The Matador Guide to Self Publishing

This comprehensive guide to self publishing aims to make as much information available in as clear a way as is possible on how to go about self publishing using some or all of the services of one of the UK's leading self publishing service providers, Matador. To help those considering self publishing as an option, this guide aims to make clear the processes involved and what can be expected along the way, in as realistic and straightforward way as possible. Self publishing has come a long way in the last few years. Once seen suspiciously as another form of vanity publishing, it is now increasingly viewed as a respectable way for authors to get a foot on the publishing ladder. The commonly-held belief that authors only publish their books for personal vanity is now way off the mark.The motivations for self publishing are numerous: a desire to be more widely read; a hope that the book will be picked up by a 'traditional' publisher; the wish to publish for a small audience, one that a commercial publisher will simply not find profitable; the personal fulfilment of one's hobby; publishing for family and friends; publishing as part of a business venture; or a wish to make money from writing.
These, and many others, are all reasons for an author to consider financing the publication of their own book. There are other pressures that lead authors to consider self publishing. As the large publishers get larger their output becomes less eclectic - marketing takes over, and unless your book fits into what's 'hot', the chances of landing a publishing deal are slim. Developments in printing technology have also reduced the cost of publishing a book to a level that can be reached by most.