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    Self Publish to a World of Readers: with Amazon, Apple, Google and Other Major Retailers
    Self Publish to a World of Readers: with Amazon, Apple, Google and Other Major Retailers
    Self Publish to a World of Readers: with Amazon, Apple, Google and Other Major Retailers
    Ebook178 pages2 hours

    Self Publish to a World of Readers: with Amazon, Apple, Google and Other Major Retailers

    By Jason Matthews

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    About this ebook

    Have you written a book?
    Want to sell at Amazon, Apple, Google and other major retailers?
    Would you like to save time and money along the way?
    Welcome to self-publishing made easy, an A-Z guide with dozens of tips to give your book advantages over millions of others. Written by Jason Matthews, self-publishing expert and author of multiple fiction and non-fiction titles. His books have been translated into 8 languages, and his video courses have been viewed by students in 123 countries.
    Get ready to accomplish publishing goals fast. You’ll learn to:
    •format your book for major retailers
    •convert it to ePub to look great on Kindles, tablets and phones
    •design eye-catching covers
    •sell at Amazon, Apple, Google Play, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo and more
    •use social media wisely (Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, YouTube)
    •blog and build your author platform
    •get reviews and more
    Find solutions for your needs with editing, copyright, ISBN and other requirements. Plus you’ll get options for best strategies when working with professionals.
    Readers all over the world are hungry for new books. Are you ready to share yours?
    Get started today!

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJason Matthews
    Release dateFeb 11, 2016
    ISBN9781310080067
    Self Publish to a World of Readers: with Amazon, Apple, Google and Other Major Retailers
    Author

    Jason Matthews

    Jason Matthews was an officer of the CIA’s Operations Directorate. Over a thirty-three-year career he served in multiple overseas locations, spoke six foreign languages, and engaged in clandestine collection of national security intelligence, specializing in denied-area operations. Matthews conducted recruitment operations against Soviet–East European, East Asian, Middle Eastern, and Caribbean targets. As Chief in various CIA Stations, he collaborated with foreign partners in counterproliferation and counterterrorism operations. His first novel, Red Sparrow, won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel and was made into a major motion picture starring Jennifer Lawrence. He continued the Red Sparrow trilogy with Palace of Treason and The Kremlin’s Candidate. Jason Matthews passed away in 2021.   

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      Book preview

      Self Publish to a World of Readers - Jason Matthews

      Acknowledgments

      Many people assisted as this book came together, plus it never would have happened without the thousands of writers and the publishers who’ve shaped this revolution we’re experiencing.

      Thank you to the members of my Facebook group for your participation, your feedback and encouragement along the way.

      Thank you to all of my beta readers, editors and contributors for catches and suggestions. Thank you especially to Betsi, Angie and Maya; your additions were just what the book needed.

      And thank you to the major retailers like Amazon and Smashwords, who were the first to create do-it-yourself platforms for self-publishers. You’ve empowered us to share stories with readers around the world, indirectly pressuring other retailers to embrace indie authors as well. That’s a good thing.

      Part 1: A Publishing Dream

      Imagine this.

      You have a wonderful book inside you.

      You spend months to years writing it.

      You give it a great title.

      An eye-catching cover is designed.

      The text is formatted for Kindles, tablets and phones so it looks professional and functions well on any e-reading device.

      Your book is published online making it available to readers all over the world.

      People sample it and enjoy it.

      People buy your book from Amazon, Apple, Google and other retailers.

      Amazon, Apple, Google and other retailers send money to your bank account each month.

      Your royalties average around 70% of list price, the lion’s share of the sale.

      Your book receives reviews.

      You get emails, interview requests and social media connections from people around the world.

      Your network expands.

      You decide to write another book.

      After imagining this, keep in mind everything above is possible. In fact, it’s easily attainable if you’ve written a great book. The following pages will help inspire everything you’ve imagined your book can become.

      It’s Your Book

      If you’ve written a book, you may need to be reminded it’s a huge accomplishment. Congratulations on doing that. It can feel like a Herculean task while you’re writing. And if you’re not quite finished, congrats still because a mostly-finished book represents a ton of effort. In either case, at some point your book will be ready to publish. Then what?

      You may have loads of questions.

      Who will design the cover and format the interior?

      How does one sell from Amazon and major retailers?

      Where will I find readers?

      How can I market the book without spending a fortune?

      You may wonder about ISBN and copyright. You might want an affordable yet competent editor though you have no idea how to find one or what level of editing your book needs. Since the story is part of you, a figurative baby, you’re going to do what you can to give it life.

      There’s a statistic that says 80% of adults have either begun writing a book or want to. Statistics can be unreliable, but this one seems to have merit if you’ve been following what’s happening in the world of publishing. Ebooks and retailers like Amazon changed everything by creating a digital platform where anyone can publish without need of agents or traditional publishing houses. Plus it can be done on any budget. In the grand scheme of things, this has happened in a brief period of time.

      An interesting paradox has resulted. Self-publishing is easier than ever, yet harder than ever to do successfully. It’s a matter of supply and demand. As the number of new authors releasing books grows exponentially, the number of new readers remains fairly stable. The latter hasn’t been able to keep pace and is therefore your primary challenge as an author. These days it’s getting more and more competitive to get your book in front of readers because of the sheer number of new titles flooding the market.

