How to Publish a Book: a Case Study

1. How to Publish a Book: a Case Study The Villain of Steam Project Anna Martin, Project Manager, Talk to Cambridge Library Group 22/10/2015

2. http://www.slideshare.net/TyndallScientific/images-from-villain-of-steam-48695166http://www.slideshare.net/TyndallScientific/images-from-villain-of-steam-48695166 Slideshare presentation of the images in the book

3. Who? • Tyndall Scientific • Marlinspike publishing

4. Tyndall Scientific

5. Pre-talk Activity • Look at the books in the display. • Which is: Commercial publisher (professional, established systems, little author control, few returns) • Learned Society pays and publishes • Indie publisher breaks even • Author self-publishes • Author pays a third party such as Matador

6. Aims of the Project • Increase public awareness of the history of science and technology (as part of a larger project) • Increase understanding and experience of the publishing process • Personal and career development of author • A mode of networking

7. Targets • Produce a marketable book • Sell the book in the Trinity College Dublin bookshop, Amazon and highstreet bookshops and in Kindle and emobi formats • Raise awareness of Lardner at Trinity College Dublin • Gain media publicity • Network

8. Evaluating the Project • Viability: minimum viable short run is at least 500 copies • Market research: Saleability of author: reputation, network and past performance, • Saleability of subject: performance of similar competition, market niche, (figures from Nielsen) • Budget and funding

9. Infrastructure: Websites • Use of Wordpress, Studiopress templates, Fasthosts webhosting

10. Infrastructure : Other Considerations • Bank accounts • Registering for tax • Email accounts • Social Media accounts • International considerations

11. Authors Responsibilities • Produces a draft (Word/ Latex, InDesign or Publisher) • Does indexing work? • Manages Footnotes (Zotairo, bibiliographical management) • Gets images, pays for images and permissions

12. Editors vs Book Designers • Editor edits the manuscript / Book designer designs the book (chicken and egg) • Two types of editor: copy editor and commissioning editor

13. Researching the Market and Process • Attended courses in publishing and in self-publishing • Talked to people, go to Author talks • Read books on publishing and watched videos • Researched similar products: mentors and role models

14. Deciding on a Publishing Model • Commercial publisher (professional, established systems, little author control, few returns) • Learned Society pays and publishes • Indie publisher breaks even • Author self-publishes • Author pays a third party such as Matador

15. Deciding on a Publishing mode • Print on demand? • Considerations: credibility, availability in bookshops, online access, cost, transport • US market? • English or Irish printers

16. Createspace

17. Lulu (print on demand facility)

18. Lightning Source / Ingram (Books in print connection)

19. English Short Run Printers

20. Chosen Process • Narrator.me.co.uk • Imprint Digital (printers, Devon) deliver free to: • Distributors Central Books

21. Production Process • Apply for ISBNs, (includes information about the distributor, • Turn number into barcode (free programs) • Pricing, • BISAC code

22. Completing the Manuscript • Foreword • Bumph • About the author • Proofreading (turns to pdf format) • Getting it perfect

23. Some Copy Editing Considerations House Styles and Style Guides / Manuals Curly quotes vs. inverted commas, Hyphenation, Standardization of numbers, spellings and treatment of references. N dashes vs M dashes and hyphens Font, Justification of text Style and placement for running headers Treatment of quotes, subheadings, lines around pictures

24. Preparing for the Launch • Launch: venue, • Catering, music, photography, timing, availability of copies, who will sell the books? Who to invite? • How will people be expected to pay (card reader? Bank account?) • Will there be a photographer? • Who will say and do what? (speeches)

25. Production Process: ISBN • About the book information and cover upload, • Title editor, look inside.

26. The Cover : Artwork

27. Typesetting • These days typesetters lay out the book and advised on style and format. They produce the results as a print-ready pdf. • If you want to change anything you have to go back to them.

28. The Printing Process • Instructing the printers (payment in advance) • Getting a proof • Getting it perfect and quality control issues • Transport to the distributors • Sending out frees and review copies

29. Other Formats • Creating Kindle and emobi versions, • Ebook distributors, • Uploading an ebook to Amazon Direct

30. Marketing and Publicity • Historians review book • Publicist Graham Keal to write • articles,

31. Marketing and Publicity • Postcards ordered from Moo or printing.com

32. Marketing and Publicity • Lifesize cutout • Photography by Will Tupman

33. The Launch

34. Book Signing

35. Meeting the Public

36. Matters Ongoing • Market to societies and railway shops • Continue to give talks and market, • Ongoing accounts with distributors and outlets, tax returns, website maintenance, • Collecting payments

37. Assessing the Project • Was it worth it? - Finances

40. A Note on Amazon Advantage

41. Some Issues • Dangers of distributing directly • Advantages / disadvantages of using a distributor

42. Goals Met- Book in Bookshops

43. Goals Met- Book Available Online

44. Goals Met- Public Awareness

45. Goals Met- • Community Understanding of science and technology heritage grows (as part of larger projects) • Community tradition of publishing continues

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