Process in self-publishing

Consultations and filling out of forms on Createspace have begun for 'The Wolf Moon'. So far they do not have the completed manuscript with the inclusion of front matter and back matter, but they have sent me an example of font and fleurons; it was only recently that I discovered that this was the word for the little icons that go between breaks in the narrative and also refer to the decorative features that may surround the chapter numbers. What they sent was identical to book 2, fleurons and all, and so I called and spoke with a person on my project team, explaining that I wanted a more Celtic feel. I should have a sample sheet back from them in a few days and I can make my selections.

This time around I chose the more expensive publishing option because it promised a more artistic cover (signature cover) as well as forty-five free copies of the paperback book instead of twenty. The Kindle conversion is included as well as a library of congress #. This book is twice as long as the others and I've worked really hard to make it as professional and free of mistakes as I could. So far my dealings with the 'team' have been thorough and clear and the two examples of the cover they sent were both interesting and unusual, reflecting the book's themes and in keeping with the first two covers. I chose the darker option, since the landscape and mood of this one is cold and desolate. With one simple color change this cover will certainly be an attention grabber! It will be revealed as soon as the changes are made but for now I'll only say that the main focus is Cernunnos, Celtic god of the forest.

I shouldn't say this in fear of jinxing the process but...maybe 3's the charm? I hope it continues in this vein since I'm very excited about this book and can't wait to see it up on Amazon!

For you self-publishers out there--how has your process been?

Thanks for reading...

What I know so far...

I'm on the last mad dash to the finish line--Got the book back electronically on Tuesday and went through it, deciding not to peruse it with a  fine tooth comb this time since I couldn't afford any more changes! One word is missing from a sentence in my bio and who knows what else I will discover once I receive the proof...

The plan I chose for my book was the ' V2 Total Design Freedom' package and the V2 Unique Book Cover which cost me $758.00 So here is a short synopsis of do's and  don'ts I have discovered along the way:

1. You must have your manuscript well-edited BEFORE submission otherwise you will be paying extra. This includes all typos, missing periods, double quotation marks etc...
2. Look into EVERYTHING that needs to go into the book before submission. A link can be found on the Createspace website for front and back matter and what this entails. I didn't know about needing a Library of Congress number until the eleventh hour.
     A. Front matter for me included copyright page, acknowledgements, dedication, reviews, title page, lists of upcoming books. There doesn't seem to be any rule about how you arrange it all.
     B. Backmatter could be bio, first chapter of upcoming book, glossary, footnotes etc...
3. Know going in that they will NOT be reading in order to format or even checking to make sure your chapter headings are linear--(learned that one at the end of round two of editing)...And be aware that Createspace can also make mistakes in formatting.
4. With my plan I could get my own publishing name and icon on the spine of the book.
5. Createspace has various marketing tools to sell--I'm purchasing 500 postcards with my book cover and info...there are lots of options to choose from.
6. They are doing a Kindle version of my book which will go up on Amazon two weeks after the POD.

Over-all I've been very happy with the job they've done. The best part is being able to log in and then 'click' "call me" and have my phone ring a few seconds later! And they are always patient and helpful which I've heard from friends is NOT the case with some others who will remain unnamed.