Smart Self-Publishing: An Author's Guide to Producing a Marketable Book, 3rd ed.

Rating:
Summary: So you want to self-publish?
Review: Don't even think about until you read this book...

"Smart Self-Publishing" (Tabby House) is the winner of the National Association of Independent Publishers Special Publishing Award, and with good reason. Linda and Jim Salisbury have created a phenomenal reference for any writer who opts to produce and publish their own book, but all writers heading into the realm of publishing would benefit by the reading of this book.

The chapters include topics such as 'Ways to Get Published,' 'Working with Professionals,' and 'Creating a Professional Product.' These three chapters alone make the book worthwhile.

There is a wealth of information on the process and options open to the self-publisher; the hardcore information supplied within these pages, based on first-hand experience, is well researched and clearly written by professionals within the publishing industry.

There is specific instruction offered on how to make your book have an appearance that will fit into the mainstream and not look like a self-published book, a serious downfall of most self-published books and one that prevents wholesalers, distributors, and even individual local bookstores from stocking these titles.

There is solid advice on how to package your books professionally and the differences between doing this yourself or hiring someone to perform the various steps for you, including the pitfalls of self-designing the book and cover, and professional editing (or lack thereof) of the manuscript before it goes to press.

In 'Do Your Marketing Homework,' some of the best information is the emphasis placed on marketing and book promotion, something so many writers ignore even if they have a publisher for their manuscript. Marketing is the key to the success of any product, yet, so many, and writers in particular, often neglect this important link. Writing is the easy part, getting the book published is the next easy part (even when done by a publisher), selling your book in today's market is the hardest part of all, and selling requires marketing.

'Riding the Distribution Roller Coaster' aptly describes the distribution experience of all publishers. Once a manuscript is written, and even before it is published in book format, the next link in the chain of publishing needs to be worked into the program. Distribution is the second most important link, following a marketing plan; yet, distribution is often what many self-publishers think they can do without. Because distributors demand such a high discount, small presses and publishers do not like to sign with them and this is a major mistake. Today, most bookstores, and even libraries, prefer to place their orders through one or two major distributors. The Salisbury's make this clear in their book.

'Business Details' includes practical advice on the importance of record keeping, taxes, shipping and storage of books. There is also a chapter covering the pros and cons of the newest technologies in publishing, which should prove useful to anyone considering avenues like POD or E-books for their works.

"Smart Self-Publishing" has an impressive appendix of references for everything from 'must-have reference' titles to 'marketing news and tips.' There is also an appendix on 'Useful stuff for self-publishers' which includes book manufacturers, stores, designers, and specific contact information for the necessities such as copyright and ISBN details, distributors and editorial services, and useful Web sites. Finally, there is a glossary of terms used in the book production/publishing industry, and the almighty index is a part of this book; an index being almost a requirement of any nonfiction book, yet something often ignored by self-publishers.

In summary, "Smart Self-Publishing" is a one-stop source for answers to all the questions beginning, 'How do I ____?' One of the best books of its kind on the market, it is well designed, neatly packaged, clear and concise in ideas and presentation, and should be the first book anyone considering entering the world of publishing should read from cover to cover ' and reference continually along the path.

Rating:
Summary: Keeping track of money matters, and much more
Review: Now in an completely updated third edition, Smart Self-Publishing: An Author's Guide To Producing A Marketable Book by independent press publishers Linda and Jim Salisbury (Tabby House) is an informed and informative "how-to" instructional manual for succeeding in the competitive world of book publishing. Individual chapters address different venues of self-publishing, how to be professional in both literary product and the human element in publishing, handling the challenges of book promotion and distribution, keeping track of money matters, and much more. Smart Self-Publishing is an excellent primer for anyone with a serious interest in taking the self-publishing plunge.

Rating:
Summary: A good book for the beginning self publisher.
Review: There are dozens of books written on self-publishing and this is one of the better ones. The author covers the basics in reasonably good detail. The writing style is light and easy-to-read. The book is also full of examples of books that were self-published and what these authors did to ensure their book's success.

The authors advocates the use of "Book Packagers," and in many respects the book assumes that you will be working with a Packager. Passages like "be sure to ask your Book Packager about this. . . " are found throughout the book. A Book Packager is someone that is hired to actually produce the book. They act somewhat like a building contractor. You make basic decisions regarding the book, and the copyright is in your name, but the Packager does all (or most) of the work. Packagers are a good alternative for someone that has neither the time nor inclination to take the "do it yourself" route. A good Packager can also ensure that book is produced in a professional manner. The major disadvantage is that it will add to your costs. Given the razor thin profit margins on books these days, you need to determine if you can really afford this option.

I haven't found one book on self-publishing that covers everything well. If you really want to learn how to produce and sell your own book I'd recommend purchasing a couple of titles. Other books to consider those by Poynter, Cardoza, Ross & Ross, or Brownstone.