The Complete Idiot's Guide to Self-Publishing

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Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2005-10-04
Publisher(s): DK Publishing, Inc.
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Summary

You're no idiot, of course. You know that in the computer age, desktop publishing platforms have provided writers and editors with the tools to create books from the comfort of their own homes. But having your book ready for printing isn't the end of the story-it's just the beginning ...

Author Biography

Jennifer Basye Sander has self-published two successful titles. She-'s worked in all aspects of book publishing, and as a packager, she created a New York Times bestselling series for William Morrow. The author or co-author of more than 20 books, she has been featured on CNBC, CNNfn, The View, Book TV, Fox News, and in USA Today, Investors Business Daily, The New York Post, Newsday, Chicago Sun-Times, Cosmopolitan, Boston Globe, and Los Angeles Times, among others.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Before You Begin 1(50)
1 Self-Publishing: The Big Picture
3(14)
What Exactly Is Self-Publishing?
4(1)
Commercial Publishers: What They Do, What They Don't Do!
5(2)
Say Good-Bye to Your Favorite Title
5(1)
Yikes! Where Did That Cover Come From?
6(1)
Am I Missing a Chapter?
6(1)
Skipping Christmas
6(1)
Position Number One
7(1)
The Remains of the Day
7(1)
Variations on a Theme of Self-Publishing
7(3)
Do-It-All-Yourself
8(1)
Hiring Help
8(1)
Vanity Press
9(1)
Nonbook Self-Publishing
9(1)
No Longer in the Shadows
10(1)
Why the Change in Attitude?
11(2)
New Players on the Self-Publishing Team
11(1)
Technology Difference
11(1)
The Entrepreneurial Edge
12(1)
The Best Reasons to Self-Publish
13(4)
Keep Control, Keep on Schedule
14(1)
The Bottom Line
14(1)
Novels, Memoirs, and Children's Books
15(1)
Your Name in Print!
15(2)
2 Self-Publishing and You
17(8)
Publishing Books for Fun and Profit
18(1)
But What Is This Going to Cost Me?
18(3)
Sell Advertising—I Did!
20(1)
Cash Up Front
20(1)
Should I Just Go Electronic?
21(1)
A Book and Your Career
21(1)
Can You Really Handle It?
22(2)
Your Book and You
24(1)
3 Evaluate Your Idea
25(18)
What Kind of Book Are You Writing?
26(2)
Poetry
28(1)
Types of Nonfiction Books
29(3)
Children's Books
31(1)
Picture Books
31(1)
Children's Fiction
31(1)
Children's Nonfiction
32(1)
Why Are You Writing and Publishing?
32(3)
Money?
33(1)
Fame?
33(1)
Personal Satisfaction?
34(1)
A Family Project?
34(1)
Hopes of Selling Out to a Big Publisher?
35(1)
Is There an Audience Out There?
35(2)
Who Are They?
36(1)
How Many?
36(1)
Can You Find Them?
36(1)
Where Will You Sell Your Book?
37(3)
Friends and Family
37(1)
Bookstore Distribution
37(1)
Online Bookstores
38(1)
Giveaways and Promotions
39(1)
Back-of-the-Room Sales
39(1)
Dedicated Website
39(1)
Other Nonbookstore Retail
40(1)
Will This Book Really Work?
40(1)
Tweaking Your Idea
40(2)
Narrow Your Focus
41(1)
Broaden Your Focus
41(1)
Mulling It Over
42(1)
4 Nonbook Ways to Self-Publish
43(8)
Electronic Books
44(2)
A Glimpse of Heavenly Miracles
45(1)
The Perfect Reason
46(1)
Self-Publishing an E-Book
46(1)
Can I Turn It into a Printed Book Later?
47(1)
E-Book Sales Methods
48(1)
Other Nonbook Ways to Self-Publish
48(1)
Can I Carry Your Binder?
49(2)
Part 2: Getting Started 51(78)
5 Build a Book
53(16)
What Kind of Book Do You Envision?
