Cheap The Self-Publishing Manual: How to Write, Print, and Sell Your Own Book, 14th Edition (Book) (Dan Poynter) Price

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Customer Reviews of The Self-Publishing Manual: How to Write, Print, and Sell Your Own Book, 14th Edition

Self-publishing's Master Manual
With Dan Poynter's 13th edition about to come out, it behooves every writer interested in self-publishing and the marketing techniques associated with that increasingly popular method of publishing to purchase this invaluable guide and/or its latest edition. Using "Poynter's pointers," I self-published my book, The Perils of Imprudent Writing-How to Watch What You Write and Stay Out of Court, now in its second edition, and have sold over 3000 copies to date. I first read The Self-Publishing Manual cover to cover (I now have three editions and will buy the next; his numerous references are updated annually), then outlined it to create a chronological strategy in my successful self-publishing effort. Poynter leaves no stone unturned in providing information to writers. Also, his company, ParaPublishing, is always available to provide additional information and assistance.

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very thorough manual by an industry leader
Dan Poynter practises what he preaches; he runs his own publishing firm, writes his own books, handles his own promotion and apparently makes enough money doing so to keep several employees occupied. The Self Publishing Manual contains a tremendous amount of valuable material that no neophyte publisher - or writer - should be without. The text is very practical in nature, and the information is quite condensed; this is a book you can expect to be re-reading many times. Poynter also covers the topics of providing information in alternate forms, such as cassette tapes and downloadable e-book formats. This information is sparse, but there's enough there to give an individual a place to start. In short, this book qualifies as a "must have" text for anyone thinking of writing - or publishing - a book.

I have two complaints regarding the book. First, the book title suggests that it will show you how to self publish your book, but then suggests that you engage the services of a printer. To my mind, this is similar to a book that claims to show you how to build your own house, and then suggests you hire a carpenter. I had expected at least one section showing how computers and laser printers could be used to generate small press runs, and what equipment is available to allow the small time operator to do perfect (glued spine) binding. However, there is absolutely no information in this book regarding the actual physical production methods that a small, home based publisher might use to actually create books at home. While it might be argued that home printing is still too expensive for the small operator, Poynter does not make this claim, or even address the issue. For what it's worth, there is equipment on the market aimed at the economical production of small press runs; perfect bindery equipment and print trimmers will cost you about $6,000, plus the cost of your computer equipment. My very cursory check of production costs shows that for very small runs - 500 to 1000 books - printing and binding your own books is cost effective. When your book is established enough to justify print runs of 5,000 copies, conventional printers can do a much cheaper job. I wish Poynter had addressed this technological advance in his book, and I hope he does so in a future edition. I should also mention that in emails with Poynter (he does respond to emails) he mentions that he did, at one time, have a book which dealt with the mechanics of physically printing and assembling a book; but demand was sparse, and he feels that the economics do not justify the effort. If you follow Poynters recommendations, AND you have a well written book with a broad interest base, you should have no difficulty in achieving sufficient sales to make hiring a printer the most sensible choice, in any case.

My second complaint has to do with the economics of self publishing. No where in the book does Poynter give the beginning writer / publisher any idea as to what sales levels might be associated with specific incomes. There are nuggets of financial information scattered through the text - for example, Poynter suggests you allocate 20 to 30% of your revenue to promotion, and he does discuss a couple methods by which you can determine the 'right' price to sell your book at - but there's no one area where he gives a solid example of the finances of a 'typical' book. As Poynter has published a number of books on varying topics, he no doubt has this information; however, he chooses not to share it. This makes it very difficult for a newcomer to determine the financial viability of the industry. While no one can guarantee that a book will be successful, it would be nice to see some specific examples of financial successes, with all costs identified and the net income shown. I'd love to see a table showing, for example, the costs of production for a 'typical' 144 page, 5.5 X 8.5 inch book; so much for printing, so much for cover design, so much for typesetting, and so on. With this information, it would be possible to calculate a break even analysis - how many copies you must sell at a given price, in order to break even. When the entire area of financial viability is skirted so carefully and completely, it makes me question whether there really are any worthwhile, financially successful examples of self published books.

However, even when these matters are taken into consideration, this is still a 'must have' book. Anyone considering self publishing cannot possibly be successful without the information contained within this book; and anyone writing a book needs to understand why so many first time authors are self publishing. There's a tremendous amount of extremely valuable information here, enough so as to make this a strong contender for the title "bible of the industry".

I recommend it highly.

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This is the place to start
Dan Poynters "Self Publishing Manual" is the place to start for anyone thinking about entering the world of independent publishing. Though there are now a number of great books out there for the beginner, Dan's been doing it, successfully, for longer than just about anybody else. Some of his marketing ideas are a bit brazen for me, but it's obviously worked well for him. He knows what he's talking about. After reading his book, be sure to check out all the great free information on his website, and if you get the chance to meet him, go out of your way to do so. He's an interesting guy, and very helpful and generous with his knowledge.