Mark Twain, Zane Grey, Upton Sinclair, Carl Sandburg, Edgar Rice Burroughs, George Bernard Shaw, Edgar Allen Poe, Rudyard Kipling, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, Robert Ringer, and Spencer Johnson? Do you know what these writers have in common? That’s right, all of them were self-publishers!

The simple truth is that self-publishing can be a smart choice for any writer:

"Self publishing has become a legitimate method of getting into print, as libraries and even bookstore super-chains are opening their shelves to the growing number of entrepreneurial writers."
– Newsday

Good reasons to self-publish

1. You will certainly avoid the heartache of literary agents' and publishers' rejections that may not reflect the inadequacy of your book, but rather their narrow guidelines, or luck of room for new clients.
2. You set the timetable. Big publishers will either rush and pressure you, or put your book on the back burner for months–maybe shelve it all together.... When you self-publish, your book will come out when you're ready!
3. Traditional publishers will only put a promotional push behind a book for a short time (perhaps three or four months). A self-published book can be aggressively marketed by its author for years on end.
4. You retain all creative rights, you control decisions regarding the editing, design, distribution, and promotion. (When working with a publisher, an author gives up a degree of editorial control, and sometimes has no input into the design of the book, its distribution, and its marketing.)
5. Control over your own retail price and royalty.
6. Many more books from self publishing companies are picked up by major publishers. In fact, according to The New York Times and Publishers Weekly, a self-published book is the newest and fastest way to pitch your manuscript to agents and publishers.

"We're always watching what's going on with self-publishers. We always ask our reps to keep their eyes open."
– Random House

"Every single publisher is on the lookout for self-publishers." – Simon & Schuster

"Now it's very frequent for mainstream houses to go prospecting among the self-published books to make them their own."  – The New York Times

How much does it cost to self-publish a children’s book?

We'll try to give you a general idea of what to expect financially. The list bellow reflects standard industry prices, so please check out our list of services and fees to see if we measure up. Since we don't have any overhead expenses, we adjusted our prices to pass the savings on to you.

Standard/average Children's Books Publishing industry charges:

– Reading & Critique fees (optional): minimum charge: $65-$550.00
– Editing - $45 - $695
– Layout - $250- $550
– Design & production: $350-$850
– Illustration - $1000 - $10,000 +
– Art Editing (optional) $300-$695
– Printing:
a. Offset printing

• Test - $25 - $175
• Second test $25 - $175
• 3000 Main print run - $3,874 (1000 copies - $2.75/book, 2000 copies - $1.65/book, 5000 copies - $1/book, 10,000 copies - $.65/book

b. Print on demand option (all color): $3.75–$5.50 per copy
– Book Promotion/Marketing - $150 - $4000
– Distribution - the huge range of distribution options does not allow us to speculate on costs.

A Word of Caution about Financial Returns:

No one can predict how a book will sell and, consequently, how much of your expenses you are likely to recover by self-publishing your work. Some authors have received much more than satisfactory returns. Others, however, did not find the market receptive and their financial rewards have been negligible. AbbraCaddabra's staff can help you narrow down your market by helping you clearly define your reader and your customer. This is just one way we help new and up-and-coming writers avoid the pitfalls, and take their books to a successful level. If financial gain is not your prime concern, self-publishing can be the right choice for you and you could very well be the next success story.

What can AbbraCaddabra do for you:

All information about publishers catering to self-publishing authors is readily available on the web, so you can do the research yourself. Most of these publishers have all the needed services to acquire your ISBN code, to print, market, and distribute your book, in various packages and for different budgets. Some are more reliable than others, some even promise to publish for free, some have better deals than others, etc... It may take you some time to get quotes and details, since you'll have to register on each site and wait to be contacted by their sales reps.

If you can't spare the time or you get easily frustrated with the sales pitches, we can do the looking for you. Once we know your publishing goals and budget, we can provide you with a list of the most reputable publishers that meet your criteria. All pricing and submission specifics will be listed, so you will be equipped with the necessary information to choose the right publisher for your book.

Please read the "looking for a publisher" section as well, so you can make an informed decision about which publishing option is best fitting your needs and the future of your book. Please go to Client's Service Request Form, to select the services you need. Questions? Please contact us.