54(1)
Four Major Types of Books and Their Attributes
54(1)
A Table for You
55(1)
The Truth About Nonfiction
55(2)
Usability = Profitability
56(1)
You Got the Look!
56(1)
Choose a Binding—Hard or Soft
57(3)
You and Your Binding
58(1)
The Money Thing
59(1)
Get a Spine!
60(1)
Did You See the Paper?
61(3)
On the Other Hand
62(1)
Just the Facts, Ma'am
62(2)
Fiction—What's the Story with These Books?
64(5)
Mass-Market Fiction
64(1)
Trade Fiction
65(1)
Casing the Store Under Cover
66(1)
They Won't Let You in Without a Jacket
66(1)
Pulp Fiction—the Paper Fiction Is Printed On
67(2)
6 Build Children's Books and Gift Books
69(14)
A Present for Me?
70(5)
All Dressed Up As a Gift
71(1)
Color My World
71(2)
Time to Take Stock!
73(1)
What's in the Bag?
73(1)
Gifts Big and Small
74(1)
That Something Extra Special Counts
74(1)
The ABCs of Children's Books
75(3)
Harsh Reality Check
76(1)
On the Other Hand
77(1)
Grow Up! Publishing Books for Older Kids
78(5)
Hitting the Books
79(1)
The Home School Market
79(1)
Building a Web to Catch Your Readers
80(3)
7 Who Are All These People?
83(10)
Meet the Players
84(1)
Who Knew There Were So Many?
85(1)
How Many Editors Does It Take to Screw in a Light Bulb (or Publish a Book)?
85(5)
Developmental Editor
86(1)
Production Editor
86(1)
Copyeditors
87(1)
Proofreaders
87(1)
Book Designer
88(1)
Cover Designers
88(1)
Copywriters
89(1)
Indexers
90(1)
Is There a Doctor in the House?
90(1)
Finding a Primary Care Physician
90(1)
Paying Your Medical Insurer
91(1)
The Legionnaires: Hiring a Freelancer
91(2)
8 The Wide World of Printing
93(12)
Baby, It's Hot in Here!
94(1)
It's What's on the Inside That Counts
95(1)
It's Magic
96(1)
All Together Now: Binding
96(1)
Finding a Printer
97(3)
Make a List and Check It Twice
98(1)
Mistakes to Avoid
99(1)
Print-On-Demand Examined
100(1)
Quote and Quote Again
100(2)
Navigational Help
101(1)
Another Bit of Help
101(1)
Turnaround Time
102(1)
Printing with Color
102(1)
Offshore Color Printing
103(1)
Paying the Bill
104(1)
9 What Should You Charge?
105(10)
Back to Step One—What Is Your Goal?
106(2)
Money
106(1)
Fame
107(1)
Personal Satisfaction
107(1)
Family Project
107(1)
Sell Out to a Large Publisher
107(1)
Different Goals, Different Prices
107(1)
What Can the Market Bear?
108(3)
Profit vs. Break-Even
110(1)
Can You Afford to Lose Money?
110(1)
Basic Price Formulas
111(1)
Print Costs Will Change
111(1)
What the Retail Price Really Means
112(3)
Distributors' Percentage
112(1)
Bookstore Discounts
112(1)
The Gift Market
113(1)
I'm Back!
113(1)
Selling Direct?
