I have a ...

When you're published (and having a signing event) it is inevitable that someone will approach you and the conversation starts with, "I've got a  (novel, novella, story, screenplay...) that I want to publish. How do I go about it?"

Depending on how serious the person is or the status of their work (or how many people are waiting to talk to you), the discussion can start with some basic decisions.

• Ebook  / print
• Indie Self-publishing /
• Small Houses / Big NYC firm

And I usually end with "Have fun with your writing."


Depending on their perceived skill level, I might mention what assistance is available from a given site such as createspace or kdp, but I usually stopped short of recommending any particular book. One reason is the great variance between authors in their writing ability, experience, and genre, not to mention the sheer number of books out there. 

Recently I gave a two-hour tutorial on bringing a book to life.The talk was given to a person with a completed manuscript and a determination to have a book in print. Their deadline was such that they needed something concise, complete, and easily understood. The book handed them was the 2015 edition of Createspace and Kindle Self-Publishing Masterclass: The Step-by-Step Author's Guide to Writing, Publishing and Marketing Your Books on Amazon by Rick Smith.

The result? The manuscript is now finished and undergoing editing. Pictures are being inserted, and the marketing/promotional plan being written. According to the soon-to-be published writer, Rich Smith's book provided the overview and sufficient detail to move the project along. Then they'll move onto more discrete resources such as the Smashwords guides, and help forums.

While not every book on craft, how-to-publish, and marketing is suitable for every author, whether published or wishing to be, the answer to I have a ... has been expanded to include Createspace and Kindle Self-Publishing Masterclass.

~Till next time, Helen

Find Createspace and Kindle Self-Publishing Masterclass on Amazon and more about Rick Smith's books at www.ricksmithbooks.com.