Authors: Independent Book Publisher’s Association Contributors
Genre: non-fiction, publishing, hobbies, reference
First Published: 2012
Pages: 57 (advance ebook version)
As a person who dreams of being a novelist, self-publishing is something that I have considered. With the rise in ebooks and e-reader devices it is becoming increasingly popular for writers to self-publish ebooks. But whether you’re self-publishing online or in print, this book has some great tips for everyone.
The book is divided into ten short chapters to represent the ten tips. Each chapter is written by a different contributor who has the relevant experience in the specific area that is being discussed. The end the chapter also contains a short bio on the contributor, so that you get an insight into their role in the publishing industry and what experience they have. The chapters cover everything from awards to social media, the legal side of publishing to creating your ‘brand’.
What is interesting about this book is that it doesn’t just focus on fiction self publishing but also non-fiction; something with is normally forgotten about in self-publishing guides. There is a chapter written specifically about non-fiction self publishing and it using really interesting case studies to show how self publishing can work for all types of writers.
This book really stuck me as a very ‘down-to-earth’ guide as the chapters are concise, meaning that you aren’t overloaded with information; the case studies are interesting and presented on a personal level – the author of the chapter has really experienced the case study so you know they know what they are talking about! The book isn’t riddled with jargon either, even the chapter on the legal side of self publishing is easy to understand and explained in a way that doesn’t make it seem frightening.
The book really stands out because of the unique angle it approaches the subject from. I found the chapter written by the librarian particularly interesting as she explains what she is looking for when she chooses books to buy for the library. While this may seem irrelevant for someone setting out to publish their book, it is a great thing to take into account. Several chapters cover things that you wouldn’t usually think were relevant when publishing a book but they could actually have a huge impact upon the books reception. This makes this book incredibly unique in my mind.
The only thing I would be wary of when buying this book is that its first appearance is deceiving, it isn’t a how to book on self publishing. This book is assuming that you already have a book published or you are in the process of doing so, rather than telling you how to go about the actual publishing side of it. Nevertheless, it is an extremely unique book which offers advice from people who have really done it. While it can’t tell you how to publish your book, it has some invaluable tips for people who are still in the process of publishing or even writing their books. It definitely stands out from the crowd when it comes to publishing book and, for such a tiny price, I feel that it is a worthy investment!
Rating: 8/10
I received this book as a free Advanced E-Reader Copy from NetGalley. This book is available to buy now in both the US and the UK.
Handmade by Hannah 
Self publishing is something I’ve been thinking about lately, Thanks for the review I’ll check out this book!
Good luck with it 😀 this book has some great hints about marketing yourself if you choose the self publishing route 🙂