Finishing your novel is just the first hurdle. Finding an agent or publisher willing to read your work and have it published is an even bigger challenge.

But do you even need a publisher? Here are a few comments about self publishing which is becoming an increasingly popular option.

Who's making money?

Probably the most successful of the self publishers to date is Amanda Hocking.

She wrote 17 novels around her day job but they were all rejected by publishers. So, in spring 2010 she began to self-publish them as ebooks. Less than a year later she'd sold well over a million copies and earned around $2 million.

EL James, author of Fifty Shades of Grey, took a slightly different self-publishing route. She paid for hardcopies of her work to be printed through a small Australian press. Yet now her trilogy has sold more than ten million copies worldwide.

These two self-publishers have turned their rejected novels into life-changing sums of money. But since their success, both have chosen to write through established publishing houses.

That suggests that the big money is still made by having the support of an editor, publicist and major book retailers, all of which are only really achievable with a publishing house.

How much does self-publishing really earn?

Of course, these are the biggest successes and suggest that everyone could do the same.

The writers' hub Taleist.com surveyed over 1,000 self-publishing authors and found that the average earnings are around $10,000 a year.

That's not a ton of money. But some things are worth more than cash for many authors.

You should choose to self publish through a proper and reputable publishing company. It helps to have support editing and designing your book as well as paying for the hard copies of your book to be printed.

Where do you start?

Okay, so you've written a book and you're ready to publish. What do you do next?

Publishing services for authors are available, and they will even help you design your cover.

Of course, simply making your book available is only the first step. You'll be competing with hundreds of thousands of other authors, so how you promote your work is key. So how do you market your masterpiece?

Self-promotion
The most successful self-publishing authors use blogs, Twitter, Facebook and other social platforms to advertise their book.

You can also find plenty of tips on self-publishing sites and in forums, but social media is the best platform, as you can create a buzz around your book.

For help with self publishing or with short run book printing for book signings and promotions, contact The Country Press, Inc.

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