Recent activity a LinkedIn self-publishing group caught my attention.
Someone asked for a recommendation about the best production method to publish their own book. There were several replies and counter replies. Group members offered testimonials about their own experiences with major players in the self-publishing industry, as well as links to their own services.
No one asked “What type of book do you want to produce?“
The author’s answer to this question would have provided much needed information to provide some direction for the the project.
Instead many self-publishing consultants ASSUME that everyone wants to publish a text-only book and recommend that it be published via Amazon’s CreateSpace for hardcopy and digital versions.
That’s fine, but not all book projects are text only. Other genres include:
- Photo essay
- History of (subject)
- Family genealogy
- Cookbook
- Poem
- Mystery novel
- Business-related
Your book is a product and how it is produced and distributed should be considered in the early stages.
- Is your book filled with full color images?
- Do you need a fixed layout or fluid layout?
- Hardcopy, softcover or both?
- Will it be available for purchase?
- Are you familiar with printing terminology?
My ebook “Self-Publishing: Navigating the Process” goes into this topic and provides an introduction to service providers to navigate the process of publishing your book.