I don't like to talk about my business too often, since I'm also the resident wearer of the mom-bun , but since I just relaunched my website and opened up my availability for March and April, I thought I'd update y'all.

As you may or may not know, I do book formatting (also known as "layout" or "design") professionally. I primarily work with KDP and other self-publishing platforms. I convert books for Kindle and design custom paperbacks. Because I'm also a self-published author, I aim to keep my prices reasonable (most projects are under $100), well under competitive rates. I also do not use any premade templates--every design is from-scratch--which is something a lot of other budget companies resort to.

https://elfinpen.wordpress.com/

All the other members already know this, but for any new recruits--always remember that you can contact me at any time about anything self-publishing related. Advice and recommendations are always free. So even if you don't need my services, please hit me up if you're getting ready to self-publish. I'm happy to help however I can!

Congratulations! AL's first book still needs a lot of work so I won't be ready for a while. Still, prices look good. Do you have any recommendations on LeanPub type options? Or does Amazon do Print on Demand?

Amazon definitely does POD, and it's usually the cheapest option for authors with small budgets. There are no upfront fees for Amazon, and you do not have to order any copies if you don't want to. Your book will be listed on Amazon.com/Kindle, and you don't have to handle any of the order fulfillment. They do also offer decently priced author copies, with no minimum order, so you can order boxes in bulk if you need them for events, etc.

The only limitation to Amazon.com is if you need to handle large orders, or you're doing a lot of wholesale. It isn't terrible, especially if you're not in a position to store copies and ship them yourself, but you won't make a ton if you're, say, selling boxes of 100 at 50% off list to a wholesaler and having Amazon print and ship those 100. (You won't be at a loss, but you'll probably only make $1/copy.)

Amazon is definitely where I'd start for a small author. You can always seek out another POD option later if you start handling more wholesale.

Well, can't say I see myself doing a lot of wholesale. If I buy 10 author copies for what few friends and family I have left the entire thing might sell 11 copies.

Needs research. Must wait; I keep letting myself get distracted from Tinny.

When I get to the point that I have something other than a poetry collection that I need to publish, I'll keep you in mind.

But (turning now to speak to the other readers of this thread ...) while I have some significant differences with Our Esteemed Leader in some matters (she advertises that she doesn't "use any ... automated programs," and that she provides a Microsoft Word file optimized for the Kindle importer, while for me a word processor is simply the wrong tool for the job of desktop publishing, and the beauty of the modern world is that I can find a program to automate my process and get things right every time, provided the settings are right, instead of having to lay things out by hand), I second her exhortation to ask questions (such as by posting a thread in The Forge or Village Lore). And if the services she offers fit your workflow (i.e. Microsoft Word is your primary tool), her work will most likely (going by her own books that I have read) be carefully and beautifully done, and her prices (while well above the level where my instinct, honed by years of minimal income, is to say "I'll do it myself") are probably the lowest you'll find.

(Finally, Aubrey ... I think I might have suggested this sometime before, but perhaps there should be a page or room somewhere in HW to be a directory of services members offer, books they have written that are available for purchase, etc., so that when someone is looking for a cover designer, or for a new book to read, there's one place to look.)

I'll be waiting, good sir.

There are some great automated programs out there, to be sure. But they only work if the source material is properly and consistently typed, which it rarely is. When I say that I don't use an automated program, I mean that I go through your document page by page, so if there's something amiss, I'll catch it. I also tailor each design to the content, instead of using a repeated template.

(You're right, we definitely should. I'll look into that next time I do a spring cleaning on the forum organization.)