How to Write, Publish, and Sell Your Own Book 3rd & 4th editions changes by John T. Reed

Changes and improvements to the fourth edition

• detailed explanation of the four-best-friends-from-high-school market segment

• you don’t even need a home office nowadays because of wifi and electric outlets at libraries, Starbucks, and other venues 

• my replacement of Yahoo Store with Shopify

• scanning replacing faxing

• change in the recommended years of supply of a book to print in light of lower interest rates and hyperinflation danger

• greater Internet research capabilities relative to libraries

• my first novel

• my first hard cover book

• litho case book cover

• Priority Mail padded envelopes

• no longer recommend 800-number

• need for your web page to resize for tablet and cell phone size screens 

Changes and improvements to the third edition

• I changed the title to eliminate the phrase “how-to” because I have now also written, published, and sold a novel, The Unelected President.

• We generally use Priority Mail flat rate envelopes and boxes to ship my books. With some lighter package, first class envelopes are best. For The Unelected President novel, which is a 6" x 9" hard cover book, we discovered a new package that you cannot get at your local post office: Padded flat rate envelopes. They are free from the USPS, but you have to order them by phone in my experience. You can order on line, but they only let you get 15 at a time. I order 200 at a time by phone. 800-275-8777

• The third edition emphasizes more the importance of not just self-publishing but also self-distribution.  

•  I updated the software discussion to reflect what I currently use: Adobe Creative Sutie CC.

• I updated my case histories of the last four books I published. Those name the book manufacturer and the book’s specs and cost of printing the book and having it shipped to my house.

• The USPS versus UPS decision has changed dramatically. I updated which to use. I also provide more detail on the various USPS envelopes, boxes, and choices of class of mail to use.

• Much discussion of Shopify, our new Web store. Prior editions told of our Yahoo Store and recommended them. We no longer use or recommend Yahoo.

• Information about the growing community of book reviewers who are willing to review self-published books on the Internet.