Choosing the Best Self-Publishing Book Company for Your Needs

Choosing the right self-publishing book company is an important decision in bringing your book to market successfully. If you’ve completed writing your book, it’s easy to think your author work is done. If you haven’t already decided on your publishing route, now it’s time to consider your self-publishing options. You’ll need a company to print, distribute and sell your book. However, that’s just one piece of the puzzle. When you self-publish a book, you take on many new responsibilities. You need to find the right self-publishing company, create an effective marketing plan, and choose the right printing options for your book. In this post, we’ll cover all the details you need to know when choosing a self-publishing company.

Self-publishing a book can seem like an intimidating process. After all, you’re essentially the publisher, marketer, and distributor all in one. But with the rise of self-publishing platforms such as Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), it’s now easier than ever to get your book out there. In this blog post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about choosing the best self-publishing book company for your needs and goals.

While Amazon and other platforms make it easy to simply upload a file to publish a book, many of you will want a more professional-looking product. You want bookstore quality and a book that will speak to your ideal audience and get you the results you are seeking.

The kind of self-publishing companies we are talking about in this post

It is important to frame this conversation with what kind of self-publishing book companies we are talking about.

Some people refer to Amazon and Ingram Spark as self-publishing companies. While some of them offer services to help you with the self-publishing process, they are best as platforms you can use to self-publish [print, sell, distribute] your book. The downside to hiring a platform to also handle your self-publishing process and book launch or promotion is that these companies will only sell you what they offer, which may or may not be the best option for you and your book. They also may not provide the best bang for
your limited book budget.

What this post is about is self-publishing book companies that offer to guide you through self-publishing your book or offer done-for-you self-publishing.

We call it professional self-publishing. It’s also been called assisted self-publishing.

By using a separate company from the platforms to self-publish your book, you can get unbiased advice and are not get locked into one platform. You can take advantage of the best resources across multiple sites and increase your chances
of success for your book.

What exactly is self-publishing?

According to dictionary.com:
self-publishing is a verb, gerund or present participle:
(of writer)publish (a piece of one’s work) independently and at one’s own expense.

There is only one key difference between self-publishing and traditional publishing: “If the author owns the rights and royalties, then the book is self-published. If the publishing company owns the rights and royalties, then the book is traditionally published.” [souce: Scribemedia]

Self-Publishing Paths – your three options to consider

Self-publish your book yourself by handling every aspect of preparing your book for publication, gathering all the necessary components, and uploading it to the selected publishing platforms
Hire a company or consultant to handle all aspects of your publishing- taking your completed final draft through successful publishing and book launch
Hire a company or consultant to handle a portion of the preparation or book setup for you

While self-publishing has made it easy for anyone to become a published author without needing a book publishing deal, there are a lot of moving parts, nuances, and micro-decisions to be made. Self-publishing requires a team to handle all the different, required aspects of publishing your book. These include title, cover design, book formats, categories, keywords, etc. While anyone can do it, the question is, do you want to earn your Ph.D. in publishing, or is it a better use of your time to hire a professional self-publishing company or self-publishing consultant to shepherd you through the process.

DIY or hire it out – Which type are you?

You may have a finished manuscript, but it’s not quite ready for publication. After all, you wouldn’t want to put your name behind something that wasn’t well-edited or even error-free.

As we’ve discussed, self-publishing is more than just uploading your manuscript to publishing platforms. It requires many different functions from book editing, design, copywriting, and so on. You can build your own team and then act as a project manager to oversee the process of finding your own book printing company, creating a professional cover and layout, creating front matter for your book, and several other important tasks. You can learn to do this yourself.

There are many resources available to help you understand the self-publishing process. Free resources include free courses, YouTube videos, and online Facebook groups. There are also paid classes and membership groups that provide training and a place to learn or ask questions as they come up.

As with any new endeavor, you’ll have to learn new skills and technologies. If you have never hired or assembled a team, you may not know what questions to ask, or how to properly vet the freelancers. Taking the time to understand the publishing process, being willing to ask questions, and having a measure of patience will help you succeed at doing it yourself.

Hire a self-publishing book company

The other option is to hire a self-publishing consultant or self-publishing company team to direct, oversee and manage the process of self-publishing your book.

When you hire a self-publishing book company or consultant, you get someone to advise you on what you need to do, and when it is needed. Then, they bring in their team as needed to accomplish the tasks and move your manuscript through the process of becoming a book and publishing and launching it. As you are the owner of the intellectual property, you will be consulted on and get the final say in all decisions. With this path, you will be making informed decisions as your company/consultant should be sharing with you the pros/cons and what to consider before making the decisions.

You can sit back and make high-level decisions while they do all the heavy lifting and keep it on track. No details were left out and it is usually stress-free. This method takes the least amount of your time. There is no time needed to search for team members or vet them – this has already been done for you.

The cost of hiring a self-publishing book company

The cost of hiring a professional self-publishing book company or self-publishing consultant may create sticker shock at first glance. When you factor in the professional advice they offer, the time saved in not having to source, vet, and hire a team, project management or do the actual publishing yourself, it is probably well worth it. Outsourcing it to professionals, will save you time and likely save you from a lot of mistakes and headaches. The process will go smoothly, and you will end up with a great, professional-looking book. Plus, it was one less thing on your already busy plate.

