So You Want To Be An Author?

Yeah. Me too. It's my lifelong dream to publish a book. Preferably a children's picture book, or a book of poems (which yeah, big market for those, right?), or a novel. I supposed I'd better get going...

These days - ANYONE can be an author (ugh, I shudder to think!). Obviously, there's blogging. Which is one way to share your writing. But please, folks, blogging platforms have SPELL checkers! Use them! They don't catch everything, but they help!

But what I really want to talk about is the self-published BOOK. Now, of course, having a publishing company like Simon & Shuster or Zondervan publish your book FOR you is the ultimate goal. But in the meantime, if you really need to get your words out there, or if you have an ultra-small niche market, or if you plan to pound the pavement yourself to market your book to bookstores...

I give you... (drumroll, please):

BLURB.COM

Blurb is a print-on-demand website that allows you to make (and sell) bookstore-quality books online. You design your book with their software, and upload text, photos. And then order your books - 1 copy, 2 copies, 2,000 copies? They can do it. Hardcover, softcover - there's several options.

Here are some other features (from their website facts):

• 4-color printing
• Two finishes – matte or lustre.
• Prices start at just US $4.95.
• Order one book or many. Volume discounts apply.
• Variety of sizes.
• Three cover options: Softcover; Hardcover, Dust Jacket; or Hardcover, ImageWrap
• Fast Turnaround — your book will arrive in approximately 7 to 10 business days (wow!)

I have a book that was created on Blurb - a local CT artist created a watercolor picture book version of Old MacDonald Had a Farm and a friend gave it to me at my baby shower. It's beautiful and very high quality. I would've NEVER thought it had been self-published! Highly professional.

You can also published your blog as a book if you want - selecting posts you like and compile a book that way...I may just have to do this someday... I do have some children's book texts waiting for me to submit to publishers... maybe I will become a DIY author...

What about you? Got a book idea? Do you know of other online print-on-demand resources you can share? Comment below!

Happy Writing!