Dollars and Sense: The Definitive Guide to Self-Publishing Success

by Carolyn McCray

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Acclaim for Dollars & Sense :

"An incredible resource for all authors, Indie or not! ...The concepts covered in Dollars & Sense have helped me to sell over 5000 eBooks in under six months. Read it, study it, use it."
-Ann Charles,
Award-winning author
Nearly Departed in Deadwood and Optical Delusions in Deadwood

"Wow! Dollars & Sense , the IBC's new how-to book marketing book, is a straight-talking, straight-shooting MUST-READ for ALL authors - indie or traditionally published - who want their books to rise above the noise."
- Terri Giuliano Long,
Award-winning author
In Leah's Wake

Overview :
Dollars & The Definitive Guide to Self-publishing Success is a step-by-step actionable road map to increasing royalties for beginners and seasoned professionals alike. Divided into three sections; Producing a Sales-Friendly, Professional eBook, Establishing & Leveraging Your Social Media Platform, and Selling Smarter, Not Harder, Dollars & Sense walks authors through the process of creating then actually selling their eBook.

More Praise for Dollars & Sense :

"Brilliantly written. A book every indie author needs to reach full potential and take the publishing industry by storm."
-Kelli McCracken,
ParaYourNormal.com

"I have found many separate guides out there for writing, publishing, and marketing books in the modern age but never before have I found such a comprehensive resource in one, concise work. Dollars & Sense is now my author/publisher/marketer bible."
-Jeremy Rodden,
Smashwords Bestselling author
Toonopolis

Dollars & Sense answers such questions as...
- "Do I really need an eBook? (and if I do, how in the heck do I create one?)
- "Does social media REALLY sell books?" (i.e. is social media a waste of my time?)
- "How can I cut through the noise and make my book stand out and sell?"

Any author (traditionally published or indie, first time published or multi-titled) will learn so many proven sales techniques from this guide. All recommendations are given with specific, actionable, and fully explained steps to accomplish every author's end goal... selling more books.

So no matter where you are in your writing career, Dollars & The Definitive Guide to Self-publishing Success is for anyone who wants to dramatically increase their royalties!

And priced under 5 bucks, the guide is a bargain to boot! You would need to sell just 5-10 more of your books based on its advice to have it pay for itself!

More
"I may have published at the end of January 2011, but I wish I had a copy of this the September before."
-Brandy Hunt
Author, Promise Kept

" Dollars & Sense is hands down the most helpful book I've read on Indie publishing and marketing."
-Jackie Chanel
Author, Untitled*

"This book is set to be a book that any and all self-publisher author should read, and a book that any and all traditionally published author must.

Genres: Nonfiction, Writing, Contemporary

410 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 24, 2011

About the author

This is a pen name of Goodreads author Cristyn West.

Reviews

[Jennifer Provost · Rating 5 out of 5]

My overriding thought while reading this is: Where was this book when I self-published two years ago?
Oh, right. It didn’t exist.
As a result of its non-existence, I was left to wander the vast publishing landscape on my own, making countless blunders along the way. That won’t happen again, not thanks to this handy guidebook.
You see, not only do they tell you the obvious (but often overlooked) facts of publishing, such as the need for a beta reader and eye catching cover art, not to mention editing, but they tell you what to do after you publish your work. You know, after—that nebulous time when your work goes live and you’re discovered by the masses and get to roll around in your money like the creepy producer in Boogie Nights.
The book is divided into three parts: Producing a Professional Product, Creating a Social Media Platform, and Selling Books.
The first section details the different kinds of editing, what they are and why you need both copy and content editing. What’s frequently stressed is that self-publishers are judged more harshly than traditionally published authors, so we have to be as good or better. Also, the reader is frequently encouraged to strive for a product that is comparable to a mid-list or (gasp) bestselling author.
The following section discusses the various intricacies of social media; Twitter, Facebook, GoodReads and the like. Retweets are demystified, as are Facebook fan pages. Not only are we provided with explanations about how social media platforms work, we’re given a strategy that will increase anyone’s online presence.
The third section explains how to get sales. Instead of the authors in the days of yore, you are empowered to create your own sales and marketing plan. Did your plan not work? Change it, it’s okay. This book will help you test out anything from your cover to your brand, all the while helping you tweak it to perfection.
After reading Dollars and Sense, I feel like I’m not a lone self-published author. I feel like these girls have my back, they’re my peeps, and (to paraphrase the book) they’re my tribe.
Some people do get stumbled upon and become best sellers. I’ve no idea who, but it must have happened at least once. Luckily, the rest of us have Dollars and Sense.