If you go with the third option, to hire out only some of the needed parts of self-publishing your book, it will be helpful to learn as much as you can about the self-publishing process so you can decide which parts to do yourself DIY and which parts to outsource.

First time authors don’t know what they don’t know when it comes to self-publishing

As an author, there are a lot of micro decisions to make along the way to publishing your book. Some of which will have long-term impacts. Impacts that you may not understand when just starting. Here is just one example of a common situation that first-time authors come up against. One example of this is the sourcing of their ISBNs.

ISBN Selection

Authors often try and conserve costs. Getting the required ISBNs for your book is costly. Bowker, the main player in the US market, sells one ISBN for $125, or a block of ten ISBNs for $295. If your book is in ebook and paperback formats, you will need two ISBNs, one for each version of the book.

Amazon offers free ISBNs. Sounds good right? Once you use Amazon’s free ISBN, you can’t take it with you to other platforms. Go to publish your book on B &N, or Apple Books and your ISBN is not usable. The other downside to this free ISBN is that it requires you to list Amazon as your imprint. This can detract from your book, as it is obvious your book is self-published; it may also deter other bookstores from carrying your book.

This is something first-time authors learn the hard way. If they decide later to publish the book on multiple platforms, they often must go through the process of republishing their book as a new version with a new ISBN that they own. This is because a new ISBN can only be issued if there are changes in text, format, or binding to justify it. This can be costly in terms of both time and money.

Questions to ask yourself– are you willing to live with rookie mistakes? They can be costly to your brand and your wallet, as well as drag out and delay your publishing timeline.

With all of this in mind, there are several things to consider before choosing the best self-publishing book company for you and your manuscript.

Not all self-publishing book companies are created equal

Here are a few examples of self-publishing book company service offerings:

Company A – offers editing and proofreading

Company B – offers all steps from idea to published book, on sale on all major platforms – offers no marketing

Company C – offers all steps from idea to published book, on sale on all major platforms – offers book launch, book marketing and PR

When you hire a fully staffed self-publishing company where everything is done in-house, you get a ready made team. With a solo self-publishing consultant, you will also get a team, as they will quickly assemble trusted, vetted professionals from their network.

Before you hire a self-publishing company – 3 factors to consider

When you are looking to hire a self-publishing company, it’s important to understand what stage of the process you are in and what you need to bring your book to market. What are you as the author bringing to the party? Here are three questions to consider:

1. Is your manuscript written and edited?

Some authors get as far as they can with their book and will tell us their manuscript is finished. They’ll look to us to take it through the editing and proofreading process. Other authors come to us with a fully edited manuscript that they have edited and proofread for typos and grammatical errors.

When an author says their manuscript is finished, this can mean two things. They have taken it as far as they can and want help polishing and packaging it for publication, or, it is fully edited and ready for publication.

2. Do you know what your goals are as an author?

Understanding your goals can have an impact on the publishing strategy you need. You may think of publishing your book as separate from marketing your book and may be planning to use different companies for each phase of your book’s journey. It is important to understand what your bigger author goals are, as they can have an impact on how and where you decide to publish your book. Your self-publishing company or self-publishing consultant should inquire about this and work with you to publish your book to help it meet your goals. Different goals can mean a different strategy is needed. Here are two examples:

A local real estate agent wants to publish a book to hand out to prospects. It will be their unforgettable business card. Their main goal is to stand out in their local market. Being published on Amazon is simply an added boost for them so that when someone googles their name, their book listing shows in their search results, adding additional credibility to them. However, they aren’t looking for sales on Amazon or to get national recognition or visibility. They need a simple strategy – Publishing in both paperback and eBook formats, and publishing only on Amazon may be sufficient for them.

A consultant looking to increase their reach, visibility, and credibility and presell more high-ticket clients will want the broadest reach, distribution, and credibility. They will want to have their book published on every possible platform [Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo…], and they will want multiple book formats- paperback, eBook, audiobook, and possibly hardcover, as well as the option to have their books carried in bookstores and libraries. They will probably want a visibility campaign to get the word out about their book and reach more people.

3. How willl you handle marketing and book promotion?

The typical self-published author sells about five copies of their book. The average U.S. book now sells less than 200 copies per year, and less than 1000 copies over its lifetime. Books don’t automagically sell themselves, so you will want to have some kind of book launch and promotional plan. This may be something you look to your self-publishing book company or self-publishing consultant to provide, or you may have this covered elsewhere.

It is important to put time and thought into how your book will get out into the world, and who you want to have do that for you or with you, or if you plan to go totally solo and handle it on your own. Some self-publishing companies offer promotional strategies, guidance, or actual implementation. It may be included in your self-publishing package, as an add-on service, or by referral to partners who they can recommend to help you with this.

Comparing self-publishing book companies – what to look for

It’s important to define what publishing a book means to you, and how a self-publishing company defines it as a service offering before you hire them. I see a lot of confusion about what it means to publish a book; often clients think that a book launch promotion is part of book publishing. It can be, but it may not be, so this is an important point to clarify in advance of hiring a book publishing company or consultant, and choosing a publishing package. It’s important to understand how and what publishing a book means and what your self-publishing company defines it as and what it is exactly that they offer. Does your self-publishing package include any launch, promotion, or book marketing?

Define exactly what self-publishing a book means – make sure your self-publishing company is on the same page with you

Let’s go to the dictionary to shed some light on a few terms that may be being interchanged in the publishing process and can lead to some unintentional confusion.

