Category Archives: The Self-Publishing Handbook

Professional Results for Professional Authors – The Story of Brad and the Plumber

I’m a bit of a handyman.  I live in an old two-story farmhouse, and there’s always something to be fixed, updated or remodeled.  Most of the work I can do myself—in fact, there are very few times that I need to call in a “professional,” (a fact I’m very proud of). I save a lot of money by doing the work myself, and truthfully I enjoy it.

Roof Framing Brad Pauquette

My 7-year-old son and me framing in the roof tie-in.

But on the occasions that I do call someone in, I’m almost always impressed with the results.  The right home repair professional knows how to make everything come together just right, it always looks so clean and perfect when they’re done.

A professional does the exact same job as I would do, and follows the same functional steps, but they bring three important things to the table:

  1. They do this task everyday, so they’re practiced.
  2. The have exactly the right tools for the job.
  3. They know all of the tricks and all of the pitfalls, so it turns out just right.

My wife’s 90-year-old grandmother moved in with us this fall, so with only one bathroom upstairs we added a first floor bedroom and bathroom for her over the summer.  I ended up doing most of the work myself.

I had done each of the individual tasks involved in building an addition at least one time before here or there, but I don’t do any of them frequently and I’d never done all of the pieces at once.  I was out of practice.

Sometimes I would find myself reaching for the vice grips, instead of whatever specialty wrench the job required, because I didn’t want to drop $60 for a tool I was only going to use once. It worked, but the nut would end up with little scratches on it or something would be just a degree off-center.  Or I’d find myself trying to make a hole-saw work that wasn’t exactly the right size, because I didn’t want to run out to the hardware store again.

And sometimes, I’d get halfway through a job and think, “I wish I would have started on the other side of the room.”  I just didn’t have enough experience to recognize all of the ways to make the job perfect, or to see all of the areas which might be more difficult.

It was all little tiny things. Things you wouldn’t notice individually unless you knew what to look for. But taken as a total, there is a perceivably lesser quality to my handiwork than that of a professional.

I did hire a plumber to install the shower for me. He knew exactly what he was doing.  He did it in half the time I would have because he does that kind of thing every day.  He had exactly the right tools for every part of the job—$60 for a specialty wrench which will make the job quicker and better is well worth it, even if he only uses it a couple times each week.   And before he even got started, he looked over our framing and recognized a few potential areas that might interfere with the shower placement.  With his instruction I made a few adjustments so that everything would come together perfectly.

My work is good. But the professional plumber did it better, he did it quicker, and even though it cost far more than if I did it myself, it was worth every penny.

At Columbus Publishing Lab, we’re professional book producers.   Hats off to those of you do-it-yourself book producers who can complete all of the steps, but we believe that the quality of our books speaks for the value of hiring a professional.  And we know that the royalty checks our authors receive dwarf the royalties of their average DIY peers.  One big reason our authors make more is the professional quality of their finished book.

Just like your plumber or electrician, there are three things that make our results better: We practice this every day; we have all of the right tools (thousands of dollars in software and hardware); and we know all of the tricks and pitfalls.

And there’s another factor that makes our results truly professional: Producing a book isn’t just one job, it’s five unique skillsets, each of which takes years of daily practice to learn and perfect.  We have individuals in-house who are experienced professionals at every single step of the process—developmental editing, copy editing, interior design, proofreading and cover design. Even our methods of distribution and fulfillment took years to develop, let alone a comprehensive and effective marketing system.

I may know how to do a little plumbing, a bit of drywall and a lot of electrical.  But it would be inconceivable that as a hobbyist, I’m as good at every single job required to build a house as specialized professionals would be—excavating, cement pouring, block laying, framing, roofing, drywall, plumbing, electrical, flooring, siding, window installation, to name a few.

Some authors just want to do it themselves.  I get that.  I enjoy working on my house. Most of the time, even if it’s not quite as good, I’d rather be proud of my own work than pay someone else.

But there is a place for hiring professionals.  If you’re serious about creating a book that will compete in the marketplace with books coming out of the major publishing houses, you need a product that is built to the same quality standard.  You need all five steps of the publication process to be clean and perfect.

We’re here to help.  Whether you need all five steps of the publication process, or just a little bit of help, we’d love to work with you to make your book the best that it can be.  You’ve worked too hard to let a few hundred dollars stand between your manuscript and success.

-Brad Pauquette, CEO

Ready to publish? Let’s talk.  Email us at info@columbuspublishinglab.com.

Want to learn more about the “Five-Step Publication Process”?  Click here to snag a free copy of my book, The Self-Publishing Handbook, which outlines the full process.  It’s a great resource, whether you choose to publish through Columbus Publishing Lab or DIY.