[Melissa Storm]

This is definitely a very comprehensive overview of producing and marketing a book via social media. I learned some valuable info regarding AdWords campaigns (something I just haven't been able to figure out on my own). It read like one giant blog post, which I think some readers will really identify with and enjoy.

That being said, I would have really REALLY appreciated a working table of contents. I had to manually click through the sections that weren't applicable to me to get to the good stuff.

NOTE: I'm a book marketer by profession, so I'm not the intended target audience (which would be authors just starting out and needing a sweeping course of the industry).

PS. I think Carolyn should write a book JUST on PPC advertising. I'd give that book 5-million stars. I love other method dweebs and devoured the section of the book, which was supposed to be geeky and boring - it was the absolute best part!

[Arshad Ahsanuddin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was offered the chance to review an advance copy of this new book by Indie Book Collective (@IndieBookIBC) founders Carolyn McCray (@CraftyCMC), Rachel Thompson (@RachelintheOC) and Amber Scott (@AmberScottbooks). It purports to be a “Definitive Guide to Self-publishing Success” with a detailed roadmap to increased success in independent publishing. Based on my limited experience in the Indie Publishing realm, it definitely delivers. What does it have that other books lack? Style, topicality, and technique.

Style in that it codifies an approach to identifying the keywords and imagery to be reinforced by your engagement with social media in order to create a recognizable brand. Topicality for its focus on the current functionality in social media, especially in regards to building an author platform across multiple online venues such as Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. Technique for its detailed and practical treatment of creating and optimizing your Amazon.com page, the major outlet for ebook sales, as well as steps to take to increase your exposure and engagement with your potential customers to yield better sales, including discussions of specific options in paid advertising. It was a lot of information to take in, but what makes the book extraordinary is the fact that it could only have been created in an ebook format. The world of digital publishing is a swiftly moving target, and it takes skill and familiarity to nail it down as these three ladies have done while disseminating their findings quickly enough for them to remain relevant. I recommend this book without reservation to those considering a foray into independent publishing, at least if they have any intention of making any money at it.

[Brandy Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may have published Promise Kept at the end of January 2011, but I wish I had a copy of this book the September before. Really, this book is full of not just good advice, but proven advice from women who have blazed the trail and want to share their experience.

Each section rocked my world! I’m already in the middle of a huge edit of Promise Kept and getting professional cover art, but I had no idea what branding is, or how to use Twitter in other way than to kind of talk to people. And ad campaigns? I did not even know where to begin. Now, well, maybe eventually.

So, I’m going to go and get a ”real” copy (the ARC is nice, but kind of hard on the eyes) and sit down with a notebook and pencil. Because one look through is not enough to learn everything, and this time I’m going to take notes.

[Augusto Pinaud · Rating 5 out of 5]

I published my first book in 2011. If i would had have access to Dollars & Sense, I will had made so far more Dollars, but all the process would had made more sense. I love that I self-publish my book, but there is so much information, and so much contradictory information out there. Rachel, Amber and Carolyn shows why they lead on this area. The book is clear to understand, easy to digest, and the content is incredible. The only thing you wish if read faster and begin applying all the knowledge. This book is set to be a book that any and all self-publisher author should read, and a book that any and all traditionally published author must.

