Two Guides to Self-Publishing: THE WELL-FED SELF-PUBLISHER and THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO SELF-PUBLISHING

Most people in the publishing industry like to think that they can smell a self-published book a mile away.  It’s the one with the amateurish cover, first of all (and although the old adage says you can’t judge a book by its cover, people do it all the time, which is why cover design is the single most important factor in book sales).  The self-published book is also usually the one with a topic that absolutely nobody cares about. 

Peter Bowerman’s first book, The Well-Fed Writer, proved me wrong.  I was actually well into reading that book before I discovered that it had been self-published.  Since I was an editor at Publishers Weekly at the time, I was well-schooled in what a self-published book felt like because hundreds, if not thousands, had crossed my desk during those nine years in search of a review.  (Which they almost never got, BTW.)  Unlike the vast majority of self-published books, Bowerman’s was completely professional.  It looked sharp, was consistently interesting, and was chock-full of information all freelance writers could use.  I put many of his tips into practice in my own sideline freelance business, with good effect. 

Now he shares the secrets not just of his success as a writer, but as a self-publisher.  In The Well-Fed Self-Publisher, Bowerman walks authors through every stage of the self-publishing process, with a particular eye to guerrilla marketing and publicity, which takes up almost two-thirds of the book.  This kind of viral, non-traditional marketing is something that other established guides don’t cover quite as well.  The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing by Tom and Marilyn Ross, for instance, focuses more on traditional outlets for book publicity, but the reality is that many of these avenues are often effectively closed to the self-published author. However, the Rosses’ book is much better on the nuts-and-bolts of the actual publishing process, from getting an ISBN to creating an index—details that Bowerman typically outsourced and encourages others to outsource as well.  I think any readers who are serious about self-publishing, especially if they have more of a DIY vibe, should get both these helpful how-to guides. The Rosses’ book feels like a venerable grand dame, now in her fourth edition, while Bowerman’s is like her yappy but oddly effective terrier.

Bowerman says he did hire an editor for this project, and for the most part, the writing quality is very serviceable.  He adores exclamation points, perhaps too much, and there are a few typos here and there.  Sentence fragments abound.  But if such tics don’t bother you, the information is well worth it.  I’d love to see an updated edition with more information on how self-publishers can leverage Amazon more effectively; there are great tips on this in Sell Your Book on Amazon (also self-published).

Comments

[Kent (MC)]

Great reviews and info Jana! I'm still looking forward to your treatment of that self-published book, "The Shack".

[Jana]

Oh, good point. I actually forgot I had promised to do that. Soon!