► Publishing: The term publishing means, in the broadest sense, making something publicly known. Historically, it came to refer to the issuing of printed materials such as books and magazines.

What is the meaning of a published book? Produced or released for distribution

► Book Launch: A book launch is any even wherein the author or their public relations (PR) team invites a group of people to celebrate the arrival of an upcoming book

► Book Marketing: A book marketing plan includes publicity and promotional marketing efforts to help sell books and reach more readers

► Book Publicity: A plan and campaign designed to raise awareness about the book and create buzz. Unlike marketing, it’s goal are not specifically tied to selling books.

Conclusion

Choosing the right self-publishing company is an essential part of the self-publishing process. Whatever publishing path you take, you need to find the right platforms, companies, and resources to help you bring your book to market.

Before looking for a self-publishing company, as we discussed, it’s important to know your author goals, how much you want to do yourself, and how much you want to outsource before you start evaluating the self-publishing book company options.

The best self-publishing company for you will depend on your publishing goals and which company offers the level of service and package you are seeking. It’s important to carefully consider each company and that they offer services that match your needs and goals before making a final decision.

Jane Tabachnick & Co. is a full service self-publishing book company. We work with non-fiction authors to help take them from idea through every stage of book publishing and book promotion. Find out more about working with us here

Listen to our podcast: The Self-Publishing Blueprint here

Self-Publishing Nonfiction: Your Ultimate Path to Freedom?

“Self-Publishing Nonfiction is not a consolation prize.”

Self-publishing nonfiction today is a recognized and legitimate way to become a published author. If you’ve ever dreamed of becoming an author, you may have also dreamt of garnering a publishing deal with a big advance. It’s harder to get a publishing deal these days, and even harder to get paid a big advance. “Self-publishing your book is not a consolation prize,” stated Ink Authors founder Christine Whitmarsh.

The good news is that you can still fulfill your dream of becoming an author by writing nonfiction works such as business books, how-to guides, or self-help manuals. When writing nonfiction, an author has more freedom in the creative and marketing process.

Gone are the days when you need to go through hoops to get your work published. You can now have more control over the production and release of your non-fiction book by choosing the self-publishing route.

Why Traditional Publishing Sucks for Indie Authors

Aside from needing to aim for a Pulitzer-prize level of writing, indie authors face the uphill climb of finding a reputable publisher to approve their work. This can also take time- often as much as a year-long process to land a publishing deal.

And then there’s the problem of book length. When it comes to traditional publishing, 50,000 words is considered a “short” work. Normal, full-length books can range from 65,000 to 90,000 words long (while some can span as much as 150,000+ words). Self-published books, on the other hand, can be published with as little as 20,000 words! With your audience’s shrinking attention spans, shorter books can be more attractive.

Hence, it takes more time, energy, commitment, writing, editing, and sacrifice to produce any book the traditional way.

Then there is the issue of marketing and promoting your book. Many authors, especially first-timers, believe their publishing company is going to handle the book marketing and publicity. It can be a rude awakening to discover that the book promotion is up to the author for the most part. Should the book take off and begin selling, the publisher will then likely step-up promotional efforts for the book.

Nonfiction Self-Publishing Could Be Your Answer

If you have a business or practice that you’re trying to promote, self-publishing a nonfiction book is the fastest way to penetrate your niche and establish your expertise – with less publishing hassle involved.

Here’s why self-publishing for nonfiction can be your ultimate path to freedom:

It Gives You Instant Authority. While having a published book under your belt doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have cult worshippers bowing down at your feet, it does give you a certain air of legitimacy in your field. You can use this social proof to funnel your readers toward other aspects of your business, such as coaching, masterminds, memberships, courses, and other high-ticket offers.

It Allows You to Receive Higher Royalties for Your Work. It is very common for traditionally published authors to receive only 7% to 10% royalties for each paperback copy sold. If you choose to self-publish nonfiction online, say through a popular platform like Kindle, you can earn as much as 70% from each copy sold. The royalties on print books will be less, as you must subtract the cost of printing from the sales price before you get paid.

It Enables You to Access a Global Market. It takes a lot of effort, resources, time, and marketing to be recognized internationally as an author via traditional publishing. With self-publishing, however, you can publish and market your book globally from day one. Nowadays, there are no major barriers to producing your book. You can just sit down, write your manuscript for several weeks or months, edit it, have it formatted, and then upload it to any digital publishing platform.

You’ll need to meet platform guidelines, however, those are readily available online, or you can use a professional designer or book publishing consultant or company to guide you through the process. This is especially helpful for first-time authors, as the learning curve can be steep. The beauty of self-publishing is that you can choose the formats you want to publish your book in, including eBooks, paperbacks, hardcovers, and audiobooks.

But before we fast forward to the part where you publish your book both online and offline, let’s talk about getting that book done first.

Tips For Writing Your First Non-Fiction Book

Just how can you turn a seed of thought into a written piece of work? While the answer can be the subject of an entire book, here are some tips for getting started:

Start With a Problem You’d Like to Solve

The best thing about nonfiction is that you don’t need a lot of imagination to get started writing. No crazy storylines or shocking twists are required. All you need is a “seed” of an idea.

This seed of thought can be a solution to a problem that your audience faces. A lot of popular nonfiction business books solve basic human problems, such as how to be successful, lose weight, develop more intimate relationships, and many more. As an entrepreneur, coach, consultant, or business owner, you come across the challenges your clients and audience face every day- these can be the great basis for a book.