[Katherine Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read a number of books on self-publishing. "Dollars & Sense" covers the gambit from getting ready for publication with your finished manuscript and book cover to preparing your social media brand to the marketing and promotion of your book(s). It's well worth it to take the time to read and study this guide. Although I have three novels out, I'm now revamping my efforts based upon the wisdom shared in this book. These three dynamic women writers all write in different genres from fiction to non-fiction, but they have it going on and their five-star individual successes are proof of those achievements.

Katherine Owen
Award-winning author of
"Seeing Julia"

[Amy Keeley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book after reading an article by one of the authors. I ended up giving it three stars because of the useful information about cross-promotion, beta-reviewers, and the timeline they include toward the end.

However, I think they're updating it. Not sure. I was going to put my review on Amazon but the book is gone (as of October 17, 2012).

I can see why they would. If you bought a copy and haven't looked at it yet, I can tell you that some of it is very good information, some of it is outdated, and some of it made me raise an eyebrow.

(BTW, these are highlights, not an inclusive list.)

Good Information

* Cross-promotion: find someone in your genre who would be willing to help promote you in return for the same. This shows itself mostly in the "virtual backlist", a very interesting idea for those who only have one or two books.

* Beta-reviewers: Ask people to review your book in exchange for a free copy (also known as an ARC). On the day of the launch, they post their reviews, add stars, make the page look pretty (or awful since you're asking for honest reviews here and if it's not any good...).

* The Publishing Timeline: It's simple enough that you can ignore whatever doesn't fit without skipping long sections. And really, there's very little that didn't apply to me. It coordinates editing, cover, formatting, and marketing into a nice little package that's divided into weeks. This was my favorite part, and I've been using it on my upcoming, soon-to-be-self-published novel.

* Though I've found sources that do a better job of explaining the concepts, what they have to say about branding is actually pretty good. Realize who you are, who your readers are, the color scheme you want to use, the designs, etc. and make sure those core images/associations/principles stay consistent.

Outdated:

* Anything to do with Amazon's algorithms: They've changed often enough that I feel it's pretty safe to ignore that information. I've even heard rumors that price is part of it now (the cheaper stuff is pushed to the back). Is that true? Who knows.

* Social media has become iffy: Don't get me wrong. I like Twitter. I like blogging. I like reading blogs and connecting, but it's not what it once was. Facebook, for example, is not something I would recommend anymore, now that you have to pay a fee for people to see the posts on your page (this is different from a profile, btw). Thankfully, they approach social media from the viewpoint of gaining friends who will then share their opinions with you. Very good if you're about to screw up.

* The $0.99 price point: With all due respect, I'm far more likely now to take a look at a self-published book that's more than $1 because of the enormous wasteland that's been created by such a low price point. Anything from $1.99 to $2.99 makes me think the author has actually spent some effort on this. Heck, I'll even take a look at a sample for a $3.99 to $5.99 self-published book if the description is good enough. (I know that sounds snobbish coming from a self-published author but it's true). $0.99 books, unless they're a short story, usually sit on my Kindle unread.

Iffy:

* Book descriptions: I don't agree with their idea of book descriptions. Yes, they need to be catchy. But the examples they use are not the kind that would ever make me want to buy a book. I like the traditional way because it actually tells me something about the plot. Between that and a sample, I get a very good idea of whether I'd want to buy it or not.

* Gaining Twitter followers: 25-50 follows a day is nerve-racking for me. I like to know who I'm following and if we could connect. I don't have time to check out more than one or two a day, if that.

* The enormous reliance on editing according to beta-readers: It smacked too much of Writing By Committee, a terrible way to write. I wish they had spent more time talking about when to listen to beta-readers and when to listen to your internal voice. It's something you learn NOT through publishing, but through writer's groups, far from anything that might put your words in front of the public. If you keep sending out a manuscript until people stop mentioning problems with the structure...well, there will always be someone who didn't like the way a particular scene flows. Sometimes it's a structural issue, and sometimes it's something subjective.

My advice? Don't use beta-readers until you've either a) spent some time in a writer's group having more than one story hacked to death or b) you've had the equivalent rip up your work. Kindly, of course.

