Self or Indie Publishing: Answering the Big Questions 2019

March 25 - 28, 2019

+: Begins on Monday, March 25, with dinner, and ends on Thursday, March 28, with lunch.

$999.00 – Program Price

Overview

Considering self or indie publishing? Let us help you prepare.

Thanks to advances in technology, it’s easier than it’s ever been for anyone to self-publish a book – but to do it successfully, there are many things to consider. Your workshop leader is author and indie publisher Darcy Pattison (Mims House). After being traditionally published, Darcy started a publishing company and created a successful self-publishing career, publishing over 20 books through Mims House in the last four years. She’ll share her experiences and expertise to help you avoid the pitfalls that are common in the self-publishing business.

Nate Zaur and Jessica Repa from Spencer Printing will be special guests at the workshop. Nate has been in the commercial and book printing business for over a decade, working with authors and illustrators to package books for publication.

What You’ll Learn

Our goal is to answer these questions and more:

What is the difference between self-publishing and indie publishing?
How much will it cost to publish my book myself?
Where can I find resources to help with my writing process?
How will I know if my book is ready for publication?
How do I find a professional editor for my book?
What do I do if the book needs to be illustrated?
Who can design the book’s layout and cover?
Where should I get the book printed?
How do I get the book placed for sale with bookstores and online retailers?
How much should I charge for the book?

During the workshop, you will discover:

What’s needed to structure your writing
The mind shift needed to successfully self-publish
Today’s new publishing opportunities and resources
Ways to successfully market a self-published book
Technical details of creating a picture book or novel
Business planning basics
How to hire a freelance editor

In addition to learning the business of self-publishing, optional manuscript critiques are available for writers.

Who Should Attend

Anyone planning to self-publish and would benefit from a step-by-step guide to doing so.
Anyone who would like to know more about self-publishing, its benefits, and its challenges.
Writers with out-of-print titles who would like to make them available again.

Agenda

Competing with Large Publishers – Shifting the Mind-Set
Breakfast with a story
What Will You Publish?
How to Set up Your Business: Legal Issues of Self-Publishing
How Will Your Business Plan Support Your Vision?
How Will You Market Your Book?
Marketing and advertising
Editing Your Self-Published Book
Technical details of creating a book – Printers
What if? The Opportunity of Special Sales
Free Time for working on your Publishing plan
Discussion of individual publishing plans
Q&A: Legal, practical, visionary, technical or other questions.
How Do I Grow My Business?
Decisions: What Will YOUR Publishing Program Look Like?

Resources

Watch some videos about the workshop
IBPA Member Spotlight: Darcy Pattison
Darcy Pattison: 4 Tips for Self (or Indie) Publishing Children’s Picture Books or Novels
The 50 Tasks of an Indie/Self Publisher
Harold Underdown: How to Start Revising That First Draft
Faculty Spotlight: Self-Publishing Q & A with Book Printer Nate Zaur
Top 10 Questions about Self-Publishing

Testimonials

“Darcy Pattison’s Highlights Self Publishing Workshop gave me all the tools I needed to start my own indie publishing company. Her expertise was amazing, and her enthusiasm was contagious; I’ve never attended a better professional workshop!”—Lynn Rowe Reed, Plaid People Press

Category : In-Person