Write and Publish a Book from Home Online
By Deborah S. Nelson, Author-Book Coach-Speaker
The world of publishing has dramatically changed in the past 5 years. Once an arena almost exclusively granted to the scholarly, publishing a book is now possible for anyone who can read, write, and has a computer and an online connection.
If you have a story to tell, a business method to teach, a journey to chronicle, or even art or photographs to share, you can write, publish and sell a book from home using the online venue.
How to Write and Print a Book at Home
Keep in mind there are three stages to bringing a printed book to the mass market:
- Writing the book ( see our article on how to write a book fast
- Publishing the book (for more detail see our article that teaches how to publish a book from home)
- Selling the book (see my article on marketing strategies for selling self-published books)
Writing a book can take some time. My best advice for writing is to write about what you love and know, and do not be concerned with grammar, spelling, or proofreading until after you have written from your heart. Professional editors and proofreaders can be hired later on. The important thing is to get the gist of what you have to share down in writing. Some people are intimidated by writing. As a publishing coach, when someone is having a difficult time writing, I suggest using a tape recorder. Then later on the taped verbiage can be automatically translated (using automate software) and made into a Word document. This costs a little bit of money, but well worth it if you are finding yourself procrastinating the writing even though you very much want to publish a book.
How to Print and Publish a Book
The first step is to get your book written into a Word document form. Then, hire a professional content editor to go over your manuscript with fresh eyes to make sure that everything flows in chronological order, that facts and figures our consistent, and that what you say makes sense. Sometimes it makes sense to you and no one else. This is because you have a lot of knowledge about the subject, and take certain concepts or underlying principals for granted. A good content editor will flush out these inconsistencies and ambiguous statements. Next, I recommend signing up for a print on demand account to get your book printed. You will submit the digital files for printing, after you have prepared the interior of the book and the book cover to the specifications required by the print on demand company. In using print on demand method, you will submit your book file for publication, and once approved, it can be made available through Amazon for purchase. Print on demand means they have your digital book file ready, and when a book is ordered it gets printed that day or soon thereafter, and shipped out to the customer who bought it. If you need a print on demand company to take your book from manuscript, get an account for with CreateSpace, the wholesale printing arm of Amazon.com, “Earth’s Largest Bookstore.”
How to Sell Self-Published Books
Self-Publishing a book. How to sell and market self-published books
Some of you will want to know how to sell your books. Others simple want to make a few copies for Christmas gifts, and to leave a legacy for their family for generations to come. Either way, often new authors jump to the conclusion that they need to go out and do book signings at books stores. This is an old school model which produces little success for self-published authors, since the majority of books are bought online and not in physical bookstores. The best approach is to make yourself known as the expert in your niche online. Join lots of forums where people are trying to learn about the subject that you are writing about. If you are writing fiction, be sure and set up an author profile on Goodreads, Amazon, and Author’s Den. This way you make yourself and your books known to the community of readers who love to read and are more likely to buy books online. See about getting on radio shows, or podcasts, and make yourself available to speak at local business networking events or other types of gatherings. They may not pay a fee, but be sure and arrange to bring books to sell at the back of the room when you finish your talk. An author friend of mine did this often, and came away with $200-$300 in her pocket after giving just a one-hour talk.
Have a Dream to Publish a Book—
But Lack the Time or Know-How?
Look no further. This potent detailed DIY publishing guide grants you the time and know-how. Learn how to self-publish a book by doing it! Once you become a published author, friends, family, and peers see you in a whole new light! This unique system propels both aspiring and seasoned authors through digital publishing step-by-step. You won’t even need your completed manuscript to start!
Includes downloadable template
Free ISBN number & POD account
10 steps to print on demand publishing
Displays book parts in chronological order
Publish your book blueprint proof in a week
Those who have completed Ms. Nelson’s Courses are raving fans. See Videos Reviews & Author Library.
Hmmm … I am not quite ready—just send me the Free Self-Publishing Toolkit
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