FIRST, SOME GOOD ADVICE: Before you decide on self-publishing, send your book out to agents and to independent trade publishers or a university press. I'm glad I sent my historical novel, Winter of the Metal People around first. Sunbury Press accepted it and published it in June 2013. Sunbury Press also published my mystery, A Brother's Cold Case, in 2014. University of New Mexico Press has published two of my books. These are two of several publishers that are selective in what books they accept. They then edit, design a cover, print, and distribute at no cost to the author. Your chance of success is much greater if published by a publisher, even a small one.

You could figure out how to do much of what you need. But I won't kid you, computer expertise is required in several software programs, and it will take time figuring out the publishing platforms. If you don't have the time, skills, and determination to figure it out by yourself, then I can help you. Your inquiry and my advice are free for the first telephone hour. If you still need help, my work on your book after that is at the rate of $25 an hour. Or maybe after talking with me you'll realize one of your friends can do it for free. Or you can do as much as you can and hire me or a specialty company online to help you with only what you can't do. 

Even by paying for some services, you can self-publish your book for a fraction of what is being charged by so many of these self-publishing companies.

I self-published all the e-short stories on this website. I found publishers for the journalism textbook, the Winter of the Metal People historical novel, the A Brother's Cold Case mystery novel, the War of the Planet Burners sci-fi thriller, and the Esteban: The African Slave Who Explored America biography. I design most of my short-story covers, but even when I had to buy artwork rights for covers, none cost more than $20 or so.

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