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One Librarian's Guide to Self-Publishing

Thinking about self-publishing your book, stories, or poems? Start Here!

Welcome to an Exploration of Self-Publishing

Writing a novel, short stories, nonfiction, or poetry is hard work—and once your manuscript is complete, the next challenge is getting it published. While many authors seek traditional routes through agents and publishers, others choose to self-publish. Today’s self-publishing is a wide world of complex choices that can result in opportunities for success and pitfalls of disappointment and high cost. Success takes real effort, financial investment, and long-term commitment.

This Library Guide is an exploration of the self-publishing world in the US. The steps, considerations, and currently available choices are compiled by CSULB Librarian Dr. Alexis Pavenick, who will self-publish her own fantasy novel. This guide breaks down the complicated aspects of self-publishing into accessible summaries.

Whether self-publishing is right for you depends on your available time and resources, and this guide will help you make that determination while providing a solid foundation for your choices if you do move forward.

How to use this guide:
  • Read straight through if this is all new
  • Jump to specific sections if you only need help with particular steps
  • Search online for any named resources, services, or unfamiliar terms to find current information
  • Select Accordion bars with header text and rounded gold borders to see their information

 

Select the accordion bar below to practice opening and closing it.

This is a sample accordion section. These are used throughout the guide to explore details without overwhelming the page with long text. Select the bar again to close it.

Guide Notes

  1. This guide’s self-publishing advice is written with fiction authors in mind, but the information applies to nonfiction writers and poets as well—especially when it comes to editing, formatting, publishing platforms, and marketing strategies.

  2. There are few links to services listed in this guide. Users should search the Internet/Web for the most current information. Users should also read reviews for ALL services listed in this guide. Social conversation platforms like Reddit can also be helpful for learning about people's experience with self-publishing services of all types. Read All Contracts Carefully. Take Care with Your Budget.