Self-Publishing For Dummies

Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1 Do It Yourself: Getting Started with Self-Publishing
Chapter 1 Welcome to Self-Publishing!
Figuring Out Whether Self-Publishing Works for You
Gathering the Right Publishing Tools
Putting Together a Winning Manuscript
Starting with an outline and an audience
Fine-tuning your manuscript
Prepping the manuscript for publishing
Dealing with Administration and Design
Taking care of the administrative details
Crafting a book design
Checking Out Your Printing Options
Delving into Distribution
Distributing a printed book
Distributing an e-book
Getting Noticed: Publicity and Marketing
Looking for free publicity opportunities
Paying for advertising
Offering related products and services
Making the book itself a marketing tool
Surveying a Brief Self-Publishing Task List and Timeline
Chapter 2 Understanding the Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing
Why Should You Even Consider Self-Publishing?
What Are the Benefits of Self-Publishing?
Self-publishing any type of content
Maintaining control over the entire process
Getting your book into the hands of readers quickly
Achieving your career-related goals
Boosting your established career
Using your self-publication as a marketing tool
Earning more royalties
Saving money without a literary agent
What Are Self-Publishing’s Drawbacks?
Recognizing the time and costs involved
Encountering specific distribution snags
Hiring all the help you want and need
Do You Have the Skills that All Self-Published Authors Need?
Being willing to work hard
Writing to your audience
Injecting creativity and personality into your work
Honing your organizational skills
Can Self-Publishing Be a Full-Time Gig?
Affirming the traits and skills you need
Watching out for authoring pitfalls
Chapter 3 Determining Who You’re Writing for and Why
Defining Your Target Audience
Identifying and appealing to your audience
Detecting audience characteristics
Building your book to match your audience’s characteristics
Setting the groundwork for an audience-centered book
Determining who else will want to read your book
Pondering your secondary and tertiary audiences
Gathering intel and targeting potential readers
Researching Your Target Audience
Engaging with people in your target audience
Focusing on relevant keywords and phrases
The more you know, the better your chances of success
Following Trends: Pros and Cons
Chapter 4 Equipping Yourself with the Write Stuff
Fix It Up: Creating Your Ideal Writing Environment
Deciding where to work
Maximizing your chosen space for comfort and productivity
Concentrating on ease and convenience
Paying special attention to your computer setup
Minimize Distractions and Drains on Your Time
Making comfort a priority
Crafting a practical workspace layout
Keeping resources easily available
Taming that obsession with e-mail, web browsing, or phone calls and texts
Blocking out loud noises
Taking charge of your workday schedule
Negating worries about deadlines and other obligations
Throw Away the Hammer: Assemble the Writer’s Toolbox
Getting the office equipment you need
A desktop or laptop computer that has appropriate software
Software for the brainstorming or research phases
When taking notes is your task
A tablet for when you’re on the go
Specialized equipment for writers
A printer that has handy features
Invest in a smartphone
Adding tools to enhance your creativity outside the office
Notebooks and pens
A digital voice recorder
A camera
A dictionary, a thesaurus, and other writing reference books
A scheduling or calendar application
Chapter 5 Creating a Winning Manuscript
Concentrate on Your Readers
Choosing and fine-tuning content
Who you gonna call? Ghostwriters!
