www.turnkeypublisher.

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TurnKey
Publishing
How to Create a Protable Self-Publishing Business Without Any Help From Publishers, Bookstores, or Literary Agents!
MATTHEW S. CHAN
Ascend Beyond Publishing Columbus, GA

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TurnKey Publishing
How to Create a Profitable Self-Publishing Business Without Any Help From Publishers, Bookstores, or Literary Agents!
Copyright 2009 by Matthew S. Chan. All Rights Reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote and reprint brief passages in a review.

Published by:

Ascend Beyond Publishing 1639 Bradley Park Dr. PMB 110 Columbus, GA 31904 www.AscendBeyond.com

ISBN: 978-1-933723-01-3 Printed in the United States of America. Version 1.0 Typesetting: Darlene Swanson

Book Ordering Information Visit www.ascendbeyond.com to order additional copies for private use, or for resale. Quantity discounts are available. Special pricing for churches, schools, colleges, universities, and non-profit, charitable organizations.

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Dedication

To the People Who Have ...

Knowledge to Teach... Experiences to Share... Stories to Inspire... Ideas to Enlighten... The Courage to Take a Stand... The Will to Make a Difference... The Strength to Carry Out Their Mission... The Dream of Living Fully Wihout Regrets... It Can Be Done. It Shall Be Done.

Legal Disclaimer
This publication is designed to provide competent and reliable information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the author and publisher are not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional advice. Laws and practices often vary from state to state and country to country. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. The author and publisher specically disclaim any liability that is incurred from the use or application of the contents of this book.

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Table of Contents

Introduction ............................................................................1 Chapter 1 Benefits of Independent Publishing ...........................................7 Chapter 2 The Business Side of TurnKey Publishing ................................13 Chapter 3 Forming Your Publishing Company ........................................39 Chapter 4 Writing Your Book ..................................................................55 Chapter 5 Pricing Your Book ...................................................................73 Chapter 6 Designing Your Book ..............................................................83 Chapter 7 Printing Your Book ...............................................................125

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Chapter 8 Marketing Your Book ............................................................151 Chapter 9 Office Operations & Administration .....................................175 Chapter 10 After the Book is Released .....................................................201 Conclusion ...........................................................................215 Acknowledgements ..............................................................217 About the Author .................................................................219 Recommended Resources ....................................................220

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Introduction
Ever since I was a boy in grade school, I have always been an avid book reader. I especially enjoy reading non-fiction books to learn new skills, gain wisdom, and expand my mind to the vast knowledge that is available for every book reader to enjoy. I believe it is my fondness of books and reading that have compelled me to become both a publisher and an author. It has been my experience that people who show a strong interest in writing or publishing books also have a passion for reading books. In many ways, the desire to write and publish your own book allows you to pay it forward through the sharing of your own ideas, knowledge, experiences, and perspectives.

My First Experience as a Contributor

In 1996, I had my first taste of writing and contributing to a published book. That book was Get Certified and Get Ahead. In this book, I wrote an article of how I used the Internet to promote myself and the technical certifications I attained at the time. Although I was not financially compensated for this effort, I did get credit, recognition, and exposure within that book. After the book was published and released, the publisher also sent me a

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complimentary copy as a thank you for my small contribution. I contributed to two editions of this book. It was from this positive experience that I began looking into expanding and enhancing my professional credentials through writing and publishing.

My First Experience as a Book Writer

In 1997, I was given the opportunity to write three chapters for a major publisher on a technical reference book on Microsoft Internet Information Server. This server-based software product allows Microsoft Windows Servers to also become web servers. I was going to be paid a flat fee of $600 for this technical writing project. If I was lucky, I would get a small mention for my writing contributions. Although I was not particularly impressed with the offer, I volunteered for the experience. After nearly three weeks of struggle to write these chapters, I finally submitted what I wrote for them to review. Within days, the electronic files were returned to me full of red marks. Based on the editors feedback, I got far more wrong than I got right. There were simply more red marks than the original text I wrote. Basically, they hated what I had submitted. Not coincidentally, I hated the format and structure they wanted me to write in. Although I was knowledgeable in the subject matter, I hated writing about it. And since I was not going to get author credit for the hard work I would have to put into it, I submitted a letter of resignation to the editor informing them that I was

Introduction

dropping out of the book project because I was not suited for this project. Obviously, this ordeal was a terrible experience for me. It would be from this point forward that I no longer wanted to be a traditional writer for a traditional book. I learned from this project that I could not simply be a writer for a book and not get author credit. I did not like that at all.

