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June 24, 2010

Marketing: 9 Ways To Market Your Book [Self-Publishing Basics]

Note: For an updated version of the information below, download Self-Publishing Basic Training for FREE (you’ll also get some nifty extras)!

Photo: Robert Scoble | Flickr

Ahhhhhhhh. Breathe a sigh of relief.

You’ve planned, written, edited, designed and made decision after decision and now, finally, your book is available for purchase.

Prop your feet up and relax — all the hard work is over…right? Right?

WRONG.

Your work is just beginning.

Now that your book is out, it’s time to sell some (okay, hopefully, MANY) copies. This is the longest (and most arduous) part of the self-publishing process. It’s hard. You’ll want to give up; throw in the towel; say that self-publishing was a horrible idea — DON’T do it!

It’s hard work, to be sure, but it’s also a total blast — after all, you’re finally getting to experience the moment many authors deram of: to see readers pick up and purchase copies of their book. This is where you gain lifetime fans and readers. This is where it all comes together!

After all, marketing isn’t about the traditional book tour anymore (thanks to Nicole at It’s All About Writing):

Luckily for us, those days are (mostly) over. It’s 2010, and there are more ways than ever to market your book. Whether you’re an introvert, extrovert, traditional or a little wacky there’s a method of marketing that’s right for you (and your book). Check out these nine ideas for starters:Continue Reading

Filed Under: Marketing & Promotion, Publishing Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
June 23, 2010

Design: 7 Things To Know About Book Design [Self-Publishing Basics]

Note: For an updated version of the information below, download Self-Publishing Basic Training for FREE (you’ll also get some nifty extras)!

Photo: iboy_daniel | Flickr

Well recruits, our series on Self-Publishing Basics is beginning to wrap up! We hope you all have gotten as much out of reading it as we have writing it — it has been a wonderful way to organize what can be a jumbled, confusing process. For a recap, check out the previous posts on Pre-Planning, Writing, Editing, Reasons & Tips and Details.

Riddle time! What’s the first thing readers will (or won’t, if it’s done correctly) notice about your book? Hint: it’s also the first way it will be “tested” for self-publishing stigma.

The answer is design. Kinda obvious since it’s the title of the post, huh?

As seemingly everything involved in self-publishing, design can be complicated. Some authors spend too much time here, while others don’t spend enough — the ideal is that perfect middle ground of a great-looking book that doesn’t cost you a fortune or take months to complete. To that end, we now present our list of things you should know about book design:Continue Reading

Filed Under: Book Design, Publishing Tagged With: , , , , , ,
June 22, 2010

Decisions, Part III: 6 Details to Consider When Self-Publishing [Self-Publishing Basics]

Note: For an updated version of the information below, download Self-Publishing Basic Training for FREE (you’ll also get some nifty extras)!

Grab your PT gear and head out to the parade deck, troops!  It’s time for another installment in our two week series on Self-Publishing Basic Training!

Before we jump into today’s post on the six details to consider when self-publishing, let’s quickly recap the steps in the self-publishing process we’ve covered so far: Decisions Part I:  Pre-Planning,  The Do’s and Do Not’s of the Writing Process, Editing is Not for Sissies and Decisions Part II: Big Choices [Self-Publishing Reasons and Tips]. There are so many things to consider when choosing a self-publisher that we decided to divide up our advice on choosing a self-publisher into two posts with three different lists. Yesterday we touched on the 4 Reasons to Self-Publish and 5 Tips for Comparing Self-Publishers. Today we’re going to continue the count up with the…

6 Details to Consider When Self-Publishing

  1. photo by sidneyfair

    ISBN: Every version of every title has to have its own unique ISBN and barcode. If you have a hardback, paperback and eBook version of your title, you MUST have three different ISBNs. This thirteen digit number identifies your product in every book market from brick and mortar stores to online vendors. When you self-publish, make sure you know who your ISBN is registered to—you or the company you’re publishing with. Most large self-publishing houses offer both options for different prices. (What is an ISBN? Where can I find one?)

  2. Distribution: How is the self-publisher going to make your books available for sale? There are several different distribution services for books, but the largest two are: Baker and Taylor and Ingram. You want to make sure that your services with a self-publisher include distribution, otherwise there’s no point. You’ve got to get your book out there in the market!Continue Reading
Filed Under: Publishing Tagged With:
June 21, 2010

Decisions Part II: Big Choices [Self-Publishing Basic Training]

Note: For an updated version of the information below, download Self-Publishing Basic Training for FREE (you’ll also get some nifty extras)!

We’re a week into our series on Self-Publishing Basic Training and if you’re following along at home, that means we’ve reached the point where your book is planned, written, edited and ready to go.

So…now what?

Well, now we’re going to count up reasons, tips and details to consider when you decide how you want to go about publishing your book: self-publishing or traditional publishing.

REASONS

photo by koalazymonkey

As we discussed in our first post of the series, we understand that most writers start the process with the intention of going the traditional publishing route. It is the established path to success for most authors, but it’s not the only way to do things.

 

4 Reasons to Self-Publish

  1. Your target market is too small for traditional publishing. Sometimes you can have a great, well written book with a specific target market, but that market is too small for a traditional publisher (even a small one) to make an investment. Whether your book is fan fiction or a very specialized research text, if you have a well planned marketing plan and money for the upfront costs, self-publishing is a way for you to reach your customer market and still achieve success without the backing of a traditional publisher.
  2. You want to build your fan base and earn some money while waiting for a traditional publishing opportunity. Literary agents and traditional publishers want to see that an author has a group of established followers to bring to the table before they commit to an investment. A great way to build up this following is through self-publishing. Release a first edition of your book and market yourself online to generate a fan following who can help you make a convincing argument to an agent or publisher that you’ve got what it takes to succeed.Continue Reading
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June 17, 2010

Editing: It’s not for sissies. [Self-Publishing Basics]

Note: For an updated version of the information below, download Self-Publishing Basic Training for FREE (you’ll also get some nifty extras)!

photo by tvindy

Stop biting your nails and looking fretfully over your shoulder, it will be okay! I promise!

I know that to many authors (myself included) the editing step of the publishing process can seem both terrifying and intimidating. Along our path to success, this is the first step when we start to seriously consider retreat as a viable option.

It’s not.

So far in our two week-long series of Self Publishing Basic Training we’ve covered the initial pre-writing planning and decision stage and the writing process itself, which brings us to the dark and tumultuous world of editing. This is the part where you have to take the piece of word art you’ve poured yourself into for months (or in many cases, years) and do the absolutely unthinkable: Let someone else read it.

Wait! Don’t head for the hills just yet! They say that the joy of love is only so great because we take the ultimate risk to find it, putting ourselves out there and taking the chance of getting hurt. This is no different. Your success will mean even more because you know how easily it could have been crushed into the ground.Continue Reading

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