Courses

Can you actually self-publish a book—that is, do it all yourself? You can, but it’s not a good idea. Serious writers who successfully self-publish act more like independent filmmakers: they become creative directors of their own projects, bringing together their skills with those of other professionals to produce a work of the highest quality. In this course, we will walk through the process of self-publishing step by step, examining exactly what it takes to become creative director of your own book project. We will discuss the skills you need to publish in hardcover, softcover, and ebook formats. We will cover the kinds of editors available to you; common mistakes in working with designers; elements of a powerful cover; and the pros and cons of Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), IngramSpark, and other service companies. And we will dig into the knotty technical issues: costs, royalties, ISBN numbers, copyrights, permissions, distribution, and marketing. By the end of the course, you will have a clear roadmap for how to publish your own book.