Take a closer look at your passion and profession. What problems do people in your field go through usually? Is there any wisdom or learning you wish somebody gave to you when starting out? Answering these questions will help you come up with an initial idea for your self-published book.

Perhaps you have a unique message or methodology you want to share with the world. A book is a great way to get your content out to a wide audience quickly, while also establishing your credibility as an expert. Readers will instantly assume you’re an expert on a topic when you write a book about it.

Expand Your Initial Book Idea and Break it Down into Chunks of Information

As you come up with an initial “seed of thought” as the basis for your book, it will be easier to break down this main idea into subtopics that are more detailed and in-depth. This is where your outlining skills will come in handy.

Remember the table of contents that you typically see in published books? Write something similar (except for page numbers of course), so you’ll have a clear visual representation of your book’s info structure. This will also create your writing roadmap, giving you a clear idea of the content you need to write for your book.

Want to know more about the process we use to consistently create bestselling authors? Listen to our podcast The Self Publishing Blueprint

Decide Early on How the Draft Is Going to Be Written

Whether you think of yourself as a writer or not, and can clear the time to write, the best option is to write your manuscript. Remember, all successful writers use a great editor to polish their work before publishing it.

If you feel that speaking is your strong suit, you can dictate your book and turn that into a manuscript. You will need to edit it a bit more carefully to shape it into your manuscript and ensure that it reads like a book and not like it is a transcript.

If you feel like you want to, or can’t write your book, you can be the main source of ideas for the book but get a bit of help with the writing and editing. The bottom line is, you are still the author, but you can decide if you’re going to do it solo or with a team.

Ask yourself, “how do I plan to write each chapter of this book”? It takes some discipline and commitment to set aside time for actual writing on a daily or weekly basis. When it comes to getting a draft done, consistency is key.

Having the support of a writing coach, program or community can help keep you accountable and motivated, and keep you from feeling lonely or isolated as a writer.

Niche Down

A lot of writers shy away from “niching down” because they feel that they’ll get a smaller audience that way. The truth is, if you drill down to a more precise niche topic and audience segment in your field, you stand a higher chance of being seen as a thought leader.

In short, specialize instead of generalizing.

For example, instead of writing about weight loss, why not focus on a specific diet such as keto? If you’re writing a book about digital marketing, why not talk about ONE aspect of it such as SEO, social media marketing, or paid search?

Niching down allows you to give more precise, real-world information to your readers. It gives you more opportunities to express yourself, your experience, and your unique knowledge in your field.

Narrowing down your audience creates more engagement with your book. As an example, if you want to speak about getting funding for a business, the more specific you can target the specific stage a business is in, the more interested and engaged your audience will be. Think startup vs. established business – they are at very different stages and will have different needs. By writing for a specific segment of your audience, you create more interest and sell more books. The startup will gravitate towards books on raising capital, whereas the established business may seek out books on government loans and business lines of credit.

Using Nonfiction Writing Prompts

Nonfiction writing prompts are mental markers or crutches you can use to get your creative juices flowing and come up with fresh ideas.

If you’re struggling with ideas for your next book, try the following non-fiction writing prompts:

Instructional Prompts for Nonfiction

Think about something you’re passionate about and have a reasonable amount of expertise in. Turn your knowledge into a bunch of “how-to” information that can then be expanded later into separate chapters.
Think about a personal experience that changed the way you see the world. What learnings and realizations did you garner from the experience? Use that as a seed idea for your book.
Think about a major problem you solved for a client and the mistakes you made while trying to solve that problem. Write a cautionary book that outlines your mistakes so people can avoid them (share what worked and didn’t work).

Informative Prompts for Nonfiction

Interview companies about how they handle a topic or use a tool. You can share a series of case studies that illustrate various uses. Turn these into a book. Here’s an example: “The History of Email, How 8 Companies Used Email to Engage Customers and Double Their Profits.”
Research little-known facts and information nuggets about a popular industry. Turn these ideas into a book. Here’s an example: “7 Things You Didn’t Know About Keto Diets”.

Story-Based Prompts for Nonfiction

Write a series of personal stories that have a common theme between them. For example, if you’re writing a book about money management, collect several stories from your personal experience that teach lessons about how to manage money.
Write a chapter that relives a harsh or difficult time in your life. The story should show your vulnerability but also demonstrate how you pursued what you wanted to achieve despite the setbacks.

Non-fiction writing prompts help a lot if you hit a wall in your writing and have run out of ideas. You can use them before, during, and even after the development of your manuscript.

There are hundreds of non-fiction writing prompts you can use (which obviously can’t fit in this short blog). Once you jumpstart your creativity with them, there’s no stopping your ideas as they begin to flow. Now, make sure to refer back to your Table of Contents to ensure that these ideas fit into your outline, or modify it to include these new ideas.

Best Self-Publishing Companies

Self-publishing can be done for both nonfiction and fiction books. The option you choose will depend on your goals for publishing, as well as the budget you have.

If you want to enter your market as fast as you can with as little cost as possible, it is best to try the online self-publishing route using the following platforms:

Best Self-Publishing Companies for eBooks

► Amazon Kindle (also known as Kindle Direct Publishing or KDP

As of 2022, there are 48.5 million active books in the Amazon Kindle marketplace, many of which are from authors with no physical copies of their books. You can compete with established authors in your niche through the Kindle marketplace.

