Self publishing secrets

Self-Publishing Secrets
How to Quickly Write, Print & Sell Your Own Book,
Exposed!
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1   Getting Started – Know Your Genre 3
Chapter 2 Research Your Book 6
Chapter 3 Fiction or Non‐Fiction 10
Chapter 4 Completing the First Draft 13
Chapter 5 Rewrite 16
Chapter 6 Proofread Your Manuscript 19
Chapter 7 Searching for a Self‐Publisher on the Web 21
Chapter 8   Your Book Printing 23
Chapter 9 Editing in Self‐Publishing a Book 25
Chapter 10 You’ve got your Book Printed. What’s next? 27
Chapter 11   Online Marketing To Sell Your Book 30
Chapter 12   Do Off‐Lane Book Marketing to Sell   32

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Chapter 1 ‐ Getting Started ‐ Know Your Genre
If you have always dreamed of being a writer, you can live your dreams by writing your
own book and then self‐publishing.  Self‐publishing is the way that many writers today
are choosing to get their book out to the public.  Self‐publishing today is not the same as
it was years ago when you had to spend thousands of dollars to publish your book.
The first thing that you need to do is to know your genre.  The one rule of writing is that
you should write what you know.  If you have a specific genre that you read, chances are
that this is what you will want to write about.  Take a look at your interests and the type
of books that you read before you decide on your genre.  Your book should never be
just about making money ‐ it should be about something for which you have a passion.
There are many different genres available in both fiction and non‐fiction.  Before you
start your book, have a plan of what it will be about and the genre it will fill.
You need to have a specific genre when you are writing a book so that you will be able
to market it properly.  Some books will cross genre lines ‐ such as paranormal and
romance.  Some books will fit neatly into a specific genre.  It should be clear what the
book is about to the reader so that they will be interested in what you have written
enough to buy the book.  Most readers have types of books that they like to read and
tend to stick with one or two genres.
“Sit and quiet yourself. Luxuriate in a certain memory and the details will
come. Let the images flow. You’ll be amazed at what will come out on paper.
I’m still learning what it is about the past that I want to write. I don’t worry
about it. It will emerge. It will insist on being told.”
— Author Frank McCourt

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If you are writing a non‐fiction book, there are also genres.  You need to make your
book stand out among the rest in a way that will set it apart from other books of the
same genre.  If you are writing an Italian Cookbook, for example, how do you make it
stand out from the other Italian cookbooks that are on the market already?
Once you find your genre and know what you are writing about, you should start to
think of marketing your book.  Make it something that readers will choose when they
see it in bookstores or online.  This will set it apart from other books of its kind and
entice readers to buy it.  Many book authors are finding that they can make a career out
of self‐publishing their books and marketing them to the right audience.
After you have figured out what you are going to write about and what will make your
book stand out among others, you can then start to outline your book.  You should write
down a synopsis of the book and the point that you are trying to make.  Good books
carry a message; make sure that your book has a message to the readers that they can
take away from the book at the end.
While you may like free‐form writing, which is writing without doing any sort of outline,
you should still have an idea of the ending of the book in your head.  When you are
writing fiction, characters tend to come to life as you write.  Your ending may change as
you rewrite, it is important to be flexible.   The way that you write depends on the type
of person that you are.  If you prefer to have everything ironed out for your book, then
you should do an outline that will tell you where you are going.  This is like having a
roadmap on a car trip.
“Two questions form the foundation of all novels: ‘What if?’ and ‘What
next?’ (A third question, ‘What now?’, is one the author asks himself
every 10 minutes or so; but it’s more a cry than a question.) Every
novel begins with the speculative question, What if ‘X’ happened?
That’s how you start.”
          —Author Tom Clancy

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There are some people, however, who do not want to use a roadmap on a trip, and they
just want to go.  If this sounds like you, then just start writing and the ideas will start
flowing in you.  You can rework characters and plots as you move on in your book.
Everyone has a different style when it comes to writing books.  Over thinking the book
and too much planning can bog you down and keep you from writing.  Too little thought
can keep your book from reaching a conclusion.   It takes a lot of creativity as well as
some structure in order to write a successful book that people will want to read.
You should read books in the genre that you are interested in so that you get the feel for
this type of writing.  Reading is a good way to improve your writing skills.  Before you
start writing your book, read the genre that you like and have a good idea of what you
want to say in your book.
“There’s no mystique about the writing business, although many people
consider me blasphemous when I say that. … To create something you want to
sell, you first study and research the market, then you develop the product to
the best of your ability.”
— Author Clive Cussler

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Chapter 2 ‐ Research Your Book
In order to write your book, you are going to have to do some research.  Even if you are
writing an autobiography you still have to go back in your mind to research incidents
that happened and most likely look up dates and names.  You want to do research to
make your book seem more authentic and well written.  Nothing is worse than writing a
book where you get facts, dates and other information wrong.
Make a research on the different types of books that have been successful in the genre
that you have chosen for your book. When you are performing research, you can use
your local library as well as the internet.  If you are writing fiction, you will need to
research even more.  For example, if you are writing a murder mystery, you need to
know police procedures as well as how murderers are caught.  You can discover this
information through your research by taking a look at the books at the local library.
Some authors go as far to take a class in something that they want to learn about at a
community college so that they can be better prepared for their book.
You do not want to get bogged down with research, however.  Many writers enjoy
research so much that they neglect to write their book.  This is not what you want to do
‐ you want to research your book so that you have the right information, but not write a
thesis.  Too much research can stunt the creative flow of your book.  One way to
research what you are writing is to do the research after you have finished the first draft
of your book.  Or research as you are writing.  The internet makes it easier to do
research now more than ever.  You can get most of the information that you need to
research your book if you go online.
“I do a great deal of research. I don’t want anyone to say, ‘That could
not have happened.’ It may be fiction, but it has to be true.”
    —Author Jacquelyn Mitchard

