Independent Self-Publishing: The Complete Guide

"Independent Self-Publishing: the complete guide" is an expanded and updated replacement for the Amazon.com bestseller "Become a Real Self-Publisher: don't be a victim of a vanity press (2010).

The new book will: (1) help writers decide if they can and should publish their own books, (2) help writers avoid wasting time and money with "self-publishing" companies, (3) help writers make the best-possible books, (4) explain the choices and processes in book production and promotion and in running a small publishing business, and (5) provide more information and advice than is in the 2010 book.

The original version of the book has been on two Amazon.com bestseller lists and has been called "the best book in its field."

The new book is better and bigger, but is priced the same as the previous book. With 518-pages and over 100 illustrations, this is truly the most complete guide to independent self-publishing.

The authoritative book is based on many years experience in publishing, editing and writing. It will take you from selecting a subject and title, through writing, design and formatting, picking a printer, selecting designers and editors, developing and operating a website, getting blurbs and reviews, and publicizing the book. It will be useful to all authors.

Michael N. Marcus has been a journalist, author, editor, pub­lisher, publicist, advertising copywriter, photog­raph­er, band manager, amateur attorney, golf ball diver, re­cording engineer, and is founder of Able­Comm, Inc. ("The Telecom Department Store").
     His writing career started when he published a newspaper in elementary school. Since then he has been an editor at Rolling Stone and has written for many other magazines and newspapers.
     Michael has written over 20 books and provided the words for over 50 websites and blogs. He specializes in mak­ing technology un­der­standable, and often humorous.
     His first book was published by Doubleday in 1976. His second book was published by a tiny company 20 years later. He didn't like the books or his earnings. In 2008 he formed Silver Silver Sands Books to publish one book. He kept publishing.
     His Stories I'd Tell My children (but maybe not until they're adults) was intended for friends and family, but has sold thousands of copies worldwide.
     Born in New York in 1946, Michael's a proud member of the first cohort of the Baby Boom.
     At the urging of a misguided guidance counselor, Michael went to Lehigh University to become an electrical engineer and was quickly disappointed to learn that engineering was mostly math -- and slide rules were not nearly as much fun as sol­dering irons.
     Michael was one of the few literate people in his engineer-filled freshman dorm and made money editing term papers for classmates. Later, his college apartment had an elaborate and illegal phone system, a phone booth with a toilet in it, and an invisible phone activated by handclaps.
     Michael lives in Connecticut with his wife Marilyn, Hunter the golden retriever, and a lot of stuff -- including indoor and outdoor telephone booths, a 'Lily Tomlin' switch­board, lots of books, CDs and DVDs, and many black boxes with flashing lights. Marilyn is tolerant.