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SO YOU WANT TO WRITE A BOOK?
Lessons learned while self-publishing
Hello Web App
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WHAT TO WRITE ABOUT?
Spoiler: Nearly anything.
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Find another cofounder
O R
Do it myself?
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Four years later, still annoyed at
the Django tutorial ecosystem.
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TAKEAWAYS
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•Do you have another perspective on a topic?
Can you write more than a blog post?
Turn it into a book.
•Create an outline — will be useful for writing
as well as pitching publishers.
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WORK WITH A PUBLISHER
Or self publish?
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TAKEAWAYS
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•Worth it to pitch the top publishers.
•Self-publishing is more work, but a lot
more reward.
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GET A LANDING PAGE UP ASAP
Yes, before the whole writing bit.
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TAKEAWAYS
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•Create a landing page as soon as possible.
•Start collecting interested emails.
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CROWD FUNDING
Get an “advance” without a publisher.
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TAKEAWAYS
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•Use crowdfunding to gauge interest as well as
earn an “advance.”
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WRITING
Might be the easiest part. Might be the hardest.
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R I P : (
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TAKEAWAYS
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•Write in Markdown, as it easily ports to
other platforms.
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DESIGN
More pretties!
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TAKEAWAYS
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•You can do it yourself (a lot of design resources
and advice out there)…
•Or you can work with a designer to lay out the
book, which might cost $$$.
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MARKETING
Marketing marketing and more marketing.
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TAKEAWAYS
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•Share your website as many places as possible.
•Create a drip marketing system.
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SELLING
Dolla dolla bills y’all.
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TAKEAWAYS
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•Worth selling your book on as many platforms
as possible.
•Recommend Amazon for reach, Gumroad for
royalties, and Leanpub for ease.
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PRINTING
Pain in the butt but oh so pretty.
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TAKEAWAYS
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•Print a test book early to use in marketing.
•Keep an eye out on your per-book price:
try to get it below $5 a book.
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RESULTS
Worth it?
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THE PROCESS
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•Determine what you’re going to write about.
•Decide whether you’re self-publishing or not.
•Set up a landing page.
•Write write write.
•Figure out how you’ll be selling.
•Market market market.
•Launch
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THANKS!
Follow me on Twitter: @limedaring