When I started researching self-publishing, I kept coming across Joel Friedlander. So when I signed up for this newsletter, I think he sent this book as a lead magnet.
Eventually, I did end up consulting with Joel over the phone prior to publishing my first book. That was several years ago. Now that I have some time this year, I decided to read it again. Here are the ten items Joel covers in this book. He of course goes into more details about each one, but I wanted a quick list so here it is.
- Author platform.
- Editing.
- DIY or professionals.
- Know your readers
- Print, eBooks or both.
- ISBNs
- Budget.
- Subsidy publishers.
- Cover.
- Marketing.
I’m glad I went back and re-read this book. I haven’t read it since I started my publishing career so its a nice refresher. I find myself guided by his advise and glad to have it on-hand. As an author and publisher now, I can identity with each and every one of these topics.
Thanks Joel
Here are the ten items to avoid. These are nice to review and keep in mind as I continue to publish my books.
- Do not re-use ISBNs.
- Don’t quote books, photos or artwork without permission.
- Don’t use graphics for looks.
- Don’t use bad fonts.
- Don’t use subsidy publisher.
- Poor book layout.
- Don’t publish without a marketing plan.
- Don’t publish unless it has been edited.
- Poor cover design.
- Don’t ignore book conventions.
Quick note to myself, Joel has a nice list of free book marketing activities that I can start with creating my own marketing plan.