Find more fun photos of our home addition project on my wife and I’s blog here.

Two Ways to Nab The Self-Publishing Handbook for Free

The Self-Publishing Handbook by Brad Pauquette was written to be a resource for writers. Self-Publishing Handbook by Brad PauquetteYears and years of publishing experience have been condensed into this easy to read manual, in hopes that those considering self-publishing will make smart, educated choices.

We could direct you to buy the handbook, but we’d rather give it away for free. We do our best to promote education within the self-publishing community, and if one person’s self-publishing experience improves because of this book, that’s worth it to us.

Through December 28, there are two ways you can get a copy of The Self-Publishing Handbook for free.

1. Sign up for our mailing list. If you want a version of the book you can read anywhere, join our mailing list and receive a free PDF of the book, delivered straight to your email. We solemnly swear never to spam you, and you’ll get advance notice of seminars and giveaways, in addition to self-publishing tips you won’t find anywhere else.

Click here to get your free PDF of The Self-Publishing Handbook.

2. Enter to win a paperback copy in our Goodreads giveaway. We’re giving away five copies of The Self-Publishing Handbook in a Goodreads Giveaway. If you prefer a good old-fashioned paperback, then this giveaway is for you! The giveaway is free to enter, and it’s open for entries until December 28. Click here (or the box below) to enter. 

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Self-Publishing Handbook by Brad Pauquette

The Self-Publishing Handbook

by Brad Pauquette

Giveaway ends December 28, 2015.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

The self-publishing industry is huge. With so many choices, it can be hard to know which services are worthwhile, and which ones are a waste of time and money. The Self-Publishing Handbook is your guide to navigating the publishing process, no matter which route you choose. From hiring professionals, to D.I.Y. tips, this compact book separates worthwhile services from scams, and gets you on your way to producing an excellent book.

Nab a free copy of this book while you can!

Questions? Contact us by clicking here. 

Three Ways to Score a Free Book!

The Self-Publishing Handbook is a resource for self-publishers and small presses.  WhetherSelf-Publishing Handbook by Brad Pauquette you’re committed to producing your book on the cheap, or you’re interested in hiring professionals, this compact book is chock full of insider information to ensure you’re investing your time and money wisely.

You have three opportunities to nab this book for free through February 20. (The book normally sells on Amazon.com for $9.95.)

We could direct you to buy the handbook, but we’d rather give it away for free. We do our best to promote education within the self-publishing community, and if one person’s self-publishing experience improves because of this book, that’s worth it to us.

  •  We’re giving away five copies of The Self-Publishing Handbook in a Goodreads Giveaway. If you prefer a good old-fashioned paperback, then this giveaway is for you! The giveaway is free to enter, and it’s open for entries until this Friday, February 20. 

Click here to enter the Goodreads Giveaway.

  • If you’d like to start reading right away, you can download the book for free on Amazon.com now. The Kindle version of The Self-Publishing Handbook is free to download through this Friday, February 20. 

Click here to download the book from Amazon.com.

  • If you want a version of the book you can read anywhere, join our mailing list and receive a free PDF of the book, delivered straight to your email. We’ll never spam you, and you’ll get advance notice of seminars and giveaways, in addition to self-publishing tips you won’t find anywhere else.

Click here to get your free PDF of The Self-Publishing Handbook

Far too many authors have negative experiences with self-publishing, and we want to change that. If you’re considering self-publishing, we encourage you to do your homework. Utilize resources like The Self-Publishing Handbook, and talk to authors who have self-published successfully.

We’re happy to answer any questions you have about self-publishing. Whether that means a ten minute phone conversation, or an hour long meeting at our office, we’d love to speak with you. Contact us here.

What’s So Great About The Self-Publishing Handbook?

If you’ve poked around our website at all, you’ve probably seen The Self-Publishing Self-Publishing Handbook by Brad PauquetteHandbook. We’re running a Goodreads giveaway where you can enter to win a paperback copy (it ends tonight, so get in on it while you can!), and you can download a free PDF of the book any time here.

The Self-Publishing Handbook is one of thousands of books on self-publishing. A quick Amazon.com search returns 83, 869 results for “Self-Publishing Books.” So what makes this book different?

Let us count the ways.

1. Only the important stuff, all in one place. The Internet is chock full of information on self-publishing–some of it good, a lot of it very, very bad. The Self-Publishing Handbook is a bullshit survival guide. With so much fluff floating around, facts can get misconstrued and information buried under opinion. The Self-Publishing Handbook sticks to concrete, necessary information. If you’re looking for a “follow your dreams” sort of book, this isn’t it. If you’re looking for a practical guide to self-publishing, read this book.