Amazon Kindle has leveled the playing field a little bit by removing the barriers to getting your book accepted by publishers. You can directly upload your finished manuscript on Kindle Direct Publishing for free and with a relatively easier approval process. You may also promote it for free by sharing your book link via blogs or social media.

The main drawback with KDP is that higher-priced books don’t sell as much. To qualify for 70% royalties, your book’s price must be within the $2.99 to $9.99 range.

► Apple Books

Though not as widely read as Amazon, Apple Books has maintained a solid level of readership in the past several years. Uploading on this platform is free, and 70% royalties can be earned on most books.

► Kobo

Rakuten Kobo is one of the big names in self-publishing and is a perfect option for you if you want to tap into international audiences. Kobo has a strong reach outside the United States. Its self-publishing arm, Kobo Writing Life, is user-friendly and easy to use.

Kobo pays 70% royalties on digital books priced above $2.99 and 45% for those priced below $.299. Uploading to the platform is free.

Self-Publishing for Physical Books

Self-publishing works if you prefer to have eBooks or physically printed copies of your book; we recommend you publish in both formats. After all, nothing beats the smell of books straight off the press. A printed book has more value to some readers because they can touch, feel, interact with, and take it anywhere they want. Hence, you should not dismiss the idea of printing “real” books.

If you prefer to go this route, you may check out these self-publishing platforms:

► Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing or KDP

In addition to eBooks, KDP offers the ability to publish print books in both paperback and hardcover. Once you set up one version of your book in the KDP platform, it will clone the information to any other format you select, making it easy to publish in multiple formats. As a print-on-demand publisher, you can use them to print, sell, and distribute your books. As an author, you can order copies at cost from KDP.

► Barnes & Noble Press

Barnes & Noble Press provides the tools to self-publish and self-promote your physical and digital books (ebooks). They offer high-quality paperback or hardcover prints that can be delivered to your door within 10 days of ordering.

You may also estimate the costs of printing in advance by using the Book Printing Costs calculator on their website.

► PublishDrive

Aside from distributing eBook and audiobook formats, PublishDrive also offers print-on-demand services. This means you can print physical copies of your books in small quantities as needed.

Not ready to shell out funds for printing tens of thousands of copies? Try PublishDrive’s print-on-demand services to publish a small number of book copies. The best thing is, there is no minimum limit required to print.

So, Is Nonfiction Self-Publishing Your Path to Freedom?

Yes, it can be. But just like any field of endeavor, you need to approach it with persistence, focus, and consistency. Self-publishing has eliminated many of the barriers usually associated with book publishing. But this doesn’t mean that it is a mere walk in the park. There can be a steep learning curve and it can seem very confusing for first-time authors.

The benefits of self-publishing your nonfiction book are:

Ownership and control of your Intellectual Property – you get to decide on what formats to publish your book in
Speed to market – no waiting for a publisher to say yes to your idea… write, edit, design and publish
Keep 100% of royalties – minus the cut retailers like Amazon, B & N take
Control and final say – you select the title, content design, and every aspect of your book

This blog is committed to providing you with tools, resources, and useful information that will help you make it big in the non-fiction industry. With the huge upside of self-publishing, success is yours for the taking.

Why You Need Stories in Your Nonfiction Book

40 Famous Author Quotes on Writing Nonfiction to Inspire You

nonfiction selfpublishing write a book writing nonfiction

10 Ways Authoring A Book Creates Instant Thud Factor

When authoring a book, there are a lot of benefits that you get as a result. It’s been described as Thud Factor -not just the noise a book makes when landing on a desk, but the impact it creates for you and your business. Some of theses benefits may surprise you.

Here are 10 ways that authoring a book creates Thud Factor:

When someone Googles your name, your book listing will come up on page one of those search results
Many people want to write a book, statistics 80%, and yet very few do statistics a 1%. That immediately sets you apart as a doer, and action taker, and garners you instant respect and credibility
You are seen as an expert
You are seen as credible
You come up in searches based on your topic
Your book can come up in searches alongside industry titans – giving you equal billing and credibility
You have the best business card possible. Take a few of your books to your next in person event, and watch the reaction when you hand someone a copy of your book. Want to have/see thunderous thud factor? Autograph it for them!
Your book provides brand enhancement
You attract better clients – ones who are willing to pay your top fee
You have a great sense of pride and accomplishment

Listen to our new podcast – The Self Publishing Blueprint

Should You Self Publish Your Book

Authors often wonder should you self publish your book or seek out a traditional publisher. There are pros and cons to both avenues of publishing, so it’s important to understand them before making such an important decision.

You may think you need the know-how of a publishing house behind you or want the prestige that comes along with a big name publisher, but you’re a savvy woman and with the accessibility of self- publishing you need to consider it seriously as an option.

My top 5 answers to the question: Should you self-publish your book

1. Speed to market
When you self-publish your book, you eliminate the time you would have had to spend to find a book agent and then pitch a publisher. Instead, you can use the time to write, publish and promote your book. As a self-published author, you also can typically move through the publishing process faster, than a publishing house does.

In a few months, you can write and publish your book, whereas the search for an agent and publisher can take as long as two years, not including the writing and packaging of your book, which would be additional.

