Get the Most Out of a Self-Publishing Company: Make a Better Deal, Make a Better Book [Paperback]

Michael N. Marcus

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(from the publisher) It's been said that "self-publishing is the future of publishing."

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Each year, self-publishing companies publish many more books than the year before. Large traditional publishers have formed self-publishing operations, and tiny publishers copied them. Apple allows self-published authors to sell books for iPads. Bookselling giants Amazon and Barnes & Noble publish e-books for authors.

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Self-publishing companies enable anyone who can type to quickly become a "published author" and compete for the attention of the reading public. There is no longer a need to go through the years-long process of finding an agent and publisher.

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Sadly, some self-publishing companies publish badly written books, and sometimes do a bad job of publishing and promoting them. Their writer-customers spend a lot of money, and many customers are disappointed in book quality and limited sales and book reviews.

You can minimize disappointment if you are properly prepared -- and this book will prepare you to pick the right publisher, make the best deal and get the best book.

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It warns you not to buy services and trinkets that you don't need and to pay the right prices for what you do need. There's no good reason to pay a company as much as $249 to register your book for copyright when you can easily do it yourself for $35. Don't pay $99 for a Library of Congress Control Number that you can quickly get for FREE. Don't pay $2 each for promotional postcards that you can get for a dime.

Let the publisher do the work you don't want to get involved in, and concentrate on the creative process -- perhaps with independent editors and designers. Make a good-reading, good-looking book which you can be proud of and maybe make money from.

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The fully illustrated book is detailed, yet easy-to-read. It will guide you from picking a subject and title, through writing, editing, cover design, interior formatting, pricing, establishing a publishing business, and promoting your books. There's an extensive publishing glossary, and even a section with words that are tricky to spell.

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It's loaded with info and tips based on personal experience and extensive research, and is useful for all authors. It's funny, too.

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(from Michael) I wrote the book and I think it's terriffic.

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$17.95, order from Amazon.com

​​$17.95, order from Barnes & Noble

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Author's blog​

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