BGOL I Need some tips/advice on self-Publishing...

[playahaitian]

Recently been thinking about getting back into writing and wanted some advice, info, etc. on self publishing.

What are some of the best ways to get started and market and promote?

Is Amazon a viable option?

Suggestions on using social media?

Protecting myself against plagiarism, etc.

What about e-books?

Appreciate the assist.

 

[dirty_larry]

Fam-

I recently helped start a publishing company.

Amazon is viable depending on your book and your expected profit margins.

Marketing is the real question. Most of the advice out there says to create your platform now before you even write the book. Blogs and websites to create your audience now so that when your book is published your initial sales carry you high in the sales rankings which give you more exposure via the sellers (Amazon's) website.

Ebooks. I know a couple authors who only publish cheap ebooks but sell in the thousands which as you know translate into nice royalty checks.

The first question is what genre are you writing and is there a market for your material?

I will check on the protection from plagiarism. Who are you looking to protect yourself from? if you are self publishing then you'll get your own isbn and whatnot.

www.kamelpress.com
- two books published and 6 in the queue.

 

[playahaitian]

Fam-

I recently helped start a publishing company.

Amazon is viable depending on your book and your expected profit margins.

Marketing is the real question. Most of the advice out there says to create your platform now before you even write the book. Blogs and websites to create your audience now so that when your book is published your initial sales carry you high in the sales rankings which give you more exposure via the sellers (Amazon's) website.

Ebooks. I know a couple authors who only publish cheap ebooks but sell in the thousands which as you know translate into nice royalty checks.

The first question is what genre are you writing and is there a market for your material?

I will check on the protection from plagiarism. Who are you looking to protect yourself from? if you are self publishing then you'll get your own isbn and whatnot.

www.kamelpress.com
- two books published and 6 in the queue.

Appreciated.

My sister actually wrote a book about a woman dealing with spousal abuse and a special needs child.

So its pretty much targeted at women (and women of color I guess more specifically) so far it seems like its getting very positive feedback.

She put up a site but I think that is it. No Facebook, blog, message boards, etc.

She wanted to do it all herself but recently came to me.

With the ebooks...how do you get that going> Is Amazon the only viable option to reach an audience?

 

[dirty_larry]

No worries.

I hope your sister finds that she enjoys writing and continues to do so.

So is this book a self help book or a book telling a story (ies)?

This is a great target audience as the number one gender of book club members are women.

Social media is important as it builds what we call her 'platform.' It gives her a voice to the world and it allows friends and family to share/like/link her blog and/or website. With a strong enough following you can get you message across (and sell books...)

Well you need to hit the internet and do your homework so you are prepared. The first thing is to understand what your sister's goal is for her book. The answer to that is going to drive a lot of your publishing decisions.
- who will edit the book and/or ebook?
- who will print the book?
- where do you want to sell the book? online? your house/trunk? flea market?
- are you going to hire a PR firm?
- etc.....

Amazon is not the only forum to sell ebooks. Look into Nook, Kobo, and Smashwords... again depends on your goals. Long term vs short and how you plan to get the word out about the book.

Also, you need to research self publishing so you know what you are getting yourself into. There are advantages and disadvantages to self publishing but also to trying to get accepted by a publishing company.

Is the book written?
has the book been edited?
have you purchased your isbn number(s)?

Keep the questions coming.

 

[playahaitian]

No worries.

I hope your sister finds that she enjoys writing and continues to do so.

So is this book a self help book or a book telling a story (ies)?

This is a great target audience as the number one gender of book club members are women.

Social media is important as it builds what we call her 'platform.' It gives her a voice to the world and it allows friends and family to share/like/link her blog and/or website. With a strong enough following you can get you message across (and sell books...)

Well you need to hit the internet and do your homework so you are prepared. The first thing is to understand what your sister's goal is for her book. The answer to that is going to drive a lot of your publishing decisions.
- who will edit the book and/or ebook?
- who will print the book?
- where do you want to sell the book? online? your house/trunk? flea market?
- are you going to hire a PR firm?
- etc.....

Amazon is not the only forum to sell ebooks. Look into Nook, Kobo, and Smashwords... again depends on your goals. Long term vs short and how you plan to get the word out about the book.

Also, you need to research self publishing so you know what you are getting yourself into. There are advantages and disadvantages to self publishing but also to trying to get accepted by a publishing company.

Is the book written?
has the book been edited?
have you purchased your isbn number(s)?

Keep the questions coming.

I was really shocked when I found out!

But happy.

Its a short novel...with a positive uplifting spin to it for female empowerment.

Already written.

She wants to do it online but it seems she never considered the ebook (so I have to do some research on how to get that sold at Amazon, etc.)

I'm just now outlining how she can use social media...and i never even THOUGHT of a PR firm?

With such a limited/non-existent budget I am not sure how realistic that is but I will look into it.

I really appreciate you taking the time I got a ton more questions and research to done..

 

[dirty_larry]

That's what I'm here for. If I can help guide you in the correct direction I will. If you want my company to do it for you, well we can do that also.

There is a lot of info out there, so as you do your due diligence come back with questions.

Shameless Plug: My company can do a lot of this for you. The devil is in the details but to be simple... We will edit the book, help you develop the cover image, and publish (ebook, paper, or both). We can charge you upfront for editing and setup or you can pay it out of the royalties. Either way once the upfront costs are paid/recouped we split the profit 50/50.
- if you decide to self publish I can sell you the ISBN number(s)
- we are testing out two PR firms right now and in a month I'll know if they are worth the money.

It's doable. Just do your research and be patient.