Self-Publishing your own book.

**Lionelgee** · 4th December 2025, 05:04 PM

Hello All,

Does anyone here have experience in self-publishing a book that you have written? Did you print out a batch via a local printer? Or did you go to an online publisher such as Amazon, Barnes and Nobel ... ?

How did you find the experience? Would you do it again? What things did you learn from your experiences if you were interested in releasing another book?

I am reading a book that I saw being promoted on another forum. The book looked interesting. I ordered the book from Amazon as the recommended supplier. After reading the book for a while I got curious about who had published the book. These details are usually located somewhere within the front two or so pages of most books. After a search, I found printed on one of the last pages of the book "Manufactured by Amazon.com.au Sydney, New South Wales, Australia." The fact that the book was 'manufactured' and not 'printed by ...' was interesting. So, I did an online search and found out that the book was "Printed on Demand" by Amazon. I found a YouTube clip that featured a tour of one of Amazon's USA printers.

I have since been watching more YouTube clips about self publishing via online 'manufacturers'. It would be good to know about other people's experiences with this form of publishing.

Kind regards
Lionel

**RANDLOVER** · 4th December 2025, 06:35 PM

For a long time I've thought of writing a book about my work experiences, but I'd have to publish it as a fiction work as no one's going to believe the things really happened.

**JDNSW** · 4th December 2025, 06:55 PM

My brother has just published a book he has written using a "print on demand" publisher (Lulu). He has previously had at least one other book printed but not published by the same outfit, and in addition has had a book published by a learned society.

Having watched his efforts (and done a lot of editing for him) it seems to me that a large part of doing this successfully is to learn to create a print ready file, and to gain at least some insight into how publishing and bookselling and printing works. I think he got a lot of the necessary skills from from being on at least one online writer's forum, and probably also helped by fifty years experience in writing and publishing professional papers.
(I spent six years as editor of a professional refereed journal, which is where I gained some skill as an editor.)

**V8Ian** · 4th December 2025, 10:06 PM

Originally Posted by RANDLOVER

For a long time I've thought of writing a book about my work experiences, but I'd have to publish it as a fiction work as no one's going to believe the things really happened.

Before publishing a book on my work, I have to research statutes of limitations.

**Tins** · 5th December 2025, 05:57 AM

Have to say, I'm not sure how you would "Self Publish" someone else's book.

**Lionelgee** · 6th December 2025, 10:05 PM

Hello Tins,

I could be acting as an intermediary for someone else. I could be assisting them to get their book published because they are not confident in organising the project themselves.

Or perhaps I just fell back on an earlier time when 'self-publishing' was the established term well before flash new ones such as 'on demand printing' came along. Also, how books were always previously printed not 'manufactured'. Hmmm - perhaps I am showing my age too!

Kind regards
Lionel

**JDNSW** · 7th December 2025, 05:51 AM

"self-publishing" and "on demand printing" are not interchangeable, and on demand printing can be used for traditionally published books and for numerous other types of printed materials.

What has changed is that machines now exist that can take a properly formatted file and produce a printed and bound book without human intervention. These can be used by a traditional printer, but other developments such as Amazon's distribution network to make it easy for a company to publish and print and distribute books economically, without committing to a specific number of copies.

**RANDLOVER** · 7th December 2025, 09:17 AM

You'll know you've got your book right, when it is republished nearly a hundred years later like my grandfather's.

**Lionelgee** · 7th December 2025, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by JDNSW

"self-publishing" and "on demand printing" are not interchangeable, and on demand printing can be used for traditionally published books and for numerous other types of printed materials.

What has changed is that machines now exist that can take a properly formatted file and produce a printed and bound book without human intervention. These can be used by a traditional printer, but other developments such as Amazon's distribution network to make it easy for a company to publish and print and distribute books economically, without committing to a specific number of copies.

Hello John,

I stand fully corrected!

I previously associated self publishing with people from my youth, who paid local printers to print off a batch of books. Then you would see the authors at community market stalls and car boot sales attempting to sell their books. Subsequently, I never associated 'self-publishing' with high degrees of quality and success. Or it was organisations such as the Goulburn and District Historical Society getting batches of books they could sell at their information centre.

After reading the book by two professors, and then watching the YouTube clip about print on demand - my former view of self-publishing has become more positive. I have started to do more research about it. I suppose ignorance is not characterised as a positive virtue for a reason.

Kind regards
Lionel

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