There’s no doubt that e-publishing platforms like Amazon’s Kindle are changing the face of publishing – forever.

However, there are still many thousands of readers who prefer to read a paperback, rather than an e-book. (And there are more who like to download an e-book so they can get it instantly, then order the print version as well to keep on a bookshelf!)

Until relatively recently, self-publishing a print book could be a very expensive exercise. Authors had to pay a graphic designer to create a cover and lay out the book, then they had to add the cost of printing and shipping. Quite often, they had to agree to a print run of 500 or a thousand books.

Then came POD (Print on Demand) publishing, which was a huge move forward. Authors could order just a few books at a time, or simply leave it to the buyer to order a book at a time. However, self-publishing could still be expensive, because of design costs.

At last, Amazon CreateSpace has made self-publishing a print book simple – and inexpensive. Authors can make their book available to Amazon customers ‘on demand’ – and need pay only for a preview copy to ensure that everything is okay.

Even so, new authors still sometimes find it intimidating to embark on the self-publishing path with CreateSpace. That’s why the CreateSpace Publishing Kit came into being. You’ll find a PDF that walks you through the whole process of publishing with CreateSpace, as well as templates in Microsoft Word and Open Office that ensure your book is laid out properly. Finally, there is a checklist so you can be confident that you’ve left nothing out!

I’ve bought the resale rights to the CreateSpace Publishing Kit and, as I did with the Kindle Publishing Kit, I’m making it available for the duration of the 10 Week Writer’s Challenge for only $7.99. (But since I didn’t get around to putting it up until halfway through the last week, I’ll leave it there for four weeks after the Challenge finishes – that is, until July 14. Then it will go back to the recommended retail price of $17.00.)

Read more about the CreateSpace Publishing Kit here.