From the Foreword by Dan Poynter If you publish your own book, you will make more money, get to press sooner, and keep control of your work. You have all the ingredients to be a successful author - publisher - this book will be your recipe. Plan your product. Find a need and fill it. Target your audience before you can write your book. Who are your readers and what do they want? How can you help them by delivering the most value while taking the least amount of their time? You need something to lean on - this book will be your escort. Whether you self-publish or turn your manuscript over to a publisher, the author always has to do the book promotion. Most authors find out too late that publishers do not promote books. "If it is to be, it is up to me." You need guidance and encouragement - this book will be your coach. Plan your promotion before you write your book. Read this book and draft your marketing plan. You need a plan and this book will be your guide. Writing the book is the easy part; the tip of the iceberg. The real work begins when you switch hats to expend time and money on promoting the books. As you enter this new territory, this book will be your beacon. Book promotion takes time. Book reviews take three months to three years to appear because magazines and even daily newspapers have long lead times. The easiest mistake is to send out books for review, news releases on your books, or a direct-mail offer and then to sit back and wait for the results. The secret of savvy book promotion is to keep up the pressure: keep sending out the packets and keep making the phone calls. You need a constant reference and this book will be your mentor. Linda Radke has made your new venture easy by providing a simple road map to economical self-publishing. Start now by taking the first step. This book will be your secret weapon.
Since 1985, veteran publisher Linda F. Radke, owner of Five Star Publications, has been ahead of her game -- self-publishing before it was commonplace, partnership publishing before the rest of the world even knew what it was, and producing award-winning traditionally and nontraditionally published fiction and nonfiction manuscripts for adults and children.
Among her many accolades, Radke is author of The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing (a 2010 Paris Book Festival first-place winner in the "How-To" category and a Writer's Digest Book Club selection, now into its second edition) and Promote Like a Pro: Small Budget, Big Show (a Doubleday Executive Program Book Club selection). She is also a founding member of the Arizona Book Publishing Association, was named "Book Marketer of the Year" by Book Publicists of Southern California, and received numerous public relations and marketing awards from Arizona Press Women.
In addition to the honors Radke garnered for her own publications, she is responsible for producing premium quality books for clients and authors. Just since 2005, more than 35 received recognition for excellence on local, national and international levels, with a plethora of others receiving the same prior to 2005. Using her award-winning marketing and public relations skills, she also promotes her authors' books and those of others, increasing their visibility and recognition exponentially.
History:
Five Star Publications' journey to becoming one of the nation's leading consulting firms in the areas of book production, marketing, publicity, and distribution began simply enough with Radke's desire to print a few books to complement the household employment agency she owned. For Radke, who on more than one occasion has been teased about having "printer's ink in her veins," the experience of publishing the books was exhilarating, prompting her to change careers and launch Five Star Publications without looking back. Eventually, Radke added services and acted as a publishing eDistributor for other self-publishers, ventured into traditional publishing, and pioneered partnership publishing to allow her to publish more authors and make them a more integral part of the creative process of publishing.
In 2010, Five Star Scripts was launched. The spin-off company is comprised of a team of film/television producers and screenwriters who use their insiders' expertise to morph books into screenplays and pilots, and then market them to television, film, and stage producers, directors, and studios across the globe. On the flipside, Five Star Scripts also transitions scripts and screenplays into books, including writing and editing, graphic design, layout, packaging, and promotion.
The electronic book market was entered in the summer of 2010 with the birth of eStarPublish.com, which transforms a PDF, InDesign, Word or other type file into electronic files that are compatible with Amazon's Kindle, Sony, Kobo and Apple's iPod, iPad, and iPhone, and downloadable through Amazon.com, iTunes' iBookstore and others. Select books are also offered on eBookery.com, the eStarPublish's eBookstore.
Mission Statement:
Committed to providing the highest level of publishing services to authors and other publishers, Five Star Publications, Inc., has for 25 years taken pride in each and every printed page. We strive for excellence in publishing as well as in our business relationships. By regarding our clients as partners, Five Star has set the standard for professionalism and excellence, earning a reputation as one of the preeminent small press publishers. We dedicate a percentage of profits to The Mark Foster Youth Fund and other charities chosen by our authors. For more on Five Star Publications, the Mark Foster Youth Fund, or charities supported by other Five Star authors, visit www.FiveStarPublications.com.
