About the Author: Mike Buchanan
Mike Buchanan (1957- ) is a British author (and former business consultant who worked for the Conservative party over 2006-8) who has written eight books since 2008. In reverse chronological order, they are:
'The Glass Ceiling Delusion: the REAL reasons more women don't reach senior positions'
'David and Goliatha: David Cameron - heir to Harman?' A book which argues that British Conservative party leader and current prime minister David Cameron (‘David') has a female-pattern brain and that this partly accounts for his support of the feminist agenda of the Labour politician Harriet Harman ('Goliatha').
'The Joy of Self-Publishing' available in a paperback edition as well as an ebook edition (Kindle, iPad, Sony eReader, Nook, Kobo...)
'Buchanan's Dictionary of Quotations for right-minded people'
'Buchanan's Dictionary of Quotations for right-minded Americans'
'The Marriage Delusion: the fraud of the rings?' A critique of marriage which argues that most people in the developed world in the modern era are unsuited to the institution. Launched in a hardback edition, a paperback edition has since been made available under the title 'The Fraud of the Rings'.
'Two Men in a Car (A Businessman, a Chauffeur, and Their Holidays in France)' a travelogue about the holidays enjoyed by Mike Buchanan and his colourful socialist chauffeur Paul Carngton. Available as a paperback and in an ebook edition (KIndle, iPad, Sony eReader, Nook, Kobo...)
'Guitar Gods in Beds. (Bedfordshire: a heavenly county)'
'Profitable Buying Strategies: how to cut procurement costs and buy your way to higher profits'
Self-publishing can be more rewarding than being published - creatively, financially, and in other respects - if you go about it the right way. You could well be confused, as many self-publishers are, by the multiplicity of options available to you. The good news is that you can now make your books visible and available to book buyers around the world at minimal cost. An ebook (PDF) edition of this book was made available worldwide at no cost, an edition for the Kindle, iPad, Nook, Sony eReader and other e-readers made available for GBP95.00, a paperback edition made available worldwide for GBP42.00.
As a self-publisher, what are your options for new books? Should you choose an offset lithography print run, a digital print run, or maybe print-on-demand (POD)? Hardback or paperback, or other formats? Possibly an ebook too? And, crucially, how will you get your books distributed cost-effectively to buyers around the world? This book will take you through the options and explain their relative advantages and disadvantages. It provides guidance on selecting book topics with strong sales potential; writing distinctively; obtaining a professional critique of your work; writing content-rich non-fiction; writing in a number of genres; choosing between hardback and paperback and other formats; choosing the optimal printing method; book content formatting; book specifications; colour plate section options; distribution; print-on-demand ('POD'); order fulfilment; dealing with Amazon, Lightning Source, Nielsen, and Bowker; printers; copy-editors and proofreaders; typesetters; cover designers; photographers; pricing and marketing your books; and a whole lot more besides.
The book includes a sample chapter from the author's international bestseller Two Men in a Car (a businessman, a chauffeur, and their holidays in France) along with the plate section from the book.
Mike Buchanan, a British writer and former business consultant, is the author of eight books since 2008. He's been published internationally by a leading publisher (in English and Chinese editions), and he's self-published. He much prefers self-publishing for a variety of reasons. In January 2010, at the age of 52, he took early retirement and now writes and self-publishes full-time. He developed the model of 'commercial self-publishing' outlined in this book. The model has been designed to help self-publishers enjoy their writing more, increase their output of strong titles, and maximise their profits.
