The Well-Fed Self-Publisher by Peter Bowerman has a subtitle of How to Turn One Book into A Full-Time Living. That’s not just a marketing slogan. Bowerman actually did that with his first book, The Well-Fed Writer.
One of the things I like so much about The Well-Fed Self-Publisher is Peter’s realistic look at traditional publishing today. Oh sure, he loves self-publishing, but I find his description of trade publishing more than fair. He demonstrates why, if you land a self-publisher, you’ll be lucky to make a dollar a book. Which would be fine if the publisher sold a million books, or even a hundred-thousand over a year or two or three. Don’t hold your breath.
He explains why, which boils down to marketing. These days most trade publishers, because they’re owned by non-publishing companies, are only concerned with the bottom line. As a result, the tend to bet marketing money on only sure things.
But as those of you who know Peter’s writing, he’s hardly a naysayer. While his take on trade publishing is discouraging, he makes self-publishing clear, showing you the ins and outs of making a profitable business out of your book by self-publishing.
Of couse, as must be, a great deal of this book focuses on marketing your book once you’ve got it written, edited, and printed. As he makes so very clear you’ve simply got to sell your book to make money with it.
Marketing is, after all, how your reader will find your book.
Even if you don’t like the idea of selling or marketing your own book, if you’re writing or have written a book and not sold it to a trade publisher, do yourself a favor and get this book. It may not change your mind, and there can be good reasons for publishing with a trade publisher, you’ll be looking at your book with more realistic eyes.
Buy The Well-Fed Self-Publisher now! (Yes, that’s an affiliate link… I get a commission when you buy through the links here.)
We have a whole category here on Self-Publishing which includes three guest articles by Peter Bowerman.
Write well and often,
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