Customer Reviews

Self-Publishing Fiction: From Manuscript to Bookstore and Beyond

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Being myself a budding independent publisher (and author), I buy and read every book on the subject I can find. Most of the books on my publishing shelf are geared for the non-fiction self-publisher, and all of those provide similar information. This one is different. The material is up-to-date and presented in a compact, refreshingly straightforward way. The examples of the media kit components and galley covers answered questions new publishers often ask, answers not found in previous books. Another plus is Sinclair doesn't assume you have decades of experience with esoteric layout software. He even includes a section on cover layout and design. I found new publishing associations and review information that is not in similar books, even those less than two years old. The only thing which keeps this from being a 5-star book is numerous small typos, which distract somewhat; but I bought the book for information, not editing practice, and it was money well spent.

This book is a gem for anyone thinking about self-publishing fiction with either a print-on-demand publisher or a traditional printer. I personally disagree with the author's negative opinions about POD publishing (my experiences with ASJA Press/iUniverse have been extremely good). But Sinclair's Chapters 12 and 13 (on promoting your book), especially his examples of promotional materials, are well worth the price of the book-even for someone who chooses the POD route.

This book is great for anyone thinking about publishing a novel. The information is easy to understand and very complete. I had read other self-publishing books and got a lot of good information, but this book was the best. What I found most useful was the detail the author goes into on how to design a professional book yourself. For those on a fairly tight budget, who still want a book they can be proud of, this is invaluable. The advice on promotion was very useful too, especially how to arrange book signings and use them to achieve media coverage. Here again, the level of detail was useful, as the author tells you whom to approach at Barnes & Noble, Borders etc. The information on how to select a printer and get a good price was also really helpful.

I read this book just in time. It saved me from falling into a lot of self-publishing traps. Read it before you sign up with a POD publisher. It will probably change your mind and you'll end up with a better chance of getting reviews and getting into bookstores. It takes a bit more work, but it's worth it if you're serious about self-publishing.

I highly recommend this book to authors looking to self-publish. Sinclair holds your hand through the entire process. I can't recommend it enough!

This book is great. There are many good books on self publishing but they concentrate on non-fiction. Gavin Sinclair fills in the rest. It is well put together, informative and invaluable to "completing the picture". I highly recommend it. BTW - I don't know Mr. Sinclair however, I am going to order his novel!

Self-Publishing Fiction: From Manuscript To Bookstore And Beyond is a step-by-step guide to publishing one's novel with no more than a manuscript, a computer, and some hard work - mountains of money not required! Simple instructions to transform one's manuscript into a printer-ready format, design a cover, select a printer, obtain ISBN and Library of Congress numbers, register copyright, get one's book reviewed and get onto bookstore shelves, maximize on-line sales, and much more fill this extremely practical how-to guide. Packed cover-to-cover with "hands-on" information offering straight talk to difficult problems, from how to approach Barnes & Noble and other big bookstore chains to how to get picked up by a distributor, Self-Publishing Fiction is an enthusiastically recommended "must-have" for anyone determined to present a story to the reading public without breaking the bank.

The best lesson this book actually provides in the importance of price-setting as a self-published author. [...] There's simply not enough information in this book to warrant the price. The author most likely made his decision based on potential margin rather than value.

Almost half the two-hundred pages are really just lists and the remaining half fails to tackle any of the issues involved with any depth. It's also weighted heavily towards the more traditional methods of self-publishing rather than POD options such as Lightning and CreateSpace This dates the book and probably partially accounts for the excessively high price. The book is more geared towards authors looking for placement in traditional bookstores - a highly unlikely prospect.

Authors looking for self-publishing and POD options would do better to investigate the books of Shepard on this topic. Although he focuses on non-fiction, his advice has much more relevance to the current state of the publishing market. (Shepard also makes it a point to update his books as information changes.)

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