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It is a good idea to research the characters in your book, even if they are fictional.
Discover some information about personality traits of people.  A good writer is very
much in tune with psychology and the way that people think.  In fact, if you want to get
in touch with the characters that you create, you can do so by learning a bit of
psychology.  Creative writers are often advised to take this class so that they can get in
touch with the way that people think and react to certain situations.
By learning how others think, you will be able to bring more to the book than your own
perception of how to react in a certain situation.  This will also help you with dialog as
well.  Realistic dialog is very important when writing a book.  If you understand how and
why people react a certain way and speak in certain terms, you can give your characters
more depth.
In addition to researching your characters and the plot of your book, you should also
make sure that you do some research on what makes a good book. You can take a
writing course to learn how you can write a good book or even join a writing group. The
more input that you get from other writers and the more information that you share the
better your book will be.
“Being goal‐oriented instead of self‐oriented is crucial. I know so many
people who want to be writers. But let me tell you, they really don’t
want to be writers. They want to have been writers. They wish they
had a book in print. They don’t want to go through the work of getting
the damn book out. There is a huge difference.”
  —Author James Michener

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There are conferences that you can attend for writers, as well as workshops.  You can
make these all part of your writing research as in addition to researching your book, you
should also research the components that make up a good book.
A good book has the following:
 Three dimensional, believable characters
 A conflict
 A climax
 A resolution to the conflict
You need to have some sort of conflict in the book that is presented right from the start.
The conflict must be resolved by the ending of the book.  This does not mean that your
book has to have a happy ending, but you cannot leave anything hanging out there that
remains unsolved.  You also want to craft your book so that it reaches a climax, which
builds up throughout the book.
Another thing that you need to determine is which point of view you want to use to
write the book. You can choose first person narrative, which is an easier style to write
but is limited to the thoughts and actions of the main character, or narrator of the story.
You can write first person observant which tells the story from the point of view of
another character who is observing the action. You can choose third person and still
write from the point of view of the main protagonist. When you are writing from the
third person, you can also delve into the point of view from other characters in the
book.
“I’m very concerned with the rhythm of language. ‘The sun came up’ is
an inadequate sentence. Even though it conveys all the necessary
information, rhythmically it’s lacking. The sun came up. But, if you say,
as Laurie Anderson said, ‘The sun came up like a big bald head,’ not
only have you, perhaps, entertained the fancy of the reader, but you
have made a more complete sentence. The sound of a sentence.”
         —Author Tom Robbins

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Of all styles of writing, third person omniscient, which sees into the heads of all the
characters, is the most difficult to write.   Take a look at books that you like to read and
see which writing style will best fit your book.  The point of view that you write from can
make or break your book.  For example, the Sherlock Holmes books by Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle were a flop at first, until he changed the point of view coming from Dr. Watson,
which was first person observant.
In addition to point of view, you also need to decide if you are writing in the past or
present tense.  Most books are written in the past tense, although you may want to take
a look at “Presumed Innocent” by Scott Turow to see an example of first person
narrative in the present tense.  Writing in the present tense is more difficult, but lends
more action to the book.
Do your research by studying other books and your own writing style to see which point
of view and tense you wish to use in your book.  First person narrative, which is also
called prose writing, is the easiest, but has limitations. Third person omniscient is the
most difficult, but opens up the thoughts and feelings of other characters in the book.
This type of research should be done before you start your book, but can be changed if
you find that it is not working for you and how you want to tell a story.
“You have to follow your own voice. You have to be yourself when you
write. In effect, you have to announce, ‘This is me, this is what I stand
for, this is what you get when you read me. I’m doing the best I can—
buy me or not—but this is who I am as a writer.”
     —Author David Morrell

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Chapter 3 ‐ Fiction or Non‐Fiction?
Most people equate writing a book with writing a novel, which is a fiction story. This is
not the case when it comes to writing, especially writing today. There is a very big
market for non‐fiction books as well.  Cookbooks, how‐to books, motivational books and
biographies are all examples of non‐fiction books that sell very well and are often self‐
published. In order to get a book published by mainstream press that is non‐fiction, you
have to have a well‐known name or a very unique idea. You also need to be extremely
lucky as there is heavy competition in the mainstream press for authors, especially
unknown authors.
Fiction books tell a story and have a conflict and resolution.  Non‐fiction books do not
follow along the same lines.  There is no conflict in writing a cookbook, for example.
There is a calling for all types of non‐fiction books and this can be an easy way to publish
your first book.
If you are writing a non‐fiction book, you need to do heavy research and be very well
versed on the topic of which you are writing.  You should also have an angle to your
book that makes it unique from others.  Motivational books are a good example as there
are many of them on the market right now.  What can you do to make your book
different?
One example of a different type of motivational book is the Laws of Attraction series
books.  This took an old idea, put a new spin on it and created a series of very successful
motivational books.
“Indeed, great fiction shows us not how to conduct our behavior but
how to feel. Eventually, it may show us how to face our feelings and
face our actions and to have new inklings about what they mean. A
good novel of any year can initiate us into our own new experience.”
—Author Eudora Welty

