How to Publish Your Own Book: Everything You Need to Know About the Self-publishing Process PDF
Preview How to Publish Your Own Book: Everything You Need to Know About the Self-publishing Process
Some related titles from HowTo Books Awaken the Writer Within Release your creativity and find your true writer's voice 'Your true writer's voice is unlikely to inhabit the realms of logic... this book takes you on a journey into the subconscious to help you find that voice - and use it. The results can be both amazing and satisfying.' - Writer's Own Writers' Guide to Copyright and Law Learn what rights you have as a writer and how to enjoy them; what obligations you have and how to comply with them 'Clear, no-nonsense style ... no jargon or waffle - just sound common sense advice.' - Alison Chisholm, BBC Radio Write Your Life Story How to record and present your memories for friends and family to enjoy 'Making a professional job of your autobiography is a very worthwhile project and Write Your Life Story will help you make a polished job of it.' Writing Magazine Send for a free copy of the latest catalogue to: How To Books Spring Hill House, Spring Hill Road Begbroke, Oxford, 0X5 1RX, United Kingdom email: [email protected] http://www.howtobooks.co.uk Everything you need to know about the self-publishing process Anna Crosbie howtobooks Published by How To Content, A division of How To Books Ltd, Spring Hill House, Spring Hill Road, Begbroke, Oxford 0X5 1RX. United Kingdom. Tel: (01865) 375794. Fax: (01865) 379162. email: [email protected] http://www.howtobooks.co.uk All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or stored in an information retrieval system (other than for purposes of review) without the express permission of the publisher in writing. The right of Anna Crosbie to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. © Copyright 2006 Anna Crosbie First published in paperback 2006 First published in electronic form 2007 ISBN: 978 1 84803 047 3 Produced for How To Books by Deer Park Productions, Tavistock, Devon, UK Typeset by PDQ Typesetting, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs, UK Cover Design by Baseline Arts Ltd, Oxford, UK NOTE: The material contained in this book is set out in good faith for general guidance and no liability can be accepted for loss or expense incurred as a result of relying in particular circumstances on statements made in the book. The laws and regulations are complex and liable to change, and readers should check the current position with the relevant authorities before making personal arrangements. Contents Acknowledgements ix Preface xi 1 What is Self-publishing? 1 What do you want to achieve from self-publishing? 4 What are you willing and able to invest? 8 What you need to do to self-publish a book 11 The advantages of self-publishing 13 2 Knowing Your Product and Your Market 16 Knowing your book and your readers 16 Describing your product and market 19 3 Things You Should Know Before You Get Started 21 ISBN 21 British Library cataloguing 23 British Library book deposits 24 Book industry classifications 24 Copyright 26 Libel 30 Public Lending Rights 32 When to publish 32 What's in a name? 35 Contracts 37 4 Setting a Budget 38 Working out your costs 38 Production costs 40 Pricing your book 41 5 Designing Your Book 44 Choosing a title 44 Front cover design 45 v vi (cid:13)(cid:10)HOW TO PUBLISH YOUR OWN BOOK Back cover design 51 The book's spine 53 Book size 53 Ensuring editorial quality 55 Illustrations 56 6 Producing Your Book 58 Binding 58 Choosing a paper 59 Obtaining a quote for a printer 60 Typesetting 61 Indexing 68 Print on demand 70 7 Marketing Your Book 73 What is marketing? 73 Promoting to the book industry 77 Building a database of booksellers 78 Reviews 83 Promoting your book to the public 87 How to write a press release 90 Radio 92 Television 93 Organising your book launch 94 Giving interviews 98 Advertising 99 Talks and workshops 106 Writing your marketing plan 107 8 The Internet 111 Creating your own website 111 Utilising search engines 113 Pay-per-click advertising 113 Amazon 114 Electronic publishing 115 CONTENTS / vii Lulu - a trial of an online publisher 120 The internet and the future 122 9 Selling Your Book 123 Direct sales 123 Book wholesalers 124 Book retailers 125 The internet 126 Library sales 127 Freelance sales representatives 130 Independent Publishers Guild 130 Selling subsidiary rights 131 Doing business 132 Distribution 134 Keeping track 138 Chasing payment and dealing with bad debt 139 What to do with left-over books 144 10 Case Studies 147 The Barney Thomson Series Douglas Lindsay 148 All The World's A Pub! James Green 150 Another Kind of Loving Sylvie Nickels 151 The Cause Jane Mann 153 All in the Mind Judith Cranswick 155 The Oddies Grant Slatter 156 Anthony Blair, Captain of School by An Old Boy John Morrison 159 From Paradise to Eden Dulcie Matthews 161 Flying Without Fear Keith Godfrey 164 11 Planning Guide 165 Initial research and organisation 165 Pre-production phase 166 While books are being printed 167 Once books are delivered from the printer 167 On the book's publication 168 Ongoing 169 viii /HOW TO PUBLISH YOUR OWN BOOK Useful Addresses 171 Glossary 175 Applying for ISBNs 181 Other Useful Information 191 Index 195 List of Illustrations 1 BIG standard subject categories 27 2 BIG standard subject qualifiers 27 3 Quotation request 62 4 Example of an order blank 69 5 Suggested layout for a mailshot 78 6 Example of a book review 88 7 Sample press release 91 8 Example of a marketing plan 108 9 Blank marketing plan 109 10 Sales ledger example 140 11 Example of a letter chasing an unpaid invoice 143 Acknowledgements With thanks to my agent Peter Buckman for giving me confidence and determination, and to my husband Tony, for putting up with it. ix
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