Resources | Self-Publishing Review

Getting a Book Published – How to Self-Publish Using Print-on-Demand (POD)

As a writing coach at AuthorAssist, often I am asked about the final stages of getting a manuscript published. What are the steps and how long does it take to self-publish a book using print on demand (POD)? The short answer: There are five basic tasks involved and if you push it, you can complete the process in 5-6 weeks. Here are the minimum steps for getting your material transformed from a manuscript to a finished book using print on demand (POD), once you have your final draft.

Proofreading (2-4 weeks) It’s assumed that you have your final draft. Your […]

Patricia Benesh2011-10-08T17:15:58+02:00October 26th, 2010|Categories: Resources|

SEO Book Marketing: Directory Submissions

In a recent interview on Smashwords Books Reviewed, I said this:

I actually spent $70 on an SEO link-building service recently – submitting my site to directories with different keyword phrases. It actually worked, because now my novel comes up in the top results for “UFO fiction,” “World War III fiction” and others. That SEO has way more value than paying for an ad on some website.

It’s true, and I thought I’d fill in the details about how this was done, and how SEO is important for book marketing.

If you take a look at the keyphrases, I’m […]

Henry Baum2011-10-08T17:16:40+02:00October 25th, 2010|Categories: Resources|

Traditional Publishing Versus Self-Publishing – 7 Critical Points to Consider

As a writer, you probably are confused as to whether to try to get your book published traditionally by a commercial publisher or to self-publish. As a personal writing coach at AuthorAssist.com, I get the traditional publishing versus self-publishing question frequently. To make your decision a bit easier, consider your goals and expectations-and the following seven points.

Acceptance
A large commercial publisher will not consider a manuscript unless it is represented by a literary agent. While some small independent presses do accept “unagented” manuscripts, that door is closing fast since the number of independent presses has shrunk by 50 percent […]

Patricia Benesh2011-10-08T17:05:08+02:00October 15th, 2010|Categories: Member Blog, Resources|

Getting A Book Published—The Most Important Question to Ask Yourself Before You Make Publishing Decisions

The Dilemma

As a writer, you are confronted with a dizzying array of publishing and self-publishing alternatives, including: commercial houses; specialty/independent houses; print-on-demand (POD) companies; and e-book companies. Many firms offer a mind-boggling variety of packages for pre-publishing, marketing, and distribution, with prices from almost free to $11,000+. Your royalties will depend on the price of your book minus the preparation, publishing, distribution, and other fees. The number of options is enough to make your head spin. How do you make sense of it all?

As a writing coach at AuthorAssist, I often get this question from perplexed writers. […]

Patricia Benesh2011-10-08T17:06:24+02:00October 12th, 2010|Categories: Member Blog, Resources|

Ebook Opportunities

I’ve wanted for some time to report my experiences with pretty much every serious player in the ebook sales arena, but I’ve held off to see if B&N’s PubIt program ever went live. It has, I’ve uploaded 42 titles, and I’m ready to go.

KINDLE: This is the daddy of the ebook opportunities. I don’t think I need to say much, but I want to acknowledge that it remains the, by far, top earner for everyone I know who sells ebooks. Amazon reacts to market pressures and publisher input, and they have, so far, the largest installed customer base (which […]

Eric Hammel2011-10-08T17:07:20+02:00October 12th, 2010|Categories: Resources|

Social Media Won’t Sell Your Books

Many social media gurus will tell you a Twitter feed can cure cancer. Maybe I’m uninformed and this is true – I can’t be sure.

One thing I do know is that social media sites were not created to sell books simply via their existence. This originally started out as a post focused on video, but I bloated it out to social media in general, because it really has to tie together in a nice big bow.

I’m going to lay out a bit of my thinking and rationale about this topic with regard to indie writers using these channels […]

Brian Spaeth2011-10-08T17:10:03+02:00October 4th, 2010|Categories: Lead Story, Resources|

New Kindle Plugin for Adobe InDesign

Amazon has released a new plugin for Adobe’s InDesign making importing high-quality Kindle files much easier. Via EbookNewser:

The new plugin tool will let publishers convert Adobe InDesign files directly into Kindle books. Designers and publishers can take existing print-ready files and create Kindle books using the tool.

The eBook version will maintain the font styling, text alignment and paragraph alignment of a print book’s design. In addition, designers can use the tool to add links within the book.

Adobe InDesign already has the ability to export for ePub. See How to guides here. There were complaints about […]

Henry Baum2011-10-08T17:10:19+02:00October 4th, 2010|Categories: Resources|

Want Reader Feedback? Page99.com

I often speak of my book buying habits here on the site, specifically when they pertain to whether or not I accept or decline a book for review. I am not a first page “hook” kind of person. The first page, to me, is the most overly orchestrated page in a book these days and is not generally representative of the overall quality of a book, so when I am sampling, I skip the first page; hell, I skip the first chapter. What I want is a random sampling of the writing. I don’t want plot; I don’t want to […]

Cheryl Anne Gardner2020-02-21T03:58:46+02:00September 28th, 2010|Categories: Resources|Tags: Book Marketing Advice and Tips|