Aspiring authors have a wide variety of ways to get their work into print. Here’s a quick overview.

1) If you think you’ve got a unique story with a saleable hook, you could try to find a traditional publisher such as Simon & Shuster or Knopf. Be warned... this is a difficult and time-consuming process, not for the faint of heart. Each year publishers receive thousands of polished, professional manuscripts and book proposals from highly-credentialed authors. Only a small fraction are accepted.

To get a sense of what's involved, read author Tara K. Harper’s "The 39 Steps to Getting Published.” Better yet, read some books on the process. Two good ones are Putting Your Passion into Print by Arielle Eksut and How to Get Happily Published by Judith Applebaum

2) Consider a print on demand service such as iUniverse or Cafepress. The fee involved is modest and, if you like, your book will be available for sale online through Amazon and Chapters. Unlike old-style vanity publishing, the books are only printed when someone orders a copy, so you don't end up with boxes of them in your basement. Very eco-friendly! For a comparison of the various POD services available, click here

3) If you just need a few copies of your story for family and friends, consider using a local desktop publisher or a publisher that specializes in family histories. Costs for this vary widely, depending how elaborate you want your book to be. Heirloom style books with gorgeous covers and archival paper can cost hundreds of dollars per copy, while simpler books cost as little as fifty dollars a copy.

4) If the format of your story matters less than just sharing it with friends and family, consider creating a blog using a free provider such as Moveable Type. This allows everyone to read your story for free; it also lets people to comment on the stories, perhaps adding other memories. Blogs also allow you to add photos and even audio and video clips.

For more information on how to get your stories into print, contact book developer and ghostwriter Tracy Urban at StoryHeart for a free consultation.