Don’t Be Sketchy: Creating an Outline
Understanding an outline’s importance
Ordering your topics
Formatting and polishing your outline
Looking at different formats
Fine-tuning the details
Dig for Facts: Doing Research
Staying away from bad info
Keeping track of your resources
Relying on experts for solid information
What Meets the Eye: Adding Visual Interest to Your Manuscript
Put the Pieces Together: Examining Other Book Elements
Copyright page
Author acknowledgments and dedications
Table of contents
Foreword and/or preface
Introduction
Appendixes
Bibliography
Glossary
Index
About the author
Keep It Legal: Obtaining Permission to Use Other People’s Materials
Authorizing interviews
Firming up the foreword
Permitting photographs
Concerning the concept of fair use
You’re not a copier: Avoiding plagiarism
Chapter 6 Fine-Tuning Your Work with Careful Editing
A Bird’s-Eye View of the Editing Process
Editing your own work first
Understanding an editor’s responsibilities
Working efficiently with your editor
The Nitty-Gritty of Hiring an Editor
Hiring an editor to optimize timing
Planning for the cost
Finding an experienced editor
Deciding to add a technical editor, or not
Part 2 Pulling Together the Details: Administration and Design
Chapter 7 Setting Up Your Self-Publishing Business
Understanding the Benefits of Establishing a Publishing Company
Taking Official Steps to Create a Company
Legally establishing the right type of business
Starting with a name and an image
Developing a business plan
Getting start-up money
Getting and staying connected
Getting the right computer software
Gathering other resources that you need
Adding essential relationships and insurance
Keeping Costs Tracked and Under Control
Listing your expenses
Implementing a budget
Finding Additional Expert Help
Chapter 8 Tackling Book-Specific Tasks
Obtaining an ISBN for Your Book
An ISBN: What it is and why your book needs one
Getting ISBNs on your own
Applying for a prefix and a single ISBN or block of ISBNs
Accounting for the cost of ISBNs
Establishing your publishing company and its titles
Ordering a Barcode for Your Book
Adding Your Book to the Books In Print Directory
Securing a Library of Congress Control Number
It’s Mine, All Mine! Copyrighting Your Work
Including a copyright notice in your book
Registering your copyright
Increasing Profits by Setting the Right Cover Price
Calculating your publication costs
Gathering market information
Predicting demand
Considering wholesale and discounted pricing
Determining your book’s perceived value
Putting everything together to come up with a magic number
For direct sales
For selling through others
Choosing printing and distribution options wisely
The Right Time: Selecting Your Book’s Publication Date
Chapter 9 Coming Up with Creative Page Design and Layout
Delving into Do-It-Yourself Page Design
Offering design instructions in a word processor
Making some upfront design decisions
Setting up the design’s foundation
Knowing and sequencing your book’s elements
Designing the Body of Your Book
Choosing body and heading fonts
Focusing on formatting
Crafting chapter title pages
Incorporating artwork
Using Popular Desktop Publishing Software
Surveying software packages
Adobe InDesign
Affinity Publisher 2
Apple Pages
Microsoft Publisher
QuarkXPress
Scribus
Using templates for maximum layout ease
Converting Laid-Out Pages into Printer-Friendly Files
Portable Document Format (PDF) files
PostScript PRN files
Hiring a Professional Graphic Designer
Finding the right expert
Knowing where and when to find a designer
Evaluating designers’ work
Setting a fair price
Deciding how many graphic designers you need
Supplying your layout preferences and design feedback
Chapter 10 Crafting (and Judging) Your Book’s Cover
Brainstorming a Catchy Title
Keeping your title short and clear
Making your title stand out
Keeping a Close Eye on the Front Cover
Showcasing the front cover’s text
Selecting the right font and placement for the title
Highlighting the author’s name and credentials
Using attractive images
Choosing colors carefully
Pulling together the overall design
Turning to Your Book’s Back Cover
The elements of a back cover
The book description
Information about the author and an author photo
The barcode, ISBN, and price
The BISAC Subject and Audience codes
Publisher imprint information
Reviews and quotes
The overall look of a back cover
Remembering Your Book’s Spine
Working with a Design Expert to Create Your Cover
Part 3 Start the Presses! Examining Printing Choices
Chapter 11 Creating and Publishing E-Books That Sell
Looking at E-Readers for E-Books
A bit about e-reader technology
Recognizing e-book and e-reader benefits
For readers
For publishers
Gauging likely advances in e-reader acceptance and technology
Publishing E-Books Easily (and Cheaply)
Getting your e-book content ready for prime time
Setting yourself up with publisher accounts
Raking in the revenue
Digging into E-Book Formats
Presenting your e-book in multiple file formats
Protecting your e-book with digital rights management
Choosing The Right E-Book Design and Publishing Tool
Letting software help you design your e-book
Generating the various e-book formats
Considering other e-book creation software
Figuring Out Self-Managed E-Book Distribution Options
Using website creation and hosting tools
Selling directly through social media
Distributing E-Books through Popular E-Bookstores
Reaping the benefits of your e-book’s exposure
Making a sample chapter available
Generating positive ratings and reviews
Pricing your e-book to sell
Creating an author page
Establishing Yourself as a Publisher with Each E-Bookstore
Knowing the costs associated with e-bookstores
The nuts and bolts of setup in e-bookstores
Taking a look at individual e-bookstores and services
Amazon Kindle Direct
Apple Books
B&N Press
Draft2Digital (Smashwords)
Google Books
Kobo Writing Life
IngramSpark
Chapter 12 Trying Out Short Run Printing
The Basics of Working with a Short Run Printer
The pros and cons of short run printing
Finding reputable short run printers
Getting a quote for your print job
Choosing the Features of Your Short Run Printed Book
Selecting trim size
Deciding on hard covers versus soft covers
Selecting cover stock and coatings
Making a binding decision
Picking paper weight and color
Opting for the use of interior color
Including interior art, photos, and illustrations
Adding inserts
Hiring the Right Short Run Printer for Your Needs
What are a few upfront considerations?
