The Publishing Game: Publish a Book in 30 Days (The Publishing Game)

Rating:
Summary: Great Resource For Self-Publishers
Review: "The Publishing Game: Publish a Book in 30 Days" by Fern Reiss gives readers a step-by-step guide to self-publishing their books. For each day of 30 days, "The Publishing Game: Publish a Book in 30 Days" shows the reader the tasks necessary to set up a successful publishing company and turn a manuscript into a published book.

Some of the first days have a modest and fun agenda, such as Day 2, in which you "zero-in on a hot topic...define your target audience, and choose a title and subtitle for your book."

Many of the other days have a more ambitious agenda, such as choosing and setting up a business structure or setting up a database/accounting system to monitor book sales.

For each day's plan, Reiss gives valuable resources and options. Options range from low-cost, do-it-yourself self-publishing to more professional, mid-sized publisher alternatives.

For example, in setting up a record-keeping system, the options Reiss covers range from $10,000 specialized database programs for mid-sized publishers to $100 accounting programs for smaller publishers to buying a notebook and recording sales in a paper journal.

For setting up a promotional website, "The Publishing Game: Publish a Book in 30 Days" lists resources to help those who want to learn to do-it-themselves at low cost. Website programs sponsored by the Writer's Guild to help authors are mentioned. And, for those with larger budgets, references to professional website designers are given.

Any self-publisher should find an option within his/her publishing budget in this book. The main focus of "The Publishing Game: Publish a Book in 30 Days" is not book marketing, but rather getting a book produced and getting a new publishing company established.

Many business aspects of starting a publishing company, which tend to be neglected in other self-publishing books, are discussed. For example, there is an excellent discussion about distributor bankruptcy and how to protect your small publishing company if your exclusive distributor fails. (A small publisher could lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in inventory stored at the distributor during a distributor bankruptcy and never receive payment for it if they don't protect themselves properly. Yet, the topic is usually absent in self-publishing books.)

Other days' effort involve many smaller, but necessary tasks, such as letting the major book buyers know about your titles by filling out the ABI Books In Print form and similar forms.

Book pricing and discount schedules, getting an 800 phone number, setting up a merchant credit card account to process credit cards, book cover design, interior book design, book indexing, publisher's liability insurance, and many other topics are covered.

If you're looking for a step-by-step guide to self-publishing a book, I highly recommend "The Publishing Game: Publish a Book in 30 Days." This book is very well-organized and is an excellent choice for instructors looking for a course book to teach self-publishing in community colleges, universities, workshops, etc.

Peter Hupalo
Owner HCM Publishing

Rating:
Summary: Questions I didn't know I had
Review: I read nearly every book on the market about Self Publishing, and thought I had gathered all the information I needed. Wrong! The Publishing Game answered questions I didn't even know I had. Fern Reiss takes you step by step through everything you need to know in a concise,easy to follow format. This book will show you how to turn your dream into a plan. If you're serious about self publishing, you need this book.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best self publishing books I've ever read
Review: I teach at over a dozen writers conferences a year. I write books for writers. I am on nine writer email discussion lists. In each area where I interact with writers I find those who want to have written a book. They don't make the time, don't do the research, and they don't have a plan. The Publishing Game: Publish a Book in 30 Days by Fern Reiss is a book I will recommend often because it is a plan complete with all the details needed to make the dream of finishing a book a reality.

The step-by-step approach is great for someone who has trouble staying on task. It's also perfect for anyone who wants the correct information in one place. It's obvious that Reiss knows the publishing business and aspiring authors would do wise to follow her lead.

This is an excellent guide for those who want to write a book and become their own publisher. The book assumes the reader knows how to write so it doesn't get into the actual writing of the book, This book also seems to be more geared to those writing non fiction. The book is more user-friendly than any book on self publishing I've come across. Reiss has done a wonderful job of pulling together information on every possible area of self publishing and anyone who is serious about the publishing game would be smart to run to the nearest outlet, online or brick and mortar, and buy a copy.