As an author, you may have attempted to deal with New York publishers and found them unresponsive. You may also have considered signing a contract with a so-called "vanity press." (The editor of The Writer refuses to accept ads from vanity publishers because they "don't feel there is a way to protect writers from the shoddy practices that go on.") Independent publishing offers an intriguing alternative.

Mark Twain, Zane Grey, Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, Walt Whitman, Fannie Farmer, George Bernard Shaw, Virginia Woolf, Dorothy Bryant, and many other authors have published their own works. Many independent publishers started out as self-publishers, then acquired worthwhile manuscripts from other writers. Unlike royalty or "vanity" publishing, independent publishing offers total control over the publishing process, timely and cost-effective delivery, personal satisfaction, and the potential for enormous profits!

Cypress House offers a variety of sensible, professional, and cost-effective services: evaluation, editing, page and cover design, typesetting, printing, marketing, and sales promotion.

If you think self-publishing is complex, expensive, or unprofitable, consider the following case studies, each representing a slightly different approach to independent publishing. Which approach best suits your interests and goals?