Self Publishing My First Book

Hi everyone, i was responding to a friends post when i thought it would be a good idea to start this thread, i hope the mods are o.k with it.

I have been playing Dungeons and Dragons and every other role-playing system out there for over almost 30 years, i am 40 years old btw. I started to Dungeon master or game master my own adventures about 20 years ago, also for any and all systems. I have always been artistic, i play guitar and love to write.

So some years ago a friend of mine said i should write books, and thats when it started. One day a friend came over and uttered a phrase, and right then i knew what i would write about. i created my own world, like T.S.R had with Forgotten Realms Dragonlance etc.

Last year i was fired from my job and decided to change my life, i sat down and finished my first book. My friend and i have shopped the idea to our friends and we have come up with $7000 to self publish the book

I want to go step by step through the process, a journal of sorts, is anybody interested in not only going through the process with me, but the process of writing a book.....I have no college degree, i dropped out and got my G.E.D, i dont think i am an expert, but i believe everybody has their own resistance working against them, that is the biggest danger to all who write......i want to share and learn as i go on this journey with those who are interested, post here any questions and i will try my best to answer.

BTW. i have also written a script for an animated movie set seven years before the book, and i wrote a comic book set in the time of the main characters birth and younger years....all based on the same world, and i am turning my book into a screenplay as we speak

I am sorry i have not posted any of my stories over the years i have been a member. However my goal is to write a story set in my world, and about the characters in my book for this site...unique for all of you.

Thanks for your time!

$7000 to self-publish?

Quite an investment.

Originally posted by Omega Vision
$7000 to self-publish?

Quite an investment.

Good post!

I can self publish for free!...(Yes you can..ask me about it).....or i can pay what the idea earned with my friends and those who decided to invest?...i have no money, no job....i went to my friends and family for support, and my friends came through and loved the idea...we have 7000-12000...to invest.....i decided it would be based on their belief in the book.

Granted no one was serious until i provided the book, when it was finished and i supplied the first three chapters, some people fell in love with it, and it went from there.

Do i try and get a company to hire me and publish my book/idea? i.e....T.S.R, Del Ray, Bantum etc.

Or Self Publish, retain 100% royalties, and i get to decide who and when my book becomes a movie, i decide the rules to the role-playing game, i decide on the cards in the dueling deck i made based on the world.

In this day and age, you have a better chance to self publish, sell 2000 copies and a company will find you!

Then i can be hired by a comic book company etc.

It breaks my heart to see R.A Salvatore speak to his fans about Drizzt, Wulfgar, the characters that he made famous, he has no control over anything...movies...comics...he had to make his own brand...and they still want to see a Drizzt movie rather than his newer stuff.

$3500 for the package deal
$3500 for the Editing
Editing cost from $0.015 per word to $0.045 ..my book is over 90,000 words
So $7000.....to own everything...to have a professional edit, the whole shabang!....it is not that much of an investment.

Just my thoughts.

I think self-publishing can be a viable option nowadays, though you'll have to basically market it yourself. I guess it's a long-shot either way.

Can you explain the editing part?

Like, do you mean checking for grammar/spelling mistakes? Because I try to do that myself.

Originally posted by Bardock42
I think self-publishing can be a viable option nowadays, though you'll have to basically market it yourself. I guess it's a long-shot either way.

What they do now is offer a Distribution package, which markets your book under a major publisher...which acts in a way like a traditional publisher....Under their imprint you can get your book into any book store...and they have a team which helps in marketing etc..but yes most packages will give you a site, market strategies, and submission into most search engines...the more you pay the more options are available.. so price becomes a major factor in self publishing. I believe that in my case it is the best option. Thanks for responding

Originally posted by Omega Vision
Can you explain the editing part?

Like, do you mean checking for grammar/spelling mistakes? Because I try to do that myself.

Ok...Lets understand some things.....one everything cost money, so there are cheaper options( like editing the book yourself, most companies insist you pick at least one of their options), but here is how it breaks down.

Want a fresh out of college, graduate to edit your book? or a pro who has experience with your genre?......Cheaper more expensive...simple logic.... the company i am using will recommend what level of editing my book needs ( I don't have to accept it), i will explain.

BASIC EDIT....Correct spelling, grammar, punctuation and syntax
Correct errors in sentence structure and language usage.
Make note of recommended changes in wording or phrasing to improve the readability of the manuscript
Correct commonly known errors (misspelled names of presidents etc)
COST---$0.015 PER WORD

ADVANCED EDITING........Include all items in the basic editing package
Conduct a telephone consultation with the author (after first review edit) to allow for clarification of any suggested changes, recommendations, editing process concerns, and/or questions
Include a second complete manuscript review edit after author revisions and telephone consultation
Review the organization of the material to ensure that theories (for nonfiction) or characterization and plot narrative (for fiction) are developed fully and that the manuscript is in a well organized format
Ensure that plotline/narrative, dialogue, continuity, and characterization are consistent
Make note of instances where material may stray from its intended purpose
Ensure consistency throughout by noting or correcting the author's use of specific terminology, etc.
COST---$0.03 PER WORD