2. It’s a quick, easy read. It takes skill to effectively disseminate tricky information into laymen’s terms (while not alienating folks with a bit of experience), and that’s exactly what Brad Pauquette has done here. Publishing jargon is quickly explained, and pricing formulas are broken down into fathomable equations. If you turn off the TV, you can finish this book in an evening (it clocks in at around 100 pages). Although it’s compact, I guarantee you’ll be thumbing back through it for reference. It’s really that helpful.

3. Straight to the point. Self-publishing isn’t a hobby, it’s a business. If you’re looking to publish a book and sell it to people other than your mom, spouse, and friends who owe you a favor, The Self-Publishing Handbook can help you. Prepare to take a hard look at your manuscript.

4. Other people like it. Everyone knows if enough people like something, it must be good for you. Here’s what folks who have bought the book on Amazon are saying about The Self-Publishing Handbook:

“After reading it, I now have a much deeper understanding of how to apply traditional publishing principles in my own self-publishing. Most importantly, it makes the whole process seem very doable and realistic.”

“Brad Pauquette has made my job a lot easier. As a newspaper editor and author of a couple of books myself, I have no shortage of people asking me how to get their book published. Now I can tell them: ‘Buy yourself a copy of Brad Pauquette’s book, The Self Publishing Handbook and follow his advice because he will tell you everything you need to know.'”

5. It’s FREE. Enter to win one of five paperback copies of the book on Goodreads here, or download the PDF for free at any time here.

FULL DISCLOSURE: We are a self-publishing company. We hope that you’ll read this book and decide to work with us, but if you decide we’re not for you, I hope you’ll still read this book and save yourself some time, money and frustration.

Questions about self-publishing? Email us at info@columbuspublishinglab.com

 

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Self-Publishing Handbook by Brad Pauquette

The Self-Publishing Handbook

by Brad Pauquette

Giveaway ends January 28, 2015.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

 

Free Book Alert: The Self-Publishing Handbook

Who doesn’t love a (great) free book?

We’re currently running a Goodreads Giveaway for The Self-Publishing Handbook by Brad Pauquette. Five free paperback copies of this helpful book are up for grabs. The giveaway closes soon, so enter to win your copy today!

You can download a free PDF of The Self-Publishing Handbook any time by clicking here. Start reading this free digital copy while you’re waiting to see if you’re a Goodreads winner!

The Self-Publishing Handbook is your guide to self-publishing the right way. This compact book is chock full of insider information and valuable tips to ensure you’re investing your time and money wisely. Whether you’re committed to producing your book on the cheap, or you’re interested in hiring professionals, The Self-Publishing Handbook outlines the key steps every professionally-produced book undergoes before heading to the printer.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Self-Publishing Handbook by Brad Pauquette

The Self-Publishing Handbook

by Brad Pauquette

Giveaway ends January 28, 2015.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

 

Here’s what reviewers are saying about The Self-Publishing Handbook:

“The Self-Publishing Handbook equips you with the practical street smarts to self-publish your book. It provides a lot of substance in a very clear, conversational way.”

-Amazon Reviewer

“Brad Pauquette has made my job a lot easier. As a newspaper editor and author of a couple of books myself, I have no shortage of people asking me how to get their book published. Now I can tell them: ‘Buy yourself a copy of Brad Pauquette’s book, ‘The Self Publishing Handbook’ and follow his advice because he will tell you everything you need to know.'”

-Amazon Reviewer

Don’t miss out on your chance to score a free book! Enter the Goodreads giveaway here, or download your free PDF of the book here.

Questions about self-publishing? Email us at info@columbuspublishinglab.com

Free Book Download: The Self-Publishing Handbook

The Self-Publishing Handbook by Brad Pauquette is your guide to self-publishing the right Self-Publishing Handbook by Brad Pauquetteway. This compact book is chock full of insider information and valuable tips to ensure you’re investing your time and money wisely. Whether you’re committed to producing your book on the cheap, or you’re interested in hiring professionals, The Self-Publishing Handbook outlines the key steps every professionally-produced book undergoes before heading to the printer.

“The Self-Publishing Handbook equips you with the practical street smarts to self-publish your book. It provides a lot of substance in a very clear, conversational way.”

-J. Delaney, Amazon Reviewer

If you missed the Goodreads giveaway for the handbook last week, don’t worry! We’ll send you a free PDF of The Self-Publishing Handbook when you sign up for our mailing list. We solemnly swear never to spam you, and you’ll get advance notice of seminars and giveaways, in addition to self-publishing tips you won’t find anywhere else.

