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Summary: Successful Self-Publishers Share Useful Tips
Review: The main part of this book consists of stories by fourteen successful self-publishers. They include a couple who writes cookbooks, a single mom who creates books for school parties, a teacher who started by publishing in her spare time, and others. Even though the books may not be the kind you intend to write and sell, you can get plenty of tips from those who have gone before you. The publishers are frank, talking about the problems as well as the joys of self publishing.Before getting to the publishers, Thomas starts with a chapter outling the commitments of self-publishing, including both time and money, and how long you can expect it to take before you become self-supporting. Honest, as well as inspiring, I recommend this book to those who are either dreaming of self-publishing, or those with some experience, but who want to become more successful.
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Summary: I love this book!
Review: What a valuable twist on all the self-publishing advice that's out there! I love the anecdotes about *real* self-publishers, especially the concrete information about sales volumes and income streams. Other anecdote-based books about self-publishers whose books became best-sellers are inspiring, but not too realistic for most of us. This book tells stories about publishers who are able to make a living with moderately successful books. Because Suzanne has chosen a wide variety of publishers for her anecdotes, the reader can see that there is no "one right way" to be successful in the publishing business. This book almost has a "do what you love and the money will follow flavor"--many of the publishers profiled have gone into the business, not for the profit potential, but because the business gives them the flexibility to live their chosen lifestyles. I highly recommend this well-written book to fledgling self-publishers looking for advice, inspiration, and a change of pace at the end of an exhausting day learning the dozens of new skills required in the publishing business. --Kathy Fitzgerald Sherman, author and publisher of "A Housekeeper Is Cheaper Than a Divorce: Why You CAN Afford to Hire Help and How to Get It"
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Summary: A fine, fine book
Review: Whether you sell your manuscript to a publisher or publish yourself, the author must do the promotion. Writing and promoting are completely different challenges. But, one person can successfully be the author, the publisher, the publicist, the shipping person, and the bookkeeper--and end up with a profit. This book proves it. Suzanne Thomas's newest book, Make Money Self-Publishing, describes how fourteen publishers have written, published, and sold enough books to support themselves. You get the inside stories of real people in real life situations. Not only will you learn about their successes, but also about their mistakes. You will discover that you can succeed even if some of your marketing efforts don't produce the results you expected. Whether you are new to self-publishing or already have several books in print, you will find how to increase the odds that your publishing company will make money. You will gain insights into how to determine the size of your print runs, how to market your books effectively, what type of income you can expect, and how long it will take before your publishing business can support you. Perhaps you suspect that successful self-publishers are somehow different, but the publishers in this book are ordinary people. No matter whether you've written a regional or national title, fiction or nonfiction, a cookbook or a textbook, you will find someone here to be your role model. Instead of reinventing the wheel, you can learn from their experiences. Just like Olympic athletes who visualize themselves performing perfectly, and thereby improve their real-world abilities, so too can you leap ahead in your skill level as a publisher. Even if you started your publishing company last week, reading Make Money Self-Publishing can help you gain years of knowledge, while avoiding costly mistakes. Each of the profiled publishers have faced the same problems you have. Given the limitations of their available time and their budgets, they have figured out the best ways to sell their books. Some sell through traditional outlets such as bookstores while others sell their books in electronic format or through Internet bookstores. You can live through their experiences vicariously, imagining what the results would be for your book. Though the job of a self-publisher is challenging and satisfying, the day-to-day work can sometimes be discouraging. Along with the successes come setbacks. Perhaps a wholesaler returned a carton of your books. Maybe your sales numbers have started to drop. Or a public relations company hasn't produced results. At moments like these it is important to have friends who can help with advice, but they aren't always available when you need them. The publishers in this book, however, can act as handy substitutes, conveniently waiting on your bookshelf. What did Cheri Thurston do to reduce returns from wholesalers? How did the Hoffmans rejuvenate the sales of one of their cookbooks after annual sales dropped to 1,000 copies? What did Gayle Mitchell do when she decided she could market her book better than the company she had hired? Sometimes you won't be looking for solutions to particular problems. Instead you may want an injection of enthusiasm. Rereading your favorite chapters will inspire you to try something new, remind you of an idea you had forgotten, or motivate you to write the next book. Each chapter is a story, and beyond their educational value, they are also plain fun to read. Make Money Self-Publishing is a valuable addition to any publisher's library. It's an invaluable reference for any self-publisher who needs encouragement and guidance. Suzanne's book provides you with valuable information sweetened by a huge dose of inspiration. If you want to make money as a publisher, then you should read this book. Suzanne Thomas has succeeded at both publishing and real estate. Determined, focused and tenacious, she succeeds by helping others reach their goals.
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