You have invested a great deal into your writing: time, attention, your heart and soul, maybe even a few tears, and now you’re considering investing even more: your cold hard cash. Rather than accepting “No” as an answer to your dream of being published, you have decided to publish your book yourself. Before you put your money where your mouth is, be aware there are publishers willing to take your money and offer little in return.

To self publish, you must take on expense of printing, marketing, distributing and storing of your manuscript. You will be involved in every aspect of publishing process, which could leave you with very little time for writing. However, you will keep 100% of profits from your book sales.

You may work with a vanity press, which will print and bind book for a substantial fee. Vanity presses are not selective, they will publish work of any one willing to pay, and they do not edit, market, promote or store books once printed. Some vanity publishers do not require upfront money, but require payment for other “services” such as editing, set up charges, promotional charges, or they may ask authors to buy their own books for resale. While they may call themselves “small press” or “traditional” fact remains they are a pay for print publisher.

Marketing should be on top of your priorities after production of your writing. You need to adopt various strategies to get your name out there and display your prowess.

Here are a few useful ways to promote yourself and achieve success:

Website Promotion

In this information age that we are in, it is necessary for every business person to have a web site to display his/her wares as well as communicate with potential customers. You should consider yourself in business and adopt appropriate business practice in order to succeed.

You need a web-site where you explain what writing services you offer, your writing credentials and samples of your published work is essential not only to provide information to would-be clients but to show them your writing competence. Of course there are other add-ons such as auto-responders, ezines, etc to supplement your site. Your website should be optimized for better search engine ranking and its URL displayed in your business documents so that people are informed of its presence..

Articles Submissions

This is a good strategy for publicizing yourself and its effects may last for quite a long time. This strategy works best online.

In this strategy you select subjects and topics in your area of specialization and post complete articles to article submission websites for free publication. Each article will contain writer’s byline at beginning and a brief bio at end. The bio will include your name, email address, website URL and what you do or who you are.

If your article is good it may be accepted for publication on website and read by hundreds, if not thousands of people on line. Among these people are editors and ezine publishers who will republish complete article in their publications.

The interest that your article generates and information you provide in your bio will market you as a good writer and people will click on your website URL. The multiplier effect of this will be increased enquiries on what you offer orders for your services or more visitors to your website. You will also have earned credits for publication of your article, which you can send to prospective publishers.

Some of websites that accept and publish articles submitted are-