Biographies do not always have to be about famous people.  You can write a biography
about anyone who has led an extraordinary life or influenced many people. Cleverly
crafted biographies about ordinary people who prove to be inspirational to others are
very popular today. You need to have permission of the person about whom you are
writing or their estate in order to write a good biography.
There have been unauthorized biographies that have made a sensation, but still
required the person to do a lot of research on the subject, although they are not given
the same amount of respect as biographies that are done with the consent of the
author.  You also risk running into a lawsuit, such as is the case with Kitty Kelley who
wrote a slew of unauthorized biographies about famous people and found herself being
sued by the late Frank Sinatra.
Cookbooks are very popular, especially when it comes to self‐published books.  Your
cookbook needs to have something different, a unique angle, in order to sell.  Why
would anyone buy your book of French recipes when they can get the same from Julia
Child’s cookbooks?  One way to make yours unique is to add a bit of the French
countryside and perhaps some fiction in with the recipes.  This will prove to be
entertaining to the reader as well as informational.
If you are going to write a novel, then you have to prepare as outlined in the previous
chapter. Your novel should be of a genre that you like and most of all, something that
you would buy yourself if it was available in the bookstore. You can put a lot of creative
passion in your novel and turn it into something that will stand out. Many people self‐
publish novels because the competition is so great to get a novel published by an
unknown author in the mainstream press.
“[The writer] has to be the kind of man who turns the world upside
down and says, lookit, it looks different, doesn’t it?”
—Author Morris West

When you self‐publish, you do not need an agent to help you get your book to the
publisher.  Working with an agent is a good idea if you are trying to publish in this way,
but the catch is that some mainstream press companies will only work with an agent.
And most agents will only want to work with a person who has a previous novel
published.  Needless to say, this makes it very difficult for someone to break into
mainstream press with their book.
Even if you did manage to get a book published by a publisher, you would still have to
market the book on your own. If you self‐publish, you can do the same type of
marketing. Because so many people today buy books online, self‐publishing is quickly
becoming the publishing form of choice for authors writing fiction and non‐fiction.
However, most self‐published authors are now choosing the easy and sure path to
reach their readers by just buying a book marketing services.
Whether you write fiction or non‐fiction is up to you. If you have a lot of creative energy
and can make up plots and characters in your head, fiction writing may be for you. If you
consider yourself an expert in a certain field, non‐fiction writing is for you. You can use
self‐publishing for both non‐fiction and well as fiction books.
“The writer must always leave room for the characters to grow and change. If
you move your characters from plot point to plot point, like painting by the
numbers, they often remain stick figures. They will never take on a life of their
own. The most exciting thing is when you find a character doing something
surprising or unplanned. Like a character saying to me: ‘Hey, Richard, you
may think I work for you, but I don’t. I’m my own person.’”
   —Author Richard North Patterson

Chapter 4 ‐ Completing the First Draft
Once you have decided on the book that you want to write, you should start on your
first draft. This may change by the time the book is completed, although chances are
that you will keep some of the information in the final book that you have in your first
draft.
Everyone writes in a different way. There are those who rewrite as they are going along
in a book and those who complete the first draft before attempting any rewriting. It is
best to write the first draft and get it all on paper, or computer, before you start any
rewriting.  This can allow you to see the direction that your book has taken and how it
looks. You should not get discouraged if your first draft is less than magnificent ‐ this is
only your first draft.
Many writers who write fiction like to get that first draft finished before they start any
research into the book that needs to be finished. Having the first draft competed does
not mean that you have completed your book, but that you have completed a rough
draft of a book. The average book is about 80,000 words, although a rough draft of a
book may be less.
In some cases, writers will sketch out a first draft that is mostly narrative. It contains
only sparse dialogue, to be put in later when re‐writing. If you are writing a fiction book,
this is a good way to get the book down on paper, see if the plot makes sense, and make
sure that you present a conflict and resolution to the conflict.
There are two types of conflict that can be contained in your book.  These are either
internal conflicts or external conflicts.  Internal conflicts are those that take place in the
minds of the characters of the book.  They can be due to their perception of the world
or their perception about another individual.
“For a book to really work, form and function must go hand in hand, just like
with buildings, as any decent architect will tell you.”
  —Author Tracy Chevalier