113(2)
10 Legal Hatters
115(14)
The Main Legal Issues
116(1)
Copyright—Yours and Theirs
116(3)
Fair Use
119(3)
Public Domain
120(1)
Plagiarism
120(1)
The Air Courier's Handbook
121(1)
Song Lyrics
121(1)
Permissions
122(1)
Libel, Slander, and Defamation of Character
122(2)
Get It in Writing
124(7)
Legal Agreements with Freelancers
124(2)
Legal Agreements with Contributors
126(1)
Working with Collaborators
126(1)
Freedom of Speech
127(2)
Part 3: Getting Down to Business—How a Book Is Made 129(70)
11 The Parts of a Book
131(14)
Why Books Are the Way They Are
132(1)
Front Matter Elements
133(3)
Testimonials
133(1)
Half-Title Page
133(1)
Frontispiece
134(1)
Title Page
134(1)
Copyright Page
134(1)
Dedication Page
134(1)
Epigraph Page
135(1)
The Table of Contents
135(1)
Foreword
135(1)
Preface
136(1)
Acknowledgments
136(1)
Introduction
136(1)
Primary Text
136(2)
Chapters
137(1)
Parts
138(1)
Afterword
138(1)
Back Matter
138(1)
Appendixes
138(1)
Glossary
139(1)
Bibliography
139(1)
Index
139(1)
Order Forms and Marketing Materials
139(1)
About the Author
139(1)
Primary Parts of a Nonfiction Book
139(2)
How-To
139(1)
Memoirs, Letters, and Diaries
140(1)
Cookbooks
140(1)
Encyclopedia or Other Reference Books
140(1)
Travel Books
140(1)
Primary Parts of a Fiction Book
141(1)
Primary Parts of a Poetry Book
142(1)
Does My Book Really Need an Index?
143(1)
Is My Book Overdressed?
144(1)
12 Everyone Needs an Editor
145(12)
Anything You Can Do, You Can Do Better
146(3)
Reference It
147(1)
May I Suggest a Class or Two?
148(1)
Speak Loudly and Carry a Big Red Pen
149(1)
Skip the Polite Pats on the Back
150(1)
Check Your Ego at the Door
150(1)
The Three-Step Plan
151(1)
Hiring an Editor
152(3)
Where's Waldo?
153(1)
Show Them the Money
154(1)
Ouch! That Hurts
155(1)
Firing Your Editor
155(2)
13 All Things Production
157(22)
Avoiding Disaster
158(1)
The Pros and Cons of Creating Your Own Layout
158(1)
Planning Your Book
159(1)
Getting the Story Straight
160(1)
Making a List and Checking It Twice
160(2)
Chapter Presentations and Sections
161(1)
Introductions
161(1)
Heads, Subheads, and Run-In Heads
161(1)
Iconic System
161(1)
Lists
161(1)
Supporting Content
162(1)
Designing Your Book
163(1)
Book Design Fundamentals
164(4)
Page Size
165(1)
Page Numbers
165(1)
Page Headers and Footers
165(1)
Part Openers
166(1)
Chapter Openers
166(1)
Chapter Endings
166(1)
Front Matter
167(1)
Photos and Illustrations
168(1)
Sidebars and Features
168(1)
Typeface
169(4)
Type Size and Leading
170(1)
Heads and Subheads
170(1)
General Typesetting Guidelines
171(1)
Leading
172(1)
Baseline Grid
172(1)
Margins
172(1)
Producing Your Book
173(3)
Preparing the Text for Import
174(1)
Formatting Trouble-Free Text
174(1)
Creating Trouble-Free Graphics
175(1)
The Round Up—Creating an Even Signature
176(1)
Preparing the Layout Files for the Printer
176(2)
Creating the Interior PDF
177(1)
The Cover File
177(1)
The Proof Is in the Pudding
178(1)
14 Design an Effective cover
179(10)
What Makes a Cover Work?
180(3)
Your Title and Subtitle
180(1)
Type Size and Style
181(1)
Color
181(1)
Design Elements
182(1)
Second Glance
182(1)
Image Conscious
182(1)
What Really Belongs on the Cover?
183(1)
Paperback Cover
184(1)
Inside Front and Back Also?
185(1)
Rules to Avoid the Self-Published "Look"
186(1)
Book Cover Designers I Recommend
187(2)
15 Paperwork and Registrations
189(10)
The Debut Party: Publication Date
190(1)
Up Front and Personal
191(1)
Papers and Forms and Feds, Oh My!
192(2)
Always Use Protection: Copyright Registration
192(1)
Library of Congress Number
193(1)
ISBN
194(3)
Scannable Marks
195(1)
UPC
195(1)
Four Books, Four Styles
196(1)
Let the World Know What's Coming
197(2)
Part 4: My Book Is Done, Now What? Publicizing and Selling a Self-Published Book 199(82)
16 Book Distributors and Retailers
201(14)
The World of Retail Bookselling
202(3)
The Brave World of Independents
202(2)
Ask the Question!
