This document provides an overview of the self-publishing process from writing a book to marketing and sales. It discusses the traditional publishing route involving agents and publishers versus self-publishing independently or with assistance. Self-publishing allows full creative control but involves significant upfront costs of $5,000-$30,000 for services like editing, design, and formatting. Working with a publisher like Complete Publishing provides distribution to retailers and libraries globally while paying the author higher royalties of 75% without risk of unsold returns. The secret to successful self-publishing is to leverage the expertise of publishers to produce professional books without the difficulties or expenses of doing everything independently.