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When you take on self-publishing a work of your own, be wary of some of the reasons that traditional publishing looks down on self-published books. While some of the reasons do not hold up in the current marketplace with some of the best sellers coming from the self-publishing marketplace.

One of the biggest mistakes I see authors make is not spell checking their own work and not hiring their own editor. - Meg Meyer

When your own name goes on the work, and it is YOU self-publishing - regardless of what printing or publishing company you work with - You, Mr. or Ms. Author, are responsible for the quality of your work. If you spend $1000, to have your book in print, and it comes out with a typo, a wrong word, or formatting issues - it is likely your own fault and $1000 down the drain.

People work hard for their money. They don’t want to spend $10-$20 a pop for a shoddy product. You might get your friends and family and possibly a few others to buy a copy. But if the work is poor - you lose the possibility of turning those buyers into fans.

So in your budget for your writing business, be sure to include time and money to ensure your book is perfect prior to printing. Then you can turn each new reader into a fan for life.

While much of the country is in a recession, with the economy tanking, real estate foreclosures, and federal rate cuts - its going to be a hard year for many small businesses. Not to mention many American families.

And while my business on one hand IS feeling the pressure, a lot of my formerly flush clients just don’t have the money, yet still have the necessity for business coaching, freelance writing & business support services.

I’ve been tossing around the idea of going non profit, and maybe brick and mortar for some time. I’d still accept online and long distance clients however, but I feel that my expertise in running a business and managing people could actually help the economy.

I look at it like this… if I can create opportunities for others to make money in my organization, I’ll make money too. More success, more mouths fed, more people that can survive the economic hardships facing us this year.

I’ve been “tire kicking” - looking at online real estate sites and scouting some possible business buys. If I can get the funding for a whole building, that will be the way to go. If I cannot… places to lease.