2. Total artistic control
While working with a publishing house, you get the benefit of their valuable insights and know-how, your book is your baby and having total creative decision making over it ensures that you will come out with a book that totally reflects you, your brand and your personality.

Should an opportunity arise around your book, whether it’s interest from a foreign market, or Hollywood has come calling, you get to decide if it’s right for you without having to consult with anyone.

3. you keep 100% of the profits
By publishing it on your own there is no one you need to share profits except the book store or online book retailer.

Most authors don’t make a lot of money from the sale of books, so being able to keep all of your share of the profit is beneficial. Additionally, when you work with a traditional publisher they give you an advance. That means that once you make book sales, you have to pay back the advance or draw out of the retail book sales. Once you finish paying back your advance, you have to share the remaining profits with the publisher, which means less in your pocket.

4. Book promotion and marketing
One of the big frustrations I hear from those who work with a traditional publisher, is that they don’t do much in the way of book promotion and marketing, until you become successful. Even with a publishing deal, as a first or second time author, you’ll have to do your own book marketing and promotion. You might as well self-publish and do your own marketing and promotion and know that you’re reaping all the benefits of those efforts, instead of having to share the rewards with your publishing company, who left you do the heavy lifting.

5. Equal access to distribution channels
Today, as a smart self-published author, you can get the same distribution and same visibility as traditionally published authors. You no longer need a publisher to get you into every bookstore, library, and online retailer. You can also maintain control of distribution, as well as the ability to offer discount pricing as needed.

The advantages to self-publishing are many, though there is a learning curve. Self-publishing doesn’t mean you have to do it all yourself, there are programs, coaches, and companies to help you publish your book like a pro. Done right, it can be hard to tell a self-published book from a traditionally published one.

This post first appeared on She Owns It

How to Build a List of Book Buyers Before You Even Publish

book marketing self-publishing writing a book

Why You Need Stories In Your NonFiction Book

Our brains are wired for stories. They can create an emotional connection and are easier to remember than text or facts.

Your nonfiction book will be much richer if you include stories in it. You may have a compelling methodology, philosophy or message; the reader will benefit more and remember it longer if you include stories. A rich, textured, multisensory experience with a beginning, middle and an end, is much more enjoyable and memorable than straight theory.

I don’t remember a lot of what I learned in history class, but the stories my teacher shared with us about a historical figure, have stuck with me long beyond any textbook learning. The same will be true for stories you include in your book.

It’s important to carefully select the story or stories you include in your book; choose a story that your ideal reader will identify with, as well as one that showcases your best client work and results.

[clickToTweet tweet=”She Who Tells Stories Rules The World – Why You Need Stories in Your Nonfiction Book” quote=”She Who Tells Stories Rules the World – Native American Proverb”]

Here is how a story can enhance your book:

Demonstrates how the rubber meets the road; your book outlines a message, concept or theory that you are telling the reader about it. Showing is more compelling than telling! Your story shows the reader your concept in a real-life situation, making it easier for them to relate to it.

Allows readers to see themselves in your story; a well-chosen story is relatable to the reader as it helps them walk in the shoes of your client/hero and see themselves working with you.

Provides social proof. Your story shows how you helped a client go from problem to solution easily and quickly, providing proof that serves as a testimonial. It shows that you have done it successfully for the client in your story, and your reader will now know you’re capable of doing it for them.

Demonstrates to the reader you can help them go from where they are, to where they want to be, as evidenced by your well-selected case study. A well-written story will be so real that the reader can taste the result. They will see you as the one who can help them get the same result for themselves.

A well-chosen story is relatable. It confirms for the reader that you understand them and their problem. It shows that you know the solution, and have helped others working with you, overcome their challenges and obstacles.

Remember, as the native American proverb says, ‘She who tells the best stories rules the world.’

This first appeared on She Owns It

authenticity author Book writing writing a book

How to Run a Bestseller Campaign on Amazon

The reason why you want to know how to run a bestseller campaign on Amazon goes beyond bragging rights. When done right, it will provide a significant boost to your book’s visibility and sales, as well as help garner book reviews. I am speaking here about Amazon Kindle Bestseller Campaigns.

Before jumping into the hows of a bestseller campaign… at the risk of stating the obvious, you want to start by writing a great book.

Visibility

When set up right, your book will show up high in the categories your potential readers are browsing in… this way it can be discovered. Amazon is a giant search engine, and like Google, people don’t go beyond the first page to search for results, so ranking high matters. In the case of Amazon, it is the opposite – a low number ranks higher with #1 being at the top. It is key to getting found by new prospective buyers.

Your book can also show up in the Hot New Releases section and potentially other sections that will give it additional visibility in front of your target audience.

Categories and Keywords

Your category and keyword research, when done right, along with optimizing your An optimized listing, will help your book continue to rank well long beyond the bestseller campaign.

When I refer to optimizing your listing – I mean carefully selecting your categories and keywords to help your book get discovered, and taking advantage and using all of the 2 categories and 7 keywords Amazon allows a book.

The optimization of a book listing is a combination of art and science. Sometimes authors see their book as belonging in a certain category, which may not be the ideal one, nor the one or the only one their ideal reader will search in. There are probably a number of ways your reader will browse for books like yours… so remain open. Research can help you identify the optimal categories and keywords. You can conduct your research by polling your target audience, researching similar books on Amazon, using a keyword tool, or hiring an expert.

