When clients ask me about self-publishing, I point them to two books.
APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur-How to Publish a Book by Guy Kawasaki and Shawn Welch does a great job of covering the opportunities and pitfalls. You’ll get as good an overview as possible of a fast changing area of business.
APE will give you most of what you need to know, but I also recommend the latest edition of Dan Poynter’s classic Self-Publishing Manual. Dan is the grandfather of self-publishing experts and this book is filled with a lot of helpful detail that will enrich your understanding of publishing in general and self-publishing in particular.
Dan’s book is a must-read if you want to be able to do bulk sales of your book, like many of my clients. That’s because there’s rich material on working with a book printer that you won’t find in APE.
Bottom Line
If you’re considering self-publishing, I suggest purchasing both APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur-How to Publish a Book and Dan Poynter’s Self-Publishing Manual.
