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Note: This workshop meets on Saturdays September 8 and 15, 2:00-4:30pm.

Back by popular demand: this two-session tour of the self-publishing process, taught by author and indie-publisher Carol Verburg, will guide you to an informed decision on whether and how to publish your book.

Want to see YOUR book at Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, and your local bookstore?

While traditional publishers grope for a new role, the self-publishing world is flourishing. In the digital age, a savvy writer can turn a manuscript into a book faster than an editor can say “Sorry, this doesn’t fit with our publishing plans.” Every month or two, a new best-seller erupts onto the literary landscape and catapults an unknown author-publisher to fame and fortune. The underground indie hit Fifty Shades of Grey was snapped up by commercial publishers and sold 20+ million copies in 30+ weeks. Of the nearly 350,000 new print titles launched in 2011, 150,000 to 200,000 were self-published. And that’s not counting e-books, which on Amazon have overtaken print sales.

If you have a great manuscript--or a great idea--that’s ready to become a book, this class can help you decide if self-publishing is for you. In two 2-1/2 hour sessions, we’ll look at the pros, cons, and tradeoffs of producing your own book versus going through a traditional agent and/or publishing company. We’ll review what kind of hardware, software, budget, and time you’ll need to become your own publisher. We’ll examine the three phases of publishing--editorial, production, and marketing--and what processes and decisions are part of each one. We’ll talk about websites, social media, copyright, ISBNs, incorporation, and SEO, among other topics. And we’ll compare the services and costs of the many production and distribution companies eager to help you turn your manuscript into a book.

About the Instructor
Carol Verburg published her first six nonfiction books with Bedford/St. Martins before starting Boom-Books in February 2011. Since then she has published two biographies, two mysteries, and a romance novel, with another romance coming out this fall. A long-time freelance editor and consultant, she started her publishing career with Harper & Row and worked as an editor for Little, Brown & Co. and Addison-Wesley Publishers.