Ape: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur: How to Publish a Book

by Guy Kawasaki, Shawn Welch

Overview

"Nuts, bolts, and inspiration too. Once again, Guy delivers, kicking the shiitake out of anyone who would tell you that you shouldn't, wouldn't or couldn't write a book." -Seth Godin Author and founder of The Icarus Project. In 2011 the publisher of one of my books, Enchantment, could not fill an order for 500 ebook copies of the book. Because of this experience, I self-published my next book, What the Plus!, and learned first-hand that self-publishing is a complex, confusing, and idiosyncratic process. As Steve Jobs said, "There must be a better way." With Shawn Welch, a tech wizard, I wrote APE to help people take control of their writing careers. APE's thesis is powerful yet simple: filling the roles of Author, Publisher and Entrepreneur yields results that rival traditional publishing. We call this "artisanal publishing"--that is, when writers who love their craft control the publishing process and produce high-quality books. APE is 300 pages of step-by-step, tactical advice and practical inspiration. If you want a hype-filled, get-rich-quick book, you should look elsewhere. On the other hand, if you want a comprehensive and realistic guide to self-publishing, APE is the answer.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780988523104
Publisher:	Nononina Press
Publication date:	01/07/2013
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	402
Sales rank:	1,106,719
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.10(d)

Editorial Reviews

To succeed in the brave new worlds of self- and e-publishing, according to Kawasaki and Welch's indispensable guide, one must be an author/publisher with an entrepreneurial bent. It's hard to believe in our advanced stage of Kindles and iPads, but in 2011, Kawasaki's publisher, Penguin, encountered difficulties trying to electronically distribute his New York Times best-seller for a promotional effort. After reading a book called Be the Monkey, which explains the advantages of self publishing, Kawasaki and Welch developed "APE," a concept they unveil as The Chicago Manual of Style for authors interested in controlling their own fate and getting their words to the reading public. The authors demonstrate how the days of "vanity publishing" are gone; from plotting and pricing to pitching and press releases, determined authors are now doing it for themselves. Before breaking down the self-publishing revolution, or "democratization," the authors examine traditional publishing, including "fantasy" versus "reality" scenarios. By illustrating the archaic processes of the old model and revealing the precarious hierarchy of redundant players--such as agents, who should be very nervous about this book--the authors herald the paradigm shift that has led to the renaissance of entrepreneurial writers. The result is a clean, concise "model for the future" of publishing's "new electronic realities." The authors shatter the myth that e-books currently outsell printed ones, and their book has the foresight to provide information on numerous "tools," computer programs, online author-service providers and reviewing websites, including a four-page list of "things nobody tells you." With hundreds of hyperlinks accessible to print readers through the book's website, the diligent duo covers how to avoid "looking self-published," how to upload your work without glitches or "gaffes," and the game-changing nature of print on demand, which will make being out of print "more of an oxymoron." Encouraging writers to pitch their self-pubbed work to clout-carrying ventures, such as Amazon Encore and Kindle Direct, seems to play against the book's buck-the-system attitude, but it does reflect the text's inspiring tone. Essential reading (and reference) for modern authors, regardless of experience.

Kirkus Reviews