PRO EDIT.......Include all items in the comprehensive editing package
Conduct two telephone consultations with the author (after first and second review edits) to allow for clarification of any suggested changes, recommendations, editing process concerns, and/or questions
Determine the completeness of the content following revisions made after first review edit with attention to the intended readership purpose and use of the manuscript
After first round of revisions, evaluate the main developmental issues in the manuscript and provide notes to author indicating areas of remaining concern and suggestions for improvement or restructuring of ideas or format
Reorganize paragraphs to make them more logical to the reader
Check the appropriateness of all figures (nonfiction), and note comments or questions
Review the final interior after the manuscript has been formatted/typeset, just before the book goes to press, and correct only spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax
COST----$0.045

SO.....This is the basics of most packages i have seen, not every detail, but a good indication. If they recommend the most expensive one, you don't have to accept( most companies make you have to choose one, so you can pick the cheapest), i plan on having to use the advanced edit, because of the money i got together....
My book is roughly 95,000 words....x $0.03 is around $3500 - $4000 dollars i think lol.
Thanks for the question!

I see. Thanks for the clarification.

Originally posted by Omega Vision
I see. Thanks for the clarification.

No problem, it is exciting and scary at the same time, it feels good to share some info, thanks.

Yeah, I'm going to consider all my options before I make any kind of investment or send my manuscript out.

Here is a Tip....Decide why you want the book published....for instance...do you just want the pride of just having a book published?...to give to your friends and family?...well you could then self publish for free or little money, and pay for the books as you order them or as they are ordered by others( print on demand)
Low upfront cost...you will pay more for each book to be printed....you will get hardly any royalties, and they will own your idea and can make any decisions they want...i.e.. they can settle a deal to make your book into a movie...without your permission....things like that.

If you think your idea is special, if you think it needs further future books in the series, is it prime material for a screenplay to be adapted... if this is the case, you are going to want to pay more upfront cost, and retain 100% royalties and have total control over your idea.. Though you might be young and ready to do intern work, you might even have connections or have past experiences in the field.

From what i have noticed , the day and age of being hired by TSR (wizards of the coast) or a major publisher are fading away, the best technique in my opinion is to self publish and garner their interest by doing well, then they might come to you, or at least it is a way in for someone like me.

Does anyone know how Amazon's self publishing E-Book system works?

Is it any good?

What kind of price are we talking?

Originally posted by Omega Vision
Does anyone know how Amazon's self publishing E-Book system works?

Is it any good?

What kind of price are we talking?

I have not looked into it.

So i have gotten back the assessment on my manuscript, they had some good advice, i am making changes to the manuscript, these will be the last before the editing begins.

The process so far has been interesting
Marketing Strategy.. basically filling out a form they will use for marketing the book

Assessment of manuscript- i uploaded manuscript, they gave me important advice and recommendations. Theygave me an option between three imprints which my book will be under.

Next is the Editing Process.

Originally posted by starlock
I have not looked into it.

So i have gotten back the assessment on my manuscript, they had some good advice, i am making changes to the manuscript, these will be the last before the editing begins.

The process so far has been interesting
Marketing Strategy.. basically filling out a form they will use for marketing the book

Assessment of manuscript- i uploaded manuscript, they gave me important advice and recommendations. Theygave me an option between three imprints which my book will be under.

Next is the Editing Process.

How detailed is your marketing strategy? Because my complete inexperience with marketing anything has made me shy away from querying/submitting to publishers who require a marketing strategy. I mean if I had to make one for my book right now it would probably be something stupid and short like 'I will market it to people who like fantasy' 😛

Right now I'm getting a friend who works as a part-time screenplay editor to look over my book pro bono and offer some suggested amendments. I think I'll also take your earlier suggestion to heart and shave off some of the needless exposition at the beginning of most of the chapters that kind of slow things down and make the book longer than it needs to be.

Well if i remember correctly..

Title of book..why did you choose it
What genre...list books it would compete with.
First book of series?..Stand alone....short stories
Where you live, how that can be a benefit.
Why the book stands out...maybe some other details

But it is not them asking me how i want to market the book, rather information to better help them to come up with the right plan for marketing the book on their end.

It is always good to have trusted people who can read your work and give you advice, and if hes in the field such as you mentioned, that's very cool. Glad i could be of help in some way, see what your friend thinks.

Originally posted by starlock
Well if i remember correctly..

Title of book..why did you choose it
What genre...list books it would compete with.
First book of series?..Stand alone....short stories
Where you live, how that can be a benefit.
Why the book stands out...maybe some other details

But it is not them asking me how i want to market the book, rather information to better help them to come up with the right plan for marketing the book on their end.

It is always good to have trusted people who can read your work and give you advice, and if hes in the field such as you mentioned, that's very cool. Glad i could be of help in some way, see what your friend thinks.

I've got a list of about 20 publishers organized from most promising to least promising, I intend to try all of them until I get picked up or until I run through them all. And if I do get through all of them without luck I'll just dig up some more or go an alternate route.

Well editing has begun on my manuscript. they were real helpful in a lot of ways, one of them being that my payments were from different sources. I guess they better be helpful since i am paying them. I get two rounds of the best editing available, and one last round of editing before print, to make sure there are no mistakes.

Congrats man. Hope you get your money's worth. 😄

Thought I'd add that this is a really interesting thread, and that I hope you keep this updated as the process goes on. 13

Originally posted by Barker
Thought I'd add that this is a really interesting thread, and that I hope you keep this updated as the process goes on. 13

Thanks Barker, and i will.

I should have my manuscript back by Sept 7th, to work on further.