External conflicts are those that are caused by outside influences.  Misunderstandings or
third parties getting in the way are examples of external conflicts that arise in fiction
books.
A good way to figure out the conflict in the book is to present the reader with a question
that will be answered at the end of the book. This type of conflict is often used in
murder mysteries. The reader does not know who committed the murder until the
climax of the book, after which the conflict has been resolved.  A good book presents
not only external conflicts, but internal conflicts as well.  It also may present a series of
conflicts in the book that come together to be resolved by the time the book ends.  It is
important to create conflict in a fiction book that will keep the reader reading and
wanting to see a resolution in the end.
A good book also makes a point. There can be symbolism in the book as well as a subtle
message that the book is trying to get across to the reader.  While not all books contain
these variables, they are found in some of the great novels.
Another factor you want to add into your fiction book is foreshadowing.  This should be
presented throughout the book, but especially in the beginning. This gets the reader
hooked early on so that they want to continue to see what happens in the book.  They
will be anxious to get to the end of the book to discover the reason for the
foreshadowing.  Foreshadowing implies that something will happen to change the world
of the characters early in the book.  This intrigues the reader and makes them want to
continue reading.
“The problem for me is finding my own plots. They take a long time. … I like to
have it happen, just like in our own lives. We don’t always know where they’re
going, and if we make formal decisions on a given night, if we sit down and
put a list of things we’re going to do on a piece of paper, they almost never
work out right.”
   —Author Norman Mailer

The first paragraph of your book is probably the most important part of the book.  This
is the paragraph that will either hook or bore the reader. One problem that many
authors have when it comes to writing a book that is interesting is a slow start. This fails
to pull the reader in and keep them interested in reading the book. Including
foreshadowing in the first paragraph is a good idea.
Another thing that you can do to make your book more interesting to the reader is to
start in the middle. Instead of starting the book from the beginning, you can start in the
middle of the story and then take the reader back, through the use of dialog and
narrative, to the beginning of the story to fill them in on history.
The climax of the book is also important in a fiction book. The plot should slowly build
up to the climax.  You may have several anti‐climaxes in the book as well as other
conflicts are resolved. The main conflict in the book must be resolved by the end of the
book.
Do not make the mistake of introducing characters at the end of the book who figure
heavily into the resolution of the plot. For example, if you are writing a murder mystery,
you need to have the murderer figure in to the book early on. Some writers will make it
look as if someone is obviously guilty but the culprit is someone who the reader does
not expect.  You want to keep your reader hungry for more as they get to the end of the
book.
While the first paragraph, climax and conflict resolution are integral parts of the book,
do not fill your book with fluff.  Each character in the book should figure somewhat in
the plot.  Each sentence in the book should move the plot forward. This does not often
happen in the first draft of the book but will happen as you continue with re‐writes.
Remember that any book, even a non‐fiction book, does not appear on paper the way
that it comes out of your head. You have to be prepared for re‐writing.
“You need that pride in yourself, as well as a sense, when you are sitting on
Page 297 of a book, that the book is going to be read, that somebody is going
to care. You can’t ever be sure about that, but you need the sense that it’s
important, that it’s not typing; it’s writing.”
   —Author Roger Kahn

Chapter 5 ‐ Rewrite
Ernest Hemingway once suggested that book should be rewritten 30 times before
publishing it. His reasoning was that a writer will have a better understanding into the
minds of the characters each time he goes over the book for rewriting. It is important to
know your characters as you are likely to write more convincing dialogue and narrative
that will fit them.
Never be afraid of making major changes in your book when you are rewriting. Change
those that do not make sense and those that are not working and do not feel right while
you are in the process of rewriting your work. Be open‐ minded enough with the big
changes and never get married to your book. While you have a natural passion for your
work, you need to fix it when it is necessary.
The best way to start rewriting is to read through your first draft. You can then note
inconsistencies and other plot problems that occur with the first draft. You should begin
your rewriting from the beginning of the book to the end, especially if you are writing a
fiction book that will have character development. Even if you are writing non‐fiction,
you still want to rewrite your book to tighten it up.
When you are writing; try not to use a passive voice; otherwise it may tend to get
sluggish. This is when you put in words like “was” and “would have.” Try to use more
action words in your book. Always go over the dialog and make sure that it is read
natural. Look at the dialog and make sure there is consistency when you are rewriting
your book.
Do not be surprised if your book has an ending that what you imagined. Many times,
writers grow to like some characters and dislike others. The creative process takes on a
mind of its own when an author is writing a book. This often means inconsistencies in
the book and with the characters.
“I do not rewrite unless I am absolutely sure that I can express the material
better if I do rewrite it.”
   —Author William Faulkner

You make your book a better story each time you continue rewriting it. With each
writing style, you will have a better feel for the characters in the story and they become
more lifelike to you. Through making your characters great, you can figure out what
they like for breakfast or what is their favorite color. You make each character more
lifelike too for the reader when you include personality traits in the book that are
distinguishable from one character to the other.
Know the characters in your book more and how lifelike they will become to your
readers. Get away from flat characters and breathe some life into them. The only way
that you can do this, when writing a fiction book, is to get to know them. This is
naturally more difficult to do with fiction than non‐fiction because the characters are a
figment of your imagination. Making it possible means writing your imagination and
making them alive on a piece of paper.
Make sure that you are driving your plot forward through your every sentence. Never
allow loose ends in your work. Delete the unnecessary dialogue and needless
descriptions as they will slow down the process of your book. A book can be called great
when its content continues to move the plot forward and each sentence makes sense.
Always check the tense, grammar, use of words and do the rewriting when needed. This
can be done when you are proofreading your book, although you should naturally make
any corrections when you see them. Proofreading is very different than rewriting and
will be explained later.
If you are thinking on how you can make your rewriting a lot easier; one thing that
works is to give yourself a rest in doing rewriters all the time. In this way, you are
allowing your book to be read with fresh eyes and so it gets fresh start reading. If you
have a friend or trusted person to whom you can give the book, you can give it to them
for a critique.  They may be able to see glaring errors in the plot that you may overlook.
While you are close to your book, you may also be too close. It helps to have a second
pair of eyes read the book after you have rewritten it to sufficiency.
“I think writing verse is a great training for a writer. It teaches you to make
your points and get your stuff clear, which is the great thing.”
  —Author P.G. Wodehouse

