Advertising. The Post Office won't let you send a book with advertising in it at the low-cost book rate, but otherwise there are few restrictions for advertising in your book. The key to attracting advertising is to have an excellent distribution plan. If you can guarantee delivery to several thousand homes or businesses or targeted individuals, you can probably persuade businesses to buy space in an advertising section in the back of your book. Or you could publish a book that is primarily advertising and information for a specific trade group or market. Selling advertising is tough, but the beauty is that your book is paid for before it's printed.

Non-paying sponsor. Even an organization that can't afford to pay you a dime (or is unable to do so for legal reasons) can be an enormous help to you in selling your book. With proper endorsements and support of a great cause, your book can ride the coattails of a solid organization and sell far more copies than you could if you tried to do it all yourself.

Loans. You really want to borrow money? My suggestion is that you expand the boundaries of your publishing project to a full-phased business. Money lenders are leery about financing an author's book, but if your book is related to services or products that have a demonstratable market, you can establish a business entity and seek financing for it. Your book would be part of your business's activities, but not the driving force.

Sell your book in advance. This is a true story. An author who had just completed his first novel called me to make arrangements for publishing his book. When we got down to the cost details, he assured me that the price was no problem, because the book was already paid for!

This enterprising author has many friends in the town that provides the setting for his story. He went to his friends and, in exchange for $200 paid in advance, offered a place for their name to be printed in the book and the promise of two autographed copies of the book when they were printed and delivered. He sold enough sponsorships to pay for 3,000 books without using any of his own funds.

Other sources. Your father-in-law, your life savings, and proceeds from the sale of that sailboat you don't take out on the lake any more are all possible sources of capital for your book. Just be careful. It is money.