If you self-publish, you will be responsible for getting testimonials, the cover design, title and choosing the method for printing.

Whenever you seek help, it is wise to interview three suppliers to give you a feel for what is possible, sounds reasonable and is within your budget. Which vendor provides the scope of services you are seeking, understands your plight by having previously worked with other similar authors, and sounds the most helpful. You will need to determine their level of professionalism, ease of doing business and feasibility of remaining within your budget.

Some questions to consider for self-publishing are: Are you able to print one copy or is there a minimum requirement? Will your book be listed on Amazon? Will you be comfortable telling the world your book is self-published or will you feel more credible if you seek a traditional publisher?

Two major differences to also consider are profit per book and distribution. Typically, you will make far more per book if you self-publish, however, distribution and the cost of getting it to market are entirely your responsibility. This is why you may only average $1 per book profit with the help of a publisher.

The advantage of a publisher is you will become highly credible and viewed as an expert. The title, art design and cost of getting the book to market will be the publisher's responsibility. They will use their established channels for distribution.

Before you proceed, consider how you will use your book. Will it be an entrée to introduce your business to speak to groups or simply to say you did it! Do you want it to be a best seller? This means 50,000 copies sold in one year. It's important to note most books sell less than 4,000 copies in their lifetime.

If you wish for your book to become known nationally and internationally, a public relations service will be in order. Once again, many choices will need to be made as to how extensive you wish this service to be such as a partial "do-it-yourself" program to keep down the costs.

How will people find your book among the many thousands? Whether published or self-published you will be largely responsible for getting the word out. Avenues to consider are the media, distribution companies, talks and an online presence.

Gaining the attention of media (paper, radio, magazine and television) is time-consuming but is an excellent avenue for widely distributing information about your book and gaining notoriety. Contributing articles to your niche market will also help you develop expert status.

You may wish to consider with whom to partner online for exponentially increasing exposure and reaching larger audiences. Your ultimate task will be to weigh time-consuming tasks vs. budget for seeking help.

Are you ready to interview with the media? Do you need lessons? Some interviewers will be on the same page with you while others will ask difficult questions and may even appear to be hostile. You must be prepared to have sound bites and know where you want to take the conversation. And you must be prepared enough to say, "Yes" to every interview.

One day, you may receive a surprise phone call to speak to a large group. Will you need a speech coach to help you overcome the jitters? Seek help to prepare if you believe it's required.
Review your objectives for your book and prioritize the paths on which to proceed. As with all plans, they are made to provide direction but continually need to be refined for further success.

My Story: I have the honor of having pursued both routes, that of self-publishing and seeking a publisher. The day the self-published book arrived, I felt as if I had given birth and was the proud parent. The book wasn't out more than two weeks when a not-so-nice person said to me, "If your book were any good, a publisher would have picked it up!"

As I flashed a smile and said, "You may be right", I was actually thinking, "Eat my dust!" It was the salesperson in me taking the challenge. I hired an agent to represent me in New York at the annual BEA author's fair. She took my self-published book to show potential publishers that the manuscript already existed.

Hiring the agent was well worth the money. She returned with many leads. Prior to following up, it was strongly recommended to seek help writing a book proposal as to why I believed the book will sell well and how I would help in the marketing process. Within two months, Sourcebooks agreed to take on my project.

All of the marketing materials previously read encouraging me to write my book were 100% accurate in describing the credibility and authority it would bring for my business. I whole-heartedly encourage you to write your story to experience the same.