How do you publish a "guide" book ?

M

MolimOrion

Veteran XV
3 questions:

1. What software application is the best for writing/organizing the book ?

2. How do you go about publishing it ?

3. How do you get stores to buy it ?

Most of the stuff on Google refers to writing/publishing novels, etc., but I am interested in hiking/camping and/or plant/mushroom identification books.

It sounds like it would be fun to make and a nice constructive side project :)
 
I think we have a published author here whose expertise is in this field. I forgot his name.

But he was totally published, so you totally couldn't say anything to him because he was totally published and was totally legit.

And published.
 
1) word processor
2) self publish or find a low-level publisher that will accept you... there are lots of searches online for it. findyourpublisher is the most obvious, but keep looking - especially for self-help or guidebook publishes, specifically.
3）Either you sell it yourself through the bookstore (talk to the manager), or you see if the publisher has a distributor/provides distribution. It's always about finding the correct audience (like seeling hunting magazines in Cabela's, for instance) and making the cover of the book and the intro of the book and of each chapter interesting enough of a read to convince browsers to get it.

A good start is to ask the writing center of your nearest college for some actual assistance.
 
Scuzzle said:
I think we have a published author here whose expertise is in this field. I forgot his name.

But he was totally published, so you totally couldn't say anything to him because he was totally published and was totally legit.

And published.
Click to expand...

Shadow of Death?
 
TheSpirit said:
1) word processor
2) self publish or find a low-level publisher that will accept you... there are lots of searches online for it. findyourpublisher is the most obvious, but keep looking - especially for self-help or guidebook publishes, specifically.
3)Either you sell it yourself through the bookstore (talk to the manager), or you see if the publisher has a distributor/provides distribution. It's always about finding the correct audience (like seeling hunting magazines in Cabela's, for instance) and making the cover of the book and the intro of the book and of each chapter interesting enough of a read to convince browsers to get it.

A good start is to ask the writing center of your nearest college for some actual assistance.
Click to expand...

Thanks. You really just organize it in MS Word, and not some Adobe program ? I figured in Word, the pictures wouldn't organize as well, and that there was maybe a more specific application to help with that.

That is cool that you can just sell it directly through the manager. There are a ton of bookstores in the Portland area.
 
You won't always find an open reception with bookstore managers/owners, but that's where people start sometimes and it will get you local exposure. As with anything else, selling is half about interfacing and half about having a good product.

I just type up with MS Word, but you should probe publishers to see if they prefer a specific format before diving too far into one or another.
 
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