Self-Publishing On a Budget

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Text Box: Publish It Yourself! Whether you want to preserve a collection of cherished recipes for family members or write a marketable how-to manual, Self-Publishing On a Budget: A Do-It-All-Yourself Guide will show you how to gather the information and put it together into a properly formatted book. Anyone can accomplish this task, and on a reasonable budget. Self-publishing can encompass a wide range of literature, from a 24-page booklet that you print on your own computer to a 300-page hardback novel that’s typeset by a professional printer. It’s whatever your vision and budget will allow. All you need to do is pick a subject and starting writing. What information have you acquired during your lifetime that you can share with others? Write about what you know—your life experiences, hobbies, travels or career expertise. Find a need and fill it. Self-publishing is fun, affordable and rewarding. Everyone should try it at least once. Even if your goal is simply a cookbook for family members or an information booklet for business clients. The satisfaction of holding that finished book in your hands is well worth the effort. Use these easy, step-by-step self-publishing tips to share the knowledge you have accumulated with others. Don’t pass up the opportunity to see your work in print. Create a legacy that will extend long past your lifetime.

Text Box: Websites with Free Articles About Writing and Self-Publishing Small Publishers Association of North America: www.spannet.org Small Publishers, Artists & Writers Network: www.spawn.org Publishers Marketing Association: www.pma-online.org www.writeandpublishyourbook.com www.selfpublishing.com www.writing-world.com www.writergazette.com Science Fiction Writers of America (“Writer Beware” notices & free articles about writing): www.sfwa.org

Text Box: Do You Need an ISBN for Your Book? If your purpose for self-publishing your book is to distribute it to family members or friends, or to sell it in local stores or gift shops, then you won’t need an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) for it. But if you plan to sell your book through major retail chains, bookstores and distributors, then you will need to get an ISBN. In order to do this, you must submit an application to R. R. Bowker Company to apply for a publisher prefix number (the first eleven numbers that make up a 13-digit ISBN). Their website is listed below. This 13-digit number identifies the publisher, the book title and the author. It is important that you obtain your own ISBN rather than using one issued by your printing company or subsidy publisher, because these numbers are assigned to publishers. In other words, for as long as your book is in print, the “publisher of record” and their contact information is determined by the ISBN that is printed on the copyright page of the book. Anytime someone wants information about your book or wants to discuss a business deal regarding it, they will contact R. R. Bowker (Books in Print) to get the official publisher’s name, address and phone number. You are not officially a self-publisher unless you are using your own ISBN’s and are listed as the “publisher of record” for your book. ISBN’s are purchased in blocks of ten numbers for about $275.00 (at the time of this printing). You can learn more about ISBN’s and how to purchase them online at the following websites: www.bowker.com OR www.isbn.org. Learn more about self-publishing from: Self-Publishing On a Budget: A Do-It-All-Yourself Guide.

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Self-Publishing on a Budget

Do you long to be a published author but think it’s an impossible dream? Learn how to turn that dream into reality with the information in this step-by-step self-publishing guide.

It offers helpful advice on:

• Finding Your Target Market • Writing and Editing Your Manuscript

• Book Layouts and Text Fonts • Designing a Book Cover

• Choosing a Binding Style • Finding an Affordable Printer

• Promoting and Selling Your Book

Don’t pass up the chance to see your work in print. Self-publishing is easy, affordable and fun. You can do it and this book will show you how! Size: 5.5” X 8.5”, 60 pages, soft cover. ISBN: 978-0-9790618-5-1 $6.95

Read the First 10 pages of the Book

Text Box: Need an Affordable Printer? If you need an affordable printing company to print and bind your book, I highly recommend InstantPublisher.com. They can usually fill your order in 7-10 working days and will print as few as 25 copies. Their free software will create the necessary PDF files from your word processing document. Use their instant pricing calculator to estimate the cost of publishing your book. They also offer a variety of binding styles and provide book cover design assistance.

Text Box: Have a question about self-publishing? E-mail me: gloria@bluesagepress.com

Text Box: Student Comments “I just wanted to thank you again for the wonderful class. I am really looking forward to getting my book together and getting it published. Thanks for opening this door.” Rhonda B., Chicago, IL

Text Box: Classes & Presentations by Gloria Hander Lyons Does your group need a speaker for an upcoming meeting? I’m available to give presentations in the Galveston County/Clear Lake area on the topic of self-publishing. E-mail me to schedule at time for your event: gloria@bluesagepress.com I also teach Self-Publishing Classes at the College of the Mainland Learning Center in League City, as well as private Self-Publishing classes. Visit the Classes & Presentations Page for more information.

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Text Box: Print On Demand Publishing If you have the ability to create your own PDF files for your book text and cover, then you can upload them to Create Space (owned by Amazon.com). They can print and bind just one book at a time to fill orders. Your only financial obligation is to purchase one proof copy of your book. They will post your book for sale on Amazon.com and, as the author, you can purchase books for your own use for a very reasonable fee. Get all the details on their website: createspace.com