About CreateBooks
How is CreateBooks different from traditional publishers?
What kinds of books does CreateBooks print?
Publishing for Authors

What are the advantages of self-publishing?
Self-publishing can be an exciting, frustrating, confusing and rewarding experience. So why self-publish? Well, unlike traditional publishing, self-publishing allows authors full creative control over their manuscript. At CreateBooks, you have control over the cover, content, layout, illustrations and price of your book. As well, you retain the rights to your work and keep the profit from each book sold. You can print as few or as many books as you require, and you control the marketing and sales of your book.

What is print-on-demand (POD) publishing?
POD is an economical method of printing books in small batches. Authors and publishers can now publish as many or as few books as they require without paying for warehousing thousands of copies. Authors can synchronize publishing and printing with demand.

How can I distribute my book?
Conventional book distribution fees are high with costs typically in the range of 50% of the cover price. Authors are often left with 25% or less of the cover price after other costs, (including retailers' margin, marketing and promotion, for example). Most distributors are looking for 'front list' titles that publishers promote to broad markets and sell in large numbers.

However, there are a growing number of 'Indie' distributors that specialize in distributing self-published and independent press titles. Further reading about self-publishing and distribution in smaller markets is in the Marketing and Distribution section. If you’d prefer to go it alone, you can apply directly to Amazon.com, Alibris, or Barnes and Noble. Indigo.ca will not accept self-published books without a distributor or wholesaler.

Hiring a distributor may make it easier to get your books into bookstores or other outlets. Get advice about finding a distributor or selling online in the CreateBooks Marketing and Distribution section.

The best thing to do is start early. Think about your target audience and the type of book you have before your book is printed. Is it a local history, fiction, fitness, business strategy or cookbook? Who buys this type of book and where? Next, contact different book distributors. Be prepared to discuss the type of book you have written and who you think will buy it. You may have to try a few distributors before you settle on one that’s right for you. You can find a list of Canadian book distributors from the Association of Canadian Publishers. For American book distributors, check out the Literary Market Place. You’ll need to subscribe first.

How can I market my book?
Press releases, speaking engagements, advertising, direct mail, book reviews, online bookstores, book signings, catalogues, directories. There are as many different ways to market your book as there are books. The key is to understand just who your audience is and make sure they know about your book. Finally, it's crucial that your book is readily available and easy to purchase.

Consider CreateBooks marketing support materials as a good way to promote your book personally. These kits include useful posters, bookmarks, postcards, business cards, and book covers. CreateBooks can even supply large posters and banners for special events. Ask your publishing assistant for details. Visit our marketing and distribution pages for ideas about promoting your book and organizing the marketing effort.

How is CreateBooks different from traditional publishers? CreateBooks helps you reach buyers on the web by making your book searchable on search engines. You can reach a large audience at minimal cost and handle sales and fulfillment with popular on-line booksellers. Amazon, Alibris, and Barnes & Noble are among the most successful online outlets in North America.

CreateBooks gives you complete control over your masterpiece. You determine the content, layout, cover design, marketing and sales. You can print as many or as few copies as you wish and... you receive ALL the proceeds of the sale of your books. Most importantly, you retain ownership, right of resale, and keep ALL the rights to your intellectual property.

Traditional publishers won't often take chance on emerging authors because of a predisposition to print and mass-market large quantities of books, (1,000s or 10,000s copies). They control the layout, design and marketing, control the rights to your book and give you a paltry royalty for each copy sold. CreateBooks provides new authors or more modest projects with a self-publishing alternative. We deliver the same professionally produced books in more manageable quantities. First printings are typically measured in hundreds.

What kinds of books does CreateBooks publish?
We publish all types of books, including autobiographies, fiction and local-history archives. However, CreateBooks reserves the right to reject any manuscript we feel is inappropriate for us to publish.