Make a Living as a Self-Published Author

Make a Living as a Professional Self-Published Author is a great book for those getting started with self-publishing. One thing that I love about it is that the author is encouraging, but at the same time gives a realistic idea of what it really takes to succeed as an author. I’ve read some other books on self-publishing that make it sound like all you have to do is write the book, publish it, and then go on vacation while you watch the money roll in. While I wish it worked that way, it simply doesn’t. That’s the bad news. The good news is that success as a self-published author is possible and this book shows you how to lay the foundation for that success. Another thing that I love about this book is that the author has published more than 50 books, and knows what he’s talking about. If you want to lay a solid foundation for a successful career as a self-published author, I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of this book.

What a neat practical reference for the self published author. With tips ranging from basic (and yes he does start with the basics) to legal tips to publishing overview and reminders, this book is a keeper. I think I will use his book as a planning guide for my next book to be sure I have all the steps in order, then as a quick check when I am ready to publish to be sure I have completed all the details. The book is easy to read and encouraging, full of tips and reminders. I knew most of the basic info but as the book continued learned a new trick or two.

There’s a lot more to publishing a book than writing it and slapping a cover on it, says Richard Lowe Jr. in this excellent book. How to choose your themes of interest, how to organize your day, how to publish and market and so many other helpful pointers make this a treasure trove of wisdom for writers. The end of each chapter includes a succinct summary, each chapter is studded with helpful links to other resources. But the best part is the tone of the book which is no-nonsense but encouraging, the message being: you can totally do this.

I first discovered this book on Audible and over the course of a year I have listened to it several times. I finally decided that I had to have the hard copy as well, so that I can highlight all of the wonderful nuggets of helpful info. Brilliant! I highly recommend this book and feel that it should be in every serious writer’s personal library.

I enjoy Richard’s no nonsense honest approach to the business of self publishing. You can tell right away that he speaks from experience in what he shares, and does not skim over the fact that it takes real work to make a living as a self publisher, as well as the potential rewards of following the indie author path!

This is a great book, very informative about getting started as a self-published author. Starting from scratch and as the title says, laying the foundation. My only critique and reasoning for giving it four stars is that it focuses more on non-fiction than fiction. For example, Lowe talks about releasing a lot of books in a short space of time, aiming for lower word count rather than full length novel, and in the world of fiction writing that just isn’t an attainable goal. Otherwise the book is very helpful, packed with links and ideas that can help you get started on the journey. The advice is spot on, and the book is easy to read and flip through at a later date when you want a refresher course on a particular subject. It’s well researched and spells things out for you in an easy to read manner. For that reason, I recommend it.

This is a fairly lengthy tome and there are many references to other works, both by the author and various experts in this field. The information is helpful and written by a successful author in many writing genres, so his words of wisdom come from experience, and highlights many of the pitfalls a writer can encounter along the path to publication and beyond. All in all, a good guide for newcomers.