Category Archives: Guest Articles

How To Publish Books Using Online Sites

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Let me ask you a simple question: How you ever thought about publishing your own book using online sites? Whether you have or have not, just take minute to read this short article to educate yourself on the process of online publishing.

A recent research study shows that many different factors determine how a book will be received and what impact it will have on society. What the study shows is that how the book is written, slanted or selected can have a direct impact on the number of sales it achieves. This means that how you write, edit, format and market the book will have a serious effect on how readers will perceive it.

Various publishing methods exist and there is much discussion about which is the best. All agree that writers must carefully choose competent publishers who will help the author achieve their publishing goals. Otherwise the entire process is a waste of time and money. Online websites can now help you publish your book successfully without the pitfalls of traditional publishing.

Lulu.com – Benefits And Advantages

Lulu.com is a website that allows authors to publish books themselves. One of the main advantages is that it allows you to publish as many titles as you’d like in a short period of time. You can also develop digital media and publish eBooks. The benefits to using Lulu are many.

In addition to publishing your works, you can also scan old books and photo albums in order to preserve them.

Once you publish your book on Lulu, you can choose among publishing options to either have it publicly available or only available to those you choose to access it. You also have the option of releasing the book in digital format, print format, or both. If you choose both, your readers can also pick which format they prefer to receive your content in.

Marketing And Selling Your Book

Publishing is about more than just writing, editing, and formatting. There is also marketing to consider, and this step can be quite demanding. If you don’t know how to handle your own book marketing, you could take a major loss on your titles. First time authors who fail at marketing their books often feel discouraged and many give up writing and publishing.

Lulu makes it easier for you to market and sell your book. After your book is published, you can choose groups to market it to. These niche groups have already been established on Lulu, so they give you a built-in audience. This is a great way to collaborate with other authors so that everyone benefits.

More Benefits To Publishing Online

Online sites really help when it comes to self-publishing your books. You can come up with absolutely any kind of book you want and it can be published. The only limit you have is your imagination. You can turn your old recipes or photo albums into published titles available to anyone.

As far as design and layout, they offer their own pre-made templates so that you don’t have to start from scratch. This is another task that most authors find difficult to handle themselves. There are also platforms where you can automatically sell your book once it’s published, such as Amazon.com.

When people are browsing books and they come across yours, they may find it hard to decide whether or not to buy. After all, you’re not an established author. To make the decision easier for them, you can offer the first few pages of your book for them to browse just like in any bookstore. They get a chance to read a little and if your writing pulls them in, they’ll buy.

For authors interested in self-publishing, publishing through online websites is easy and profitable. It’s more than worthwhile!

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Author: Marcus Blalock
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Five Things to Consider Before You Self-Publish

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It should come as no surprise that the allure of self-publishing has strengthened over the last year. The rise in popularity of digital book readers like the Kindle and Nook have inspired user-friendly publishing platforms for writers who wish to sell compatible eBooks. The simplicity of do-it-yourself print on demand sites allows writers to take charge of formatting and design for their books, and to make them available for sale rather quickly. While it’s true that an author contracted with a traditional publisher has advantages, a number of self-published phenoms have proven they can sell as well as the next New York Times chart-topper.

Bear in mind,however, that self-pub successes like Amanda Hocking and John Locke typically are not the norm. It doesn’t mean you don’t have the potential to sell in the thousands or more if you self-publish, but it’s important to decide if this is right path for you. When you make the commitment to write a book, you have the opportunity to share your voice with readers. Taking on the responsibility of publishing and marketing your work should progress in a way that attracts people to your sales pages. If you have become frustrated by traditional publishing or if you have wanted to strike out on your own, take these points into consideration:

1) How much time will I devote to the process? Self-publishing a novel may be accomplished full-time or part-time – you manage your schedule and put in the necessary hours. The same goes for marketing, too. How will you divide your time among social media, blogging, and making contacts for reviews and events?

