Getting published now easier, and cheaper, than ever
By Amy Brown-Bowers • Bankrate.com

Bert Zwiers retired because of disability at age 43. Facing long days and decreasing mobility, he needed something to do, so he started to write. Not only was it satisfying and entertaining, he was really good at it. While trying to get his work published, he faced a number of outright rejections or offers so financially one-sided that they might as well have been rejections.

Then, five years ago, he discovered InstaBook, a print-on-demand self-publishing company that charges a few hundred dollars to transform a manuscript into a beautifully bound book.

"For amateurs like me, this is the only way to go," says Zwiers, who has self-published six novels and sold about $20,000 worth of books. "We have things to say. Things to write."

It is almost impossible to have a book picked up by a large publishing house in Canada. And so there are thousands of people carrying great stories inside, searching for a way to tell them. The rise of self-publishing companies is filling this need. With minimal financial risk, companies like InstaBook in Stoney Creek, Ont., and Trafford Publishing in Victoria, give both amateur and professional writers the chance to publish and sell or simply publish their work.

"Trafford is sort of the long version of YouTube," says Annette Humphries of Trafford Publishing. "While YouTube allows creative people to be creative two minutes at a time, Trafford allows the same 200 pages at a time."

How it works
The process is deceptively simple. At Trafford, writers send an edited and print-ready manuscript plus any illustrations to the company by way of courier or e-mail. Within four weeks, Trafford sends writers back a review copy of their book. Once the writer signs off on the book, 40 copies are printed and sent to the writer along with bookmarks, posters and announcement cards, all for a little less than $2,000. The book also becomes available immediately for sale at the company's online bookstore, which currently lists about 14,000 titles.

People can order books from Trafford's site or from Amazon.com. Once an order is placed and payment goes through, the company prints and ships the book to the buyer, often within 24 hours. Royalties are collected by Trafford and mailed to writers on a monthly basis.

Writers can also order copies of their books at cost to sell. There is no minimum number of books per print order.

Who is doing it?
The demographics range from "one end of the spectrum to the other," Humphries says, with people self-publishing everything from memoirs, cookbooks and business strategies to self-help books and novels. "We do a lot of work with individuals who want to put down their family history," says Dave DiMarcantonio, president of InstaBook.

Some people publish simply for the thrill and satisfaction of having their story in print and may only print a few of copies for family and friends.

It's often "people who simply have been walking around with a story to tell," Humphries says. "It can be very cathartic for people. I've had people say 'publishing this book has been a whole lot less expensive than going to counseling and it's done more for me.' "