Lynn, try your local libraries too. My writing group has written and self published two anthologies recently. I am thinking I might do my book the same way. (after I finish is, that it )

Our first book, Still Waters involved 7 of us. The second one, Trail Blazers had 11 writers in it. Our teacher did the typesetting and I helped with tecnical pc stuff. We each chipped in for the cost of the printer. It cost us about $70 each for a book that was on decent quality paper, coffee table size, (1/2 sheet) spiral bound, (we couldn't afford book bound) color cover on good quality stock, about 100 pages. We only had 100 copies made. I sold 40 of them myself. We sold them locally for $10 each. It gave us the money for our second book, which is book bound. This time we printed 150 copies. The first book is long gone. We have a good local printer who does POD, so we can always get more if we want to.

I am thinking of doing my book the same way. I would probably have to spend 6-8 hundred dollars to have it printed and I would have to do my own marketing. But, if I decide to just do this locally, it might be the right choice for me. I have the computer skills to do it. It's the time. But I'm considering different options. My goal is to finish Carousel Kisses in 2005 and get it out there one way or the other. I have more than half of it done. It will be all stories, essays and poems about growing up a boomer. I can do my own bookmarks, magnets, etc.

We have gone to local libraries and had nights to promote the books. In my personal opinion, that didn't go well. But it gets us out there. The paper I write for is doing a story on us in January. That will help.

Thanks for the info. As for marketing your book, WORD OF MOUTH works wonders. Talk it up with everyone you know. Use your bookmarks, business cards, etc. Try getting a story in your local paper, check out libraries and senior centers.

Louisa