For book/ebook authors, publishers, & self-publishers

Make $250,000 Annually Self-Publishing

Last week I experienced a side of writing/publishing/marketing I never knew existed. My mother-in-law, Rita Kerr, asked me to accompany her to an adult education class entitled “Writing, Publishing & Marketing Your 1^st Book (or 7^th)” offered by a local school district. It was quit an eye opener to learn the author teaching the class claimed to make $250,000 per year self-publishing and holding these classes. This is a fascinating story you can read in it's entirety at www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/billstephens.

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Comment by Bill Stephens on April 9, 2007 at 3:27pm: In the case of the Christensen's their advice is so generic as to pose no real threat, except there was little said about how hard they work to be as successful as they claim to be. If living your life in an RV is your thing, their approach seems to pay off. They got my mother-in-law's money.

What was new to me was the selling through adult education courses and double dipping by participating in the tuition and "requiring" the purchase of the book.

Comment by John Kremer on April 9, 2007 at 3:11pm: One caution on all the new self-publishing courses and books out there. Many people consider themselves experts on self-publishing after one book (or even less!). That means you are probably getting advice based on their limited experience. Now, that experience might be perfect for your book, but it could also be very misleading.

In my years of speaking at many writers and publishers conferences, I've heard a lot of good advice, but I've also been appalled at some of the advice being given by some of the speakers who were speaking based on very limited experience in self-publishing or marketing books.

At one panel I was on, I almost walked off the stage because the advice given by one man was so off base. I was afraid that if I did not respond (which was diplomatically tough to do in this instance), I would be condoning such bad advice.

There are a lot of great advice givers out there and a lot of great stories from self-publishers, including people who have done off-beat things successfully. You can review my Self-Publishing Hall of Fame for some of those stories. But only my book on the subject: John Kremer's Self-Publishing Hall of Fame includes the full stories.

Comment by Bill Stephens on April 9, 2007 at 10:43am: T. R., It does sound interesting -- caravaning around the country selling books. Bill

Comment by T. R. Catanzarite on April 9, 2007 at 10:19am: Bill, there's a lot of that going around-----"How To" in publishing at adult learning classes. I took an online class from www.ed2go.com about forming one's own publishing company, and the instructor said that the books that sell BY FAR the best are books on how to do things, self-publishing or fixing electronic devices. As for publishing, it's a great field-----and one that Writer's Digest exploits to the fullest. Ted