[pickarooney]

I'm in awe of you for being able to read and write so much while raising three little rascals If you've written any books on how to do that I'll buy them all

[pavb2]

Had a look at smashwords,amazon,lulu and a few others so are they all much the same or does any of these stand out. ATM smashwords looks quite simple.

I'm thinking of uploading 3 short stories in one volume (approx 10000 words) done well in a few competitions (copyright retained)with them so publishing one way or another seems like a good way forward.

Should I include more stories or indeed publish the stories seperately?

I'm really doing it to test the water and familiarise myself with the whole process as I'm also working on a novel.

Downloaded a few podcasts on the subject and in simple terms they seem to agree that if you look at the change in the music industry then e publishing is a good way forward

[EileenG]

Novellas with prices to match seem to do very well on Amazon, so you might try that. I will impulse buy all over the place if I'm not committing a lot of time or money to something new.

[ThePinkCage]

You could self publish, particularly if it's non fictrroin.

You can bring out your book as an ebook and promote it via Amazon and other social media outlets. It's a more viable option these days than before, though I'd still go the traditional route first.

If you'd prefer not to self publish, Book Republic is a new Irish publisher that's more open to taking manuscripts than most, try www.bookrepublic.ie

[Kinski]

Originally Posted by ThePinkCage

You could self publish, particularly if it's non fictrroin.

What strange new genre is this?

[ThePinkCage]

A genre in which aliens powered by electronics finally succeed in their goal of taking over the world.

[pavb2]

Had a good look around at the whole process of e publishing I think it's straightforward enough if you have the time I imagine doing the first one is the hardest.

My conclusion is that I think I would still spend a lot of time formatting and designing covers electronically but there are people out there who will provide this service and it doesn't seem to cost that much €40 was about ballpark.

There are a lot of links but can anyone recommend someone who will take my pieces format,design cover and put up on Amazon/Smashwords. I know we're in an age of electronic communication but still it would be nice to have someone in Ireland who you could meet and take your ideas especially for cover design into electronic format

I think with the predicted explosion in e books there is great potential for more people to provide this service especially if they gain a reputation for good service.

[EileenG]

I know one guy who does this sort of thing for his wife and I think he'd be open to doing it for other people. If you are interested, tell me and I'll pm you his e-mail.

[PDN]

Originally Posted by ThePinkCage

You could self publish, particularly if it's non fictrroin.

Agreed, I've done self-publishing before, but it is much easier if you are known to people within a niche market rather than being totally unknown.

I speak at Christian conferences and churches, but am certainly not of sufficient celebrity status to make my book stand out from thousands of others in a book shop or justify a major publisher taking a risk on me. So, back in 1999, I self-published 5000 copies of a book (it worked out as $1 per book, printed in the US). I didn't bother trying to get into book shops, just sold it myself each time I spoke at a Conference, and within four years I had shifted all 5000 copies at 10 pounds (or $10 when Stateside) a pop. It's hardly JK Rowling levels of sales - but it earned me over $45,000 profit over four years, which is better than a poke in the eye!

So, in certain situations, self-publishing can be the way to go. I do think, however, it would be a much harder proposition to do it with fiction, or if you have zero name recognition in the non-fiction field of your chosen subject.