Is the customer service top-notch?
Is the price right?
Providing crucial information
Reviewing quotes carefully
Partnering with the Printer You Hire
Chapter 13 Print-on-Demand for Demanding Self-Publishers
Taking a Quick Tour of Print-On-Demand (POD) Technology
Looking at the Pros and Cons of POD
Focusing on the benefits
Avoiding a lot of hassle
Potentially saving money
Enjoying speed and versatility
Noting the drawbacks of POD
Rejecting returns and standard credit
Noting issues with layout and design quality
Surveying the POD Process
Looking at the major steps
Knowing what a POD company needs to get rolling
Materials for layout and cover design
Information about the book and its author
Picking a Great POD Company for Your Book
Focusing on quality and cost
Knowing what you should expect from a POD company
Working with Companies to Manage Money Issues
Watching out for hidden costs
Pricing your book
Calculating your royalties
Direct sales
Retail booksellers
Author sales
Checking out a Few Prominent POD Companies
Part 4 Making Your Book a Bestseller: Distribution Methods
Chapter 14 Selling Your Book through Popular Online Booksellers
Creating an Effective Listing
Elements to include in an online listing
Delivering essential details about the book
Reaching the readers with keywords and metadata
Terrific tactics for writing a listing
Target all types of readers and online shoppers
Avoid babbling
Submitting Your Listing to Popular Online Booksellers
Listing your book on Amazon
Listing your book with Barnes & Noble
Generating Excellent Online Reviews
Asking others to post reviews
Becoming a book reviewer
Exploiting the Goodreads platform
Resources from Online Booksellers
Chapter 15 Distributing Your Book through Traditional Channels
Securing Major Retail Distribution for Your Book
Working with Wholesalers and Distributors
Banking on Baker & Taylor
Investigating Ingram Content Group
Looking into other major distributors
Approaching Independent Booksellers
Creating a sell sheet
Making contact through bookseller directories
Scoping Out Specialty Retail Stores
Hooking Up with Trade Associations, Special Interest Groups, and Conferences
Going After Mass-Market Retailers
Chapter 16 Getting a Grip on Warehousing, Order Fulfillment, and Shipping
Warehousing Your Books and Managing Inventory
Storing your books safely
Taking stock of your inventory
Taking and Fulfilling Orders
Handling different order options
When taking orders in person
Establishing a toll-free phone number
Launching an e-commerce website
Accepting payments
Keeping the right records
Shipping Your Books to Customers
Surveying shipping options
Checking out the United States Postal Service (USPS)
Looking at major shipping companies
Opting for other shipping services
Expanding the service scope with drop-shipping
Setting up your shipping department
Creating an unboxing experience for your readers
Part 5 Creating a Buzz: Publicity and Marketing
Chapter 17 Creating a Website and Social Media Accounts for Your Book
Choosing Between an Author or Book Website
Monetizing the Web: Opting for an E-Commerce Website
Checking out e-commerce turnkey solutions
Picking your turnkey solution
Exploring the Anatomy of a Book-Selling Website
Designing a website to sell your book
Including essential elements in your e-commerce website
Offering the customers ongoing contact
Acquiring a memorable .com domain name
Forwarding traffic from your registered domain
If You Build It, Will They Come? Generating Traffic to Your Website
Applying your upfront research
Promoting your e-commerce website
Promoting Your Book Online by Using Social Media
Advantages to social media interaction with your audience
Choosing and connecting the right social media platform(s)
Social media content creation tips and strategies
Posting goal-oriented content with the right frequency
Taking a professional approach to social media
Chapter 18 Crafting and Distributing Publicity Materials
Going Over the Basics of Press Materials
Knowing why your book needs press materials
Surveying press material elements
Customizing your message to specific media outlets
Media categorized by geography and audience
Special tips for electronic media
Writing an Attention-Getting Press Release
The anatomy of a press release
The headline
The release date
Contact information
The dateline
The lead paragraph
The press release’s body text
Information about the author
The ending
Creating your press release
Tips for putting together a press release
