While doing our research on eBooks and ePublishing, we came across Xlibris. We found an amazing resource for authors! You do the writing and editing on your own, they help you present a finished product to the masses, gaining you exposure for which you’re looking.

For anyone looking to ePublish an eBook and start marketing and selling their work, Xlibris is a great resource.

• You write and edit your book
• They complete the design of the interior and cover
• Get your book listed at the big distributors and online stores
• Print-on-demand as orders come in
• And pay you royalties on each sale

As discussed in ‘ePublishing: Your Writer Rights’, you keep all the rights to your work. Don’t forget that while you are self-publishing with them you can and should still offer your work to other agents and publishers.

Created by authors, for authors, Xlibris Publishing focuses on the needs of creative writers and artists, and on how print on demand technology and new approaches can be applied in the publishing industry. What better guidance for a new budding author than a seasoned pro that knows the process?

Whether you are writing a book, promoting your work, or searching for online ePublishing services or a self publisher to publish your book, Xlibris’ comprehensive range of publishing, editorial, add-on and marketing services enables you to customize your self-publishing experience. Their team of publishing professionals are available every step of the way to guide you through the self-publishing process.

Here are some of the great features you receive when you sign up with Xlibris to publish and promote your work:

• You retain all the rights to your book
• You completely control the book design
• You can publish or ePublish quickly
• You can prove the value of your work
• You can have paperback, hardback, or eBook availability
• You can distribute your book worldwide
• You can target your niche market
• You gain access to your audience
• You earn royalties on every sale
• Your book will never go out of print
• You have access to around-the-clock customer support

Xlibris offers an extensive list of book marketing and publicity tools to support authors toward the ultimate goal of selling books. A personal marketing consultant will be assigned to you and as with all the parts of the publishing process, you call the shots as you work with your marketing consultant to promote your published work.

Peace of mind and no risk publishing is another benefit you receive when you self publish with Xlibris. They have a money-back guarantee right up until you sign the approval form for the final galley. Should you be less than 100% satisfied with the service and support you receive through the book publishing process and up to the final galley of your book, you are entitled to a full refund.

article source: Books In The Pile

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Plan

Before you embark on your self publishing journey, you must first determine your goals. Most authors plan to share their story to the reading public; there are also some who just want to have enough copies for their family, friends and colleagues.

Choose

Books come in three forms; paperback, hardbound and e-book. Choose which format you would like to publish. You can choose all three if you want. There are lots of book publishers that offer quality services (layout, editing. printing and production process). Secure an International Standard Book Number (ISBN). ISBN is the standard code for identifying books. Some book publishing companies provide this service.

Promote

Most book publishers provide book marketing and promotion services if you want to create awareness and interest for your target readership. The marketing and promotional services that they provide help increase your book’s visibility.

Evaluate

During the marketing and promotion phase, you must constantly keep track of your promotional efforts. This way you will be aware of which procedures work.

Remember, the marketing phase is an ongoing process. This basically means that this will take a considerable amount of your time and effort. That is why some authors avail to the marketing services offered by self publishing companies.

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Book Marketing Tools

Most self published authors believe that their journey to self publishing ends once they have gone through the publishing process, all they have to do is sit back and wait for the readers to pick up their book. In self publishing, you (the author) are responsible for publishing your book; and that includes the marketing process as well. If you want your book to get picked up by readers, you must create awareness and interest for your intended reader. In order to create reader awareness, a self published author must do a series of promotional campaigns.   

However, the marketing process is the hardest part in self publishing. In marketing your book, you must be able to reach out to your target audience. Here are some book marketing tools that are not only effective but also inexpensive.   

Promotional Copies   

Promotional copies are summaries of your book. It should provide thumbnail sketch of the self published book. In writing promotional copies, make it brief yet descriptive and engaging. After you have written the first draft of the promotional copy, run through it again and check for misspelled words and grammar. Revise and polish. Once you have the final draft, include it on the jacket and back cover of the book.  

Book Reviews   

Book reviews are considered as one of the best promotional tools in marketing your book. However, having your book reviewed is no easy task. The best way to have your book reviewed is by using your promotional copy as a Press Release and send it to individuals and entities who you think might be interested in your self published book. Don’t forget to include information about yourself and where you can be contacted.   

