CreateSpace Self Publishing

CreateSpace is the free self publishing option provided by Amazon.com. They have a very simple, free system that lets you create books, CDs and DVDs. They even will assign an ISBN to your book if you don't have one! While this is great if you intend to solely publish your book through Amazon, I would still recommend getting the ISBN on your own - in your own name - if you have grander plans. It's just safer that way, to have it registered in your own name.

You begin by creating an account. This is very straightforward. Then you click to say you want to make a book. Compared with the other self publishing systems, the menus are not laid out well here and are very strict. You have to go right in order and don't know "what is coming up". Ironically, I discovered while working on my book that they do "restart you" where you left off if you stop halfway through. I found this out because it timed out my account while I was uploading my files - and made me start again with the upload process.

You are required to enter values - like page counts - which they say can never be changed. What if you get your proof and decide the font is too small, and that you have to redo it with a larger font and therefore have more pages? It seems very restrictively to me.

They also don't have standard "small paperback" book sizes, so I had to go with the closest option - 5.25" x 8". This is larger than I wanted for my book. It did have the benefit of reducing my page count to only 186 pages. A book that began at 462 pages in "normal paperback" dropped to only 300 pages when I used this size. That saves some money - but it makes the book seem "slimmer and less well developed" too. Read my page on Choosing your Book Size to learn the issues involved.

CreateSpace Self Publishing
Loading Up the CreateSpace Book
Trying to Make a CreateSpace Cover
CreateSpace Book Photos
Timing of CreateSpace Process
Problems and Issues with CreateSpace

Getting Your Book Published
Writing Tips and Online Books

Online Literary Magazines

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