IngramSpark vs Lulu

Continued from above...

In traditional publishing, the money made from book sales is split between the author, publisher, agent, and others. That often leaves the writer with a small percentage. But with self-publishing, authors usually keep a much larger share of each sale. Platforms like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and others make it easier to sell books to readers all over the world. For many writers, this means they have a better chance of making a living from their writing, especially if they build a loyal audience.

Self-publishing services also give writers a lot more control over their books. In traditional publishing, editors and publishers often make decisions about the story, cover, and even the title. These changes might not always match what the writer originally wanted. With self-publishing, the author gets to make all those choices. They decide how the book looks, what it says, and how it's presented to readers.

Another big benefit of self-publishing is how quickly a book can be published. Traditional publishing can be a slow process. It often takes months or even years to get a book accepted, edited, printed, and finally released. On the other hand, self-publishing platforms let writers upload their finished book and have it available online in just a few days or weeks.

Confused about where to start? It's true that there are a lot of options out there, and they vary widely in terms of what they offer with respect to price and services, how they distribute your book, what add-ons they make available, how much money you can make off your sales, how long the process will take, what support you will receive, and what reviews say about the publishers.

To get rolling, we suggest making a list of what is most important to you when publishing your book. Some people just want to get their book into the world. Others want a guarantee that they will have a bestseller (news flash- there are no guarantees). Some are on a strict budget while others have an inheritance to spend. Control of the finished product is important to some authors, while others prefer a more hands-off approach.

Once you have decided on your priorities, here are the key considerations to keep in mind when looking for a publishing company for your book:

• Cost. How much are you willing to spend and for what? Some people are willing to do a lot of the work themselves or have connections to others who will help them. If that's not you, be prepared to spend money on services such as editing, design, and marketing.
• Length of time involved. While there are ways to have your book available almost overnight, other self-publishing processes take months. If you are in a hurry, you will need to consider doing some of the tasks yourself.
• User-friendly tools. Are you pretty tech savvy? If so, you can save a lot of money by learning how to use formatting programs, design programs, and other offerings from some of these publishing houses for your work. There are even companies which offer you free use of their online tools - even if you choose to publish elsewhere. This is something to keep in mind when you are comparing companies.
• Formats. Do you have your heart set on a hardcover book with a dust jacket for your manuscript? Are you a believer in the power of audiobooks? Would an eBook meet your needs? Not all publishers offer all formats, so remember this while you shop for a company.
• Sales. If you want to make a certain amount of money, you will need a publisher which allows you to set your own price (most do) and keep as much of your profits (royalties) as you possibly can. The amounts vary greatly on this point so this will be something worth comparing. Remember, these companies are in business to make money, so they will have to get it somewhere - from upfront fees, from a portion of your book sales, or from subscription services.

We at Top Consumer Reviews want to see you succeed as an author, whatever that looks like to you. To that end, we have reviewed and ranked some of today's most popular self-publishing services, ranging from "no fee and no frills” to packages costing in five digits to do all of the work for you. While often the mantra "you get what you pay for” rings true, we advise you to especially keep in mind customer experiences and reviews when choosing a place to publish your masterpiece.