10 Secrets to a Bestseller: An Author's Guide to Self Publishing

by Tim McConnehey, Paul B. Skousen (Foreword)

***Featured in Forbes, The Star (Canada's Most Popular Newspaper), Fox New Radio and many other national outlets Calling all writers! 10 Secrets to a Bestseller is the self-publishing guide you’ve been looking for. Whether you’ve dreamed of writing the Great American Novel, have a series of techno-thrillers in your drawer, or are drafting a self-help fitness book, you know in your heart of hearts that you’re a writer. You know it because you have always felt the drive to write; because you’re constantly coming up with new ideas; because you have something to say to the world . . . The only problem is getting the world to listen. That’s where 10 Secrets to a An Author’s Guide to Self-Publishing comes in. Thoughtfully crafted by Tim McConnehey, the creative force behind numerous award-winning and bestselling books, this in-depth, approachable guide will help you navigate the complex world of self-publishing, from crucial steps like researching your market and designing a great cover, to challenges like finding the right editor. In the past, authors were limited to a fine chemistry between themselves, an agent, and a publisher, and the selling process became increasingly focused on the commercially viable (as defined by the editor, marketing . . . everyone but the reader). Now, a diversity of self-publishing options has opened up a whole new world to aspiring authors where they can reach their readers directly—but a world so diverse it can be bewildering. McConnehey helps you make sense of the process involved in bringing your book to market. Looking at real-world success stories from his self-publishing company, Izzard Ink, you’ll learn the added value of professional design, what should be on your pre-publishing checklist, why proofreading is an essential (though often overlooked) step, how to market and distribute your book in ways proven to maximize your sales, and much more. Whether you’re just beginning to outline your first memoir or you’re well into your fifth novel, 10 Secrets to a Bestseller will help you get your work into the hands of readers and take your writing career to the next level.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

188 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2017

About the author

As a multifaceted publishing visionary, Tim McConnehey specializes in the publishing of books and eBooks through his company, Izzard Ink Publishing. And when he says multifaceted, he means it! Tim directs eight teams covering every facet of publishing: finance, distribution, marketing, website development, art, public relations, cover and interior design, audiobook production, editing, and copyright. A solid leader, McConnehey has an outstanding record of growing market share, by continuously energizing and positively influencing team members to deliver solutions that not only improve productivity but deliver bottom-line results. Through his background in corporate training, business management, and business development, Tim acquired extensive experience in client service. And as someone who is never satisfied with doing things the way they have always been done, he came up with the idea of creating Izzard Ink Publishing after reading an article about eBooks in The Wall Street Journal. Izzard Ink Publishing has now grown from that initial idea to a business that has sold over 300,000 books and has a client list that has sold over 45 million books - all accomplished by delivering exceptional personalized client service and working with the best people in publishing. Through McConnehey's promotion and marketing of their books, Izzard's authors have been featured on Fox News, C-Span's Book TV, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other publications throughout the country. McConnehey has a Bachelor of Arts in International Business, from Westminster College in Salt Lake City, and lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with his wife Wendy and their four children. When he does get the chance to get away, he loves to restore old cars and motorcycles.

Reviews

[Michelle Deerwester-Dalrymple · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of this info is free online

Some of the info seemed dated. Didn't address kindle unlimited at all. And much of it was a promo for their publishing company

[Bonnie Dale Keck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not kindle unlimited, and won't be {it's not out yet in any format at all, but will be soon}. I have an ARC which is an early release to read and hopefully get review, all my own opinions etc, which means no reviewers spend their time and energy and internet when ebook but do get a free book. Because of various 'issues' {detailed below, in some detail} this really was more of a 3 1/2 but since neither goodreads nor amazon has half stars to their ratings went with 4.

This book was actually sent to me as an epub/mobi {both formats}. The format read it on is eupub so do keep that in mind if anything is mentioned about the formatting because that would more than likely be this chromebook with the eupub. It was an interesting book, BUT {yes, because not 5 star} even with some interesting points and tips and all, it did seem to get off topic here and there, and the {possible} formatting issues wouldn't overall be an issue anyway because I had the chrombook voice read it to me, which is just as well because some or most issues were caused by reading it in epub. {The later mention about epub3 and how it 'adjusts' to various reading materials and devices definitely is more than a bit off the mark; ASSUME since they kept talking about epub3 that it was done with that, but my chromebook 15, brand new so pretty up to date won't read it wihout the pictures and other things being all messed up, and and did take the time to stop and see if adjusting different settings would help, but it didn't, and the app for my android tablet that reads epub had the same issues.

