Resources

Editor’s note: This is the first in a series and welcomes Carol Buchanan,  PhD, to the Self-Publishing Review.

Successful self-publishing, whether or not you write an award-winning book, depends on asking the right questions about each of the six publishing phases. And I have to confess that I began to think about publishing my novel, God’s Thunderbolt, without knowing any of the right questions, because it’s my first self-published book. So in these articles I’m sharing my experience and what I’ve learned from going through the process.

Why Self-Publish At All?

Prior to writing the novel, I had published […]

There are several key questions an author must ask themselves before embarking on their journey through self-publishing, whether they are prepared to go it alone or utilise an author solutions company to do the job for them.

1. Have you exhausted all the traditional channels to have your book published?

This may include finding an agent to represent you and your work or you may have chosen to approach publishers who are prepared to look at manuscripts directly from submitted by authors. Pursuing this path for a period of time can actually prove highly rewarding for an author. It may […]

The issue of branding is critical to a self-published author; It defines your book and it also defines you in the public mind.  The obvious problem here is to find a title that stands out from the rest, attracts the attention of potential buyers and actually tells them what the book is about.  It is the first step in answering the question in every reader’s mind; why should I read this book?  Why should I care?

And here’s an odd thing; if you are well-established in one kind of writing that can actually hinder you when you switch to other […]

This recent opinion post about writers who can “get away with” not hiring an editor if the book is interesting enough brings up an important topic: how much should self-publishers look to spend on releasing a book.  That post may make it seem like it’s justifying poor editing.  This is not the case at all.  It’s more to suggest to readers that they should perhaps be more lenient of self-published titles given the enormous expense of getting a book properly edited.

The problem with this stance is that it will cause people take self-publishing less seriously.  If people are reading […]

An invaluable post about online critique groups, reprinted from Robin Mizell’s blog, Treated and Released.  Robin Mizell is a self-publishing friendly literary agent (!)  She says, “It sometimes confuses aspiring authors when I refer to DIY resources….I try to give people the information they need to make good decisions, even when it seems counterproductive for my enterprise.”

To all poseurs, Marsha Durham announced yesterday on her blog, Writing Companion, “Don’t Even Think About Joining My Writing Group.” With glib humor, she then described the traits exhibited by annoying critique group members.

I can’t imagine how a legitimate […]

“Affinity merchandise” is a fancy term for everyday promotional items that every business uses to enhance its brand and create good will.  They are also known as “advertising specialties” and “swag”.  There are so many choices, ranging from pencils, to the latest Flip video mini-camera, that choosing which items will work for you requires some really deep thought.

You are not just selling your book, but also your brand…and you are a brand.  Brands have their own equity, and branding is something you really want to do with your author name because it not only sells your current book, but […]

About a week ago I had to opportunity to view again, after twentyyears, an arty but satisfying film by director-documentarian Jill Godmilow, called Waiting for the Moon. Plotless and rather devil-may-care when it came to realistic chronology, it depicted the lives of Gertrude Stein and her companion, Alice B. Toklas, as they spent them in the artistically rich atmosphere of pre-war Paris and their peaceful country house in the French province of Ain, near the Swiss border. Their days spent in Ain hold a particular glamour for writers. For who among us has not longed for that quiet place, […]