A few
points about this book review page:
1) Some of these covers have changed over the years, so they might not appear
the same as the current covers.
2) All of the books that you see here have a positive review, if you want to
know why this is so, please refer back to page 1 of the reviews.
3) If you click on the image of the book it will take you to Shelfari.com or
Goodreads.com
ISBN-13: 978-0991677610
Book review: "The Global Indie Author: Your Guide to the World of Self-Publishing"
Everything I said in the review of the 2nd edition of "The Global Indie Author: Your Guide to the World of Self-Publishing" still applies...
"'You don't know what you don't know' could be a slogan for the process of self-publishing. On top of the fact that going blindly can waste a great deal of time and money, if you do it incorrectly you could even lose your hard work to one of unscrupulous businesses that you 'think' is making your life easier. If you want to self-publish successfully, if you want to protect your work, and if you want to save time and money in this process, then this book is your road map for navigating the stormy seas of self-publishing."
…and this new, updated version is even better. This 3rd edition comes in at just under 500 pages (about 150 more than the 2nd edition) and the updates make this the most current resource, that I am aware of, in this genre.
If you are just entertaining the idea about writing a book, if you are serious about self-publishing, or if you are somebody who has self-published already, there will be invaluable information in this book. If you're not sure if you need this book, perhaps this will help. Depending on which version of the book you purchase, the price is around $20. If you are going to put a book into the world, a book that represents your hard work and your vision, wouldn't it be worth $20 to do it properly? If you are thinking about putting out a book, wouldn't it be better to know the dangers and benefits of all the options BEFORE you commit to a plan of action that might cost you hundreds of dollars later?
If you want to share your book with the world, skip one night at the movies and use the money to get this book instead - your book is worth it.
ISBN-13: 978-0986891489
I was fortunate enough to meet Ms. Demers at a local writer's event and to have purchased the latest copy of her book, "The Global Indie Author." I self-published a set of books many years ago without the luxury of her experience, and it was a challenge. With today's new technology and the latest options for publishing: e-books, vanity press, POD, the world of self-publishing has gotten even more complicated and complex. The adage that, "You don't know what you don't know" could be a slogan for the process of self-publishing.
On top of the fact that going blindly can waste a great deal of time and money, if you do it incorrectly you could even lose your hard work to one of the unscrupulous businesses that you "think" is making your life easier. If you want to self publish successfully, if you want to protect your work, and if you want to save time and money in this process, then this book is your road map for navigating the stormy seas of self-publishing. I have purchased several other books on this topic, they are also good books; however, none is as complete as this one. The fact that it deals with the American market AND the Canadian market makes it even more versatile and useful. Do yourself a favor, get this book if you want to self-publish.
ISBN-13: 978-1568601465
Dan is THE self-publishing Guru - if you are self-publishing, get this book - I think this summarizes my views on this book; however, to add some verbiage, I will say that this book is filled with wisdom from MANY years in the industry and the links and resources Dan provides will save you hours of searching. Dan also provides LOADS of information and a newsletter, free of charge, on his website.
If you are looking to self-publish, do yourself a favor and get this book, and the others that Dan has published.
Publishing E-Books For Dummies - Ali Luke
ISBN-13: 978-1118342909
As with the other books in this section, this is a superb book to assist you on you road to putting together, and selling, your Ebook.Having self-published a print book many years ago, I new a little about the process; however, there are a lot of nuances that can trip you up when you try to produce your E-book even if you have a handle on traditional publishing. As an example, one of the biggest issues arises with formatting during the conversion process from your original document into one of the E-book formats. If you do it incorrectly it will potentially be a a chaotic mess.
In addition to the creation of your Ebook, there are valuable sections for selling and marketing your book as well.
Overall, this book is a great resource. One area that I would like to see expanded though (Ali if your reading this), is the section on DRM. If possible, and I know that the technology changes quickly, a component on the advantages and disadvantages of the various types of DRM on the market would be beneficial.
ISBN-13: 978-0938497462
**Even with all of the changes in the industry, and the 'no longer applicable components' of this book, this is still a valuable resource*
After reading “Aiming at Amazon”, I purchased this book to give me some more insights into the POD world and while some of the information has become outdated -primarily related to Lightning (without the “e” as Aaron says) and their relationship with Amazon - I still gained a great deal of knowledge that I have not found elsewhere.
One quick example: I knew that the printer needs a blank page at the end of the book to enable them to print their information, but until I read Aaron’s book I had no idea if I should include that blank page in my manuscript, or leave it out.
How much is that information worth in time and potential cost? I have no idea how to quantify it; however, I would suggest just that even just one piece of information like that was worth far more to me than the cost of this book. I believe that when it comes to information we can get great value in books written by experts in their field; we get the benefit of their knowledge without all of the gray/missing hair and without having to search far-and-wide.
In addition, Aaron has provided updates to his website that alerts readers of new developments and he has produced several Kindle books to address other specific needs for writers.
If you are looking at POD, this is still worth the read and then visit Aaron’s website to get the “new” stuff as well.
http://www.newselfpublishing.com/
ISBN-13: 978-1451537079
As with several of the other book reviews I have published in genre of “E-book” creation, this is another superb resource and “must have” book for anyone looking to venture into the world of E-book creation.
Jason Matthews has provided the aspiring E-book author with a treasure trove of links, resources and “how to” insights that will save you countless hours of sitting in front of your computer looking for information on the dub-dub-dub. I can’t provide an accurate estimate of how many links are provided in this book; however, if I were to guess, I would say well over a hundred.
The other main benefit to this material is that most of it points to FREE resources and sources of information that will get the job done, and if you are inclined to spend a few dollars, then you can selectively choose which services will warrant some of your hard-earned cash.
Personally, I think if you are going to spend any money on your E-book, whether it’s in the creation of your book or in marketing or sales, start by spending a few dollars on this book AND then add the other related books that I have recommended.
ISBN-13: 978-0938497431
As the title says, this book is specifically aimed at anyone who is self-publishing and wants to have their book sold by Amazon.
The information that the author shares is invaluable and will certainly save any aspiring author a great deal of time, and probably money, as they navigate the ever changing currents of the POD industry and the world of Amazon.
PS: I have just purchased several other books by this same author and will be reading and reviewing them when I am done.
