Publishing for the people: Bloomington is home to the no. 1 company in self-publishing.

"SOME PEOPLE WANT TO run a marathon, some people want to climb a mountain. Some people have on their to-do list to write a book," says Keith Ogorek, director of marketing for Author Solutions in Bloomington.

And why shouldn't people write a book if they feel like it? Why should it be anyone else's decision--like some snooty book editor in New York? These days, it's better to call someone in Bloomington, which has quickly become a book publishing capital all its own, thanks to Author Solutions.

It's not hyperbole to say that Bloomington is the capital of self-publishing. It already was in March, when it was the headquarters of AuthorHouse, the Author Solutions company that's No. 1 in the business. And it's even more so now, following the April 1 move to Bloomington of iUniverse, the formerly Nebraska-based No. 2 in the industry, acquired by Author Solutions last September. There's also Wordclay, the new Author House concept, an online do-it-yourself book creation concept rolled out in January "As a company, Author House will publish about one of every 17 titles in the United States this coming year," Ogorek says. That's about 20,000 titles.

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It's been a remarkably quick rise to such prominence in book publishing. It was only 1997 when this story began, when a little Bloomington company called 1stBooks opened its doors, looking to help first-time authors having a hard time breaking into traditional publishing. It didn't take long for the word to spread, not just to beginning authors but to established writers looking for a better deal.

In 2004, 1stBooks changed its name to AuthorHouse to better reflect its services and clientele. Ogorek lists some of the types of people who use the company's services. There are those "who want to publish because they have something to say that can help people," he says. There are those who have a story to tell, either fiction or nonfiction. "Another category is people who have either tried traditional publishers and found that market is closed, or they have a title that traditional publishers have taken out of print." And, of course, there are those who have a lifetime goal of writing a book.

What makes it all possible it print-on-demand technology, which allows the company to print books in quantities as small as one. That's one book, not one thousand. Author Solutions' companies provide as much or as little help as aspiring authors need. Those whose manuscript is already edited can have a book designed and ready to print for as little as $500, though Ogorek says a typical author will spend $1,000 or $1,200, opting for additional editing and design services. Once the book is created, it's ready to sell. It'll be marketed on the company's Web site, and also will be available through such prominent online sellers as Amazon.

Once an order is placed, the book is printed and shipped. Many authors will order a quantity of their own, which they take with them on the lecture circuit or to book signings or other events. And it's the author who sets the price--anything above the company's fee for printing the book is the author's to keep. The way the business model works, Author Solutions wins no matter how many or how few books actually sell, because it has already recouped its relatively small design expenses on the front end. Of course, it's in the company's best interest to help the book sell as well as possible, but it's not mandatory

Bloomington has been a great place for this kind of company to call home, Ogorek says. "Indiana and Bloomington produce an unusual amount of creative talent," he points out.

It therefore made sense to move iUniverse to Bloomington this month, adds Author Solutions CEO Kevin Weiss. "Moving iUniverse's operations to Indiana will allow us to offer an increased range of services to our authors and make book production a more efficient process."