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Checklists, cheatsheets, worksheets, and a free ebook with my reviews of publishing services you can trust.
Start your professional self-publishing journey here
I know what it's like to struggle to finish and publish your book. I know it's hard to choose the right tools, editors, distributors, and designers. Book launch? Yikes! How do you even start?
Don't worry! There are several solutions from answering a quick question for you to taking my six-week book publishing master course. (Scroll down for details.)
You may only need a quick online tutorial on purchasing ISBNs, or advice on how to set up business, or tips on how to boost your email list, or a one-time publishing "spot check" before you hit that PUBLISH button.
You may need long-term book coach, or wonder if you should spend the money with a custom or hybrid publisher.
Maybe you just need a reference to an editor or designer, a web developer, author assistant, or marketing professional.
There is no question too small. If I can prevent you from engaging a predatory self-publishing company... well, that makes my day.
In the past two decades I've helped hundreds of writers and organizations choose the right publishing path and stick with it through launch.
Carla King, Author, Editor, Book Coach, Publishing Expert
You can create a book that looks no different than traditionally-published books that readers will love, if you are aware of industry standards.
You can launch to five-star reviews.
Schedule your consult now and I'll do my best to answer your questions big or small.
Schedule a talk or explore what you'll learn in my book publishing master course.
BOOK PUBLISHING MASTER COURSE
TAKE IT LIVE OR AT YOUR OWN PACE.
LEARN EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DOING BUSINESS AS AN AUTHOR, PUBLISHING PROFESSIONALLY, AND PRODUCING YOUR BOOKS.
THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO PUBLISH PROFESSIONALLY.
THE 2023 COURSE IS AVAILABLE ON-DEMAND TO TAKE AT YOUR OWN PACE. START ANYTIME AND JOIN THE ONLINE COMMUNITY TO RUN YOUR IDEAS BY ME AND AND OTHER AUTHORS AND BUSINESS PEOPLE IN THE COURSE.
Module 1 – Prepare for success: Learn about the critical stages of book publishing and the essential competitive analysis step. This to-do list covers every possible task in your near future to produce your book successfully.
Module 2 – Your book business: Yes, you should buy your own ISBNs, register an LCCN with the PCNs, and get a CIP block for the print book. You may not know what they are yet, but this will set you apart as a professional. You'll also learn about publishing imprints, taxes, and legal matters.
Module 3 – Book cover and interior design and formatting: Black and white or color? White or creme paper? Hardcover or paperback or both? Should your ebook be designed as a reflowable book to be viewed on any device or does it need fancy formatting and a fixed-layout designer so it looks great on tablet computers?
Module 4 – Book distribution: The answer is usually IngramSpark and Amazon, but sometimes it's Draft2Digital, or if you're selling a lot of books, PublishDrive may be your solution. We'll review all the possibilities for distributing your books so it gets into all the bookstores and online stores worldwide.
Module 5 – Book launch and beyond: There are many things to be done to make sure your book launch goes smoothly. These are pre-launch production and marketing tasks. Launch day is super exciting, but it's not the end. There are many things to do after your book is published.
Module 6 – Products, tools, services, and your team: This is a lot to do. In this final lesson, you'll learn how to streamline your processes with tools especially made for the job, and most of all, you'll be able to figure out what you want to do yourself and what you can hire out.
You want a safe and easy publishing solution
It's easy to self-publish... if you know how! Checklists and worksheets help you with each step. From finishing your manuscript to finalizing your launch plan, it's a proven process.
You don't want to look self-published
There's no reason your book needs to look self-published. Publish to professional standards and compete with books from the Big 5 publishing houses. It's easier than you think!
You need help on your publishing journey
Instruction, motivation, accountability. Whether you're starting out or starting over, success is within reach. Get unstuck and manifest your dream of offering your book to the world.
Guides to help you organize
There are a lot of steps but easy-to-follow checklists and cheatsheets help!
Step-by-step 'til it's done
There are a lot of steps but there's a roadmap.
The introduction to technologies, a plan of attack, and discussion of alternatives, I expected. But Carla's consultations in the Facebook group, in the lesson-page comments, and in group sessions, are nothing short of amazing. They are an unexpected bonus, and they dwarf the cost of the Five-Star Book Launch Masterclass small group course. She consistently gives me simple, easy-to-implement ideas I would never have thought of on my own.
Eric Armstrong
Author, Subtle Energy Yoga Series, Volume 1: Bench Yoga: For Easier Yoga and Enhanced Meditation
If you're serious about creating an author business then this is a must. Carla has broken the courses down into bite-size, manageable pieces that even the busiest person can find the time to work through and never lose focus. Her friendly nature and responsiveness to questions is a bonus you'll not find everywhere. She truly cares about our success.
A. M. Bochnak
Author, Fortitude Rising
The course is full of good advice, practical tips, and includes tons of resource material, all presented in a manner that is easy to follow and use. Carla's infectious, bright personality and generous willingness to help others work their way through the jungle of self-publishing is evident throughout the courses. It was her first book and her enthusiasm that encouraged me to successfully publish four books.
Tamara Merrill
Author, The Augustus Family Trilogy
Carla has always been one of the most generous and supportive mentors in the community. I'm always blown away by how much useful, real world information she provides. I self-published two books based almost solely on her incredibly helpful step-by-step Self-Publishing Boot Camp Guide for Independent Authors. She gave me the tools and confidence I needed to make my dream a reality.
Michelle Lamphere
Author, The Butterfly Route
After spending months researching the self-publishing process, and spending thousands of dollars, there were still so many unknowns and I needed help. I reached out to Carla with for an initial consultation. She went well over the allotted amount of time and answered all my questions and guided me in a new direction. It's not just her expertise in the industry, she is genuinely rooting for you and your success, and she reinvigorated me and boosted my confidence. Her recommendations on whom to work with, regarding the services I needed were brilliant. I am beyond thrilled! I would highly recommend Carla's services to any authors who are self-publishing regardless of what stage you may be in with the process. Her guidance has been invaluable. I wish I'd known about her and her services before I started this crazy journey.
After a mediocre experience with an established publisher for my first book, I considered another book project to be unlikely. Carla's advice has been the most critical step along my road to self-publishing. Her many years of experience in the field is continually updated, a critical element in a quickly changing world. Without her help and guidance on self-publishing, I doubt my most recent two books would have been written.
Norm DeWitt
Author, Making It Faster
Kathy Tong
Author, Not-Quite-Supermodel
What are you waiting for?
Most authors wait years to fulfill their dreams. Now that self-publishing doesn't carry the stigma it used to, many authors are realizing those dreams. Join them.