Writing a Compelling Author Bio
The heading
The body text
Deciding on the author bio body content
Displaying your author bio body text
Putting Your Best Face Forward with a Publicity Photo
Following photo particulars
Taking and using your best shot
Writing a Knockout Pitch Letter
Crafting the content of your pitch letter
Posing your pitch as professional
Distributing Your Press Materials to the Media
Creating a targeted press list
Zeroing in on the right media contact
Sending your pitch and publicity materials
Using media directories
Paying attention to media lead times
Chapter 19 Publicizing Your Book for Free with the Media’s Help
Talk It Up: Saying the Right Thing to the Media
Anticipating and preparing for basic questions
Listing sample questions
Developing sound bites
Knowing how to conduct yourself during each interview
Being prepared to participate in on-camera interviews
Focusing on your PR message
Mentioning your book title multiple times
Avoiding common interview mistakes
Dress It Up: Looking Good When You Promote Your Book
Presenting your best image
Choosing your outfit
Coordinating your accessories
Fine-tuning your personal grooming, hairstyle, and makeup
Controlling your body language
Book It: Generating Reviews
Show It Off: Coordinating Author Appearances and Book Signings
Planning and promoting an event
Setting up an event for smooth sailing
Taking your act on the road
Leave It to the Pros: Working with a Publicist
Reaping the benefits of a publicist
Finding a publicist
Paying the price for a publicist
Chapter 20 Marketing Your Book with Paid Advertising and Promotional Tools
Checking Out the Pros and Cons of Paid Advertising
The benefits of paid advertising
The drawbacks of paid advertising
Your ad may get lost in the crowd or become annoying
Spending precious time to develop an advertising skillset
Requiring the talent of an advertising expert
Advertising can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be
Deciding Where to Advertise to Reach Your Target Audience
Devising an Online Ad Campaign
Identifying ad types and opportunities
Looking beyond social media platforms
Considering shoppable posts on social media
The sales concept
The sales approach
Engaging search engine marketing (SEM) opportunities
Planning a Successful Ad Campaign
Why ad campaigns sometimes fail
Creating your ads
Answering the right questions
Calling the consumer to action
Pulling together text, graphics, and video
Timing your campaign
Tracking the results of your ads
Effectively Using Promotional Materials
Distributing bookmarks
Formatting the bookmark
Finding a bookmark printer
Promoting with postcards
Exploiting excerpts from your book
Attracting attention with book displays
Chapter 21 Expanding Your Income with Spin-Off Merchandise and Services
Considering a Few Important Points before You Create Spin-Offs
Recognizing the investment you need to make
Envisioning the right products and services
Using Multimedia to Repackage Your Content
Opting for audiobooks
Producing pre-recorded, video-based classes
Generating Revenue with a Wide Range of Services
Speaking publicly
Teaching through adult education programs
Hosting your own seminars
Lecturing at colleges and universities
Speaking at trade shows and conferences
Working with a speaker’s bureau
Entering the ranks of the media
Becoming a micro-influencer around your book’s topic
Starting a podcast that gets sponsored
Becoming a consultant or freelancer
Part 6 The Part of Tens
Chapter 22 Ten Self-Publishing Mistakes to Avoid
Not Targeting Your Audience Appropriately
Producing a Book That’s Inaccurate Disorganized, and Poorly Written
A Lack of Attention to Detail and Editing
Inefficiently Using Money and Resources
Having Poor Cover Design and Copy
Choosing the Wrong Printing Method
A Lack of Comprehensive Distribution
Wasting the Potential of Online Distribution
Improperly Planning a Publicity and Marketing Campaign
Bad Timing throughout the Self-Publishing Process
Chapter 23 Ten E-Book Publishing Mistakes to Avoid
Don’t Ignore Proprietary E-Book File Formats
Don’t Publish Your E-Book in Only the PDF Format
Avoid Design Decisions That Make Your E-Book Difficult to Read
Never Use Typestyles That Are Difficult to Read
Don’t Overuse Hyperlinks
Don’t Make Finding Your e-Book Difficult
Never Select E-Book Subject Categories or Keywords That Don’t Apply
Beware of Limited Layout and Design Software
Don’t Lowball Your E-Book’s Cover Price
Don’t Rely on E-Booksellers Only to Distribute Your E-Book
Index
EULA