It costs as little as $500 to have a book self-published. But what to do with the books after they’re printed? “Publicity is almost nonexistent. The publishers don’t run advertising campaigns or have marketing teams devoted to new titles, and they have little luck getting their books reviewed in newspapers and magazines. And forget major booksellers. When they get their titles from traditional publishing houses, they can return those that don’t sell and pay for only those that do. Most print-on-demand publishers don’t allow returns. As a result, stores refuse to take their books.”