Authors desiring to self publish or create electronic books (ebooks) now have more options than ever for getting their ideas into written form and to generate money with minimal effort and cost. Electronic technology and companies/services, such as, Lightning Source, Amazon Kindle, Smshwords, IngramSpark, Bookbaby, Lulu and others continue to simplify the self publishing process. As with other technologies, industry competition is …
Recent information released by Bowker indicates that the number of self published titles in the United States jumped to more than 391,000 in 2012. This is an increase of 59 percent over 2011 and 422 percent over 2007. Additionally, eBooks continue to gain on print, comprising 40 percent of the ISBNs that were self-published in 2012, moving up from just 11 percent in …
As I mentioned in my previous article on this topic, one question that I often get from new authors and writers is “How much does writing and publishing a book cost?” The answer is that “it varies.” One thing that I strongly recommend is that you never pay for something you can get otherwise. Most people have knowledge and skills …
A question I often hear from new authors and writers is “What does it cost to write and self publish a book cost?” The answer is that “it varies.” With electronic technology, if you have a computer and know how to use it, you can get a lot of the material and information you need and you already have most of …
I learned a lot and got many ideas for book publishing, writing, and marketing self-published books at the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) conference. It was great getting to network with hundreds of other authors and self publishers and vendors who offer some useful services to help in the publishing process. Two useful resources for authors and self-publishers that I found …
If you are a self-published author looking to build your author platform and gain national exposure for your book(s), check out the Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards. Winners also get a $3000 in cash and registration for the annual Writer’s Digest conference. Early-bird submission deadline is April 1, 2014. For additional creative ideas on building your author platform, spreading the …
The Independent Book Publishers Association has just announced that its annual Publishing University will be held in San Francisco, California March 21-22, 2014. This annual event is a must attend for anyone who independently publishes books or wants to learn how. Networking with other like-minded professionals provides opportunities to learn and build resources from around the country. Additionally, educational workshops and …
As an author, deciding how to best get your book published can be a challenging and stressful decision. That is because, unlike years ago when an aspiring author wrote a manuscript, got an agent and found a traditional publishing house to get their “baby” into print, times have changed. Today there are more options. All of which have pros and …
Numerous studies related to self publishing, ebooks and the publishing industry in general continue to point to the fact that more authors are going the do it yourself route to publishing. They are also creating more electronic books in the process. Check out this article by Randy Susan Myers to get a sense of the depth of the trend. http://beyondthemargins.com/2013/06/book-facts-and-stats/
Before you go further in your efforts to become a published author, do a quick assessment of your knowledge, resources and support network so that you have a sound foundation for ideas and information as you move forward. To do this, take a few minutes to answer the following questions. Add additional ones you might think of and answer them …