Thanks for attending Introduction to Self-Publishing through Community Colleges of Spokane. Below you will find live links from the class hand-outs. I’ve also included “visual” answers to some of the questions had during class. If you have any other questions, please feel free to drop me an email.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO IT ALONE
One of the amazing things about the indie community is the willingness to share knowledge and information. A simple Google search will help you locate the information you need to help you succeed in your journey as an author.
While IndiesUnlimited.com is touted by many industry authorities, authors, and readers, it is certainly not the only site out there. You may find all these sites helpful:
Writer Beware (warnings about scam publishers)
Click here for Becky Wicks’s story about leaving Harper Collins for an indie career.
Also, here are some other links that you may find useful:
IU RESOURCE PAGES:
I’ve Written a Book, How Do I Publish It?
This covers everything from self-editing to pushing the publish button – it lists the process step-by-step similar to the chart by Martin Crosbie featured in class.
Book Formatting
This book formatting resource page includes links to sites that have free eBook formatting tools as well as templates for print book formatting from KDP Print, formerly Createspace.
Formatting Table of Contents for eBooks. For print books, I just use a table to make it (this is one reason why I normally format eBook first and then copy and paste that into the template for the print book).
How to Spot a Scam
Remember, if you have to pay, run away!
Check out the other resource pages we offer – we’re adding new ones all the time. Just go up to the menu bar and click on Resource Pages, as shown below, then scroll down until you see what you’re looking for.
Download your free tutorial books, courtesy of Indies Unlimited.
These books were published quite a while ago, but much of the instruction contained within is still up-to-date.
Tutorials & Tools for Prospering in a Digital World
Volume 1 link: http://tinyurl.com/iutools1
Coupon Code: NM75K
Volume 2 link: http://tinyurl.com/iutools2
Coupon Code: WH24X
Coupons expire in 60 days
eBook Publishing
Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)
Smashwords
Draft2Digital
To publish wide or not to publish wide, this article helps you answer that question.
More on eBook distribution/publishing here.
eBook Pricing through Amazon’s KDP (click on the images to enlarge them):
Print Book Publishing (POD – Print on Demand)
Createspace (Amazon)
Articles on Createspace’s Cover Creator
Kindle’s new print division through Amazon
Print book pricing through Amazon’s Createspace (new KDP Print screen caps coming):
More on print book publishing here.
Facebook Groups
For selling books (and other publishing-related stuff): 20BooksTo50K
General writerly stuff: BookGoodies
Writer questions and support: Indies Unlimited Fan Group
Book Promotion/Marketing
Effective Frequency
Author Platform
Advertising through Promotional Sites
Mailing List/Author Newsletter
How to Produce a Quality Book Video
Indie Author Success Stories
Hugh Howey
Amanda Hocking
John Locke
JA Konrath
Self-editing tools, including Microsoft Word “speak” function
Copyright protection while you are writing your book
I’m interviewed on the “Women on Writing” site as part of an article entitled “Pay-to-Publish Companies: Are They All Out to Get You?” Here is my input on service publishers:
Are All Pay-to-Publish Presses Out to Get You?
The answer: no.
Not all pay-to-publish companies are out solely for the money. There are some who honestly want to help authors publish their books. They strive to help the author with editing, formatting, creating a cover, and publishing; and to stay in business, they charge a fee for those services. The only problem is weeding out the good guys from the bad guys.
“There is a difference between vanity publishers and service publishers,” remarks Kat. “A service publisher is borderline okay. There is still a risk of getting a book that is not edited. You don’t know what you’re going to get. You still have to be responsible. You have to be vigilant and know who’s doing what to your book.”
Before engaging the services of a pay-to-publish company, Kat stresses, “Do your homework! Check them out thoroughly. [Look at the] books they have published and run a Google search using the publisher name and ‘scam’, ‘problem’, or ‘reviews’. You can also use Amazon’s ‘Look Inside’ feature to see how well the books are edited and look at the quality of the covers.”