Book Your Success Now

Self-publishing @ your fingertipsInformation session

Presenter: Carolyn Janiséwww.bookyoursuccessnow.com

Questions: 832-429-6181

Promotional support provided by: - Houston Public Library- Harris County Public Library- Harris County Precinct3 Community Centers

All information subject to change based on industry updates.

What we will cover:

• What is self-publishing

• What is P.O.D. (print-on-demand)

• How much does it cost?

• Technical details

• Action plan (where do I start)?

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Stats & Trends

Book publishing industry (U.S.)• 305,000+ titles published each year (Wikipedia, 2013)• $28 billion industry (Statista, 2015)• Major NY publishers a.k.a. “Big Five” - ~ 80% market share

(V. Peterson, 2016)

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Do these book titles or authors mean anything to you?

• 50 simple things you can do to save the earth (5m)

• What color is your parachute? (10m)

• The Joy of Cooking (18m)

• You Can Heal Your Life (50m)

• Fifty Shades of Gray (100m)

• Edgar Allan Poe / John Grisham

• Mark Twain / Terry McMillian

• Stephen King / Deepak Chopra

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Top 5 reasons why people self-publish

• Save time - bypass approval process• Save $$ - little to no upfront costs• Bigger profits / royalties• Sole owner / keep creative control• Retain all rights

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What is self-publishing?

• DIY project - author bypasses all intermediaries and deals directly with cover artist, editor, book designer, printer and then handles all distribution and promotion.

• Print on demand - method of producing books in specific quantities needed to meet ongoing bookstore or book buyer orders. The customer ordering the book creates the demand for a single copy.

• Traditional - book advance, but small royalties, need acceptance and fan base.

• Indie - usu. no approval process, but author pays for large volume of books.

• Print-on-demand (P.O.D) - FREE! No upfront costs, higher royalties, publisher provides fulfillment svs.

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Show me how to publish for free!

Print on Demand (PODs) offers free:*

• ISBN and barcodes

• Book covers templates

• Book design software

• Digital publishing service

• Sales /author’s page/ bookstore

• Merchant accounts (complete tax info)

• Access to numerous distribution channels (i.e. Amazon, B&N, Ingram)

• Digital Proof of Work/PDF

• No shipping, handling or excess inventoryNote: marketing and sales not required for small retailers, family/friends.

Note: Not all POD publishers offer the same free services, check stipulations for each one.

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Technical Details

• Copyright Registration

• ISBN, Barcodes, LCCN / CPN

• Publishing resources and tools: outsourcing• POD publishers:

• Amazon/Createspace

• Lulu

• Blurb

• Photos/Cover Art• Unsplash

• Pixabay

• Google (images) filter: free to use, share or modify even commercially

• Small business professional services• Fiverr

• Upwork

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How do I get started? 5 easy steps action plan

• Week 1: Complete manuscript

• Week 2: Submit manuscript to Editor, make changes

• Week 3: Format manuscript

• Week 4: Choose a POD / printer and upload manuscript

• Week 5: Market and reach sales goal

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