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Dan Poynter's Self-Publishing Manual, 16th Edition: How to Write, Print and Sell Your Own Book (Self Publishing Manual) | 
| Author: Dan Poynter
Publisher: Para Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $13.57
You Save: $6.38 (32%)
Rating:  245 reviews
Sales Rank: 4733
Media: Paperback
Edition: 16 Revised
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 463
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 8.5 x 5.5 x 1
ISBN: 1568601425
Dewey Decimal Number: 808
EAN: 9781568601427
Publication Date: March 25, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
The bible on self-publishing. Highly recommended by virtually everyone in the industry -- even other authors of books on the subject (many of whom probably followed the advice in Poynter's previous 11 editions).
Product Description
The Self-Publishing Manual, more effectively and successfully than any other book, has turned writers with an idea into successful authors with books by providing solid, usable information in clear, concise, readable lanugage. This is not the stuff of theory, it is the product of hard-earned experience.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 240 more reviews...
Don't jump into self-publishing without this manual! January 23, 2001
117 out of 127 found this review helpful
If you have ever felt that self-publishing is similar to jumping out of a plane without a parachute, have no fear! "The Self-Publishing Manual" is your parachute! On your way to "landing" your first published book, you will learn everything you need to know.
I think of Dan Poynter as the ultimate "how-to self-publish" expert! He will teach you all the tricks of the publishing trade. As an author of more than 80 books, he also has a proven track record of success. He will convince you that you too can succeed.
The strength of this encyclopedic reference is the author's experience in publishing. Dan Poynter is also on the leading edge of technology. He welcomes the new era of book publishing and prepares writers by giving a "New Book Publishing Model."
If you are looking for a complete reference on writing, printing, publishing, promoting, marketing and distributing your new book, look no further. Whether you just have the concept for your new book or have already advanced to the promotion stage, the information you will need to make your efforts more successful is here!
The "Your Book's Calendar" section is like a true gift for the busy author. This section is vital to keeping your goals and progress in check. It will allow you to digest volumes of information in small sections. You can start with what you have started to accomplish, check the suggested readings and then check off your goals as you reach them.
I especially enjoyed reading the section on professional reviewers. The glossary of publishing terms was so revealing. The "resources for publishers" section was detailed and informative.
This source book also has a companion web site. You can find information kits, great book promotion mailing lists, links to useful Web sites and hundreds of downloadable documents.
If you are still searching for an agent, sending out manuscripts to publishers, or writing those endless query letters, it may be time to take off that seat belt which is trapping you in that airplane seat! Then, read this book and jump! There are people who want your book. There are people who need your book. Believe it! Then, free fall to success!
~The Rebecca Review
 How to be rich and famous. Or at least rich. Maybe. June 8, 2004
101 out of 116 found this review helpful
Poynter is the guru of a certain type of self-publishing author: The writer/hustler who is interested, first and foremost, in making money -- lots and lots of money -- not merely in making information available and earning enough back to make the effort worthwhile. I've done a certain amount of self-publishing over the past couple of decades (mostly genealogical research materials and local history), and while I'm always interested in what he has to say, I've frankly never found a lot of useful material here. All the way through, especially in the early chapters where he's trying to hook you (and remember that his background is in marketing), he insists this writing-publishing thing is easy. All you do is get an idea, read everything about it, put it all in a notebook (rather quirkily for a technophile, he seems to believe in first-draft writing on paper), edit it into a new shape, and Presto! You have a new book, and it's gonna make you rich! Or something. Among other problems, he seems to have only a hazy idea of how the acquisitions process generally works in a large library system. Not to mention comments like "library loans may hurt sales of fiction," and "libraries tend to do most of their ordering around the beginning or end of their fiscal year." Puh-leez. Then there's this, regarding the Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998: "Now, anything printed prior to 1922 is safe." Say what? (Even Cotton Mather?) He also seems to think book-indexing need involve only the "indexing" feature in Microsoft Word. Finally, on the very last page (before the omnipresent order form, that is), he says it doesn't matter who the publisher is: "Who is the author? Is she a credible person? No one ever asks, 'Who is the publisher'?" Au contraire, Dan, the credibility of the *publisher* can be *very* important, especially in technical books. Would you rather buy, unseen, a computer book from O'Reilly & Associates, or from Joe Blow Kitchen Table Press? However, even very narrowly market-specific titles (like genealogy) require some advertising and notification of potential purchasers, so his chapters on publicity and marketing are worth reading, as is the material on cutting-edge electronic publishing, both via CD and online.
