How to Make Money Publishing from Home, Revised 2nd Edition

Rating:
Summary: An Absolute Must for Anyone Opening a Home-Based Publishing
Review: Have you ever dreamed of starting your own home-based publishing business? Have you been hesitant to put your plans into action? This book contains all the necessary ideas and strategies you will need to successfully launch and grow your business. Lisa Shaw, a home-based publisher, reveals to her readers everything they need to know to successfully start and run a home-based publishing business.

I have read and re-read the book so many times, the cover has gotten frayed. The genius of the book is that it is based in sound business practices and could theoretically be applied to any business. Whether you want to earn your living creating newsletters and brochures, zines and postcards with this excellent book at your side you can experience the satisfaction of building your own home-based publishing business.

Rating:
Summary: Drive-by
Review: Lisa Shaw's advice on the economics of starting a home-based publishing business is something of a conundrum. First, she claims startup capital and money for living expenses can be unnecessary luxuries that sap motivation. "In fact," she says, "I had no money in my early publishing ventures, so I had to rely solely on my creativity and my intractable faith in my own abilities." Later, she recommends this reality check to help assess the level of risk you're comfortable assuming: "How would you react if you or a family member had to spend a week in the hospital and you didn't have health insurance because you needed the money to pay the mortgage?"

She goes on to take a superficial look at a number of self-publishing enterprises (including booklets, books, greeting cards, magazines, newsletters, newspapers, software and e-zines); considering ease of startup, initial investment, time commitment required and other factors.

Each chapter contains a brief profile of someone who's been successful in each line of home-based publishing, but little detail is given. The profiles tell what each entrepreneur did, but offer only limited information on how they did it, since names and contact information for the resources they used are kept secret. Despite citing the growth of the Internet as one of the key factors making home-based publishing viable, there's scarce information on how to utilize the World Wide Web as a marketing tool for your efforts. And in a chapter dealing with computer hardware and software titled "Technologically Speaking" - a chapter one would expect would be brimming with detail based on the book's topic - Shaw's best advice is, "do your own research...."

The final chapter begins, "You now have the knowledge and the tools necessary to start your own home-based publishing business."

Not unless you're prepared to do a lot of supplemental reading.

Unless you're looking for a very brief introduction to home-based publishing, there's no "how-to" in How to Make Money Publishing from Home.

Shaw's book is drive-by writing, without the research.

Rating:
Summary: A Business Bible for "Old Dog" & "New Puppy" Entrepreneurs!
Review: Publishing is part of the daily routine at my 13-year-old, home-based marketing and public relations firm. So, I was wondering what innovative things Lisa Shaw would be able to teach me in her book HOW TO MAKE MONEY PUBLISHING FROM HOME. Well, trust me--this "old dog" learned PLENTY of new tricks! Of course, there was the usual, basic stuff: reasons to begin a home-based business, financial assessments, skills needed and exactly what to expect from your new venture. But then I learned about: new niches I could fill within my company; some areas of publishing I'd NEVER want to try based on Ms. Shaw's descriptions (which saved me time); and Zines ... never had heard of them! There were a few things I wish the author HAD included, and perhaps they can be in a revised edition: a) contract examples for independent contractors, b) confidentiality statements for use with clients and c) since the book is about publishing, more updated information on copyright laws. Her Resource List included many of the titles I have relied on over the years, and which should be "must reads" for budding entrepreneurs. And, I'd like to add two titles to her list: 1)GETTING BUSINESS TO COME TO YOU by Paul & Sarah Edwards and Laura Clampitt Douglas and 2) 101 HOME OFFICE SUCCESS SECRETS by Lisa Kanarek. It was apparent in the content of Ms. Shaw's book that she had "been there" and obviously "done that" (publishing from home) extremely well! Warning: Running a home-based business isn't for sissies! Do you homework and research BEFORE you begin to save you a lot of heartache later. And, oh yeah, GOOD LUCK!