Get your free PDF of The Self-Publishing Handbook here.

We could direct you to buy the handbook on Amazon.com, but we’d rather give it away for free. We do our best to promote education within the self-publishing community, and if one person’s self-publishing experience improves because of this book, that’s worth it to us. Far too many authors have negative experiences with self-publishing, and we want to change that. If you’re considering self-publishing, we encourage you to do your homework. Look to resources like The Self-Publishing Handbook, and talk to authors who have self-published successfully.

We’re happy to answer any questions you have about self-publishing. Whether that means a ten minute phone conversation, or an hour long meeting at our office, we’d love to speak with you. Contact us here.

If you prefer good old fashioned paperbacks, you can get a hardcopy of the handbook on Amazon.com here. 

Giveaway: The Self-Publishing Handbook

Five free paperback copies of The Self-Publishing Handbook are up for grabs! Enter this Goodreads giveaway before 12/15 for a chance to win this compact guide to producing great books.

Find the giveaway on Goodreads here. 

The Self-Publishing Handbook is a practical guide to self-publishing the right way, and producing a high-quality, profitable piece of literature.  Brad Pauquette, the author, has worked as a publishing consultant since 2008. From New York Times bestselling authors, to self-publishers and small presses, he’s helped authors and publishers at all levels produce great books.

“The Self-Publishing Handbook equips you with the practical street smarts to self-publish your book.”

-J. Delaney, Amazon reviewer

Waiting to see if you won a paperback copy? You can get a free PDF of The Self-Publishing Handbook by signing up for our mailing list. Gain access to this valuable information right away! Get your free PDF here.

 

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Self-Publishing Handbook by Brad Pauquette

The Self-Publishing Handbook

by Brad Pauquette

Giveaway ends December 15, 2014.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

 

What People Are Saying About The Self-Published Handbook

We’ve been pushing the The Self-Publishing Handbook, because we value our client’s success.  We’re proud to say that our clients obliterate the industry averages when it comes to returning their investment and turning a profit on their book.

Part of that is because we do great production work at fair prices (which in this backwards industry, seem like really low prices).  Another reason is that we educate our clients and encourage everyone to submit themselves to a professional publication process, just like if they had gone through a traditional publisher.

If you missed the Amazon Kindle giveaway and the Goodreads Giveaway, you can still grab a free digital copy of the book directly from us absolutely free.  Find the details for that offer here.

And of course, if you’re into buying things instead of getting them for free, you can find The Self-Publishing Handbook from all major retailers, like Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.  If you like the feel of a printed page, you can pick it up from one of these guys for less than $10.

The Self-Publishing Handbook has only been out in the wild for a few weeks, but already people are reading it and benefiting from it.  Here are excerpts from reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

“While I’m not one who typically uses the word ‘demystifies,’ that’s the word that comes to mind for me: it demystifies what can be the very mysterious process of book publishing.”
If you want to sing out, sing out, Amazon reviewer

“I learned a great deal from the book and plan to follow its advice.”
The Dane, Amazon reviewer

“This book is very helpful.”
Kurt David, Amazon reviewer

“The Self-Publishing Handbook tells it like it is; there’s no hype or false pretense about the literary marketplace, but good, solid numbers any author must be familiar with regardless of their expectations.”
Byron Edgington, Goodreads reviewer

Thank you to everyone who has shared their thoughts on the book so far.

Check out this free book offer here.  You’ll be glad that you read this handbook before you published.

Grab The Self-Publishing Handbook from Goodreads for Free!

Self-Publishing Handbook by Brad PauquetteIf you missed the Kindle giveaway, never fear!  Goodreads is now offering 5 paperback copies of The Self-Publishing Handbook: Five Key Steps to Professionally Publish Your Book for free!  Find the Goodreads giveaway here.

We’re still giving away free PDF copies of the book.  Find that offer here.  But if you prefer a hard copy, this is a great opportunity to grab one.

The Self-Publishing Handbook is a compact, practical guide to self-publishing the right way, and producing a high-quality, profitable piece of literature.  Brad Pauquette, the author, has worked as a publishing consultant since 2008, and helped companies at all levels of the publishing process to produce great books.

Brad Pauquette will also be offering a variety of helpful seminars in the Central Ohio area this month.  Find those listed on the Columbus Creative Cooperative website here.

If you’d like to discuss your manuscript and how Columbus Publishing Lab can help you produce and market a successful book, please contact us today or call us at (614) 441-9777.  We look forward to working with you!