I Am Looking for Help Choosing the Right Place for All of My Self Publishing Needs. Can Anyone Refer a Place They Know And/or Have Had Experience Using?

I use Amazon's createspace and I am very happy with their service. That said, I would suggest you get a professional editor to edit your manuscript before self publishing. I would also suggest joining a writers' group...writing is lonely. The biggest part of self publishing is marketing and that is something that needs to be done before your book is published. Start a blog; sign on to, and post on twitter, Facebook, Google +. You have to get your name out there before that book is published. Do book signings. Do lots of book signings.

Hello from beautiful Montana, We own www.ArtichokePress.com but use the services of CreateSpace, which is the publishing arm of Amazon.

I agree with Marie's suggestion below. Be sure to get it edited. You may want to use the services of Create Space. They aren't really that expensive when you price them out.

My major suggestion is to Keep Your Day Job! Even though I have over 20 books on Amazon as we speak, I rarely earn enough to pay our mortgage. You will get happy sharing your message, but you won't get rich unless you are an excellent writer specializing in romance, erotica and weight loss.

Keep writing anyway.

Judy Helm Wright--Author/Blogger/Intuitive Wise Woman

Kristen, I use CreateSpace and Kindle when I self-publish. Their books print well, they offer good distribution + overseas sales. Their promotions are excellent value. Be wary of Publishers who "court" you. Always check them out on Predators and Editors. Ask on writing lists if others have used them, and what their experience was. This is where being a member of a variety of writing lists pays off--you get to pick the brains of members, and profit by their mistakes and experiences with publishers.

The secret is taking the time to RESEARCH. Haste leads to costly mistakes. Don't be fooled by glamorous websites and fancy promises. Go over their contract with great care. The small print really DOES tell the tale.

Magic Carpet of Books--http:/www.margotfinke.com
Skype Author Visits -- Manuscript Critiques

We use LSI / Ingram, but they also have Sparks available for self-publishing and small press. They operate on the same platform, and therefore you would have access to global print and digital distribution with the bonus of everything under one roof (and if it is like ours, that goes for reporting as well). You would have Ingram's print partners, globally, which helps to keep shipping costs down for your readers, and they would connect you to more than 39,000 retail partners and libraries (their database).

They do provide templates and tutorials, tools, for author use, but it is not the question of their quality, it will always be the question of yours. Has your book been professionally edited? Your cover, professionally designed or is at least stunning and worth picking up, did you use a professional layout designer? If you didn't and simply used their templates, did you use a font that was appealing to the eye? Moreover, consider the size and type of font for the right age group? Sized for the same reason, age group. These things contribute to the quality of your product. They do, LSI, produce a quality product. They also offer bonuses for ISBN bulk purchases (they do on our end, imagine it would be the same). Each order accumulates to obtain larger discounts per title.

Much of this industry depends on how far along you are as a writer/author, what your goals are, and your expectations and understanding of the industry. Do you write because you enjoy it, for gain or fame, because you have to write, or because you have something to share or say? Half the writers will write one or two books, but the others will stay in it for the long haul. Keep in mind major retailers will not purchase books unless they are returnable. Schools, Universities, and many retailers will buy with a P.O. and schools often purchase through their approved vendors. Hope this helps.

Create Space is a wonderful tool - easy to use with free templates. When you push the final button, your book is on Amazon and Kindle. I have used it for several books and recommend it to my clients. However...make sure you have your book professionally edited first.

I also use CreateSpace. I have my own editor and do my own formatting, so I don't require any of CS's services, other than publishing the print version of my books. It's free, and the books are marketed through Amazon. With a "vanity publisher," you pay them and are responsible for marketing and distribution. Many who have gone this route (vanity publishing) find themselves with a garage full of books they're forced to buy and left to distribute.

My philosophy is that the writer should get paid to publish and not pay to be published (other than editing and formatting). CreateSpace is efficient in reporting and paying royalties, too. Marketing is still up to the author, but that goes with the territory.

By the way, another comment claimed that CreateSpace limits where you can sell your books. Not true. You can sell them in bookstores, your website or other sites .... anywhere you want. The commenter was likely thinking of KDP, where enrolling your book in one of their plans gives the Kindle version exclusivity. But CreateSpace is primarily a printer that benefits from books being sold in as broad a market as possible. They'd be shooting themselves in the foot to limit markets.

By the way, any publisher who is "courting" you is likely looking to charge fees for a bunch of services.

I would strongly encourage you to reach out to local writers groups in your community. It's been invaluable for me to connect with other writers and learn from their experiences. I am not self-published, I'm in a partner deal with a traditional publisher. Even intermediate publishers may offer an arrangement (mine offers all three levels - traditional, partner and self.) On your own, you have to do cover, design, layout, editing, distribution (identifying which one.) I can't speak to a specific company, but you do want it available on more than Amazon to reach more people. Whatever you do, be prepared to invest in yourself and your business. Writer's Market, published by Writers Digest has a whole section on publishers, so you can research that as well. I did. Nothing is free. Best wishes.

Good luck!

I have used CreateSpace/Amazon and IngramSpark. Each has it's strengths and weaknesses. Since it costs next to nothing to set-up and print with either one, I would use CreateSpace for online sales on Amazon in paperback and I also would use IngramSpark for Barnes & Noble, independent bookstores and libraries. It's not that CreateSpace won't sell to independent bookstores, it's that independent bookstores don't want to have anything to do with Amazon. It's very convenient for bookstores to order directly through normal channels with Ingram book distributors. IngramSpark also prints a very nice hardcover book.

I agree that a good editor is needed, not just a proofreader.

Agree with Createspace. Have 3 books there.

Katherine and Kristen, sorry my information was out of date. I always relied on Predators and Editors , but lately, I have had no reason to check them. Here is another reliable place (and it is still operative).
Writer Beware:
http://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/wr...

Magic Carpet of Books--http:/www.margotfinke.com
Skype Author Visits -- Manuscript Critiques