There are many choices when it comes to self-publishing a book. Using a vanity press allows the most author control. Here are three reasons authors should consider self-publishing a book with a vanity press.

1. Control of Distribution

A vanity press prints and binds a book for an author and sends copies of the book to the author. Some vanity presses offer direct mailing services to clients where copies of their book can be mailed to a list the author provides, often called direct mailing.

This means the author has complete control of where their books are sold. This is especially useful if the author creates the book as an exclusive item to sell with other services such as a workbook at a conference.

Limited distribution is also essential if the author intends their book for a small and specific audience, such as a family history book, classroom anthology, or a collection of sermons specifically made for parishioners of a specific church.

An author might also do a short-run book printing of exclusive books intended for collectors.

There are many reasons an author might want complete control over the distribution of their book and for that, a vanity press is the best self-publishing choice.

2. Content

Traditional publishers are highly selective about the books they publish. Many self-publishing services restrict content, particularly if they have direct contracts with distributors.

Vanity presses don’t control the content of the books they print. In fact, most vanity presses have software and automation in place that limits what employees can see of the book’s contents.

This is ideal for people printing sensitive content such as employee handbooks that include trade secrets.

Additionally, writers can print books expressing political or religious opinions that fall outside mainstream viewpoints.

3. Anonymity

Vanity presses have measures in place to protect an author’s identity. In addition, self-publishing services tied into distribution companies often require social security numbers and other sensitive information for tax purposes.

A vanity press sells a print version of a book to an author. They don’t keep sensitive personal information about the writers who self-publish using their services.

InstantPublisher is a vanity press that offers a variety of self-publishing services to clients. These services include interior book design, custom book covers, hardcover book printing, and digital printing services.

For more information visit our website or call customer service at 1-800-259-2592.

Scholars frequently read the musings and teachings of the founders of the early church as they tried to answer their parishioners’ questions according to biblical principles.

Paul’s letters are printed correspondence helping the followers of the newly organized church understand the teachings of Jesus.

Just as those letters helped early Christians understand the faith, sermon collections take the words of modern pastors and compile them in an easy-to-read format to help scholars and parishioners deepen their understanding of the Christian faith.

And now, Christian self-publishing is easier than ever before.

Here are 5 tips for creating a sermon collection:

1. Determine the Audience

Will the sermon collection be given to parishioners, or will it be a tool used to draw new members into the church? When compiling a sermon collection, it is vital to know who the audience is so the best sermons for that audience can be printed.

Should the book feature sermons by multiple pastors or just one? Is it intended for reading by one church, the churches within a particular denomination, or all followers of Christ?

If the audience is parishioners, the pastor should feel free to include sermons where they have shared personal stories without a preamble. Sermons that heavily reference one pastor’s life experiences may need some warm-up if they are placed in a book for those outside the pastor’s home church. For example, someone who is not a parishioner might not be aware of a pastor’s ill child or widowed sister. Similarly, if ideas or traditions mentioned in the sermons are specific to a few denominations more explanation may be needed if the intended audience includes many or all Christian denominations.

If the book is for parishioners only, then a short run book printing should be enough copies for distribution. However, if the collection is intended to bring new members to the church and more sheep to the Shepherd, then a wider distribution network, such as a digital version, should be considered.

2. Decide What Sermons to Include

Once the audience is determined, decide on a theme for the collection. This can be a topic, speaker, timeframe, or anything else that connects the collected sermons, and all the sermons included should relate to the theme, even if only loosely. Ideally, sermons should be of similar length though an occasional short sermon or longer one won’t bother readers.

Use caution when including sermons with extremely diverse tones. If the majority of the sermons are hopeful and inspiring, a deep and potentially saddening sermon may not be a good choice to include in the collection. A variety of tones is acceptable, but if one sermon is significantly different in tone than the rest, it may be better to include that sermon in a more tonally appropriate compilation.

3. Edit the Sermons

The sermons may need minor tweaks to make them easier for readers to understand. A professional editor can do this but it can also be done by parishioners with experience in editing, such as teachers. Readability is the most important element of a sermon collection.

It is best for sermons with complex topics to be given in the most straightforward language possible. If the original sermon has words that are not commonly used or strings of complex sentences, consider simplifying it for the readers.

4. Decide How the Book is Divided

A sermon collection should be organized and include an index that informs the reader of that organization. Organizing a sermon collection by topic is an easy default for readers. Other divisions can be done as long as it is logical for the reader to navigate.

An organized collection accounts for readers skipping around within the pages and assures that sermons that build on other sermons have appropriate links, such as a footnote indicating the page of another mentioned sermon.

5. Get Assistance

Christian self-publishing can feel like an overwhelming task the first time one does it Many elements can be involved such as interior book design, custom book covers, and perhaps custom illustrations. Decisions will need to be made about the page size, color, and binding options.

InstantPublisher can help with all aspects of self-publishing a book. Call us today at 1-800-259-2592 for personalized assistance.

It is an unfortunate fact that readers do judge a book by its cover. Having the right cover will catch the eye of potential buyers and make them check out what your book is about. Equally, having the wrong cover on a book can lose potential sales. There are a variety of choices in book covers for self-published authors and making the right choice can be the difference between success or failure.

What is a Premade Book Cover?

A premade book cover is a generic book cover sold by graphic designers to which the title and author name will be added. Typically, a designer will have a gallery of covers to select from. There will be tabs on the gallery page with pricing, customization offers, rights, and delivery information.

Pros:

• The author can see the cover before they buy it.
• The cover can be purchased immediately and is usually received within 48 hours.
• Cheaper than a custom book cover.
• Good at displaying the genre of the book.

Cons: 

• Not personalized for a specific book.
• The cover may not be a perfect fit for the book contents.
• Alterations to the cover can be costly.
• Premade covers may or may not be sold exclusively to one author. This means there is a risk of another book having an almost identical cover on the market depending on the terms of sale.

What is a Custom Book Cover?

A custom book cover is a cover that is ordered from a graphic designer personalized to the book. Typically, an author seeks out a graphic designer and explains what they are looking for. Designers can be found on freelance sites as well as online art platforms.

The designer gives the author a quote and draws up a contract that explains the fees, rights, revisions, and timeframe for delivery.

Pros:

• They are customized to individual book.
• Alterations are usually part of the purchase package.
• Authors are able to provide input about the cover at every step of the process.

Cons:

• Custom book covers often cost more.
• The author’s vision for the cover may not represent the genre of the book as well as a generic premade cover.
• Authors have to manage a relationship with the designer over the course of the project.
• Finding the right graphic designer can be tricky.
• It can take a long time for the cover to be made.
• The cover may not turn out how the author envisioned and, depending on the contract, the author may still owe the designer for their time.

Image Rights

The creator of an image owns the rights to its use so authors must be sure to get clarification on whether the cover can be used for promotional material and who holds the rights to the images. If the designer created the cover from scratch, such as an illustration, they typically own the rights to the image and may or may not be willing to sell the author those rights. If they do not sell the rights, they can use the image for other covers and the author’s usage of the image may have a limited scope.

Some designers buy the rights to use an image from a stock image company. The rights they buy may affect the author’s use of the image and may specify the number of physical copies of a book that can be printed or otherwise limit the way those images can be used.

Need a Cover?

InstantPublisher offers a variety of inexpensive premade book covers for self-publishing authors who use their print service. InstantPublisher can also work with the author to make a custom book cover to suit the needs of any book genre.

If you would like more information on InstantPublisher’s personalized book printing services call 1-800-259-2592, fill out our online contact form,  or email questions@instantpublisher.com.