Self-publishing can be more rewarding than being published - creatively, financially, and in other respects - if you go about it the right way. You could well be confused, as many self-publishers are, by the multiplicity of options available to you. The good news is that you can now make your books visible and available to book buyers around the world at minimal cost. An ebook (PDF) edition of this book was made available worldwide at no cost, an edition for the Kindle, iPad, Nook, Sony eReader and other e-readers made available for GBP95.00, a paperback edition made available worldwide for GBP42.00. As a self-publisher, what are your options for new books? Should you choose an offset lithography print run, a digital print run, or maybe print-on-demand (POD)? Hardback or paperback, or other formats? Possibly an ebook too? And, crucially, how will you get your books distributed cost-effectively to buyers around the world? This book will take you through the options and explain their relative advantages and disadvantages. It provides guidance on selecting book topics with strong sales potential; writing distinctively; obtaining a professional critique of your work; writing content-rich non-fiction; writing in a number of genres; choosing between hardback and paperback and other formats; choosing the optimal printing method; book content formatting; book specifications; colour plate section options; distribution; print-on-demand ('POD'); order fulfilment; dealing with Amazon, Lightning Source, Nielsen, and Bowker; printers; copy-editors and proofreaders; typesetters; cover designers; photographers; pricing and marketing your books; and a whole lot more besides. The book includes a sample chapter from the author's international bestseller Two Men in a Car (a businessman, a chauffeur, and their holidays in France) along with the plate section from the book. Mike Buchanan, a British writer and former business consultant, is the author of eight books since 2008. He's been published internationally by a leading publisher (in English and Chinese editions), and he's self-published. He much prefers self-publishing for a variety of reasons. In January 2010, at the age of 52, he took early retirement and now writes and self-publishes full-time. He developed the model of 'commercial self-publishing' outlined in this book. The model has been designed to help self-publishers enjoy their writing more, increase their output of strong titles, and maximise their profits.

Summary Rails 4 in Action is a comprehensive introduction to Rails that guides you hands-on through all you'll need to become a competent and confident Rails developer. In it, you'll master Rails 4 by developing a ticket-tracking application that includes RESTful routing, authentication and authorization, file uploads, email, and more. Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications. About the Book Rails is a full-stack, open source web framework powered by Ruby. Now in version 4, Rails is mature and powerful, and to use it effectively you need more than a few Google searches. You'll find no substitute for the guru's-eye-view of design, testing, deployment, and other real-world concerns that this book provides. Rails 4 in Action is a hands-on guide to the subject. In this fully revised new edition, you'll master Rails 4 by developing a ticket-tracking application that includes RESTful routing, authentication and authorization, file uploads, email, and more. Learn to design your own APIs and successfully deploy a production-quality application. You'll see test-driven development and behavior-driven development in action throughout the book, just like in a top Rails shop. What's Inside Creating your own APIs Using RSpec and Capybara Emphasis on test-first development Fully updated for Rails 4 About the Reader For readers of this book, a background in Ruby is helpful but not required. No Rails experience is assumed. About the Authors Ryan Bigg, Yehuda Katz, Steve Klabnik, and Rebecca Skinner are contributors to Rails and active members of the Rails community. Table of Contents Ruby on Rails, the framework Testing saves your bacon Developing a real Rails application Oh, CRUD! Nested resources Authentication Basic access control Fine-grained access control File uploading Tracking state Tagging Sending email Deployment Designing an API Rack-based applications