You can always tweak or change your categories, however, if you aren’t sure why your book isn’t ranking the way you would like, changing the categories and keywords without getting professional input, is a bit like playing the lottery, and leaving the result to chance.

The momentum of a bestseller campaign is valuable on Amazon as it gives you a number of sales. It also boosts your book’s ranking and visibility. Keeping your promotion going beyond the initial campaign can really solidify your book rankings for an extended period. We continue to run a promotional campaign for a few days after the Bestseller campaign. Keeping the price at .99, we see steady sales, increased reviews, and long-term rankings boost. The books that have used this strategy continue to rank and bring in sales month after month with no additional promotion.

What Not To Do – Credibility Busters

Beg or hound friends and family to buy your book. Instead, join a number of book groups that allow you to post your promotion, or hire a service or professional to run your campaign.

Claim bestseller status when your book has no reviews listed. Think about it, is it credible that a book would become a bestseller and no one would have reviewed it? Instead, get a few reviews before running your bestseller campaign.

Post your book online with the bestseller seal on it, before its even published [if it somehow happens to pass Amazon scrutiny this way] before you even start your campaign or reach bestseller status. Instead, hire a graphic designer [a Fiverr for $5] to add the graphic, and upload a new cover once you have actually achieved bestseller status.

No Author page. Amazon gives you this great free marketing tool with Author Central, so why not take advantage and set it up before promoting your book.

Find out about our done for you bestseller campaigns here

bestseller campaign book marketing book promotion self-publishing

How to Profit From Your Book – The $7,000 Message

Ever get a $7000 message? My client did, and this is just one example of how to profit from your book.

I was at a training with my client Mai. The same workshop where I ate fire! Mai, called me over and was clearly so excited she couldn’t contain herself.

I couldn’t wait to see what the excitement was about.

“Look at this message I just got from a prospect. It’s all because of the book. Oh my gosh! Thank you” Jane.

Note: Mai worked with me to write and publish her book The Divorced Mom’s Guide to Dating. We got the book written and published [to bestseller status] in about 90 days.

The message, which you can see in the image to the left, was from a reader, who was so excited and ready to sign up for coaching with Mai after reading her book that she emailed her and then sent her this message on Facebook to make sure Mai saw it as soon as possible.

**How Mai’s book created a ready to buy $7000 coaching client**

People buy from those that they know, like and trust. People can get a sense of you and your work from your book, if it’s written and set up correctly. What we did in Mai’s case was:

Tell her story, so readers connected with her instantly
Share client stories – so readers could relate to ‘people just like them’, who were in ‘situations just like them’ and who got ‘the outcomes they are seeking’
Give people a taste of her methodology/coaching program in the book
Include worksheets so that readers could start to do the work/ begin to experience results from Mai’s work
Included a beautiful invite to Mai’s bi-annual live event.

Have you ever tried to learn something from a book or program on your own?

What was the outcome?

As is often the case, people find that they are only able to get so far via a book or self-paced coaching or learning program, and then realize they need additional, more personalize support to reach their goals. That was the case with Mai’s reader. She’d gone as far as she could on her own, and she already saw Mai as the answer to a problem she was desperate to solve. So she signed up for a $7000 coaching program with Mai.

Imagine getting a text like this! If you are like me, and selling is not something you like to do….having clients lined up excited to sign up with you is pretty attractive. As a salesperson friend of mine joked, when I showed them the message Mai received, the only thing left to ask is ‘Visa or Mastercard?’

Ready to package your expertise and method into a book, and attract ready to buy readers? Let’s talk.

5 Ways You Should Be Using Your Nonfiction Book to Make Money

How a Business Coach Landed Clients With His Book

4 Ways Writing a Book Can Grow Your Business

authenticity author book marketing profit writing a book

Feel the Fear… Write the Book Anyway

Feel the fear do the ________ anyway!

As many of you know, in my world the fill-in-the-blank would be Feel the fear write the book anyway, but really this is a metaphor for anything in life.

Whether books are on your short list, yours is in works or way out in the distant future or not at all, there’s a lesson in this for everyone.

We all have things that we fear doing. Some of you may not want to fess up publicly. Your choice.

I know I always fear public speaking until I get going on stage and then I usually start enjoying it. I’m actively seeking to do more public speaking. You may think, why the heck would she do that?

There are two reasons:

You may have heard me say that my favorite quote is “life begins at the edge of your comfort zone” so I’m trying to push myself to do things that are uncomfortable but that I know are going to help me grow as a person and a professional.
I know that doing public speaking will help me get in front of more people who I can help by providing some of my knowledge and expertise and hopefully inspiring them to take action.

I was at a literary conference recently that my city hosted for the first time. I sat in on a panel of successful fiction writers, most of whom I’d never heard of. I was really struck by what Garth Risk Hallberg, one of the panelists told us, when he said that he worked on his book for six years. During the first four, he didn’t even let anyone know he was working on it – not even his closest friends.

Why? Because he was afraid. Afraid that it would just end up in his top-drawer, unread. Afraid no publishing house would pick him up. Afraid no one would read it. Afraid if they read it, that they wouldn’t like it.

Sound familiar? It did to me- like he was broadcasting the little gremlin voice in my head, as well as a thoughts /fears many of my clients expressed to me at one point in their journey to becoming published authors.
[clickToTweet tweet=”“I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” Mark Twain” quote=”“I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” Mark Twain “]

So in this case author Hallberg’s fears were unfounded. His book was a big success and each and every one of his fears didn’t come to pass.

