that’s only the beginning. You can’t just produce a book and expect people to start buying it; you have to let people know it’s out there.

Before you step into the DIY book publishing business, it is important to fully understand how self-publishing works, what it involves, and what it does and doesn’t do. Self-publishing is a valid choice to make to get your work out into the world, but it is a choice that must be made consciously, with purpose, and backed by information. To get this information, plan to attend the Midwest Writing Center’s “DIY Publishing – Is It For You?” workshop from 1:20 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at its Pen In Hand Mini Writing Conference on Saturday, October 6, 2012.

During the workshop Lilly Setterdahl and David Dorris will discuss things to consider when deciding whether to try to get your book published traditionally, to go on your own in a full blow DIY publishing project, or to pay a publishing company. It will not advocate one form over the other but will give you the information needed to open your eyes and know what to expect if you choose a self-publishing method. David has written three books published both on his own and traditionally: Life Is Too Short, Life Is Too Short: Choices In Life and Life Is Too Short: Life Is What We Make It. Lilly has written 16 books, 14 of them nonfiction, some published traditionally and some self-published as well. Her latest book, Not my time to die: Titanic and the Swedes on board came out on April 15, 2012.

Other sessions offered at Pen In Hand on October 6^th address e-book publishing, traditional publishing, and marketing (important no matter how you publish). Discounts are offered for early-bird registrants as well as members of MWC. Click here to learn more and sign up.