This intensely practical and funny guide will take you through everything you need to do write a book to be proud of in 2020. You'll learn to write a novel, children's book, or narrative non-fiction that will remain true to your artistic vision and be strong enough to sell. 'Best book on writing I have ever read' -- Lovely Rita, Amazon reviewer So: you want to write a book. That means you'll need to learn how to find the market you'll be writing for and how to plan your novel. Know what works and what doesn't and identify the 'outstanding' from the 'good' ideas. You'll need to know how to plot like the experts: learn about all the plotting methods open to you, and which one suits you and your writing style. You'll also want to know who your characters are and why they're the way they are. You'll need to know about character arcs and character development, so that you can create dazzling characters that'll leave your readers captivated. But none of that will mean anything, if you haven't developed your prose style. This is what separates 'people who like to write' and 'writers.' So, you'll need to learn how to handle technicalities like point of view, tense, omniscience, writing with clarity, and the art of showing-not-telling. And, because you're a writer whose just created a world filled with evocative characters and excellent descriptions of place, you'll also need to know how to edit. Really edit your manuscript so that it's ready for publication. Oh, and yes, you'll need experience. This book is written by someone who knows what he's talking about. With 20+ years as a published and bestselling author, Harry has helped thousands of writers on their journey to publication (as boss of Jericho Writers). And look: there are plenty of writing manuals out there, but with this book Harry will be with you from the very first sentence to the last full stop. Offering you actionable advice with real-life examples, all with the aim to help you write a book to be proud of. From one writer to another - good luck. Table of contents: Introduction Part one: Planning 1 What is Your Market? 2 What is Your Plan? 3 What is Your Plot? 4 Who Are Your Characters? 5 What is Your Stage and Where is Your Camera? 6 Who Are You? 7 Some Common Mistakes Part two: Prose Style 8 Clarity 9 Economy 10 Clichés: A Field Guide 11 Precision 12 Some Technicalities 13 Little Flashes of Genius 14 Tone Part three: Character 15 Show, Telling, and The Riddle of Character 16 Finding Edge 17 The World of Interiors 18 Faces, Bodies, Mirrors 19 Meetings 20 Empathy Part four: Placing the Camera 21 First-Person, Third-Person 22 One, Few, or Many 23 Up Close, Far Out, and The Myth of Omniscience 24 Past or Present? 25 The Time Traveller's Reader 26 Madmen, Liars and Rogues 27 Irony Part five: Story 28 The Classic Plot 29 The Mystery Plot 30 The Literary Plot 31 Perspectives From Film 32 Diagnosing Your Plot Problems Part six: Scenes and Chapters 33 The Scene 34 The Scene That Isn't 35 The Chapter Part seven: Towards Perfection 36 Themes 37 Editing Your Manuscript 38 Getting Help Conclusion About Jericho Writers Bingham has been published by the three largest trade publishers in the world, has sold in every major market on the planet, has been on bestseller lists, has been prize long- and short-listed, and has had his work adapted for TV. His work has also received a considerable amount of critical acclaim.

Read Along or Enhanced eBook: Do you believe everything you read in the newspaper? Early in August 1937, a news flash came: a sea monster had been spotted lurking off the shore of Nantucket Island. Historically, the Massachusetts island had served as port for whaling ships. Eyewitnesses swore this wasn’t a whale, but some new, fearsome creature. As eyewitness account piled up, newspaper stories of the sea monster spread quickly. Across the nation, people shivered in fear. Then, footprints were found on a Nantucket beach. Photographs were sent to prominent biologists for their opinion. Discussion swirled about raising a hunting party. On August 18, news spread across the island: the sea monster had been captured. Islanders ran to the beach and couldn’t believe their eyes. This nonfiction picture book is a perfect tool to discuss non-political fake news stories. Back matter discusses the freedom of the press guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Quotes from Thomas Jefferson make it clear that fake news has always been one of the costs of a free press. A Timeline lists actual events in the order they occurred. A vocabulary list defines relevant words.

Sell Books the Smart Way Five years ago releasing a book as an indie author meant uploading it, then begging everyone you knew to buy it. That method simply doesn't work anymore. Fortunately, there's a better way. Amazon has spent billions of dollars over the last decade building the world's best sales engine. They use machine learning to sell massive piles of books, and that engine is just waiting for you to tap into it. This is the book that will teach you how. Ready to become a six figure author? You'll learn: Why a sale isn't just a sale. Who you sell to is more important than how many How to find your target audience How to train Amazon to sell for you

A moving story of a woman with early onset Alzheimer's disease, now a major Academy Award-winning film starring Julianne Moore and Kristen Stewart. Alice Howland is proud of the life she worked so hard to build. At fifty, she's a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard and a renowned expert in linguistics, with a successful husband and three grown children. When she begins to grow forgetful and disoriented, she dismisses it for as long as she can until a tragic diagnosis changes her life - and her relationship with her family and the world around her - for ever. Unable to care for herself, Alice struggles to find meaning and purpose as her concept of self gradually slips away. But Alice is a remarkable woman, and her family learn more about her and each other in their quest to hold on to the Alice they know. Her memory hanging by a frayed thread, she is living in the moment, living for each day. But she is still Alice. 'Remarkable … illuminating … highly relevant today' Daily Mail 'The most accurate account of what it feels like to be inside the mind of an Alzheimer's patient I've ever read. Beautifully written and very illuminating' Rosie Boycot 'Utterly brilliant' Chrissy Iley

A book is great for getting attention because it's a multipurpose marketing tool with unique and special abilities to create attention that you can turn into almost anything else you want sales, media, credibility and authority. If you need reasons why you should publish your book look no further. This book will help you.