Publishing Dreams Lie Dormant

From 1997 to 2000, I gave up hope of being an author for any traditional publisher. I did not like asking for approval to write a book. I also did not like the idea of some publisher telling me what and how I should write a book. My independent streak would not permit it. However, in 2001, with significant advances of computer technology, word-processing software, desktop publishing software, printing capabilities, and the Internet, I saw my dream of publishing my own book become a very real possibility through self-publishing. For the next year and a half, I studied how the traditional publishing industry worked. I learned how books were created, designed, produced, manufactured, distributed, and sold. I also learned from books, courses, and seminars on self-publishing. It was from this self-created curriculum that I gathered enough information and formulated my first system to publish, write, produce, and sell my own books without any help from any traditional publishers, literary agents, or bookstores.

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Publishing My First Book

In 2003, I wrote and published my first book, The Intrepid Way: How to Create the Freedom You Need to Live the Life You Want! It was a book on how to leave Corporate America, become an entrepreneur, and live an entrepreneurial lifestyle. When I wrote that book, almost no one knew about it because I kept it a secret. I did not want to be another person who would say he was writing a book and it never be completed, much less published. It was only when I was preparing to send the book to the book printers that I started publicizing the fact I was publishing a book. The 30-day wait period to print my books felt like the longest 30-days I ever had to wait. When my first case of books arrived, it was one of the happiest days of my life. After years of contemplating and dreaming of becoming a published author, I finally did it. I had the books in my hands. I had it listed on Amazon.com and I began promoting and selling it. And while that book did not become a best-seller, it did fundamentally change my personal and professional life from that point forward.

Perceptions Change
It was interesting to see the reactions of people I knew. Although most people fundamentally treated me the same, I could tell there was a shift in their perceptions of me. People I did not know also subtly shifted when they found out I was an author. There would be a slightly higher level of respect given to me.

Introduction

On top of all this was the fact that I was generating ongoing spendable income even though the hard work of writing and publishing was done.

Publishing is a Personal Journey

I tell this story not to be boastful. I tell this brief story to share with you my very personal experience and journey into the world of independent publishing. If you cannot yet tell, I love being in this business. For me, publishing fulfills me in so many ways: personally, spiritually, professionally, and financially. It is because of my love and enthusiasm for independent publishing that I have launched this first book of The TurnKey Publisher series. Because I have gained so much knowledge from own publishing experiences, I feel it is my turn to pay it forward to others. I simply believe publishing is more important than ever especially for high-achievers and those who want that extra professional edge. In the back of this book, I have compiled a list of publishing resources for you to refer to in addition to this book. I recommend all of them. I am sharing with you many of the resources I used to learn about the publishing business. You can and should learn from many people. However, I am admittedly biased by saying that the TurnKey Publishing philosophy I use and follow simplifies much of the technical information espoused by others. I cannot yet teach you how to publish a #1 best-selling book but I can teach you how to inexpensively but professionally write and publish your own book and profitably sell it to the world at large.

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If you bought this book and reading it now, you need no sales pitch. You dont need to be convinced or sold that you should be published. You simply know you want to be published and you want to learn how to do it easily and quickly. I cannot promise that it will be an easy journey for you but what I teach is simple to understand and will make your journey much shorter. You bought the right book to read. Start reading this book and lets get your book published this year!

Matthew S. Chan

Chapter 1

Benets of Independent Publishing

There are many life-changing and life-long benefits of becoming an independent publisher and publishing your own books.

