| In the 1970's my expose to the world of | | | | really leverage the use of the Post Office and UPS |
| self-publishing a book was in the days when | | | | for shipping. No internet back then, inquiries came in |
| mail-order was still in its boom. The norm was to | | | | from customers reading your classified ads. After |
| place classified ads in the back of magazines and in | | | | picking up your daily mail you would mail a sales letter |
| super-market tabloids at check-out. As a true | | | | back to your customer. Your customer would send |
| self-publisher I wore all hats of research, advertising, | | | | you the coupon with payment which was attached |
| writing, shipping, distribution and everything else in | | | | to the bottom of the sales letter you sent them. |
| between. Of coarse the benefit of self-publishing a | | | | The percentage was about one sale out of every |
| book you take all the profits! | | | | ten to twenty inquiry letter. Postage was cheap! I |
| Wikipedia: Self-publishing is the publishing of books, | | | | also purchased some books at wholesale, but a few I |
| micro-publishing online works and other media by the | | | | would write about hiking, camping and scouting. Turn |
| authors of those works, rather than by established, | | | | around time was ten days to two weeks between |
| third-party publishers or by vanity presses. Although it | | | | first receiving an inquiry then getting an order and |
| represents a small percentage of the publishing | | | | shipping it back. This was every bit true self-publishing |
| industry in terms of sales. | | | | with my spiral-binding unit for order fulfillment. I also |
| Self-publishing has been present in one form or | | | | sold colorful import-export catalogs for overseas |
| another since the beginning of publishing and has seen | | | | products. |
| an increase in activity with the advancement of | | | | Today self-publishing a book has all changed with |
| publishing technology, including e-books, desktop | | | | customers searching for instant gratification in their |
| publishing systems, print on demand and the World | | | | search for free information. Have a website or blog |
| Wide Web. Cultural phenomena such as the punk/DIY | | | | built with a theme to address a solution for what |
| movement, the proliferation of media channels and | | | | your target audience is looking for. Again the purpose |
| blogging have contributed to the advancement of | | | | of becoming self-publishing a book is to reap all the |
| self-publishing. | | | | profits for your labor! You'll have complete control |
| As a small time mail-order entrepreneur, you could | | | | over what you write and selection of cover design. |