The stigma of self-publishing not being acceptable as a viable way to publish is long over. That’s just old propaganda.

And, you should know that the odds of you being accepted by a big publisher are 1%. And if you do get “chosen” you will still have to do the promotion. They may give you an intern who will schedule some book signings in North Dakota or Maine, but not where they will do you some good. Those book tours are grueling and a lot of work for the authors with little payoffs. My advice is not to go with a publisher unless they can make you at least 10X as much money as you can on your own. They don’t pay attention to you. You should pay attention to you!

You may know that ebook sales for 2010 will be near $3.5 billion. Traditional publishing is down 3%. So what’s the right choice? And remember, Kindle books sell at around $10. And, the younger audience is also expanding to mature adults.

Books are still the # one seller on the internet.

Why not yours? And…

1. Get real. Write your best short book with high value the first time.

Contact a book coach to help you write your chapters so they are quality, and engage your reader by solving his/her challenges.
You may know a lot, but can you share it without lecturing or telling?

More than editing, an experienced book coach can show you how to write a chapter that attracts your reader to finish and recommend your book in just a few sessions, so the cost is minimal compared to the mistakes you’ll make. Think of it as an investment, not a cost. Your book is also a great promotion tool, itself.

2. Get real. Set up your book’s promotion platform BEFORE you finish or publish it. Here’s just 3 ideas:

One. For best book promotion, think about investing in your book sales. Most clients come to me for help in article marketing or social networking promotion because their book sales are only 400-1000 so far. Low and traditional promotion is one culprit. Another problem is an old Web site that needs updating. Another big culprit is not being willing to invest a little in their book’s success such as short term coaching

Two. For best book promotion, write articles and submit them to only the top directories such as ezinearticles.com or hubpages.com.

Articles work for you for many years. After a 2003 article on eBook pricing, I just got a contact from a person who read it and wants help in 2010.  Naturally, you must update your web and world content on a regular basis.

Three. For best book promotion, consider social media. And be sure to join groups that will be your book’s audience. After setting up Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin with a benefit-driven profile, fan page and targeted list of my audience, my results have amazed me.

In just one month after setting up my blog, Google Analytics showed me a 25% increase in unique visitors who stay a while coming from Facebook and Linkedin. The longer they stay, the more opt-in and sales conversions you’ll make.

Online self-promotion is the key.

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Opinions vary about self-publishing. I self-published 11 of my own print and eBooks that are business books about book writing, self-publishing, and book marketing. Self-publishing is not a vanity press option, where you can get a company to get your family cookbook or anything into print. And Print on Demand is a digital printing offering, not publishing or marketing. While many choose it because they don’t know the downfalls of it and they get disappointed. I have offered discussions on Print on Demand at my book group at Linkedin.com.

Think YOU when you think self-publishing. YOU are responsible for all the things that you must do to get your book into the hands of your readers. YOU get an ISBN number for each book, which makes you a publisher unless you plan to only sell your book at your Web site. YOU can set up a publishing name/business as Dan Poynter advises since some book printers won’t work with individuals. But, you don’t have to.

YOU will need help on your book, so you choose a book coach, such as myself, to help make your book more saleable. And a good book coach knows a lot about non-fiction chapters to help you engage your readers, not lecture to them. It’s amazing how few people realize this. A book coach will look at the whole picture and help you set up proper pre-marketing and develop your author platform to sell  a lot of copies and brand you, your book,  and your business.

With a professional book coach’s expertise, YOU arrange for your own editors, proof-readers, book cover designers, and formats.

If you want a print version, YOU choose a printer, or a combination printer-and-distributor such as LightningSource or CreateSpace who allow you to print-on-demand with your own ISBN. (CreateSpace offers design services and general hand-holding for a price; LightningSource does not, but Lightning Source provides access to Ingram’s) Or you go to an offset printer who has experience in making books, some of whom can recommend providers of services you can’t or don’t want to do for yourself.

Remember, as a 24 year book coach, I advise my clients to not do what many books tell them to do such as printing huge numbers of books for a discount. Forget the discount, and use a digital printer like Deharts to print only the number of books you can sell in three months. Then, you’ll have more money for promotion and marketing–the things even more important than what’s inside your book. Without them, not much will happen.

If you want an eBook version, you can do this with little effort and money. It’s a good idea, because you can get the mistakes and kinks corrected before you spend a lot on printing. I often advise clients to write an eBook first, then a bit longer print book. You can actually write them at the same time.

Think about your audience before you write your book, and know for non-fiction or self-help, your target readers want a much shorter book–easy-to-read and one that solves their problem.

Now, you know what Self Publishing is. It’s easier than you think–with a little help. Any journey is faster, easier, and cheaper with a partner.

Get all the help you need for your writing/publishing project with Judy’s ebook at Amazon!

Start receiving the individualized attention your book needs from an old pro and savvy book coach with Judy’s 1/2 hour breakthrough coaching session.