      However it can be done. Many authors make a comfortable living from their books, and you can too. The successful ones may be classified as self-published, independent (indie) or even hybrid authors. Their titles become top sellers on Amazon and the New York Times. In some cases their books generate movie contracts. Their publishing victories often come from doing many things well during the process. Having success with your book may hinge on your response to this recommendation:

      Do the little things as well as possible.

      That’s what this guide focuses on, the myriad of small things that go into your book and its marketing platform. Before publishing through major retail channels like Amazon, Apple, Google, Smashwords and the others we’ll get to, you’ll discover the little things make a tremendous difference on the bigger picture. They breathe life into all areas of your book.

      This guide will lead you into authorship with clearer understanding, better information and a marketing strategy tailored for you. We’ll go over what your book needs before publishing to give you methods to handle everything from cover design to interior formatting to marketing. And if your book is already published, you’ll learn dozens of things to incorporate into your existing titles to help them sell even better.

      You’ll have options to fit your skill sets, available time and finances. You can tackle things yourself or hire out wisely. We’ll create a strategy for using retailers, like Amazon, and distributors, like Smashwords or BookBaby, to maximize your book’s potential to reach any reader no matter where they prefer to purchase. We’ll do that and much more.

      Get ready to have some fun, learn new things, pull out a few hairs in frustration and sell a lot more books.

      True Story

      This really happened.

      An idea for a book struck me. Call it profound inspiration. In February 2010 I began typing chapter by chapter, writing late into the evenings. Simultaneously I researched my topic because I still had a lot to learn. I designed the book’s cover, built a website and blog, then got active with online marketing.

      In March, I formatted the interior text and uploaded the book to major retailers. This book was fairly substantial at around 50,000 words. It was also a finished product, not a preorder book set for a future release date. Within hours of publishing, it was listed online for $4.99. The first sales came immediately and I earned 70% of each sale, or $3.49. It was thrilling. All of that happened in 30 days, from original idea to actual sales of the finished product.

      How did the book do? Pretty well for a while until it faded in sales. It didn’t sell millions of copies but did much better than average for an unknown indie author, selling about 15,000 copies to date. In addition to the money, I’ve also received emails and made connections with people around the world who read it. Those benefits are the icing on the cake, the networking that begins after people read your book.

      This also really happened.

      An idea for a book struck me. Call it profound inspiration. I spent 20 years writing it, more off than on. I eventually published it and have sold fewer than 2,000 copies. The money earned barely makes a dent compared to what was spent writing and marketing it, not to mention the thousands of hours working behind the desk.

      However, I also consider that book a success. Not financially, but for a writer who had an idea that needed to be expressed. I wrote it as well as I could, and it’s out there getting read.

      What will your true story be? Time will tell. I hope your experience will include these elements:

      your book will be edited

      the cover will attract attention

      the text will be well-formatted

      readers will enjoy it

      it will be available internationally

      it will have a marketing plan that fits your skill sets, time and finances

      it will lead to meaningful connections

      It’s tempting to talk about bestsellers, millions of dollars and movie rights, but let’s not do that now (even though it’s possible). This guide is not about creating hype or false hope; it’s about real, practical, easy to follow instructions for getting your book published in the best light possible. Let’s focus on doing the little things well to help your dreams become realities. Let’s make it happen, whether it takes 30 days or 20 years. Let’s get your book out there, ready to be read and enjoyed.

      Free PDF Version

      There are well over 100 useful hyperlinks within this book. For readers who would appreciate a PDF copy that might be easier to work with the hyperlinks on their computers, just let me know. I offer a free PDF version of this book to any reader who might want one. Further details on how to obtain it are given in the Final Thoughts chapter.

      Part 2: Understanding the Basics

      Before we get to the nuts and bolts of creating ebooks, let’s spend some time walking around describing the scenery. In this section we’ll touch on the tasks involved, standards, options and some of the initial decisions you’ll need to make. Knowing a bit about Amazon and other retailers will help immensely as you decide on a strategy that suits you best.

      Writers also have loads of questions regarding ISBN and copyright. Even though they are unrelated, let’s skim the surface on those topics to hopefully answer most questions. Interestingly, some writers worry more about these two things than their marketing plan, but ISBN and copyright are primarily simple tasks.

      Step by Step List In No Particular Order

      Think about the tasks you’ll encounter during the publishing process. Many writers are predicable when it comes to the steps they take to publish a book, doing tasks in order as they approach them. Here’s a simplified list of tasks en route to self-publishing.

      write the book

      edit the book

      format the text

      design the cover

      publish the book at online retailers

      market the book

      It’s common to focus on one task at a time. Writing the book is where most people start. Afterwards they move on to editing, cover design, formatting, etc. until the book has been published. Then the marketing begins. You probably see why this is common, but you may also be thinking of benefits from another method.

      Time to think outside the box. In fact, when it comes to anything about the book business, remember to think outside the box. You’ll discover this business is full of instances for multiple ways to get things done. Have another look at the same steps, this time in opposite order.

      market the book

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