Publishing Gems, Insider Information for the Self-Publishing Writer

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According to Brent Sampson, Publishing Gems includes "Insider information from a publishing professional." Sampson is the founder and CEO of Outskirts Press, Inc. located in Parker, Colorado, and this is his second book on self-publishing. He wrote this book in order to update authors on the paradigm shift that is taking place within the publishing industry. He says, "Old-fashioned publishing is an outdated business model that has to adapt. The Industrial Revolution revolutionized it once; the Technological Revolution is revolutionizing it again."

This is a unique book featuring tips and information bites throughout. It starts by promising 9 Steps for Plotting a Fiction Foundation. Sampson provides an interesting exercise designed to help you plot your book. Additional sections include 4 Ways to Finish the Book You Started, Questions Answered About Copyright, 10 Concerns When Choosing a Publisher, 10 Tips for a Top-Notch Press Release and Facts About Vanity Printers. The section named 5 Tips for Catching Errors in Your Manuscript caught my attention. He suggests such things as reading your manuscript out loud and reading it backwards to catch mistakes. He says, "When you read your manuscript backwards, word for word, misspellings literally jump off the page."

This isn’t an in-depth book. It’s more of a pocket guide for authors. While it doesn’t have an index, the table of contents is designed to give you easy access to the information in the book. I recommend this book to folks who already have a pretty good understanding of the self-publishing process. Use this book for quick reference when you want to know, for example, what you should consider before choosing a publisher or reasons why you should produce an ebook.