The purpose of this book was supposed to be for directing would be writers where and how to publish and in which ways and markets, navigating self publishing in various ways/steps. There is mention of Izzard Ink {a bit too much as it started to come off as an infomercial after a while}, but does talk about different things that many have probably not thought through when thinking about publishing. The book doesn't seem to mention ARCs {Advance Reader Copy} or even the sometimes but rarer use of Beta readers {which are readers looking for unclear parts, typos and such in some to most cases, flow of the book, plot holes, etc}. The issue with keeping the page count down for a book would be saving money, BUT the issue with keeping the page count down for an amazon digital book {kindle unlimited} book would be losing money, as amazon pays something such as 30% of total book sell price {the price if it is sold outright} and about 70% of the same for more expensive {priced higher} books, so that is something that was not taken in to account, even though it is probably not a huge amount of self published books that do the ku {just guessing, don't know for sure, but do interact with quite a few that I know self publish and ARE on ku}. Picture books or heavily illustrated books {children's books and so on usually} on kindle through amazon are another matter, as the larger {page count and therefore illustations} or something such as fractals {shapes, but point being basically a large book of pictures} is going to have limits to what they will publish or can publish in ebook format. Doesn't sound as if ebook format was thought about regarding covers, just the physical copies.

Bit confusing in that some places say don't use relatives or friends or other non-professionals, yet "Fifth, send out your back-cover text to friends, family, peer reviewers and experts on the subject matter of your book. Ask for feedback and incorporate it as best as you can. Two to three good quotes is a great help to new authors." Really not sure at all what this is even talking about. When it talks about consistency in heading and all, it goes on to talk about if each chapter starts a new page {on?}, or a new right hand page{but what if the reader is set up to read one page at time not 2 as if it was a book}, but the issue with that is that other parts talk about watching the page count, which isn't mentioned at all here. Not sure what is meant when talking about if chapters have sections how will they be shown, but for capitalizing the first line or part of the first line of a chapter, my personal preference on that is, unless it is a fairy tale or one of those very styilized books, DON'T, it's confusing and it looks weird, and it all is usually also done in a different font or 'bold', when they other parts of this book said to keep the font and all standardized. And, again, the ebooks or all types are being ignored because talking about font size on ereaders and the like has no meaning when most allow for not only 'enlarge' and 'decrease' font size, but many allow 'read in my font/size', etcetera, plus more and more people are using audio books these days and/or have vision issues {I do} and their computer, reader, tablet, or other device vocally reads to them. {Note that not all readers are good at reading certain type fonts, either.}

When talking about numbering pages, even though some has been said about ebook layouts, it is ignoring that while even ebooks must have numbered pages, that the 'left' or 'right' of an ebook is a tchnically impossible question,as most auto set to read left and right on the same page, with a line between them to indicate that. There is a difference between the length of a line and the width, which is confusing here because in any book {paper or ebook} it sounds as if the width of the line {spacing, inbetween} is being talked about, when it's not. Some of the examples {pictured in the this book} could not figure out the supposed issue from looking at the picture in the book. As an ex-computer tech, even epub 3 {which came out about 2011} still had updates as recent as 2014 maybe even 2017 {this year} but that doesn't mean that all electronics can read epub/epub3 and/or auto-adjust the formatting, as I have already mentioned that the chromebook I am currently on is reading the document in epub of some sort, and has NOT {yet} been customized for font size or page size nor anything else, and the larger pictures are partly on one page and partly on another, so who knows what it would do on a smaller screen {as mine is a acer 15 so the screen is 15} such as a smart phone or tablet or ereader of various types, not even to go in to the issues with DRM and/or propriatary Apple products among others.

Just because it's available doesn't mean it is 'available' on specific machines and/or widely {and this is a NEW very recent machine so definitely up to date}. However, also note that this is not readium epub reader used on a pc so not chrome or firefox issue, this is chromebook with readium. *additional fee, no idea what this was in reference to, seemed to a footnote type thing, but in reference to what, no idea.Finding it very annoying that after going through several different areas talking about standardized font and the importance of sizes/changes in heading and whatever else, that this book keeps putting up subheadings and parts in italics or other ways that makes it harder to read. The car story...off topic, unnecessary, and evidently to point out the not so obvious to some, it was admited that it was dangerous to have the kid 'driving' but it was a lifetime memory, which could have been the last memory/end of a lifetime so really bad example. In the glossary, it said: copyright.Exclusive legal right to use content. Copyright is automatically given to the creator of content to print, publish, perform, film or record the work, and to authorize or license others to similarly use the work. HOWEVER, even though it slightly touched on copyright protection/getting it registered as copyrighted, it didn't detail the fact that without proof of copyright and having it registered as such that one could end up being 'legally' infringed upon with no restitition. My blog posts are 'copyrighted' as are the poems or whatever that was put on there, and while I could use those posts {as proof of date of posting} that would not necessarily protect me unless I have registered those with the copyright office, necessitating a full blown lawsuit.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't Bother. It's Just Trying To Sell You Their Services

This book is basically advertising Izzard's publishing services, and I'm mad that I wasted my time with it. It's not something that should be masquerading as a real self publishing guide, as so much of it is buy services from us!

