Murphy - How to write format publish promote your book without spending any money : a Creativindie guide

S o you want to publish a book, eh? Thats great! Theres never been a better time. The Internet and the rise of social media have made publishing a book, growing your audience and becoming a successful author a possibility for anybody. Getting an agent or publishing through a mainstream company is no longer required (and in some cases, disadvantageous). You really can self-publish, connect with readers, inspire hundreds of thousands of downloads and make a lot of money. But it isnt easy .

For a first time author, writing and publishing a book can be a daunting prospect. Theres so much to learn: how to finish writing the book and get it ready for publication; how to format it for print and ebook; how and where to publish the book and distribute it to online and offline bookstores; how to get your book noticed amidst hundreds of thousands of others. For many authors, the entire process of writing and publishing is such a steep learning curve, with so many confusing variables, that it can lead to frustration and stagnation, which is sometimes overcome by throwing money at whoever promises to do everything for you.

Unfortunately, many author publishing services and small presses know how to manage the publishing process, but dont have the talent or skill required to make your book look good and ultimately find success. Therefore, DIY publishing is not just about saving money; its also about making sure you end up with a well-designed product that sells. However, if you dont have much experience with book design, marketing or sales, making the right design choices can be difficult. I hope this book will help with that, and inspire you to make smarter publishing choices, no matter your budget.

Does the world really need another guide to publishing and formatting? There are dozens of books like this popping up, how is mine different? For starters, I think most guides are written by authors who have learned these skills to publish their own books. While they may be valuable, a lot are saying the same things; and although they know how to publish (the mechanics) they arent really versed on the art (the aesthetics). As a book designer whos helped publish over 1000 books, I focus my attention on making products that sell . Its not enough to just put your book out there. If you want it to be successful, it has to look and feel professional, powerful, and captivating. It needs an air of authority. It has to be a thing of beauty.

To that end, Ive spent the past several months building free tools and resources that will help you take more control over your publishing and create a beautiful book. This should make the DIY publishing journey much easier, should you choose to brave it. What follows is a guide to using those resources, which as an added bonus, should drastically reduce publishing, formatting and marketing costs.