So with all the composition happening...

[Spatula]

How do you actually publish your works?!

Do you get a copyright, then go to some book publisher and say, "hi, wanna make 500 copies of this book?"

You'd want to be modest and not print off 5000000000000 copies just incase no one wants to buy and try the new music?

[faulty_damper]

You might want to contact a publisher first.  They will take care of most everything.  And if they would accept it, then you may get published.  But it doesn't mean it will be bought up because who would buy classical music from someone named Spatula?  It sounds more like a punk band in the UK.

Or the other route if no publisher will buy your composition is to publish it yourself.  If sucessful, then you reap 100% of the profits.  This is how many small publishers and record labels start: because big houses think their works are not worth their brand name.

And I would really doubt that 5,000,000,000 copies would sell.  There are only so many people on this earth (6,000,000,000).

[Spatula]

You might want to contact a publisher first.  They will take care of most everything.  And if they would accept it, then you may get published.  But it doesn't mean it will be bought up because who would buy classical music from someone named Spatula?  It sounds more like a punk band in the UK.

Or the other route if no publisher will buy your composition is to publish it yourself.  If sucessful, then you reap 100% of the profits.  This is how many small publishers and record labels start: because big houses think their works are not worth their brand name.

And I would really doubt that 5,000,000,000 copies would sell.  There are only so many people on this earth (6,000,000,000).

Darn, maybe if I get the hottest women in the planet and start making babies...

anyways... I really only want maybe 100 copies made.  10 for me, and I'll give some away as gifts to piano-friends and my teacher.  And the rest I'll either donate or sell to libraries or whatever. 

Is an ISBN # required for it? 

[jlh]

Well if you're only thinking in terms of 100 copies, I'd publish it myself if I were you. 

[Spatula]

And how do you do that?  I don't have a print shop.

[faulty_damper]

You go to a print shop like Kinko's and they can have it printed and bound.

[Sketchee]

Cafepress.com lets you take a pdf of your work and they will print on demand as a book.  You can sell your sheet music that way.  There is no upfront cost, you don't have to even buy your own book (but you probably should to make sure it's being printed to your standards).  That's the cheapest way to do it.

You don't need an isbn this way but you can get one and list on amazon.com and have your book available as a special order in stores.

[Spatula]

Hmm how about the GOOD quality binding like the hard cover binding on text books or really good books.  I'm guessin that's gonna sky rocket the price to the thousands...even for say 100 copies.

[faulty_damper]

I watched Martha Stewart a couple of years ago and she showed me how to make your own hard-cover binding for a book.  It was pretty easy and you needed stiff board and you can use wallpaper for the cover over it.  And it looked pretty in the end.  Do a Stewart search and she'll show you how!