How To Self-Publish Your First Book
Right now it probably seems like a dream to Mark – getting a physical book into the world. I keep telling him it’s not that difficult. Especially now that there’s a decent selection of online digital publishers to choose from. Still, he has his bag of doubts to carry around and though these may slow down progress, I think the goal will be reached.
Of course, a deal with an established offline publisher’s unlikely, but not what we’re aiming at. If he keeps his eye on the prize then at least one of the following print-on-demand (PoD) publishers will work out fine.
The prize is to write and self-publish a real physical book. One he can use to help win business and open doors to other opportunities.
Actually, I’ve two books in mind for him but in the spirit of ‘just five rules’ we’ll deliver them one at a time. (The second book is aimed at people interested in personal growth. More on that later.)
By the way, as this blog develops, you will read of tools, websites and resources that I’ve encouraged Mark to make use of. At first, there will be no affiliate links for any of these but once he gets measurable results then you can expect that to change.
Why?
This is a business blog about a first time non-fiction author’s journey to self-publishing his first book. Part of that education includes the skills of funding, promoting and marketing not only the book, but the whole caboodle from initial idea to order fulfilment.
I can’t say for sure if these same tools will work better or worse for anyone else. So, please do your own research before making any purchase decision.
The Print-on-Demand (PoD) Publishers
Here’s the list of PoD publishers Mark will be looking at:
1) CreateSpace:
Probably Mark’s number one self-publishing choice at the moment because of their integration within Amazon.com.
Some due-diligence is required but they look professional and come highly recommended.
2) Lulu:
This is ‘Plan B’ should CreateSpace not work out.
Lulu.com also have some interesting ebook publishing plans. (I’m not recommending that Mark focus on e-books until his real book(s) are published but digital versions are under consideration.)
3) Digital Publishers:
There are small, independent digital publishers out there who work with writers. It helps to understand the publisher’s lingo but that can be learned. However, in Mark’s case, I’m more interested in first getting him published and found, than in making more money per book i.e. by eliminating the larger PoD’s cut of the profit/book pie.
If you have any constructive comments on how to self-publish your first book I’d be delighted to hear from you. Just click the contact link in the sidebar or the email icon on the top right of the home page.
