Product Description

This new, updated edition of the industry standard shows writers how to get full control over their careers by self-publishing. Writers will see how the publishing industry works and learn how to make it work for them. Packed with maximum profit/minimal risk ideas, The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing, 4th Edition provides readers with: * Step-by-step guidance on every aspect of publishing and marketing a book * Appendices that list marketing contacts, government help and vendors, including names and addresses * Updated advice on e-publishing and electronic rights--everything the writer needs to know to tackle this dynamic new medium * Production tips that can cut design and printing costs * Proven sales letter formats, cover designs and catalog sheets * Dynamic marketing strategies for publicity, advertising and sales--specifically, what works and what doesn't

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #195119 in Books
• Published on: 2002-01-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 521 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781582970912
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
"Self-publishing," say authors Tom and Marilyn Ross, "is a perfect example of the American dream." The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing, then, is an aspiring self-publisher's dream. "This isn't a book of fancy theory," as the authors put it; "it's a practical handbook of state-of-the-art specifics." In 521 pages, it lays out everything you need to know to publish your own books, from start-up considerations to the possibility of selling to a big publisher: how to choose a name for your press, how to get an ISBN, what cover designs cost, how to find a reliable printer, how to price your book, where to find lighter-weight shipping envelopes, how to generate working capital. The authors' encyclopedic grasp of the ins and outs of self-publishing is matched by their natural good sense about self-promotion. Turn your signings into events, they recommend; get your books into a variety of venues; use the books as fundraisers for organizations; get online and get reviewed online. The price of this book is negligible considering the cost of proper self-publishing (between $12,000 and $25,000), and, oh, the headaches it will spare you! --Jane Steinberg

Review
"The most readable guide to self-publishing … loaded with resources for e-publishing, on-demand publishing, ... What a great resource!” -- John Kremer, author, 1,001 Ways to Market Your Books

About the Author
Tom and Marilyn Ross – and their passion for self-publishing – have been featured in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Denver Post, Chicago Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, Success, Entrepreneur, U.S. News & World Report, and dozens of other national magazines and newspapers. After self-publishing six books, this husband and wife team began giving nationwide writing and publishing seminars to share what they had learned about the process. Numerous requests for individual guidance led to the creation of their consulting service, About Books, Inc. Since 1978, they have helped thousands of authors, entrepreneurs, professionals, corporations, and associations successfully self-publish.

Their companion book to the award-winning Complete Guide to Self-Publishing is Jump Start Your Book Sales, which continues to rack up rave reviews. Marilyn’s Shameless Marketing for Brazen Hussies is raising eyebrows – and ringing cash registers – from coast to coast.

These busy professionals have been on the faculty of Folio’s New York Face-to-Face conference, lectured at colleges and universities, and been invited to key-note and give seminars for regional writing, publishing, and speaking associations all across the United States and Canada.

Tom Ross has masterminded promotional campaigns that creative extensive print, radio, and TV coverage, and opened doors for national book distribution. Tom specializes in helping clients project analysis, editing, production, computerization, and developing nationwide book marketing campaigns.

Marilyn Ross is the award-winning author of twelve nonfiction books, hundreds of articles, and a monthly newsletter. She currently heads Communication Creativity – the Rosses’ publishing imprint that produces their other books.

This pair also serve as senior associates of the prestigious Center for the New West, “a think tank that casts its visionary net over the vast economic and cultural landscape …” according to The Christian Science Monitor. They are both listed in the twenty-fourth edition of Who’s Who in the West. Between them, this dynamic pair is also included in Who’s Who of American Women, The World Who’s Who of Women, International Businessmen’s Who’s Who, and Men and Women of Distinction.

Their writing careers are detailed in The Working Press of the Nation; Who’s Who in U.S. Writers, Editors & Poets; The International Authors and Writers Who’s Who; and Contemporary Authors. Both also belong to the Author’s Guild, the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), and the National Speakers Association.

In 1996, they launched SPAN, a nonprofit trade association for authors, self-publishers, and independent presses. The Small Publishers Association of North America (SPAN) has become the second largest such organization in the world.

About Books, Inc. (ABI), the publishing and book marketing firm founded in 1979 by Marilyn and Tom, provides service to individuals and organizations that seek to successfully publish and promote their books. The Rosses handle all aspects of book editing, design, production, and marketing. Since ABI works strictly as a consultant, authors retain all rights to their work, own all copies of their books, and reap 100 percent of the profits. Marilyn and Tom have a proven track record of producing attractive books and result-getting promotion and publicity.

Customer Reviews

A nice beginning book, but needs more.
When I first saw the title of this book, I thought the subject matter had to do with publishing your book through a POD publisher or a vanity press. I couldn't have been more wrong. This is a basic instruction book on how to become your own publisher and the cost-effective means of publishing your book. (In fact, Tom & Marilyn Ross devote only a few pages to PODs and vanity presses, saying that if you are looking to sell your book to the general public, these options may not be the best choices.)

This book takes you from the beginning of setting up your own publishing business (which is needed even if you plan on publishing only you own works), the different requirements for publishing a book (like obtaining an ISBN and EAN as well as copyright and Library of Congress registration), finding and selecting a book printer, how to go about distributing you books (which you can do yourself or by going through traditional distributers), and even how to market your book.

While a good starter book that whets you appitite about the book publishing industry, it falls far short of providing you everything that you need to know in order to do this properly. The authors constantly make reference to the Literary Market Place; a book that, while it is available here on Amazon, comes with a hefty ($) price tag. And while they do provide some inforamative lists, they admit that the lists is not complete and refer you back to the LMP.

The book does discuss e-publishing, but only in a scratching-the-surface kind of way. I had to look at other areas to find the information about e-publishing only to discover that I may not want to bother with that at this time.

The most disappointing aspect of the book that I found was that most of it (about 70%) is dedicated to trade or self-help publishing. If the book you are planning to publish is a fictional novel, this is going to be of little help to you. When I realized that a topic being discussed was geared for trade publications, I just skipped the topic to save me time.

To summarize, this is a great book if you are a beginner and want to explore the publishing world. It's even a great book if you are planning to publish a trade publication. However, I would recommend that if you have any knowledge or if you are seriously pursuing self-publishing you may want to look at other books in this topic to supplement this one, especially if you are planing on publishing works of fictions.

As of January 29, 2004: I had previously rated this book at three stars. After reading a number of other books, I have since upgraded this to 4 stars. The reason for this is that this book has been more complete compared to the other books that I have read, plus Tom and Marilyn Ross continue to provide assistance to others online. I am still withholding a star because I think they should have addressed fictional works as much as they did trade books.

Overrated
Given the solid-five star rating in the Amazon reviews, I expected this book to be a real gem. Instead, while this book has some helpful tips, much of the book is composed of:
-common sense advice;
-self-promotion by the authors, including references to other books or organizations affiliated with the authors;
-no-brainers such as "use the internet for research", "try a search engine called 'Google'", etc.; and
-home-spun "witticisms" or "words of wisdom" in the form of quotes from various authors & publishers.

To wrap up, this book is decent, and probably worth the money and time to buy it and read it, but you need to wade through a bunch of verbiage to find the parts that are interesting and relevant to you.

A must read for anyone considering self-publishing!
I've just self-published my first book, Why Struggle? life istoo short to wear tight shoes. I would never have considered thisoption if I didn't this treasure of a book to reference. My favorite section is the outline in the back of the book that details what to do in each phase of the process. Tom and Marilyn have created an amazing book that covers everything imaginable for self-publishers. I've only implemented some of their suggestions and I've sold over 300 books in less that two months. Because of this book,my dream has because a reality and it wasn't a painful process.