Most people who write don’t enjoy the business aspect of their work. I know that’s true for me. Unfortunately, once a book is done, it’s simply a journal until it finds an audience. Carole P. Roman’s “Navigating Indieworld: A Beginner’s Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing Your Paperback” is designed to help writers find that audience.
This book is not a quick read, and if you do read it quickly you’re cheating yourself. I began one afternoon and eagerly went through the pages until I had to stop from sheer exhaustion. There is so much to absorb.
Ms. Roman addresses her book to two kinds of authors: those who are willing to invest money upfront and those who are operating on a shoe-string budget. It seems that the greater reward comes with greater investment, but of course there is also the risk of investing and getting little in return. That’s a calculus each author has to make.
There is an operating principle in Ms. Roman’s recommendations and she readily applies it to herself: “What can I say? I have no shame,” she declares. If you are a newbie author, and self-published, your book is not likely to find its way into readers’ hands unless you’re willing to shamelessly and relentlessly present it to them. Ms. Roman tells us how to do that. She cites names and resources, but the bottom line is, the author has to be willing to do the work.
I fully believe that if writers follow the recommendations put forth in “Navigating Indieworld”, their books will sell. Of course, it all starts with the book, and that is where Ms. Roman begins her recommendations. Before promoting a book, make sure it’s worthwhile. Only trust friends and family to critique your work if they are both savvy and willing to be brutal. And be prepared to take a machete to your art, if necessary, to bring it up to snuff.
Once you’ve got a product worthy of promotion, then go through Ms. Roman’s suggestions. Look up her books on Amazon, if you doubt the reliability of her system. She has managed to publish a successful series of entertaining and educational books. More than this review, use that record as proof that she has mastered both the craft of book writing, and skill of book promotion.
Rhythm Prism Publishing 