Product Description

Robert Holt, himself the successful author of four self-published books, now shares his knowledge and savvy with other would-be author-publishers in this step-by-step guide to every aspect of self-publishing. If you yearn join the ranks of such self published authors as Henry Thoreau, Upton Sinclair, Anais Nin, and George Bernard Shaw, if you've ever thought of doing it yourself, then this is the book for you. How to Publish Promote and Sell Your Own Book provides you with everything you ever wanted to know about self-publishing--and never even thought to ask.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #743430 in Books
• Published on: 1986-07-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Although some notable titles on the subject exist (including Dan Poynter's The Self-Publishing Manual and Marilyn and Tom Ross's Complete Guide to Self-Publishing), Holt presents a worthy addition that should not be overlooked by aspiring writer-publishers. A successful self-publisher of self-help books (which he later sold for reprint to major houses), he offers a solid grounding in editorial, production and marketing basics, and provides tips to aid neophytes avoid common pitfalls. He is especially attentive to the more delicate stages of the self-publication process: how to work with a printer (and save money doing it), create an attractive cover, price the book, etc. The sections on marketing and on selling reprint rights are particularly valuable. Holt's lucid writing and businesslike approach will appeal to many. December
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
This operating manual offers clear technical information to anyone in the publishing business, but the emphasis on quality and the presumed goal of finding a major publisher will discourage novices who have delusions of easy fame. Sprinkled with examples from experience, the advice on editing and preparing a manuscript is direct and concise, as are the checklists and up-to-date formulas for tabulating costs. Sections on how to write query letters, find an agent, get along with an editor, generate reviews and publicity, and negotiate a contract will be valuable to any writer. Self-published in 1982, this book in its revised edition surpasses similar works for readability and organization, though much of the information is available elsewhere, chiefly in The Self-Publishing Manual by Dan Poynter (Para Publishing, 1984, rev. ed.). Leonard Kniffel, Detroit P.L.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"From A to Z, the author covers the realities of book publishing in general (thus helping the reader make the decision to self-publish) and then offers thorough information on manuscript preparation, book design, production vagaries and costs, marketing and promotion, and more..Holt's handy how-to is recommended." --Booklist "Should not be overlooked by aspiring writer-publishers...[Holt] offers a solid grounding in editorial, production, and marketing basics, and provides tips to aid neophytes avoid common pitfalls. He is especially attentive to the more delicate stages of the self-publication process: how to work with a printer (and save money doing it), create and attractive cover, price the book, etc. The selections on marketing and on selling reprint rights are particularly valuable. Holt's lucid writing and business-like approach will appeal to many." --Publisher's Weekly "Sprinkled with examples from experience, the advice on editing and preparing a manuscript is direct and concise, as are the checklists and up-to-date formulas for tabulating costs. Sections on how to write query letters, find an agent, get along with an editor, generate reviews and publicity, and negotiate a contract will be valuable to any writer...This book.. surpasses similar works for readability and organization." --Library Journal -- Review

Customer Reviews

Redundancy coupled with hand holding
As most aspiring authors have done, I have searched for helpful books on authoring and publishing. I came across this book and it seemed promising because it offered both sides of the track and everything in between. For someone interested in the basics who has not read anything, this would be a book to read.

Holt goes from point A to B and doesn't miss any details, no matter how small. He'll tell you what color pencil to use in editing, to how to open your mail. Much of this the normal person with any amount of common sense would know how to do, why fill your book with what everyone knows how to do? Other times he writes on every detail you could imagine on how to write and prepare your manuscipt, or how to promote and distribute and so on, only to become redundant, writing the same advice several times throughout.

Also, this is most certainly not a book to help the fiction writer. Where there are some anecdotes to help explain some of the printing and editing process, it is geared strictly for the nonfiction authors and their world. He tries to mask it at first, talking about both the fiction as well as the nonfiction, but quickly leaves fiction by the wayside. Then, out of nowhere, something on fiction will creep in for a line or two, and then is gone. The author made no mention in the book description or title that this was a how-to book on how to write and publish how-to books. Some blaim falls on myself, I guess, since I didn't take the time to peruse the chapter headings, but, wait, that would have still fooled me. Even when I read some of the text of the book at the bookstore it seemed, without reading the whole book, that it would be useful on both sides. I was wrong.

If you are a fiction writer looking for guidance, look elsewhere. As so many how-to books on publishing and writing do, this one doesn't cover fiction writing. Every publishing how-to always says to find a field that is marketable, well how come people aren't writing on this one, on how-to write and publish fiction? Perhaps some day, until then we must settle for the nonfiction how-tos to gleam a small amount of help.

Dated material
I was looking for a book on self publishing and I knew which one I wanted but I grabbed this one by mistake. It has some interesting information about the publishing industry and some good advice about editing.

But some of the things he said about the publishing industry just seemed wrong. He was also talking about B. Dalton and Crown books as if they were the largest book sellers in the indsutry. No mention of Amazon or B&N? Something seemed wrong. Checking the copyright page I found that this book was published in 1985.

The industry has definately changed over the past 20 years. The Internet, Word Processing software, and other technology advances since the early 80's have changed the way books are written and published. It is time for an update to this book.

Dated but good Info
This book is not recent, therefore some of the information does not ring true anymore. However, it does provide a lot of good information. I checked it out from the library, but it wouldn't be a bad book to own. There is not mention of anything about the internet as it was published in the 80's. It is mainly geared toward nonfiction writing. Though the information would be good for anyone planning to self-publish. Another book I would recommend if you're really into self-publishing, is Dan Poynter's Self-Publihing manual.