Self-Publishing For Dummies (eBook)

Jason R. Rich is the author of numerous books, a few of which he's self-published. He's also a frequent contributor to national magazines and popular websites, and is an internationally recognized consumer electronics expert. A few of his books include The Unofficial Guide to Marketing Your Business Online and The Unofficial Guide to Starting a Business Online.

Introduction 1

Part 1: Do It Yourself: Getting Started with Self-Publishing 7

Chapter 1: Welcome to Self-Publishing! 9

Chapter 2: Understanding the Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing 23

Chapter 3: Determining Who You're Writing for and Why 41

Chapter 4: Equipping Yourself with the Write Stuff 53

Chapter 5: Creating a Winning Manuscript 69

Chapter 6: Fine-Tuning Your Work with Careful Editing 91

Part 2: Pulling Together the Details: Administration and Design 101

Chapter 7: Setting Up Your Self-Publishing Business 103

Chapter 8: Tackling Book-Specific Tasks 117

Chapter 9: Coming Up with Creative Page Design and Layout 135

Chapter 10: Crafting (and Judging) Your Book's Cover 155

Part 3: Start the Presses! Examining Printing Choices 171

Chapter 11: Creating and Publishing E-Books That Sell 173

Chapter 12: Trying Out Short Run Printing 199

Chapter 13: Print-on-Demand for Demanding Self-Publishers 215

Part 4: Making Your Book a Bestseller: Distribution Methods 235

Chapter 14: Selling Your Book through Popular Online Booksellers 237

Chapter 15: Distributing Your Book through Traditional Channels 249

Chapter 16: Getting a Grip on Warehousing, Order Fulfillment, and Shipping 259

Part 5: Creating a Buzz: Publicity and Marketing 269

Chapter 17: Creating a Website and Social Media Accounts for Your Book 271

Chapter 18: Crafting and Distributing Publicity Materials 291

Chapter 19: Publicizing Your Book for Free with the Media's Help 313

Chapter 20: Marketing Your Book with Paid Advertising and Promotional Tools 329

Chapter 21: Expanding Your Income with Spin-Off Merchandise and Services 347

Part 6: The Part of Tens 359

Chapter 22: Ten Self-Publishing Mistakes to Avoid 361

Chapter 23: Ten E-Book Publishing Mistakes to Avoid 367

Index 373