Flyers   

Flyers are not only great marketing tools, they are also easy to create. Have one made (creating one yourself is recommended). Photocopy them and give them to your friends, family and acquaintances. Pass them out (at work, local bookstore, to your reading group, etc.). Include on the flyer the ordering information and where to buy the book and the price.   

Internet   

The Internet is one of the best marketing platforms of today. With it, you could reach out to a much wider market. Just imagine marketing your book worldwide. Use your personal webpage to advertise your book. Post the promotional copy, the cover image of your book and ordering information on your webpage. Also, don’t forget to include the address of your webpage on your promotional copy and flyers.   

In promoting your book, the most important factor of its success are hard work, determination and basic understanding of book marketing. If you want to take your book marketing campaign to another level, the best way to do so is to hire the services of a self publishing company.   

Want to know more ways on how to market your book? Get your Free Book Marketing Guide here.

As with everything else, the traditional way of publishing and the self publishing route has several advantages and disadvantages. However, a better understanding can be of great help in deciding which of the two suits you best.

Here are some of the most significant pros and cons of the two publishing routes:

Traditional Publishing

PROs

• Instant credibility
• The publishing house answers all the expenses including the promotion of the book
• Advance payments

CONs

• Difficulties in getting published
• Having an agent is a must (most publishing houses, if not all, won’t even bother reading your manuscript if you don’t have an agent)
• Less control of the content and appearance
• Less profits (a large portion of the profit goes to the publishing house)

Self Publishing

PROs

• Retain all rights of your book
• Complete control on the design of your book
• You get published quickly
• You get to prove the value of your work
• Paperback and Hardback availability
• You get to target your niche market
• Earn royalties on every book you sell
• Your book never goes out of print

CONs

• Must pay for everything (design, prints and reprints, editors, distributors)
• Sell, market and promote your book by yourself
• Limited resources
• Difficulties obtaining distribution channels

Although the road to self publishing is somewhat hard and bumpy, hiring the services of a self publishing company can actually make your journey easier.  

Start your self publishing journey the right way. Claim your Free Book Publishing Guide here.

In promoting your self published book, having a well crafted promotional copy is a must if you want to catch the interest of readers. However, creating a catchy content is no easy task. It must grab the attention of the readers, draw attention to reviews that your book may have received and most of all identify you as its author.

In order to do all that, here are some essentials that would help you create effective content in promoting your book:

1. Quality – always think of quality, not quantity. A well written content doesn’t mean that you have to elaborate each and every character and/or plot of the story. Instead, provide a brief summary and a reason why they should get a copy of your book. Be descriptive yet engaging but not exaggerated.
2. Learn from others – read promotional copies from others. You can find lots of them on the Internet, libraries and bookstores. Learn from those that really caught your attention. Analyze the part on what you think makes engaging and look for ways to get that to work on your promotional copy.
3. Get help from friends/colleague – have them write a summary or a rundown of your book. Take note on which part of the book or plot they like. Use this to gain perspective of your book.
4. Excerpts – some authors find it hard to summarize their books into few paragraphs. To do so, just go through your book and look for passages to excerpt. Quote and identify which book the passage came from (for those who have self published more than one book).
5. Feature reviews – include reviews of your book (for those who are fortunate enough to have their book reviewed). Choose two of the most positive review and include them on your promotional content.
6. Promote thyself – if the book that you are writing content for is a non-fiction, establish your authority. Point out the factors to emphasize your knowledge on the subject. As for fiction writers, provide a brief background. Point out your accomplishments, other books you’ve published and places where your creations appeared (such as newspapers, magazines, journals).

Always make sure that the promotional copy of your self published book is concise and easy to read. Follow the essentials in creating great promotional content for your self published book and you’ll give readers the reason to buy and read your book.

Get Published. Here’s a guide to your journey to the self publishing world.

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Now that you’ve completed your book, the hard part of promoting and publishing your book starts. If you are, you need to find the publisher that is the perfect fit for you and your book. This may become the most difficult part of completing your project. Book publishers are picky about which books and authors they choose to work with. Publishing is like any relationship, not everyone is compatible and it takes some looking around before you will find the right organization to work with you to publish your book.

Your book needs to be in a final draft stage before you consider showing it to a publisher. Once this is complete, you can start researching publishers and considering which one’s to approach. Unfortunately, this is a step that many hopeful published authors do not take. A common mistake is to send your manuscript only to the publishers you are familiar with. This approach is okay, but it limits your chances of getting a book published. Instead, you will want to examine as many book publishers as possible. Despite the fact that this sounds like a very time-consuming process, it is a process that is much easier that many imagine.