2) Who will edit the book? You might think because you have so many years of experience in writing and literature, that you are qualified to self-edit. You may have edited well for others, but when it comes to your own work you risk letting your ego get in the way. You may also become so attached to your manuscript that you let errors slide. It is crucial to employ an editor to work with you to ensure that your work is polished and error-free, that characters remain consistent, and that the story makes sense. Your first book becomes the primary promotional item that sells your next book, so make it count!

3) Who will design the cover? Readers do judge a book by the cover, and often the cover and title are what prompt readers to buy in the first place. If you want to present your book in a professional manner, you need a cover designed by a pro. You may be tempted to cut corners with royalty-free stock photography, but think about the end result if you know little about design. Your book deserves a great cover, so make sure you know where to find it.

4) Who is the target audience? Who will read your book – men, women, teenagers? If your book is non-fiction, is there a certain market that would be more interested — music lovers, people from a specific geographic area, people of a certain faith or creed? How you market the book depends upon the demographics of your intended readership, so know your audience.

5) How will I sell the book? You probably have the plans in motion to distribute through Amazon.com and other retailers, but what else do you have planned? Will you sell through your website or social profiles? Do you have leads for book signings and book events?

If you are new to the publishing world and feel intimidated by the growing to-do list of a self-published author, here’s one thing to keep in mind: even if you are published traditionally through a house like St. Martin’s or Harlequin, you are expected to pull your own weight. Some decisions, like cover art and editing, may be handled for you, but unless you are the house’s mega-star, you will discover that you must schedule your blog tours and book signings, and order your promotional items. Moreover, you must write the next book.

Is self-publishing right for you? Only you can make that decision, but if you decide to do it be prepared!

Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer specializing in articles on self-publishing services and book editing services for indie authors.

Author: Kathryn Lively
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Traditional Vs Self-Publishing

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After you have poured your blood, sweat, tears and a dash of red wine into your manuscript, you now have to ask yourself the big girl question, “Should I self-publish or shop for a publisher?” (Cue dramatic music and lightning sound effects)

With all the new technology and random news stories about how some new author made millions of dollars selling their self-published ebook for a penny, it all may have you believing that self-publishing trumps the traditional publishing option 100% of the time. And that is simply not true. Each side has it’s own pluses and minuses that you need to consider before making the decision. Hopefully I can provide some assistance in that area. So let’s dive in, shall we?

It’s every author’s dream – you come home one day and find a letter from Random House. Your family gathers around as you skim over the words which inform you that your manuscript has been accepted, will be on the shelves in a month, here’s a movie contract for you to sign and, oh, a big fat advance check is enclosed.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but don’t hold your breath while waiting for that letter. Publishing companies won’t even look at your manuscript unless you have an agent to represent you or you have somehow proven that you have an established fan following, marketable platform or sales.

Traditional publishing has many benefits. In the first place, it doesn’t cost you a cent to get your book published. In fact, they pay you! Well, eventually. You will get royalties from the sale of your books.

If you are the type of person that is only interested in the “writing” portion of book creation, traditional publishing may be the best option for you. Many self-published authors have to find editors, graphic design artist, printers and a slew of other professionals to complete the book publishing process. It can be overwhelming for someone who has absolutely no interest in such. Traditional publishers do it all for you. They design, print, ship, sell and market your masterpiece.

Traditional publishers take over the heavy lifting, but it will cost you. It may cost you your intellectual property. Once you sign that contract, you may not own your book anymore. From then on, the publishing company decides how, or if, to release and market your book. In a traditional publishing contract, you get royalties and the publisher gets your book.

If you want to retain all of your intellectual property rights and managing a staff of publishing professionals doesn’t make you want to pull your hair out strand by strand, you may want to consider self-publishing. You make profits rather than royalties.