The point is that, it is not just possible to rewrite your book too much. There comes a
point that you will say you are satisfied with the story you have and what this story
conveys. Then, you make yourself ready for a grammar check when you have completed
your book and feels it is already worth for publication.
It’s time to go through your manuscript and look for grammatical faults. There are some
instances, especially when it comes to dialogue, where grammatical errors occur. Make
sure that you have proper grammar used in your book. Use a grammar check and
spellchecker on your word processing if you have these programs. But never depend on
a spellchecker to do you proofreading for you. Proofread your work you’re done writing
it.
“I try to write a certain amount each day, five days a week. A rule sometimes
broken is better than no rule.”
—Author Herman Wouk

Chapter 6 – Proofread Your Manuscript
Have your manuscript printed on paper and start proofreading it. Then use a ruler to
look at each line in the book starting with the last page and moving backward. This is a
dreary process and one for which you can pay a freelance proofreader; yet it’s always
worth a try and satisfying if you can do it right. Look for both spelling errors and
mistakes in punctuation. When we read, our eyes naturally gloss over words that we are
familiar with and often do not see that they are misspelled. So, it is essential that you
take your time and proofread your book from cover to cover. By going up one line at a
time, you will not be reading, but looking for errors that your eyes will ignore if you
simply read the book.
You may consider availing professional proofreading services. Professional
proofreaders will go through the book the way that suits them and deliver you a
product that has changes. They will put proofreading marks on your paper of which
you should be familiar. They will not make the changes for you, but signal you to make
the changes.
It is vital that you proofread your book or have someone else do it for you. If you have
a book published, this service is done for you. So for fast and specialized proofreading
services, copyediting service is a must‐try! It involves corrections for clarity, format,
syntax, obvious factual errors, and continuity; so visit this page for more information.
“Always remember the reader. Always level with him and never talk down to
him. You may think you’re some kind of smart guy because you’re the great
writer. Well, if you’re such a smart guy, how come the reader is paying you?
Remember the reader’s the boss. He’s hired you to do a job. So do it.”
—Author Jay Anson

Proofreading a book is not the same as editing a book. Copy editing is a completely
different process altogether. However, Proofreading is already included in the bundle in
some publishing services; truly it’s a great money saver. Anyway, you can choose to
copy edit your own book or have the self-publishing company do the job for you.  We
will discuss editing for your self‐published book in a little while.
Take your time to proofread your book and do it correctly if you decide to do it yourself.
Never rush through this process because an array of misspelled words in your book will
make your book look unprofessional to your readers. You need to impress your target
readers so make sure your book looks so professional to them. You can keep your book
free from typos, punctuation and spelling errors by doing careful proofreading.
Always make sure that at the end of the entire process, your book will be error‐free and
that will pay off your investment as an author. Even if you have someone else who is not
a professional proofreader take a look at your book you can have a fresh pair of eyes
look at the book so that they can see errors where you cannot. Remember that you
have a very strong connection to your book that others do not. You have most likely
read it over and over again.  Having someone who has not looked at the book and take a
look at it for errors can surely help you out since even the greatest and well‐known
writers commit mistakes. Thus, it is always a smart choice to avail services that can
meticulously examine and correct your work for a foolproof content.
Keep in mind that you are not the only one needing copyediting or proofreading
services. Even books published huge publishing houses are not exempted with flaws.
One error of your book won’t end its world right away; but having a packed of errors can
make your book look sloppy in quality as a whole.
“There’s really a shortage of good freelance writers. … There are a lot of
talented people who are very erratic, so either they don’t turn it in or they
turn it in and it’s rotten; it’s amazing. Somebody who’s even maybe not all
that terrific but who is dependable, who will turn in a publishable piece more
or less on time, can really do very well.”
—Author Gloria Steinem

Chapter 7 – Searching for a Self Publisher on the Web
In the previous years, thousands of dollars was needed to be paid by authors who would
wish to have their books self‐published. The book would then be published by a press
who would give an author a specific amount of copies of his book. The author would be
required to pay all these copies provided and all the expenses involved in the entire
process of self‐publishing such as printing and professional fees. Years ago, authors who
would choose to self‐publish their manuscripts were not considered good writers at all.
Self‐publishing used to be called as the vanity press and people thought that only those
authors who had the money can use this way of getting their works self‐published.
This information seems to be no longer true today. Self‐publishing has been gradually
gaining respect online due to the fact that book buyers now are mostly purchasing their
books online more so than going out to bookstores. And because there are only a few
number of authors considered by conventional publishers; writers are going out their
own ways to get their voice be heard.
Fact: Conventional publishing houses do not accept books or manuscripts from those
writers whose names are unrecognized or are not represented by book agents.
There are great writers whose stories are not given the chance to be read. Authors who
would try sending a publishing house one chapter of his book would only receive
standard rejection letters. This situation makes the life of an author difficult in pursuing
his dreams to get published as only those established writers are given high
consideration.
“I would advise anyone who aspires to a writing career that before developing
his talent he would be wise to develop a thick hide.”
   —Author Harper Lee