In fact, don't even worry about beta-readers. Look for a writing group whose members produce the kind of writing you want to create.

One final thing: a lot of the internal links in this ebook didn't work.

Overall, this is an okay book. Hopefully, it's disappeared because it needs updating. I'd be interested in taking a look if that's the case.

[Jeremy Rodden · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an indie author, I was terrified about how to wade into the waters of publishing and marketing when I had no background in either. I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced copy of Dollars & Sense from the authors right around the launch of my first book. With some of the tools I learned from these wonderful women, I was able to launch my debut novel and reach #1 in Fantasy on Smashwords within a few days of release.

The best thing I can say about this book is that it is highly accessible (the glossary of terminology in the back is awesome!). Even as a writer with zero background in marketing--especially in the terrifying realm of social networking--I was very easily able to implement their suggestions and strategies without having to spend ten hours per day sloshing through on my own. As a direct result of their teachings, I saw my blog hits increase, my Twitter followers skyrocket, and my Klout score vastly improve.

Most importantly, I have seen sales of my book increase every time I tried a new technique or strategy. I understand the concept of Return on Investment and have been able to shift my energies into strategies that are provably working instead of sinking time into fruitless efforts.

I am currently writing my second book and have already seen mistakes that I made during the writing and publishing of the first one that cost me a lot of time and energy that I won't get back. I have found many separate guides out there for writing, publishing, and marketing books in the modern age but never before have I found such a comprehensive resource in one, concise work. Dollars & Sense is now my author/publisher/marketer bible.

[Abbey Macinnis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down. It's filled with so many helpful tips and tricks that any author regardless of which path in publishing they take can benefit from the information and incite the authors have so generously shared. This is one book I'll refer to again and again. It's not a book you can simply read once to fully appreciate all the material provided.
This is my own personal go-to guide that I'll be able to use for my entire writing career. No matter where you are in your career, there's something here for everyone. From writing and publishing independently, to recognizing and building your author brand. From effectively using social media to build your author platform to effective marketing strategies for promoting yourself and your brand, Dollars and Sense holds your hand through it all.

Dollars & Sense: The Definitive Guide to Self-publishing Success

[The Pen & Muse]

If you are looking for a great book on self-publishing, look to these amazing ladies with Dollars & Sense, a guide to self-publishing success! Each author provides inside information to how to self publish your book, how to use social media to also market it. Even if you don’t plan to market at the moment, it’s an important book to have as these ladies have what it takes and have been doing it so well. So if your into learning how to self publish, market using facebook, twitter and the like, get this book! You will not regret it. It’s a treasure trove of knowledge and information.

[K.M. Weiland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books is absolutely chock full of sound marketing sense. I picked up new tidbits from every section (even the one on social media, which I thought I had pretty well licked up). It suffers a bit from repetition, due to its shared authorship, and it would benefit from a thorough proofreading. But, in light of the truckload of wisdom shared in its pages, this is a small complaint.

It appears the book has been removed from sale since I purchased it last year, which is a crying shame, since it's something authors of every stripe would find useful.

[Pauline Harding · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found info from this book helpful especially the sections on critique partners and beta readers as well as editing. Thanking the reviewers publicly on your social sites just hadn't occurred to me. The downside is that it was written a long while ago and some links are now dead.

[Aileen Harkwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good information for self-pubbed authors, though not all of it will be useful for every author. A book to pick and choose from to help you to get your book ready for publication. Especially appreciated the suggestions on asking for beta readers.

[Lili · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent advice. 'Nough said.

[Mari Stroud · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know if I'm going to follow all of its advice, but it's altogether a great reference tool for anyone looking to indie publish.

[Eliza · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was chock full of great info. I know I'm going to have to read it again and again.

[Shereen Rayle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has some really good information on self-publishing and marketing, however it is full of typos, which makes me wonder if they took their own advice and hired a copyeditor.

[Babs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stay tuned for my review tomorrow during Menage a Blog tour.