COVER
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Table of Contents for

The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing

List of Illustrations 11
ABOUT THE AUTHORS 13
PREFACE 16
Should You Take Control of Your Own Destiny? 18
Part I Today's Publishing Scene 26
CHAPTER 1 Your Portal to Self-Publishing: Enter Here 27
Success stories from yesterday and today · The rewards of do-it-yourself publishing ·
Stumbling blocks to avoid · The many hats of a self-publisher · Identifying your motivation · Setting goals
CHAPTER 2 Cyber Options Beyond Your Wildest Imagination  

Journeying through the e-book jungle · Exploring Print on Demand (The Burger King Approach vs.
McDonald's) · More adventures in electronic information delivery
CHAPTER 3 Subsidy Publishers: Another Alternative? 74
What does it cost · What to expect-and not to expect · How to check a subsidy publisher's credentials ·
Analyzing the contract · Working with subsidy publishers ·
Copublishing
Part II Startup Considerations to Get You Off on the Right Foot 85
CHAPTER 4 Scoping Out a Marketable Subject 86
Capitalizing on new trends · "Positioning" for profit · Write what you know ·
Alternatives for entrepreneurial types · Cookbooks as money-makers ·
A case for novels, memoirs, and poetry · Titles that hook readers
CHAPTER 5 Product Development: Writing Your Book or Booklet 112
Treasures on the Web and in your library · Permission guidelines for using
copyrighted material · The easy way to organize a nonfiction book · Writing tight,
snappy copy · Tips for writing bestseller-quality fiction · Booklets: a quick, affordable, and profitable way
into print · Front and back matter: powerful sales persuaders · Planting editorial material for more sales clout · Editing your work
CHAPTER 6 Establishing Your Publishing Company and
Generating Capital		 146
The ideal business location · Naming your company · Forming your business entity ·
Legal advice · Licenses and permits · Your company image · 32 ways to generate
working capital
CHAPTER 7 Mastering Operating Procedures 170
Your "how to do it" plan of attack · Determining monthly expenses · Bookkeeping ·
Order fulfillment · Monthly billings · Returns · Inventory control · Secrets of
proper pricing and discounts · Taxes and deductions · Miscellaneous tips for a
smooth-running business · Four rules that will almost guarantee you success
CHAPTER 8 Must-Do Important Early Activities 206
Preparing a castoff · Choosing the "right" publication date · Securing your ISBN ·
The Bookland EAN scanning symbol · The all-important ABI form · Library of
Congress Card Number · Powerful prepublication attention-getters
Part III Creating a Quality Product that Attracts Buyers 226
CHAPTER 9 Wow! Design and Typesetting 227
The importance of good cover design · Cover copy · Pieces of the interior puzzle ·
Page design and typesetting · Proofreading procedures · Create an irresistible index
CHAPTER 10 Affordable Book Manufacturing-The Printing Process 274
Traditional book manufacturing · Print on demand · Quotes, proofs, galleys, and
other details · Binding options · Copyright registration
Part IV Killer PR: The Great Equalizer 292
CHAPTER 11 Initiating a Nationwide Marketing Plan with <
Publicity Pizzazz		 293
Developing a pow marketing plan · Facts of life · Getting reviewed ·
Advance activities · Special literary publicity opportunities · Writing effective
news releases · Where to obtain free listings
CHAPTER 12 Using the Web to Rally "Buzz" and Business 321
Creating a Web site that's a surfer magnet · Getting "positioned" for traffic ·
Using Internet PR to start a "buzz" · One Woman's Approach ·
8 ingenious ways to use Amazon.com to your advantage
CHAPTER 13 Provocative Promotional Strategies 347
Getting newspaper coverage off the book pages · Hitchhike on current
news/finding the niches · Recycle, recycle, recycle · More creative print angles ·
Start locally, grow nationally · Generating radio and television interviews ·
More promotional tactics to create momentum
CHAPTER 14 Turning Book Signings into Stellar Events 383
What to expect · What to do before your book signing · Preparation for a successful experience · Actions to take while you're in the store · Other useful advice ·
Less common venues for signings
Part V Selling Your Books the Usual Ways 397
CHAPTER 15 Milking the Standard Channels of Distribution 398
Getting your "baby" into bookstores · Reaching wholesalers and distributors ·
Understanding exclusive master distribution · Tapping the lucrative library market ·
Going after educational sales · Using commissioned sales reps
CHAPTER 16 Crafting Ads That Reel in Results 438
Advertising to target audiences · Point-of-purchase (POP) sales aids ·
Co-op advertising · Innovative advertising maneuvers · Mail order classified ads
that sell · Tracking results · Graduating to display ads · Some final thoughts . . .
CHAPTER 17 Direct Marketing Smarts 471
An American tradition · The offer · The package · Finding your market ·
The fine points of mailing lists · More strategy · Success story
CHAPTER 18 Tapping into Lucrative Subsidiary Rights 487

What are subsidiary rights? · Selling your book in "pieces" · Tapping into
book clubs · Licensing paperback reprint rights · Making money on foreign and translation rights ·
Other ways to profit from sub spin-offs

Part VI Nontraditional Venues for Spawning More Sales 504
CHAPTER 19 Originating Extraordinary
"Out-of-the-Box" Opportunities		 505
Creative thinking pays · Other retail outlets will carry your product · Premium books
and merchandise tie-ins · Hitting the catalog jackpot · Become a paid spokesperson? ·
More innovative sales opportunities
CHAPTER 20 Seminars, Classes and Trade Shows can Multiply Your Profits 531
Giving talks and seminars · Readings for the literary inclined · How to develop a
free author tour · Self-sponsored seminar strategy · Working conventions,
trade shows, and book fairs
Part VII Propelling Your Business Through the Stratosphere 552
CHAPTER 21 Bagging the Big Game:
Selling Your Self-Published Book to Goliath
 553
Insider's sources for finding the right publisher · Launching a compelling sales
campaign · Negotiating contracts in your best interest · Getting your share of the marketing dollar
CHAPTER 22 Enlarge Your Kingdom: Move Up to
"Small Press" Status		 573
Good growing pains · Various tips and techniques for thriving · The winning combination:
niche publishing and backlist books
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER 583
AFTERWORD 585
SELF-PUBLISHING TIMETABLE 586
APPENDICES 594

Piloting your successful marketing plan · Organizations & other information sources · Canadian
Resources · Selected Book Manufacturers · Marketing Contacts ·
Other Helpful Information
BIBLIOGRAPHY/RECOMMENDED READING 660
GLOSSARY 675
INDEX 716

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