With this most challenging scheme, some authors decide to choose small publishing
companies who do not charge them for their book’s publication. However, these
companies do not have the power to give much exposure in the market nor it can get
reviewed in the New York Times the same way huge publishing companies do.
In self‐publishing today, authors can use the modern self‐publishing companies which
can print to order and do not charge an enormous fee for publishing a book. ISBNs are
given to the books and they can be listed on huge online bookstores such as
Amazon.com, which has become the popular place for online book buyers. So long as
the book has an ISBN, the book stays in a bookstore anytime he wants it. Marketing a
book can be done by a self‐published author in many ways; but smarter authors will
hire book marketers who can promote their books on autopilot.
You might want to partner or self‐publish your book with a firm that does print to order
way of publishing since you will be most likely be in charge of book marketing your work
when it gets published. In that way, you surely get a bigger percentage of the profits and
at the same time, you get your book the chance to be listed online where interested
online buyers are waiting. Numerous writers today, even those who have been
published by small press, are redirecting their routes into self‐publishing.
“Publishers want to take chances on books that will draw a clamor and
some legitimate publicity. They want to publish controversial books.
That their reasons are mercenary and yours may be lofty should not
deter you.”
—Author Harlan Ellison

Chapter 8 – Your Book Printing
To print your book by yourself is another effective way of self‐publishing. You can look
for a printing press in different places though you do need to have your book formatted
first by yourself and have it ready for the printing press. You can also have your book
printed through online printers. Visit isbn.org to acquire an ISBN for your book as one
number per book is necessary.
To print your own book by yourself is not expensive. You can definitely use both an off
line printer and online printer. You simply need to prepare everything necessary before
the printing which includes the complete manuscript from cover to cover. The cover of
your book is a very vital element so consider the idea of hiring a graphic artist who can
professionally design the cover if you can decide to get your book printed by yourself.
However, Self-Publishing companies has optimized all of these services for you. If you
can’t wait to see your books published in no time, call your publishing consultant right
now. To publish you book quickly and easily, all you have to do is to submit your
manuscript to them and you’ll just wait until your book is produced.
“The most important thing is you can’t write what you wouldn’t read for
pleasure. It’s a mistake to analyse the market thinking you can write
whatever is hot. You can’t say you’re going to write romance when you don’t
even like it. You need to write what you would read if you expect anybody
else to read it.
And you have to be driven. You have to have the three D’s: drive, discipline
and desire. If you’re missing any one of those three, you can have all the
talent in the world, but it’s going to be really hard to get anything done.”
—Author Nora Roberts

You can purchase 10 ISBN numbers at discounted price. This is certainly a good move
when you plan to print more than one book. The fact that they order these by the
hundreds, it is indeed true as well that they can give a series of ISBN numbers for
customers as inclusive of the price of their printing package service.
The reason why it is strongly suggested that you let them print your book is because
they can get your book listed on online sites including Amazon.com. Printing your
book by your own won’t give your book the chance to be distributed to bookstores
and gift stores though in some cases, some gift shops take books without ISBN by
batch.

To have your book printed by yourself is a lot of work and takes a lot of energy. Yet it is
a perfect choice of those authors who are on a tight budget and cannot afford a few
hundred dollars to pay a self‐publishing company to do the stuff for them. To get self‐
published is a whole package of investment, knowledge, effort, and skills. You might
end paying a skilled designer if you want your book to get a professional book cover
design which can compete in the market.
Meanwhile, you can also consider editing and proofreading your own work when you
opt for printing your book by yourself. Figure out that this is time consuming and that’s
the reason considered by many writers who prefer to pay to do all the stuffs.
Make sure that if you decide to print your own book, it does look professional. Some
book stores may remain reluctant to take your book even if it has ISBN when it doesn’t
seem professionally printed. If you are planning to just sell your book on your own,
you’ve got a lot of options anywhere on how you want it printed and sold in the market.
“Write out of the reader’s imagination as well as your own. Supply the
significant details and let the reader’s imagination do the rest. Make
the reader a co‐author of the story.”
—Author Patrick F. McManus

Chapter 9 – Editing in Self‐Publishing a Book
Definitely, editing your work isn’t the same as proofreading. There are more elements to
consider when you are copyediting your book such as grammar, styles, and proper use
of words. If you consider doing it on your own, make sure you pay attention to these
elements. It would work better if you already have the knowledge and skills on grammar
and certain styles.
Copyediting services are offered for an additional fee. If you need some professional
help so that you can avoid some awkward phrases and other grammatical problems
on your book, you might consider paying a copy editor from an established firm to do
it for you. A copy editor’s jobs include furnishing your manuscript, picking out
grammatical errors, spelling errors, while paying attention to your writing style.
This service of copy editing will also help furnish your work so that you can tighten it
up and get prepared for the high competition in the literary market. Most of the time,
a professional copy editor will also eradicate redundant sentences or phrases found on
your work. He/she might make suggestions that can improve the entire quality of your
book.
“I’m a tremendous rewriter; I never think anything is good enough.
I’m always rephrasing jokes, changing lines, and then I hate
everything. The Girl Most Likely To be rewritten seven times, and the
first time I saw it I literally went out and threw up! How’s that for
liking yourself?”
—Author Joan Rivers