204(1)
The Big World of Chains
204(1)
How Does a Book Reach the Shelves?
205(1)
Who and What Are Distributors?
205(2)
What They Do
206(1)
What They Don't Do
207(1)
How to Interest a Book Distributor
207(1)
Major Players in the Distribution World
208(1)
Book Wholesalers
209(3)
What They Do
209(1)
What They Don't Do
210(1)
Ingram Book Company
210(1)
Baker & Taylor
211(1)
How Much Does This Cost?
211(1)
Distribution for Print-On-Demand Titles
212(1)
The Gift Market
212(1)
General Words of Advice and Encouragement
213(2)
17 Online Book Distribution
215(8)
Getting Started
216(1)
Amazon.com
216(2)
Barnes & Noble, BN.com
217(1)
Borders.com
218(1)
Other Sites to Keep in Mind
218(2)
Booksamillion.corn
219(1)
Powells.com
219(1)
Justbookz.com
219(1)
Doing Business with Amazon.com
220(1)
Online Sales Rankings
221(1)
Selling from Your Own Website
221(2)
18 Book Publicity 101
223(18)
What You See Is What You Buy
224(1)
Hook, Line, and Sinker
224(2)
Vanity Sells
226(1)
Operation Publicity Storm
227(4)
Strategy and Risk
228(1)
Battle Plans
228(2)
Effective Eventing
230(1)
Where Else?
231(1)
The Press Secretary Is at the Podium
232(3)
Effective New Book Releases 101
235(4)
Help! I Need Somebody, Not Just Anybody
239(2)
19 Reaching the Print Media
241(10)
The Art of the "Know-It-All"
242(3)
The Three R's
242(1)
It's Black and White
242(1)
Locally Grown
243(1)
Shopping the Markets
244(1)
So Many Articles to Pitch!
245(2)
Etiquette at the News Desk
247(1)
No Calls, Please
248(1)
Leave a Message
248(1)
Editorial Copy Is Power
248(1)
Going in the Back Door
249(2)
20 Television and Radio Publicity
251(10)
The Power of TV and Radio
252(1)
All of Cable Is Your Oyster
252(1)
What the Heck Are They Looking For?
253(3)
Hard News
253(1)
News Magazine
254(1)
Morning Show
254(1)
Talk Show
255(1)
Entertainment Talk
255(1)
Documentary/Educational
255(1)
How Will They Find You?
256(1)
Is There a Show in Your Area?
256(1)
Video Didn't Kill the Radio Star
257(1)
You Look (and Sound) Marvelous!
257(4)
Fun with Makeup
259(1)
You May Have a Wardrobe Gimmick
259(1)
You Sound Marvelous!
260(1)
21 Marketing Online
261(10)
So Many Ways, So Big an Internet—Pumping Up Sales Online
262(5)
Build It and They Will Come—Websites and E-zines
262(1)
Giveaways
263(2)
Man for Hire—Writing Articles for E-zines and Excerpting Opportunities
265(1)
Love to Link You, Baby—How Links Fuel Sales Hits
265(1)
Shopper's Paradise—Online Catalogs and Stores
266(1)
What's That You Write? The Power of Blogging
266(1)
Build Your E-mail List
267(1)
Friends and Family—Ask for Help
268(1)
The Power of Emotion
268(1)
The One-Day Special
269(1)
The Plan, Man
269(2)
22 Meeting With Success
271(10)
Best Practices
272(2)
Ellen Reid Smith
272(1)
Jennifer Basye Sander
273(1)
The Indie Mind-Set
274(1)
Keep Your Eyes and Ears Open
275(1)
Your Book Is Successful—What's Your Next Move?
276
Sell to a Publisher?
276(1)
Start Your Own Company?
277(1)
Another Life
278(1)
Developing Spin-Off Products and Services
279
Appendixes
A Glossary
281(4)
B Sample Press Kit Materials
285(6)
C Self-Publishing Groups and Websites
291(2)
D Sample Agreements
293
E Recommended Resources and Experts
291(10)
Index 301

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