Rich Helms ca

Printer Friendly

Date: Saturday Jan 26, 2008
Instructor: Rich Helms
Location: Pickering Public Library
Time: 1-4:30
Cost: $50+GST ($52.50) : $45+GST ($47.25) for WCDR, UAA, PWAC and HHWEN members

This is a half-day workshop on how to self-publish on a budget. With Open Source software like Open Office and services like Lulu.com, it is possible to write, publish and distribute a book with a personal computer, a lot of work and little to no money. Like most do-it-yourself projects, this is a trade-off of time versus money. My goal is not to cover every shareware software package, but to show a path through the various steps in writing, producing, selling and advertising a book.

continue reading »

Printer Friendly

There are several companies that offer Print on Demand services. One is iUniverse.

iUniverse offers two books on self-publishing for free.

1. iUniverse Publishing Guide – This 31 page PDF describes the iUniverse offerings.
2. Get Published – A 308 page PDF on Self-Publishing

To get these publications you fill out a request page by clicking on “Request > a FREE Publishing Guide.”

Recognizing that these publications are aimed at promoting the iUniverse offerings, the Get Publishing book has a lot of useful information.

Printer Friendly

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is the serial number of your book. It is unique through the world. Obtaining an ISBN in Canada is fairly easy. Realize as self-published, you are the publisher.

For Canadian writers the process of obtaining an ISBN is online and free from the Canadian ISBN Agency.

www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/isn/041011-1030-e.html

Realize your are the publisher in a self-published book. Enter yourself as the publisher. This sets up a set of ISBN numbers with each only differing by the last numbers

Once you get your ISBN, go to www.mithril.com.au/barcode.htm and enter the number without the dashes. Select “large barcode“ and click on the “Generate Barcode“ button. Copy and paste the barcode into an image editor such as Photoshop. Save the image as a .tif and import it into your document.

Printer Friendly

If you book or book cover is to have images then you will need an image editor. Adobe PhotoShop is the most popular commercial package.

PhotoFiltre is two photo editors from France, a free version and a shareware version (PhotoFiltre Studio) for 25 euros (roughly $40 Cdn). While I do most of my image editing with PhotoShop, I have grown to love PhotoFiltre. The free version is light weight and loads almost instantly. continue reading »

Printer Friendly

Microsoft Word is the most common commercial software used for writing the manuscript. A free alternative is Open Office.
continue reading »

Printer Friendly

Writing a book involves several computer steps:

1. Write the manuscript
2. Collect and edit the images: photos and graphs
3. Layout the book
4. Deliver to the printer/publisher (usually as a PDF)

Printer Friendly

When you self-publish, you do all the steps.

1.  Coming up with the idea
   1. Research competiton
   2. Research availability of content
   3. Research marketability
2. Create the Book 
   1. Write the manuscript
   2. Edit the manuscript
   3. Layout the book
   4. Proof-read the book
3. Print copies 
4. Fulfillment 
   1. Take orders
   2. Collect money
   3. Deliver the book
5. Market the book