Old news department

• The Boston Globe discovers that people can self-publish their own books.

A decent overview of DIY publishing, albeit lacking info about the potential downside(s); this article at Writer's Digest is a much more thorough look at the pros and cons of the process.

Unlike vanity publishing, in which aspiring authors pay to have their books run on traditional presses, on-demand publishing doesn't have to cost writers a cent.

Publishers produce books only after they're ordered and paid for, which eliminates overruns and the need for warehousing. They charge for printing, or take a cut of sales, and they set up payment systems, online bookstores and Web marketing tools.

Some authors publish on-demand books in hopes of catching the eye of a major publisher. But not all writers who use on-demand publishers aspire to write the great American novel.