Now your outcomes and my outcomes may not be as spectacular, but you won’t have any wins if you don’t take any chances. If you don’t allow yourself to either ignore those fears, or set them aside to do that thing that you’ve been fearing, nothing great can happen. Period.

Sometimes removing fear can be done by improving your skills in the area where you have fears, practicing to build your confidence, hiring a mentor or sometimes moving past the fear means starting by taking tiny baby steps.

How can I support you in moving past a fear to achieve a dream? Please let me know. You can do so by commenting below or by submitting a request on Facebook

Here’s another fear- doing live video. I publicly committed to doing a FB Live every day in May to help me push past that fear!! I’d love your support on it, so stop by and join me, please!

To your success!

authenticity fear writing writing a book

How to Get Celebrity Endorsements For Your Book

Having celebrities endorse your book will lend credibility, prestige and authority. It will also help you sell more books.

Big brands have been using celebrities to sell products for ages. Think Michael Phelps on the corn flakes box to Ellen Degeneres in Cover Girl makeup commercials. They pay big fees to the celebrities because these endorsements help sell more products.

The good news is, with a little bit of effort on your part, you can get industry influencers and busy celebrities to endorse your books- and you won’t have to pay a fee.

To understand why celebrities will give you an endorsement, even if they don’t know you, see Part 1 of this series Why you should ask Barbara Corcoran for an endorsement

I reached out to a top industry expert who was also a multiple New York Times bestselling author to get an endorsement for a client’s book. They agreed. We were thrilled! An endorsement from them would add incredible cache and authority to my client’s book. Weeks went by. We heard nothing. After more than a month, I reached out and asked if it would help if I sent some sample endorsements.

The expert’s assistant wrote back with a one word response: “Absolutely”.
We got their endorsement the next week!

The key to having celebrities endorse your book is to put in time up front, and to make it as easy as possible for them to say yes.

Here is how to get celebrity endorsements for your book

Create a simple, ‘package’ with all your information and materials to send via email.

Start by sending a very short, detailed note about your book along with your request and why you think they are the perfect person to endorse it. [Genuine flattery goes a long way!]

Offer a copy of the book as well as a representative sample

Many celebrities and experts will not want to read your entire book; however, you should offer them a copy of it as well as a representative sample [intro, table of contents and a chapter]. Rather than send the sample as an attachment, host your sample chapter in the cloud [drop box, google doc…] and offer a link to the files in your email.

Offer Sample Endorsements [3 -5 samples]

Let them know you recognize that they are busy, so you have drafted a few sample endorsements that they are welcome to use as is, or edit. This can make it easier for them. They can simply select one of your samples and email you back which one to put their name next to, or they can customize a sample endorsement to make it more ‘in their own voice’.

This last step of offering ‘sample endorsements’ can make all the difference between getting an endorsement or not, as you can see from my client example.

Sending sample endorsement works for two reasons. People are intimidated by a blank page. They aren’t sure where to start. By offering them some samples, you are helping to give them some suggestions and direction. They don’t have to think hard about this, and can comply with your request, by customizing one of your samples in a minute or two.

Remember, you are asking a busy people to take an action on your behalf. You want to have celebrities endorse your book. They get a lot of requests. The easier you make it for them, the greater likelihood you have of success.

Fast Track Your Results & Get More Celebrity Endorsements

Related Content :

Part 1: Why you should ask Barbara Corcoran for an endorsement

Part 3: How to Contact A Celebrity for a Book Endorsement

Listen to our podcast: The Self-Publishing Blueprint

book marketing book promotion celebrity book endorsements Famous PR Quotes PR publicity for authors self-publishing

Why you should ask Barbara Corcoran for an endorsement

To add credibility and social proof to your book, there is no better way than to have a celebrity or recognized expert endorse your book. In this post I’m going to cover Why you should ask Barbara Corcoran for an endorsement.

You may be thinking, ” but I don’t know any celebrities or recognized experts, or they don’t know me, so why would they endorse me”?

Here are 3 reasons why a celebrity will endorse books or products, even if they don’t know you personally:

They want to remain visible
They want to give back and help someone who is up and coming
They believe in the product

And yet….Barbara Corcoran turned me down.

When I published my first book, Success Secrets of the Real Estate Super Stars – Remarkable Women in Real Estate, the obvious choice to ask for an endorsement from Barbara Corcoran.

I did a search online and found her press contact. I drafted my endorsement letter and sent it off. I got a prompt response from her press person saying that unfortunately Barbara was slammed with travel and wouldn’t be able to endorse the book. I was a little bit disappointed but went on to publish the book.

Fast forward two years. A colleague was publishing a book on real estate and wanted to get an endorsement from Barbara Corcoran. She reached out and Barbara said yes. Why? The timing was better. She had the time to look at the book and endorse it.

So if you’re looking for endorsements from anyone famous, a celebrity or industry expert, the first rule of thumb is simply – you have to ask.

Be prepared to get turned down. It’s not personal, necessarily. It’s probably just that they’re too busy and not able to comply.

Want to sell more books? – get endorsements from recognized experts or celebrities.

Fast Track Your Results & Get Celebrity Now

Part 3, I show you how to find a press contact for any celebrity.

book endorsements book promotion celebrity endorsements pitching the media PR PR Strategy publicity for authors self-publishing