cover image How to Self Publish Your Book: A Complete Guide to Writing, Editing, Marketing & Selling Your Own Book

How to Self Publish Your Book: A Complete Guide to Writing, Editing, Marketing & Selling Your Own Book

Jan Yager. SquareOne, $19.95 (272p) ISBN 978-0-7570-0465-0

Leveraging an extensive career in traditional and self-publishing, Yager (When Friendship Hurts) offers a comprehensive guide to the latter field, with separate sections on writing one’s book, publishing it, and marketing it. Few would turn to her work as a writing handbook, or as a guide to book design, although Yager does discuss these matters in some detail. Where she shines is in her attention to detail: if one has ever wondered what a “printer’s key” was, Yager explains this; there is a discussion about the ins and outs of printing a list price on a book cover, and guidance for how to determine a book’s BISAC code (accompanied by an explanation of what these codes are and why they are important). Even better is the insight Yager offers into various aspects of being in the book trade, such as knowing the difference between wholesalers and distributors, getting a book into bricks-and-mortar stores (and deciding if one should bother), and knowing the nuts and bolts of producing e-book and audio versions. Thanks to such practical advice, this guide will prove invaluable to anyone seeking to self-publish in a professional manner. [em](June) [/em]