| DIY publishing is now considered trendy as | | | | Advertise the publication in local papers, |
| opposed to thirty years ago, when mainstream | | | | magazines, newsletters etc. Convince news |
| publishers invited new and unknown authors along | | | | editors to publish press releases about the new |
| to preview prospective works. Self-publishing is | | | | book. |
| business and should be treated as such. Without | | | | Seek audience on websites to promote the work |
| prior knowledge or a key plan, selling a book will | | | | with an image of the cover if possible. This costs |
| result in wasted pounds. | | | | around £299 per annum via some of the |
| It pays to differ from the current glut of | | | | smaller publishing concerns. |
| subjects and stories. Zip along to the nearest | | | | Get postcards, leaflets or flyers printed (fairly |
| bookshop and take stock of how much cookery, | | | | cheap these days) at a copy shop. |
| gardening or books on warfare adorn the shelves. | | | | Hire stalls at markets/fairs; get involved in |
| A flux of cookery books will make another tome | | | | community organisations at conventions, lectures |
| on the same theme incredibly difficult to sell, | | | | and events. Display books and promotional |
| especially to a mainstream publisher. | | | | material. Offer a special discount to get people |
| Assuming an author has X number of books | | | | interested. At least if they buy, the book is out |
| printed either through a vanity publisher or even a | | | | there and being read. |
| small press, the next step is to get the book out | | | | Caution, almost no self-published book gives a |
| there, to be read. Take time to decide the best | | | | significant return on an author's investment in time |
| strategy. | | | | and effort, so don't give up the day job. |
| Identify the target audience, age, income, career | | | | So where does it all end? Hopefully like the effort |
| and residential location of prospective readers. | | | | of one, now famous author, who initially made |
| Look at the competition and evaluate the market | | | | little profit from a self-published book but gained |
| demand and prices. | | | | loads of publicity. Then one day a copy ended up |
| Devise a statement that spells out why this new | | | | on the desk of a creative consultant. The result, a |
| book is special (often called the unique selling point | | | | well-known mainstream publisher snapped up the |
| or USP). | | | | work. By the year 2000, the book sold over |
| Develop a market plan, work out the financial | | | | 300,000 copies and became a best seller. It can |
| outlay required, and whether sales will recoup the | | | | happen. |
| cost of printing, binding etc. | | | | |