No matter what kind of book you want to publish, in A Self-Publisher’s Companion you’ll find advice, inspiration and down-to-earth tips from an expert designer who has spent years helping self-publishers launch their own life-changing books. Plus real-life advice on how to use social media, sound book construction, and insight into the critical tasks that confront the modern self-­publisher­—it’s like having a mentor at your side.

As the author says, "I wrote this book to explain the world of self-publishing to authors thinking about getting into print or e-books. With the rise of print on demand technology and the coming of ebooks, it’s time for every author to consider taking control of their publishing destiny. There’s no reason for writers to postpone their writing career any more."

The Vital Role of Education in Indie Publishing

Today’s author needs to get up to speed with so many things that are very new. Do you know your way around:

--Print on demand and digital book production?
--Typeface selection and how it impacts the readability of your book?
--Ways to monetize your content, spread your word and gather your tribe?
--All of these and more are discussed in A Self-Publisher’s Companion.

So Many Kinds of Books—Which One Is Yours?

No matter what kind of book you want to publish, you’ll find advice, inspiration and down-to-earth tips from an expert designer who has spent years helping self-publishers launch their own life changing books.

The first section of the book will be the most valuable to newcomers to indie publishing. It’s called A Self-Publishing Orientation, and here are some of the topics covered in just this section:

--7 Scenarios for Successful Self-Publishing—If you fit one of these, you should be in print as soon as possible
--The Self-Publisher’s Self-Questionnaire—Questions to help you figure out if self-publishing is right for you
--Four Ways to Publish Your Book—Get informed about your options
--26 Ways to Win at Self-Publishing—Don’t let anyone else define success for you!

Learn Why Social Media is Crucial for Today’s Indie Authors

The incredible power of social media like blogging, Facebook, and Twitter has allowed authors to get directly in touch with their readers, to expand their following, and to drive their books up the bestseller lists.

A Self-Publisher’s Companion examines how authors can get started in social media, how they can spread their content across the web, and the role of blogging in creating books.

More from the author: "I can’t overestimate the importance of social media for today’s authors. If your audience is online, then it makes sense for you to be there, too. The communities we gather around us on social media provide a powerful base from which to launch our books."

Why I Didn’t Write a “How-To” Book About Self-Publishing

A lot of people thought I would write another big book full of tips and information like where to get an ISBN or how to order barcodes for your book.

But there are several terrific books available that cover that ground really well. I decided to take a different approach.

Instead of a “How-to” I decided to offer you a “Why-to” book.

--Why self-publishing makes sense for today’s authors.
--Why you might want to consider self-publishing if you fit a few criteria.
--Why ebooks are going to change everything.
--Why we still need to know how to put together books properly.

Today’s Authors are Online Networkers, and That’s Where You Should Be, Too

Whether you’re printing your books by offset or through print on demand suppliers like CreateSpace or Lightning Source, your audience wants to find you online.

Book marketing is taking on the characteristics of a one-on-one meeting of authors and their readers. Learning about the electronic life is playing a bigger and bigger role in marketing your books.

I wanted to give you an overview of these forces, and explain the incredible long-tail marketing potential of niche self-publishing.

If you’re thinking about self-publishing, or if you know someone who is, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of A Self-Publisher’s Companion. I’ve put some of the best writing I’ve done into this book, and I just know it’s going to help clear your path into print.