Different writers have their own styles of writing. In some cases, they have the tendency
of changing their styles from time to time when they are writing a book. And while they
all have the creativity to shift writing styles in writing, they find it hard to edit or
proofread their own work which is why it’s important to remember that self‐publishing
your work also requires investment particularly on the editing stage.
“I almost always write everything the way it comes out, except I tend much
more to take things out rather than put things in. It’s out of a desire to really
show what’s going on at all times, how things smell and look, as well as from
the knowledge that I don’t want to push things too quickly through to climax;
if I do, it won’t mean anything. Everything has to be earned, and it takes a lot
of work to earn.”
—Author Peter Straub

Chapter 10‐ You’ve got your Book Printed. What’s next?
While it’s great to see your book printed, the entire process doesn’t end there. The
entire phase or process is not so different from when you would have tried the
traditional way of publishing. Market your book!
Several ways of promoting your book can be done are there to grab whether offline or
online advertising—or you can do both. Of course, authors are very interested in getting
feedback from readers or anyone who gets the chance to see a part of his work. Among
the many promotional ideas you want to do is to promote your book and get some
positive reviews online such as the famous bookstore, Amazon.com. If your book will be
listed on the site, you can definitely get reviews for it from professional reviewers. The
more reviews your book gets, the more chance of increasing its fame in the market.
Get a website and come up with a teaser for your book to get started. Having a website
serves as a ground for your book self‐publishing and from there, you can start selling
directly your book online or you can invite your prospect buyers to visit Amazon where
your book is listed. A website design services can help you accomplish this idea at a
cheap price. Now, you can add information on your website as to where the buyers can
pay you when they decide to buy your book aside from the fact that you can also
inform them that your book can also be found in a Bookstore. You can start your book
marketing strategies while you continue to have connections with your readers online
through your own online page.
There are a variety of book review sites on the web where you can also put there
reviews for your book. While you can put the link of these reviews to different sites; you
can also do the same on your website. Of course, you can also take advantage all
aspects of Publishing Marketing Services for an effective and hassle‐free book
promotion.
“Good writing is remembering detail. Most people want to forget. Don’t
forget things that were painful or embarrassing or silly. Turn them into a
story that tells the truth.”
—Author Paula Danziger

Got non‐fiction book? You might consider the idea of writing articles and find some
places on the net where you can put them. Yes, article centers will let you put your
articles online for free. You can make use of a Google keyword analytics and you’ll start
to find out which are the best keywords that suit your book content. Then, you can start
writing articles containing these keywords and publish them on different places online
with a link going back to your site.
Promoting your book online might be just the beginning. You can also use your website
and the reviews your book gets. Now, use these things and start joining writing
activities joint by self‐published authors. Take advantage of those numerous sites that
are designed for self‐published writers like you. Meanwhile, you can also start looking
into local libraries which have a place for self‐published writers. Or, you can join some
book exhibits either local or international.
Start sending your book to different journals and local magazines which often do book
reviews. Remember that these establishments of these journals such as New York Times
and New Yorker have a lot of files and documents that people want them to make
reviews. It might increase the chance for your work to get reviewed if you choose to
submit your book to those who do reviews on the genre related to what you’ve written.
“A good content curator knows the difference between being helpful and
being a nuisance. Don’t share just to share. Make sure there’s context and
relevance for your audience”.
‐Author Jessica Ann

Small, independent bookstores can feature your book, most particularly if they are
operating locally. Try taking your book in these places and buy a number of copies of the
book for selling. Most independent bookstores in your community are happy enough to
have local authors visiting them and do some book signings. Advertisement about such
event can easily be done through flyers or at the bookstore itself. These stores will be
happy enough to support such kind of event as they acquire a percentage for every
book sold. While it gets their businesses going, this is also a great way of recognizing you
as an author.
Having a small local newspaper is advantageous as this can be used for your book’s
publicity. The ideal way of spreading the news about your book should begin through
newspapers in your hometown.
You can also check out your local parks sector if there’s anything offered for self‐
published writers/authors. Some of these departments have events such as book
signings designed for self‐publishing writers.
Try taking your book to gift shops and check out if they can sell your book through
consignment basis. This way is a good start more particularly with self‐published
cookbooks. Grab every opportunity in the venue in a way that your book marketing
strategy works out well.

“I have never felt like I was creating anything. For me, writing is like walking
through a desert and all at once, poking up through the hardpan, I see the
top of a chimney. I know there’s a house under there, and I’m pretty sure
that I can dig it up if I want. That’s how I feel. It’s like the stories are already
there. What they pay me for is the leap of faith that says: ‘If I sit down and
do this, everything will come out OK.’”
—Author Stephen King

Chapter 11‐Online Marketing and Book Sales
Online has been considered the best place where you can sell your book. Self-
Publishing company can help promote your book easily even if you’re not their
published author.   The company has extensive expertise to sell books that are
authored by their partner clients or authors who purchase their services or not.
Help promote your book by telling your family and friends that you’ve published one.
Encourage them to buy the book from the website it is found rather than directly from
you. Book sales online are factors of how the websites rate your book; so make sure all
sales go through it.
Amazon is so famous among any authors in the world today. It is the world’s biggest
seller of books and writers want their books to be listed on this site as having your book
featured on this site is just like getting your book on a bookstore’s shelf. To answer this
need, marketing and book order services also include listing the books of their author
clients on Amazon.
You can also use social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook to promote and hand
out your book to your readers. In addition to that, you can start placing some links on
online forums you are joining and direct them to your book/s. Of course, you need to
have a website of your book so that it’s a lot easier for your readers to be redirected to
your page in the process. This also helps them recognize you and your book better. It’s
not costly to develop your own website and having it is really helpful in your self‐
publishing journey.
"If search is amazing for knowing a person's intent, social media is amazing
for finding out what's important to people, and what's important to people
they're connected to."
   ‐Author Adam Audette

