Happy New Year

Happy 2010 Readers.

What’s your new resolution this year that you definitely won’t break this year?* I plan to finish my book within the next 365 days… Let me know what your goals are and good luck in achieving them.

*Note: By definitely I mean you will absolutely try but will most likely not succeed.

Self-Publish With Amazon.com

Image representing Amazon EC2 as depicted in C...

Just yesterday, I was made aware of a “Self Publish with Us” service offered by Amazon.com. Through CreateSpace or BookSurge, you have the ability to utilize several publishing tools to help sell your books, videos amongst other digital media.

For a first time author, this is probably a very enticing offer to have a book published for free while having it listed on Amazon and making it visible to millions of viewers. Amazon does take a percentage of the list price plus a fixed charge depending on the length of your book but you agree to a non-exclusive agreement giving you the ability to change publishing and distributing partners if a better situation presents it self.

There is a 24-page minimum if you choose to publish but I am going to assume that if you are writing anything, it will hit that 24-page mark rather quickly and shouldn’t be a problem. If you remember, I started writing my own book about earlier and without even knowing, I have been way past the minimum limit. This service really has gotten me back interested in finishing up the book and hopefully have one out within the next 6-12 months.

Let’s just take a look at some of the features “Self Publish with Us” offers:

Book Features from Amazon.com

  • All book covers are printed in full-color on cover stock and finished with a protective laminate coating
  • Black and white books can be printed on white or cream (also called “off-white”) paper
  • Amazon listings include the Search Inside!® feature
  • Free CreateSpace ISBN is assigned if you do not already own one

Some critical frequently asked questions that I briefly described earlier such as the initial cost to publish a book, whether you keep the rights to your work and can you order a member’s copy are answered below:

How much will it cost to set up my book?

There are no set-up fees for your book; before making it available for sale, we do require you to purchase and approve a proof copy of your book. We’ll also provide you with a free CreateSpace ISBN if you don’t already own one.

In what format do I need to submit my book files?

For your book’s interior, you must submit a fully-formatted PDF file. You may choose to use our Cover Creator tool to build a professional cover for your book or upload a finished PDF cover file.

Do I keep the rights to my work?

We offer a non-exclusive agreement, enabling you to take advantage of future publishing and distribution opportunities that may come your way.

Can I order copies of my book from you?

Yes, you can order copies of your book at very competitive rates. There are no print minimums, so you can order one book, 500 books or more, whatever quantity suits your needs and your budget.

  • Amazon listings include the Search Inside!® feature
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    Interested In Reading My Book?

    As some of you may have heard, I am currently in the midst of writing a book on baseball and issues that are plauging the game today. I want to say I am just about half way through writing it, since I don’t expect the book to be very long about 100-125 pages. The chapters are going to cover various issues including steroids, the media and how the influence of money has taken over the game.

    I already have one reader and I am currently looking for maybe 2 or 3 more people who are interested in critically reading what I have written and tearing it to shreds with corrections, suggestions and even ideas on what else to write. Let me know if you are interested, and I’ll arrange to send you a copy of what I have.

    Plus, if you are quite handy with graphic design and would like to design a front and back cover for the book, let me know and I can give you the title and what I would like to see on the cover. I am sure any work done towards the book can be appropriately compensated if we agree to something.