Publish Profitably August 1, 2002
93 out of 104 found this review helpful
Publishing can be a tough business, but with the advice of Dan Poynter you can make your book a profitable reality. 'The Self-Publishing Manual' includes great nuts-and-bolts advice and lots of helpful resources for getting your book written, produced and distributed. The templates and forms Dan includes are useful, for everything from permissions requests to requests for print bids to discount schedules. Even if all you use are the lists of publishing web sites, printers, distributors, reviewers, etc., you will more than get your money's worth from this book. Dan's information helped me produce a quality book on a tight timeframe. Not only did I get the book done quickly, it was profitable within one month after release. I teach a course on publishing, and 'The Self-Publishing Manual' is the text I use. If you want to learn about publishing, this is the place to start.
 Skip this one--it's not worth it! October 15, 1999
62 out of 79 found this review helpful
Poynter's "The Self-Publishing Manual" is a mess. Do yourself a favor and skip this one. Instead, buy "The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing" by Tom and Marilyn Ross. It's infinitely clearer, more reader-friendly, intelligent and useful. Why is Poynter's book so bad? A few lowlights: 1. Poynter writes poorly--a curious failing in someone who aspires to advise serious writers and small publishers. Two brief examples: In Chapter 8 there's a passage comparing wholesalers and distributors. After reading this passage, not only can you NOT figure out which he recommends, you're not even sure how these two entities differ from one another. Poynter's prose frequently mangles the simplest declarative sentence. He'll say "Everyone doesn't need four-color printing" when he means "Not everyone needs four-color printing." There's a difference. This muddled style of communication mars the entire book. It's obvious that Poynter knows the business; it's equally obvious that he doesn't have the right stuff to convey this information clearly. This book begs for careful editing and obviously didn't get any. 2. The text is littered with self-promotional references to other documents Poyner offers for sale. You thought the book would tell you most of what you need to know about self-publishing? Ha! Poynter just tells you how much MORE you need to know--and how to get the info from him, for a hefty price. 3. The cover design looks amateurish. This violates a principle set forth by Poynter and other self-publishing gurus: to compete in the marketplace, your product must be indistinguishable from those of the big players. Do a side-by-side comparison of the covers and spines of Poynter's book and the Rosses' book, and you'll see what I mean. 4. The eleventh edition, which was being sold in mid-1999, badly needs updating. There are precious few Web URLs in any of the references. The graphic examples are ancient. Poynter breezily recommends doing your own page layout and design, making the process sound much easier than it is. So...save yourself a lot of time. Don't try to wade through this mess of a guidebook. Go straight to the Ross book instead. You'll find more information, conveyed more clearly, and with a more encouraging tone. Good luck!
Dan not only leads the industry,but is two steps ahead of it March 31, 2000
30 out of 33 found this review helpful
Don't even consider self-publishing without first reading The Self-Publishing Manual by Dan Poynter. His book will save you time and prevent you from making costly mistakes. Dan not only leads the industry, but is two steps ahead of it. I have been producing and marketing books since 1985 and Dan Poynter's advice gave me the foundation from which I built my business. He has been and continues to be very generous with sharing the secrets to his success. This 12th edition of The Self-Publishing Manual keeps you current and walks you through each step. Do you have questions about printing on demand? Not sure how to approach e-books? Dan has the answers. He continues to tell us where to look, who to contact, and how to maintain the image we strive for as small press publishers. This edition is filled with a gold mine of information - each page offers nuggets of publishing advice. This is the best investment you'll ever make as you enter or continue your world of self-publishing. Linda F. Radke Author of Linda Radke's Promote Like a Pro: Small Budget, Big Show
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