Gain Expert Status

No matter what you say to others to the contrary, if you have authored and published a non-fiction book on a subject in which you are reasonably knowledgeable, you are almost automatically going to be bestowed with expert status by people who do not know you. Having a published book is a shortcut by which you can leap past your peers in your field of expertise. It does not matter that you have no formal training, education, or degree in the subject. If you have knowledge and experience and you publish it, you will

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leapfrog over others who only talk about how knowledgeable they are and how they wish they could have a book in their name.

Attain Industry Recognition

Becoming a publisher or author puts you in a position of being better recognized over time. The act of promoting, marketing, and selling your book creates opportunities for that additional exposure which leads to greater recognition. Building recognition over an extended period of time in a field of expertise can eventually lead to fame within your industry.

Build Personal & Professional Credibility

Authoring and publishing a book is a significant credibility builder. People do not have to read your book to willingly accept your credibility in a subject. Because authoring and publishing a book is still considered a difficult life challenge by most people, you are often given credibility automatically when people discover you have authored and published a book.

Rare Achievement
It has been said that there are more authors and publishers engaged in the business of publishing than ever before. And while publishing has become more accessible than ever before, it is still a relatively rare achievement to author and publish a single book. It is even more rare for someone to author and publish three or more books. This book is not about just teaching you how to author and publish one book. My goal is to show you a way to author and

Chapter 1 Benets of Independent Publishing

publish three or more titles to create the beginnings of a body of work that will continue to benefit you personally and professionally for a lifetime.

Build Your Own Audience

By publishing a body of work, you create for yourself an ever-growing, willing audience and platform to share your knowledge, experience, and perspectives. You are in a position to capture their minds by influencing their thoughts by the words and sentences you write. People who read books willingly pay to give their attention and their focus to authors who dare to write, have something to say, and promote and share their work.

Generate Ongoing Income

Publishing books generates ongoing residual income. Over time, a body of published titles can potentially generate a sustainable income that surpasses many ordinary jobs as an employee. At minimum, publishing books can serve as supplementary income to other sources of active income.

Build Business Wealth

Published titles are intellectual property assets with commercial value. All income-generating businesses have a financial value assigned to the assets which generate that income. That financial value placed upon that body of work is the business wealth being built over time. Starting small, it can grow significantly over time.

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Therapeutic
For some people, creating and writing is therapeutic. Publishing actively engages both creative and writing abilities for those who fully and willingly participate in the creation and production process. Creating and writing allow many people to outwardly channel their inner thoughts and energies into a piece of tangible work.

Unleash Creative Energy

Writing is regarded by many as a creative endeavor. Even if you are writing non-fiction, there is creative energy being channeled into the publishing process. Similar to the therapeutic aspect, publishing a book taps into the creative energy all of us have within us. Publishing one book often leads to another creative endeavor. For people in the business world, it could be another book, audio program, speaking engagement, seminar, or consulting jobs.

Personal & Professional Growth

For many people, there is a substantial amount of personal and professional growth that occurs in the process of becoming a legitimate publisher and author. The skills, expertise, and discipline gained as a result of becoming a publisher and author is often life changing. The opportunities that open and present themselves lead to experiences that you might not have had otherwise if you had not published and authored a book.

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Chapter 1 Benets of Independent Publishing

Create a Legacy
Publishing allows you to create a permanent record of your ideas, thoughts, concepts, stories, knowledge, and experience from which others can learn and be enlightened. You can pass forward and leave behind an important part of your essence in respected, tangible artifacts we call books.

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Chapter 2

The Business Side of TurnKey Publishing

Publishing is an art form as well as a business. Unfortunately, most people who want to enter the world of publishing focus primarily on the art with little regard to the business side of things. In TurnKey Publishing, the business side comes first and the art form is secondary. Under the TurnKey Publishing system, there are paradigms that I have developed that guide the business of publishing non-fiction books.

Every Title Will Sell

It is all a matter of how many and how long it takes. Because of the increasing pervasiveness and spread of the Internet, Chris Andersons concept of the Long Tail supports the belief that there is an interest for every legitimate product produced. This does not

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