What makes self-publishing challenging is that there are so many ways you can do it. You can go to a printer and print a couple thousand copies. You can go to one of the on-line publishers, upload your book and have them print it. You can also self-publish using the various forms of epublishing and make your book available through the Kindle®, Nook®, iPad® or other electronic devices. Do you want to know what is even more disgusting? Each one of the above mentioned methods have their own way of doing things along with their own advantages and disadvantages….DUN DUN DUNNNN!!! (Cue horrific scream)

Another major difference between traditional and self-publishing is the access to distribution channels. Traditional publishers have distribution channels already established, which means it will be easier for your book to get into book stores or other retail stores. In contrast, most of the self-publishing options can’t measure up when it comes to placing your books on bookstore shelves.

If you have already established a strong online presence, not afraid to walk in some seriously uncomfortable shoes, and prepared to market like there is no tomorrow, self-publishing can be a very profitable and rewarding option.

So there is the brief overview. Once you delve further into the subject, you’ll find confusing questions that you will need to answer before you make a final decision. Regardless of the direction your decide to go, make sure you understand your options and the corresponding advantages and disadvantages.

Happy publishing!

Cinnamon McCann is the author of Self-Publishing in Stilettos: A Woman’s Guide to Publishing With Confidence. Learn everything you need to know about self-publishing and sign up for her newsletters to receive the latest tips and techniques by visiting her at http://www.selfpublishinginstilettos.com.

Author: Cinnamon McCann
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Book Marketing – 3 Secrets Of Successful Information Marketers

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Information marketing is the number one way to make huge profits from your book. Here are three book marketing secrets from the most successful information marketers today.

Book Marketing Secret # 1 Give it away for free

If you give it away for free, they will come. Or they will at least exchange their email address for your free information. Once you have their email address, you can contact them to make product announcements, promote affiliate products or simply say hello.

Additionally, by giving away quality free information, you’re letting prospective customers know that you are a reliable source of quality information. It gives you credibility and it enables your customers to know that you are a trustworthy source.

You can provide small bits of free information in a variety of ways. If you’re pursuing a career in information marketing then you can use free articles and reports on your niche topic as a way to enhance your credibility.

Book Marketing Secret # 2 Stress the benefits

If you want to sell your book, you must sell the benefits that people will receive by reading it. The most well written and interesting book won’t sell a single copy if there isn’t an expressed benefit to be gained by reading it. Maybe the benefit is as simple as the fact that after you read it, you’ll be smarter. That’s still a benefit and a desire by many.

Stress the benefits by first listing them in your book’s title. A book titled “Organic Gardening” isn’t nearly as compelling as “How to Grow Your Own Organic Garden and Lengthen Your Life by Ten Years.”

Read Let Them Judge Your Book By Its Cover to learn the four simple steps that will get your book noticed. Hint, the first one is the title.

Book Marketing Secret # 3 Create a product line

Creating other products that support your book is the best way to make money, and to sell more books.. Your book is the proof that you are an expert. The other information products that are made from your book are where the big dollars are made.

Once you have your book completed, you easily have two more products for your product line–an e-book and an audio book. The content is there, you’ve already done the hard part. All you need to do now is produce the other versions.

Following is a list of Products you can sell and produce from your book. The list is only limited by your imagination:

1. Audio

2. Video

3. Newsletter

4. Special reports

5. Teleseminar

6. Coaching

7. Consulting

8. Seminars, Conference & Boot camps

9. Online courses

10. ECourse

The list goes on and on, I actually list more than 20 possibilities in my book “101 Reasons Why You Must Write A Book. How To Make A 6 Figure Income By Writing & Publishing Your Own Book” When you create a product line, each new product can in fact market your book via a link, a reference, a full page ad in the back of your seminar workbook, etc…

Book marketing can be an extremely lucrative career. If you follow these three secrets and use them to market your book, you will be on your way to profound profits and the financial success that you desire.

For Your FREE MP3 (Value $97.00)
‘How To Make A 6 Figure Income Writing & Publishing Your Own Book’
Go To: Write a Book

Bob Burnham Entrepreneur, Consultant and Author of ‘101 Reasons Why You Must Write A Book’

For Information on How to Write and Publish your own book go to Expert Author : http://www.expertauthorpublishing.com
Read More On: Book Marketing

Author: Bob Burnham
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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