Navigating Indieworld: A Beginner’s Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing Your Book in Navigating Indieworld Discussing All Things Indie

Sep 06, 2016 Sarah rated it it was amazing

Wow! Just wow!!!

Okay, more than just wow. I'm just so happy that a fellow indie published a book with so many different resources. I always say, don't reinvent the wheel and with this book, you don't have to. This book is full of resources. Everything an indie will need from editing advice to cover design resources to ways to get reviews. This is your one-stop-shopping for everything you need to know. Not only is this book well written and by two experts in the field, but it's fun, snappy and ea ...more

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Oct 20, 2016 Marie Silk rated it it was amazing

Entering the world of self-publishing can be overwhelming, but this guide is a great place to start. It condenses the information that took me several months of internet searches to find myself. I began reading this book after already having six published books of my own, yet I found useful information on steps I might have skipped over, such as editorial reviews and press releases. There are real life examples from the authors' own experiences and a directory in the back for resources mentioned ...more

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Jan 26, 2017 Jennifer S. Alderson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-fiction, writing

Navigating Indieworld is an excellent introduction to writing, publishing and marketing your book.

The first chapters are about developing your idea into a story, before moving on to detailed instructions on formatting, editing, proofreading, and publishing through traditional publishing houses, hybrid, and print-on-demand. Towards the end of the book both author Carole Roman and her marketing partner Julie Gerber, discuss the most used social media apps, explain the types of users you can expect Navigating Indieworld is an excellent introduction to writing, publishing and marketing your book.

The first chapters are about developing your idea into a story, before moving on to detailed instructions on formatting, editing, proofreading, and publishing through traditional publishing houses, hybrid, and print-on-demand. Towards the end of the book both author Carole Roman and her marketing partner Julie Gerber, discuss the most used social media apps, explain the types of users you can expect to find on each and give concrete examples of how you can use these platforms to target and interest your audience.

What sets this book apart are the extremely honest insights the author shares about her own experiences gained while publishing and marketing her many books and those of her sons’, including details about what did and did not work.

These personal anecdotes and specific examples make it easy to relate to and add a sense of authenticity. Some books about publishing and marketing I’ve read leave me wondering if the person has ever formatted a manuscript before or actually tried to market a book.

With this one, you know the marketing advice and publicity tips you’re reading are from someone who’s actually tried them out. The author doesn’t only include those ads or events which worked, but also shares her failures and explains why she thinks a certain giveaway or advertisement didn’t work, allowing the reader to decide if it’s worth it for them to try out.

Her advanced marketing tips are superb. These are not the standard checklists I see in pretty much every book on this subject, but show she’s taken the time to think up creative, ‘out of the box’ ways to reach and engage with new readers. Most I wouldn’t have thought of or dared to try. While reading the last few chapters of this book, I had a notebook out and made a ‘to-do’ list based on her advice and suggestions.

I’d recently become disenchanted by all of the fairly standard paid promotional opportunities out there, and found it difficult to decide where – if anywhere – I should put my time and money. Reading this book has re energized me to try new things, take chances and have fun with it, instead of seeing marketing as a necessary evil. That’s exactly what I needed! ...more

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Mar 18, 2017 Laura Berlin rated it it was amazing

Carole P. Roman and Julie A. Gerber have created a wonderful resource for the Indie Author. I bought the kindle version of this book but would like to own the paperback. Perfect to keep in your arsenal of business aid.

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Sep 02, 2016 Carole P. Roman added it · (Review from the author)

Very proud of our Five Stars from the Foreword Review. Here's what Barry Silverstein had to say about Navigating Indieworld.

"Navigating Indieworld is comprehensive without being too densely packed with information. As a result, the would-be self-publisher should be able to quickly obtain a solid overview of all of the moving pieces and then decide which they feel comfortable executing independently. The book is not preachy; rather than present one way to do things, the authors offer a range of ...more

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Sep 06, 2016 Grady rated it it was amazing

‘A best-seller for one of us is a victory for all of Indiekind.’

Carole P. Roman writes a lot, wins a lot, and sells a lot of her well-known books. Julie A. Gerber is an expert in utilization of the social media. Together these two leading ladies have organized a guide for beginners (is anyone these days ever anything BUT a beginner, with all the daily changes in writing/publishing/fining readers?) that details everything we need to know from the start of a book to assuring the book is readable ‘A best-seller for one of us is a victory for all of Indiekind.’

Carole P. Roman writes a lot, wins a lot, and sells a lot of her well-known books. Julie A. Gerber is an expert in utilization of the social media. Together these two leading ladies have organized a guide for beginners (is anyone these days ever anything BUT a beginner, with all the daily changes in writing/publishing/fining readers?) that details everything we need to know from the start of a book to assuring the book is readable or worthwhile enough to pass to an editor to polish to finding an artist who can make visible the thoughts of a book, to getting that finished book out to the public to buy and read. Big task – well performed.

Carole states in her usual warm introductory comments, ‘We will approach the subject to educate, prepare, and enable any person to write, publish, and ultimately sell their books to the general public.’ And adds ‘A funny thing happened on the way to my retirement. I found myself entering a whole new career in my late fifties, joining a community of people in which there was no return. I entered Indieworld. A different breed of people lives there, yet we all have the same agenda. It’s an amazing place - we don’t see our differences. We are color, age, and gender blind. We only want to tell our story and have it be appreciated. Oh yes, and make a small fortune in the process. Indieworld is a vast entity filled with a universe of people driven to do the same thing. They are seeking what I refer to as the three “Fs”: fame, fortune, and fulfillment without getting screwed. I bet you thought I was going to use another word.’