A good resource for finding publishers is to consult printed resource guides for authors. These manuals come in a number of different formats. Quite a few are classified by genre, such as children’s books, Christian books, and so forth. What they generally do is outline publishers that accept manuscripts, as well as other detailed info. These printed reference books are usually changed often; therefore, if you do make a purchase, be sure to buy the latest guide. Speaking of making your purchase, you can find these publishing guides for authors available for sale online and in most bookstores.

As previously stated, there are a variety of printed reference books for writers that you can use to go about finding publishers to submit your manuscript to. One guide that comes highly rated and recommend is that of the Writer’s Market. The Writer’s Market books cover a number of styles and they are updated on a yearly basis. Information that is included tends to consist of themes that book publishers are looking for, prerequisites on submitting a manuscript, the address to which the manuscript must be submitted to and much more. The Writer’s Market books are also well-known for their expert guidelines and advice, which is usually presented by experienced authors.

Although most Writer’s Market books and other similar printed source guides for authors can often be purchased for under $20, many writers do not like paying for something that they can get for free online. If you are looking to use the internet to find book publishers, you will find that you do have a number of different options. For starters, you will want to perform a standard internet search with the phrase “book publishers.” If you are targeting a specific genre, such as children’s books, be sure to include that in your search phrase. Your standard internet search is likely to produce a number of different results.

As for what your standard internet search will produce, you will likely find websites where a large selection of publishers are listed. These websites may either list publishers with detailed information or you may be provided with a link to a publisher’s website. Speaking of publisher websites, these websites can also be found mixed in with your standard internet search.

By using the publisher’s name in your internet search, you will be able to find a considerable amount of information about each publisher. The publisher’s websites will often list all the information an author requires to make an informed decision about submitting to the publisher. You may also find authors guide books available at your local book store or library. These publications will be very useful. Finding other books in your genre and noting the publishers’ names, will also help you form a targeted list of potential publishers.

As a reminder, it is important to find the publisher that you think will be the perfect fit for you and your book. Therefore, look for publishers that are seeking just what your book has to offer.

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Should you wish to get started with publishing your book with Xlibris Corporation, download your free publishing guide here.

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In the old days, authors would do radio interviews as a way to promote their book. Radio networks in the old days, held considerable control on which product, record or book they would feature. However, the advent of the Internet changed all that. The Internet has opened lots of doors to authors who wish to market their book. 

One innovative way of marketing your book on the Internet is by Podcasting. Podcasting is mostly used by companies who wish to provide their target audience with value-laden content; that can be downloaded and shared on iPod players (a digital audio player popularized by Apple Inc.). Self published authors can take full advantage over this book marketing strategy. 

Online research firm eMarketer predicts that the podcast market will continue to grow as more and more people download podcasts. As a matter of fact, the total number of podcast downloads has increased dramatically. The projected number of podcast downloads is expected to reach 37.6 million, from the 17.4 million podcast downloads of 2008. 

Judging by the statistics mentioned above, it’s no wonder why more and more self published authors include podcast as one of the vital components in their promotional campaign. For those who want to include podcast in their marketing campaign but have no idea on the processes (creation, distribution, etc.) there are self publishing companies that provide this type of book promotion service to self published authors. 

Incorporate podcasting with your book marketing campaign and you will get to share your creation to fellow authors, book lovers and reading enthusiasts. 

Get published. Claim your free book publishing guide here.

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It is each and every author’s dream to have their books published. However, taking the conventional route means that the author submits their works to a traditional publishing house for them to publish. The thing is, most submissions get rejected. And not only that, it usually takes quite some time before you hear from the publishing house (whether you get a rejection or an approval). That is why most authors are opting to self-publish their books. 

By taking the self-publishing route, you are in full control of your creation (unlike the conventional way wherein the publishing house retains the rights of your book). However, one must also remember that self-publishing also means that you are the one responsible for the marketing and promoting process of your book. 

Most authors are daunted by the idea of marketing and promoting their book on their own. Marketing and promoting your book is not an easy task. It requires time, hard work, dedication and knowing the right steps in how to effectively market your book. That however, must not discourage you of becoming a self-published author. Hire the services of a self-publishing company and you’ll be able to obtain all the things you’ll need in publishing your book. A typical self-publishing company provides the following services: 

• Copyediting
• Cover Design
• Book Printing
• Book Marketing
• Book Promotional Campaigns

By hiring the services of a self-publishing company, you’ll also be able to publish quickly (unlike the traditional way wherein you’ll have to wait for a long time for your book to get published). As mentioned earlier, you will also retain all the right of your book and have full control on the book design. 

