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Self-Printed: The Sane Person's Guide to Self-Publishing Paperback – October 19, 2014
- Print length336 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherCreatespace Independent Pub
- Publication dateOctober 19, 2014
- Dimensions6 x 0.75 x 9 inches
- ISBN-101502810158
- ISBN-13978-1502810151
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Product details
- Publisher : Createspace Independent Pub; 3rd edition (October 19, 2014)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 336 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1502810158
- ISBN-13 : 978-1502810151
- Item Weight : 1.25 pounds
- Dimensions : 6 x 0.75 x 9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #3,968,499 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #8,259 in Book Publishing Reference
- Customer Reviews:
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About the author
CATHERINE RYAN HOWARD is the author of 56 DAYS, which was a no. 1 bestseller in her native Ireland and named a Thriller of the Year by the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Irish Times. It won Crime Fiction Book of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards 2021, was shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award 2023 and is currently being developed for screen by Amazon Studios and Atomic Monster. Her other work has been shortlisted for the CWA's Ian Fleming Steel and John Creasey/New Blood Daggers and the Edgar Award for Best Novel. Her seventh thriller, THE TRAP, inspired by a series of real-life disappearances in Ireland in the 1990s, will publish in August 2023. She is based in Dublin. Find out more on www.catherineryanhoward.com
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Top reviews from the United States
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I found Catherine's comments on Twitter invaluable. She helped me finally get what it's all about and how to make the most of it as an author. Using her approach I started using Twitter again and increased my followers by 11 times over a few weeks. Her advice on Wordpress was also useful, and I managed to set up a blogsite, which is a great, free alternative to a website. I found it harder than she indicated, and had to get a book out of the library and seek online help, but it was worth it to have a good looking website for free.
Her advice on finding cover designers is also excellent. Using this I made a list of possible designers. I found her info on uploading to Kindle a bit out of date, as Amazon have made changes that make Catherine's 'scorched earth' approach to formatting largely unnecessary. I would suggest trying to upload your formatted book before removing formatting.
But these are small quibbles. Catherine's book hugely expanded my understanding of how to make self-publishing work, especially promotion and marketing via social media, and I already knew quite a lot! I literally had it open on kindle and referred to it while I did many of the things she suggested.
While the step-by-step part is, I'm sure, super helpful, I skimmed those parts and bookmarked them for when I actually "get to that point." The marketing aspect of this book was what I read with most of my interest, and it gives a lot of useful information.
How to use Goodreads giveaways for maximum visibility was particularly interesting to me. I also started a blog because of this book. I'm an introvert by disposition, but this book helped me to see how to use social media despite my trepidation, as well as outlining a few mortal sins of social media to avoid alienating people.
My only regret in buying this book is that I hadn't done it a few months ago. Now I have to try and make up for lost time.
Great book. Highly recommended to all who are looking at self-publishing.
Top reviews from other countries
Catherine writes in a very chatty style, so at times you feel as if you are being lectured to by a wiser older sister. Don't be put off by the prolix opening chapters: about a quarter of the way into the book you hit the mother-lode and, from there on, every page is gold-dust. What is particularly helpful is that, unlike so many tutorial writers who offer only generalities, Catherine gives precise instructions keystroke by keystroke, even including screen-shots. She also clearly explains potentially-confusing features such as Digital Rights Management and KDP Select.
Catherine holds very strong opinions (well, that is her right as author) so you have to be equally strong in rejecting those your own experience tells you are wrong. The book is written down-market (i.e. aimed at inexperienced writers) and assumes that the reader's object is to earn money and become a full-time writer, which those aiming at literary or academic recognition rather than filthy lucre will find frustrating.
Nonetheless, these are cavils. The book remains a tour-de-force and, how ever many books you self-publish, you will always be glad to have this one on your shelf as a reference guide.
How does the third edition differ from the second? The major change is that Catherine has pretty much given up on Smashwords. Also, as with so many of us, her love affair with Facebook has ended. And she reveals the much-needed simplification in dealing with the American tax system (hooray!) which came into force in July 2014.
If you already own the second edition in paperback, then it will be sufficient to buy the third edition e-book and skim through it looking for the changes. If you are only now discovering Catherine Ryan Howard, I strongly recommend that you buy the paperback rather than the e-book. This is because you will not necessarily want to do things in the order she suggests, and you will certainly be bouncing backwards and forwards between sections and even paragraphs as you set off on your own journey into publication for real. Also, those extremely helpful screen-shots, showing the menus you are looking for, are almost impossible to read on an e-platform.
So far I have learnt about which parts of the process are best to farm out and how to go about finding suppliers of services such as cover designers and editors. She's taught me about ISBN's and copyright. I've learnt about promoting my new book on a blog and how to set up a Wordpress blog site. Similarly how to use Twitter and Facebook to market my new work. She discusses pricing and what price you should set for your paper back versus your Kindle version
The book focuses on using the CreateSpace self publishing service from Amazon. The best indication of how good Catherine is at using CreateSpace will be in your hands if you order the paper back - the book looks very professional.
All in all an excellent read - I thought I knew quite a bit about publishing - I think a lot of the professional publishing houses could learn a lot from her book
The cost of this book has been entirely justified already just by solving those two issues for me without tears. So now in true Catherine Caffeinated spirit, I'm off to have a cup of coffee to celebrate.
Thank you, Catherine Ryan Howard. This isn't just a book, it's a social service. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
An invaluable read, I highly recommend it!