Q & A About Self-Publishing

At a recent workshop on self-publishing, I spoke about the steps involved in publishing a book and our services in helping authors to self-publish their manuscripts. The audience was attentive and anxious to learn more about the process. They asked numerous questions related to their own particular projects and to self-publishing in general. Here's a selection of their questions and my answers:

Q - What does it cost?

A - In general, it costs from $5,000 to $10,000 to self-publish a book. (Updated in 2022: That cost has increased to almost double, ranging from $7,000 to $16,000.) The cost varies depending on details such as the length of the book, the amount of editing and layout required, the number of images included, whether the book is printed in full colour or only black and white, and the number of copies printed.

Q - Do I need an ISBN?

A - Yes. Each individual book needs its own International Standard Book Number. An e-book should have its own ISBN - a different ISBN from the ISBN on the printed version of that book. In Canada, you can obtain an ISBN for free from Library and Archives Canada.

Q - How do I create a bar code?

A - The printing company you choose to print your book can create a bar code for your book at the printing stage, based on your ISBN.

Q - How much should I charge for my book?

A - We advise authors to visit a bookstore and look at local books similar to theirs for ideas on size and pricing.

Q - What about copyright? Do I need a copyright certificate?

A - Anyone who writes a book in Canada is automatically protected by copyright, but copyright certificates can be purchased from the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.

We provide advice and assistance to our authors on these and other topics at all stages of the publishing process. We also do considerable marketing for our authors' books before, during, and after publication. We are passionate about the books we help our authors create and we love telling others about those great books.

Please contact us if you'd like to work with us on your book!