That is the tone of this tome – warm, humorous, detailed, immaculately researched, thoughtful and – it works! This book literally takes the subject from the initial idea for a book through the creation of the finished (‘!’) book and then all the steps beyond – brutally honest beta readers, finding an editor who believes in your idea and book and is willing to take it to the literary OR, formatting (‘crucial when you load your book onto a self-publishing site’), create a budget for getting published (and the many types of publishers out there), writing a synopsis/promo copy, creating interesting bios to accompany the book online or on-flap, choosing a cover image, selecting artwork to give your book visual life and heft, creating trailers, setting the price and selecting the 'audience’, the dos and don’ts of KDP – and that is just the first half of the instruction guide – the social media information, audible format, and finding reviewers, ‘network,network,network’, book tours and more follow.

Not only do these ladies discuss their recommendation (and provide ample illustrations of each topic), but they also give sites and resources that are actually useable! Indieworld alert – buy this book!
...more

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Sep 16, 2016 M.M. Hudson rated it it was amazing

Having worked with Indie authors and being an Indie author myself, I have had to navigate all the issues with writing a book that these two authors explore. They mentioned time and time again that the act of writing the book is only half the battle and that yes, it can be a daunting task to get a published and seen but is worth it in the end.

They mention many people they have worked with from beta readers, to editors, to cover designers, to illustrators, to publishing. Included are links to many ...more

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Nov 03, 2016 Alexis rated it it was amazing

I read this book in one sitting and couldn't get to sleep after I finished it because I so was revved up and ready to get to work! I'm in the process of writing and publishing my first romance novel. Since I'm pretty risk adverse I wanted to know a bit more about the self publishing world before I took the plunge. In addition to that, I was also looking for tips on how to make this experience an enjoyable one.

This book gave me everything I wanted and more. It starts off with a lovely introducti ...more

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Feb 27, 2017 Christine rated it it was amazing

A wonderful guide for indie authors. Roman and Gerber set forth a step by step approach that succinctly lays out a book’s journey from idea through marketing. The authors share their own experiences with the self-publishing process making it a valuable resource for indies.

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Oct 15, 2016 Wanda Maynard rated it it was amazing

Julie A. Gerber and Carole P. Roman have come up with a fascinating step-by-step guide to self-publishing and marketing books. Like all beginners, you begin at the beginning, with that idea that just will not let you rest. So, you sit down and begin to write, and you don't give up until the book is finished. But, are you finished, or have you just begun? Then you look the book over. Does it sound and look good to you? Maybe another opinion couldn't hurt. That is where a beta reader comes in. Th ...more

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Nov 18, 2016 Barbara Ann rated it it was amazing

I received a copy of this book as a gift and voluntarily chose to review it.

How I wish that I had this book four years ago when I began my publishing journey. While I have a few graduate degrees and have spent many hours writing papers in the world of academia, writing, publishing and marketing your own book is quite a different story.

The author team of Gerber, a social media and marketing expert, and Roman, the successful author of more than forty children's books provide a wealth of experience ...more

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Oct 10, 2017 Eva Pasco rated it it was amazing

Comprehensive and Concise

I acquired a free copy of the Kindle edition. My honest review follows for a guide which delves into everything an author needs to know about self-publishing, marketing, and promoting.

A conversational approach raised the bar in uplifting this book from informative to entertaining. I appreciated the honesty and forthright suggestions based on the experiences of Julie A. Gerber and Carole P. Roman.

The dreaded book blurb? They break it down into components with effective ...more

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Jan 26, 2017 R.L. Jackson rated it it was amazing

Awesome resource

This book really gives you a step by step guide to indie publishing. It really lit a fire under my butt to get moving in the right direction. Strong recommendation for anyone wanting to get started in this industry.

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Oct 04, 2016 Ben Jackson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: educational, publishing, author, self-help

I can only say if you’re an aspiring author, have a lot of questions about writing, publishing, advertising, covers or any other aspect of getting your book created, then this book may be your new bible.

Inside Navigating Indieworld, authors Julie A. Gerber and Carole P. Roman cover every aspect of book publishing. Not only do they give you the Indie Author route, but they also give you a variety of other choices and changes in direction which you could take.

Consider this your checklist of thin ...more

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Feb 12, 2017 Reader Views rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Reviewed by Susan Violante for Reader Views (1/2017)

With so many guides geared toward Indie authors, I was curious to see what “Navigating Indieworld” by Julie A. Gerber and Carole P. Roman had to offer. Almost immediately, I noticed that the authors shared their experiences candidly, without limiting themselves. This is something not everyone does, as I discovered in all of the different workshops and conferences I have attended since my humble beginnings in the 90’s.

“Navigating Indieworld” has ...more

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May 07, 2021 Denise rated it really liked it · review of another edition

From working on a first draft through to publishing and marketing, these two have got the indie author covered. An excellent guide which gave me useful pointers towards tackling some aspects of self-publishing I hadn’t even thought of.

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