There’s no way that you can ignore the ability that online marketing can do for your
book, specially the selling stage. Today, majority of authors are selling their books online
and doing so has been a success. Do your best and exert all your effort in your book
promotion online so that you’ll succeed selling your work.
There is another online site that you might get interested when it comes to online book
marketing strategy—Digg. It’s a site that usually takes articles where others can see you
and you and what you’ve got. Ask your family and friends to dig the article up so that it
will be seen by others. You’re definitely better off when you get more exposure.
Get your book as much exposure as possible online using these different ways. Always
see to it that your book appears on Amazon and on the site that prints it. Don’t forget
that you also need a website where readers can get information about you and your
book. Don’t overexpose the information of your book when you are promoting it.
Instead, just give your readers a taste of what they can benefit when they purchase your
book. Expect more sales from online transactions when you are marketing your book
through the Web.
“A writer need not devour a whole sheep in order to know what mutton
tastes like, but he must at least eat a chop. Unless he gets his facts right, his
imagination will lead him into all kinds of nonsense, and the facts he is most
likely to get right are the facts of his own experience.”
—Author W. Somerset Maugham

Chapter 12‐Do Off‐Line Book Marketing to Sell
While you are spending more time for online book marketing, you might forget that
offline marketing is also important. It is through this kind of marketing where you get to
know about exhibits and book signings.
Events such as book signings are among the many ways to get your book an exposure
you’ve been looking for. Some local bookstores are happy enough to welcome you for
such. Bring your books to these places and sell them while you do book signing.
Larger bookstores like Borders and Barnes & Noble would want to see a copy of your
book. Therefore, you might need to go to their main offices so that you can have your
book stocked on their shelves. Though you might think this consumes much of your
time; doing it is worth a try.
How does it work? You can go straight to a bookstore’s main office and approach the
manager whom you can negotiate about buying your books through a consignment
basis. You will be asked to do a book signing in their store and give them commission
when you bring and sell your books there.
Another thing you can do is to pay a book distributor who can distribute and get your
book on the shelves of local bookstores. If you feel this is more comfortable on your
part than going through the corporate route; then, go for it. In order to get your book
to the distributor, you need to buy the copies of it from the publishing company if you
published your books with them.
“Not all marketing people are writers, but all writers must learn to be
marketers.”
‐Author Joanne Kraft

As soon as the distributor will have your book, the next move will be getting your book
to the major bookstores. Remember that this action is a kind of tough selling. More
shelf space and famous shelf spaces in bookstores are reserved for top selling authors
from major presses. Just like how the business goes with a supermarket, the most
attractive shelf spaces are given to the biggest distributors. Therefore, you still need to
do some book marketing on your part such as book signings in a bookstore and other
forms of advertising to get your book higher recognition.
Speaking of consignment basis, there are still a lot of independent and local bookstores
available. These are those who are very eager to take your book on a batch basis and
they are very receptive to local authors. They are more than happy to have you in their
place to do a book signing. Keep looking. They are there in your area.
There a lot of book events such as book exhibits held in your local area. Be sure to join
an offline group of self‐published authors who are joining these kinds of events and take
advantage of these book fairs to promote your work. You might consider making up
bookmarks for your book and bring them to any book fairs. These bookmarks should
contain information about your book and where the interested readers can find and
purchase it.
“Don’t quit. It’s very easy to quit during the first 10 years. Nobody cares
whether you write or not, and it’s very hard to write when nobody cares one
way or the other. You can’t get fired if you don’t write, and most of the time
you don’t get rewarded if you do. But don’t quit.”
—Author Andre Dubus

Make sure you’ve done every single thing needed to get your book out to the public.
The more promotion you do; the higher chance for your book to get recognized. And the
more hard work you show to continue promoting your book, the greater interest you
can expect from the readers.
As you continue to go through the time, work, and putting all your creativity in such a
way that a book is created, you will always want to do anything just to hand it out to the
public and be read. For most writers who are really good writers, to have their books be
read by others matters most.
It has always been a satisfying experience to know that your book is read and enjoyed
by the others. One of the best experiences of writers is to be able to spend time to
complete their books, have them printed, and able to witness how others enjoying
reading them.
If it comes to your thoughts to write a book though you are not sure if there is any
publisher who will be interested with it, self‐publishing is worth doing. On this way,
you won’t find it hard to look for an agent who can publish your book and who will give
you back a small percentage of what your book profits. You can simply self‐publish
your book and hand it out to your readers.
“You better make them care about what you think. It had better be quirky
or perverse or thoughtful enough so that you hit some chord in them.
Otherwise it doesn’t work. I mean we’ve all read pieces where we thought,
‘Oh, who gives a damn.’ ”
—Author Nora Ephron

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