What a ripoff. There is little of value here, as most of it feels like a sales pitch. DO NOT RECOMMEND.

[Eliza Stopps · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been self publishing since 2017, but I like to get different perspectives on methods for marketing and publishing from a variety of sources. I like to stay well informed on the topic overall and this was not the book for that purpose. This book contains very basic, entry-level information that a quick review of Amazon's KDP Dashboard info pages could give you.
So, would I recommend this book for a new writer that is ready to self-publish for the first time? No. That is who this book was written for, but not for the purpose of helping you hit "PUBLISH." This book was written in a way that presents information that is sometimes grossly overexaggerated (such as publishing will cost you thousands!) I think the intent here to overwhelm authors so that they feel that doing it themselves is too stressful, too expensive, and that they are better off hiring the service mentioned in this book to just take care of things for them.
Yes, this book is almost entirely an advertisement for Izzard Ink Publishing services. This is a self-publishing service that is essentially a vanity publisher that helps connect self-pub authors with editors, cover designers, and formatters. In return, the company charges them a pretty penny.
For the purpose of working as an extended ad for Izzard Ink, this book is fantastic! Their marketing method absolutely works because I read the book and the other disappointed reviewers did too. They somehow managed to get the book into the hands of plenty of readers, so maybe they do know a thing or two about marketing. But if you are looking for a good resource or an entryway into publishing, you can find much better books on the topic out there. Save the money and prevent the inevitable eye roll when you read "At Izzard Ink we help authors..." for the 20th time.

[Riski Oktavian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interested to reading this book for what other reasons other than the cover, which is quite simple but eye-catching. And don't miss the title of this book is also quite interesting for me personally.

I don't really have any plans to write a book yet, but I'm sure that over time the "wanting to make something" feeling will emerge. In this context, printed papers or books.

Reading this book made me understand a little about life or the intricacies of the publishing world. Moreover, the author of this book is also a part of an indie publisher. And I'm quite amazed at how the publishing process went well from the writing process to the display process at the bookstore.

I also like the author's description here, which even for a layman like me can still understand the contents of this book. And the steps taught here in my opinion are quite realistic and the publishers mentioned here are enough to make me feel "comfortable" even though I didn't know about their others published books before.

Some of the theories are quite interesting to put into practice and to be honest after reading this I want to write something (which is definitely meaningless) hahaha. Because so far the experience of writing is only on blogs and even then for book reviews.

Maybe this book is suitable to read for those of you who really want to publish a book with steps that are not burdensome but can create a slick product.

[Dale Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Okay Book About Self-Publishing

The author really needs to change the title to say “Izzard Ink Publishing presents.” Chock full of practical advice and tips for newbies, the info is kind of soiled by the biased recommendations to use Izzard Ink’s services.

If they pull back a little on their hard sales, this could be a better book. Otherwise, it’s one long pitch to buy their services.

Note to indie authors: you do NOT need to buy their services to launch a professional book. With tons of options out there, Izzard Ink is merely one of millions of service providers.

And never pay $2000 for a cover. Ever. That’s just insanity. That price point is good for a trad pub company with deep pockets and a desire to blow money needlessly. In fact, if you’re paying more than $1000, you’re overpaying. The cover designer isn’t creating diamonds or dipping your cover design in gold.

Also, this book could use a better developmental edit because there are two sections where the author shared a story, but didn’t really explain what the point was or what could be learned from it.

This book is middle of the road and an easy read. Just proceed with caution and take everything with a grain of salt, especially if the advice leads to, “Good news! You can buy services like that from us.”

[Barbara Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

McConnehey provides all the essentials for the budding author. He writes in an easy-to-follow style that is more readable than most how-to books.

The author states exactly what he will be covering at the beginning of the book.

Can you turn your great idea into a book?
What are the steps you need to take, and in what order?
How do you complete your book?
What resources do you need: a cover designer? Editor? Fact checker?
How do you distribute your book, and how do you make sure people know it’s out there?
How much should you sell it for?

He also suggests using his company, Izzard Ink, as a hybrid publisher for those who find the process too arduous a task to tackle alone.

I would have found this book extremely useful at the outset of my writing journey and would recommend it as a good tool for the new writer.

[Lance McNeill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Half book, half sales pitch

I cannot day I didn’t have a few good takeaways from this read, but it came off as way too salesy- he’s trying to sell you on his services for self-publishers. More stories of how you’ve helped people and less sales pitch would have gotten this book a 3 or 4 star rating, in my opinion.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up at my local library on a whim because I am interested in the book publishing industry. A good overview, but it was too much a piece of marketing for the author's company.

[Santiago Mansilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful tips for someone who is planning to write his first book.

Short and simple.

[Dalene Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Want to write a book? This book offers some great tips to get you moving. I learned a lot from this book and so will you!