We've all been there. The notebook closes; stacks of paper from the typewriter or the computer print sit in silence. The book is done. It has been examined by supporters, edited, revised, chiseled from granite and sits on a disk or desk. But now what? How do we get a book to breathe out with the same breath we have given it and to absorb the salt we have sweated onto its pages to infuse it with life? How do we publish the work of many months or even years?

Traditional approaches involve a long process of contacting editors, agents and publishers while collecting enough rejection slips to paper a small cabin. That activity is worthy of the effort; it teaches us the mechanics of the publishing industry and is an exemplary baptism of disappointment. If one researches any big name author, the same story is right there over and over again.

But there are other ways, among many, to get your book published. Only two will be mentioned here. The first is self-publishing. The shadow cast on self publishing is one born of common misconceptions and attitudes held by those who are not writers nor have the courage to even start to write. Without attending to great detail, think of self-publishing in the sense that you become the general contractor for building your own house. After all, that is what a publisher in one of the big New York houses actually does. The firm expedites. They hire the typesetter, the printer, and wholesaler; they manage the contracts and copyrights and employ the graphic artists and more. It isn't rocket science. It is just hard work. And that work is paid for by the revenues from your book. In the end, what the author has is a back end load. The mainstream publisher takes the lion's share to cover costs and the author gets a few dimes per sale. This is good for our economy; it puts people to work. But it is not a great deal for the author. There are many companies around the country that will help you self publish your work and get it out there for a nominal fee with no strings attached.

The second road to follow is to contact the small publishing houses. Do not be afraid of the “subsidized” author label. For those of us in the publishing industry, this is simply a description of sharing costs for publication. Do your research carefully; there are a lot of charlatans out there, but this is a path to explore for new authors. Simply, in this case, the author pays a fee to the firm and profits are shared between author and publisher. There are many variations of these arrangements as there are colors of fur on cats. Still it is something to study. The key in this situation is to retain your rights. There must absolutely be a predetermined end, without notification, of any contract into which you enter. The author's sales will usually result in a better percent of return as the author has helped the publisher with up-front costs.

This is all entry-level advice. The greatest problem with mainstream publishers is they do not want to risk resources on unproven work. Using one of these techniques can get your work out there; think of it as market testing. If the work sells, you then have a wedge in the office door for bigger publishers.

In spite of our expectations the heart, mind and soul of a writer's work is diminished at the point of publication with the questions, “Will it sell? And will it sell a lot? And will we get a big profit?” This is all part of the game. It is not avoidable. Beat the game and consider alternatives to the process of publishing.