Take your writing career to the next level. Instead of waiting whether or not your book will get published, opt to self-publish your book. This way you’ll make your dreams into reality – which is to get your book in physical form and have it read by your intended audience. 

P.S. 

To know the ways on how to effectively self-publish your book, grab this free book publishing guide.

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With more authors turning to self-publishing these days, entrusting your book to the right self-publishing company can be daunting. Publishing is never easy, which is why a better understanding of how self-publishing works can keep you from having regrets in the end. 

What to Consider before Publishing 

Finding information about self-publishing companies is easy with the help of the Internet. It is also a great way to interact with other aspiring authors from anywhere in the world. Before looking to self-publish your book, do careful research on different self-publishing companies and find out what each publisher has to offer. 

It would be smart to take part in writer’s groups and join in relevant discussions to get tips and advice as well as gather more information about self-publishing.  Researching publications about the book publishing industry can help you get more insights on publishing as well. 

Be careful of these so-called legit self-publishing companies that make big promises on their publishing services but actually fail to deliver. It is relatively easy to know identify an unscrupulous publisher, especially if scrutinized down to the smallest detail. This is why, before investing your time, effort and money, it is important to research carefully in order to be knowledgeably armed. Never allow unscrupulous vanity presses to take advantage of you. 

What to look out for 

The saying ‘If it’s too good to be true, it probably is’ just might apply when it comes to self-publishing. Be wary of so-called publishers with deals that sound too good to be true. Do not just limit your research on a self –publishing company’s website and neither believe everything you read. Research other articles and sites that may give you information you need. 

If you can’t find any other information, then you have a reason to be suspicious. Contact the publisher and ask for more information. Also, be wary of the following: 

• unprofessional-looking websites laden with typo and grammatical errors
• publishers who make superlative, highly exaggerated claims about their services
• publishers that charge for an ISBN (this service is always free)
• publishers that do not offer services to improve your work
• publishers that charge for positive reviews (not only is this unethical, it also defies the purpose of book reviews)
• publishers that promise ridiculously high royalties
• unrealistic book marketing strategies 

When you are aware and informed of what to look out for, getting scammed will definitely not stand a chance with your publishing plans. 

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YOUR JOURNEY TO BECOMING A PUBLISHED AUTHOR STARTS HERE. 

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The greatest, most important accomplishment a writer can ever accomplish is writing your first book. In fact, many writers liken the process of completing a manuscript to that of raising a child. The process of writing a book entails different dynamics; and as a writer, you need to be prepared to take on these. 

Writing a book requires creativity, determination and focus, no matter what genre you are writing. This major undertaking usually starts with coming up with what to write about. You cannot worry about how your book will come out if you do not even know what to begin it with. By having a specific story or coming up with a compelling idea, you can start your journey to the writing process. 

Many writers find the preliminary part to be the most difficult. If you find yourself in this quandary, here are some ways to help you get started. 

Take notes. When an idea or inspiration about your book comes to mind, jot it down. Do not let these ideas simply zip you by. These greatly help you start to write and are very useful when putting your book together. 

Research. It always helps.  If you are writing non-fiction, you will always need facts to support your story even if your subject is about someone else. Research can help you go along as you write your book as well.  By careful and thorough research, you are a better able to tell a story the best way possible. 

Moreover, research is also essential to fiction writing as it is to non-fiction writing as well. Say you are writing about your character in a specific location. You need to clue the reader in on descriptive details, which is, what the reader essentially wants. By carefully researching the place you are writing about, you not only set the mood to your story – you add depth as well. 

Once you will have gathered altogether your notes and ideas as well as done proper research, then you are all systems go with writing your book. Whether you prefer to do it electronically, the traditional manual fashion or both, it’s all up to you. What’s important is that you get started. More often than not, you will find yourself going once you have begun writing. This explains why the ‘getting started’ part is important. The key here is not to let anything get in your way. 

Find time to write. The most important thing for any writer to successfully write his/her book is to always set aside time to write, no matter how busy your schedule is. Find time to write every week, best everyday. This increases your productivity and allows you to focus completely on your book and make more progress. 

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