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Self-publishing Essentials: the Purpose of Publishing

by Ellie Marney
Bowker | Tue Oct 2, 2018

When planning to self-publish, the first questions that most people ask usually relate to process. How do I turn a document into an ebook? What do I do about distribution? Who do I contact about ISBNs?

Before that stage, however, there are a couple of essential questions about purpose that an author needs to consider in order to work out which self-publishing path is the right one to take. Figuring out the answers to these questions will give you a stronger understanding of what you’re doing and how to handle the production process for your book — and it will give you a greater chance of success.

Why did you write this book?

We write for all different reasons — and not all books are written with the intention of hitting the New York Times bestseller list.

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Translations that Changed the World: 9 Most Translated Texts

by Ulatus
Bowker | Tue Sep 4, 2018

Most-translated books

When considering the translation of your documents, did you ever wonder what their long-term impact might be? Have you thought about what others decades, centuries, even millennia from now might say about your original production and its translations? Have you wondered about where your works might fall in the great scheme of famously translated materials? If you have, you may be surprised by what you find below.

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Translation Essentials: Why Literary Translation Matters

by Ulatus
Bowker | Tue Aug 21, 2018

Homer

Technically, almost any writing may be called literature. However, literature is more commonly recognized as a work that displays superior written artistry of lasting value. These are not mere books or poems, these are writings that open our eyes and allow us to see a world beyond our own. Literature brings history to life, along with the lives and adventures of the men and women who went before us. It challenges our thinking, helps us read between the lines, and teaches us to identify themes and find hidden meanings. Other cultures may be explored and better understood. We are allowed to get a glimpse into the spiritual and political minds of people who are not like ourselves and experience the forces that drive them.

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Eight International Bestsellers that Found Success in Translation

by Ulatus
Bowker | Tue Jun 19, 2018

Translated books

While many in the publishing industry bemoan the fact that only about 3% of books published in English are translated, the ones that do break through to the English-language market sometimes become international sensations.

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The Who’s Who of Book Translation: 7 Important Players You Should Know About

by Ulatus
Bowker | Tue Jun 12, 2018

Translating a book into another language exposes it to an entirely new market. This is extremely valuable for both the publisher and the author: it both increases the book’s potential revenue and extends its reach to a global audience. Publishing a book in English makes it accessible to 360 million native speakers, plus the billion people who speak it as a second language; but publishing a translation to Mandarin, for example, exposes it to an additional potential audience of 955 million!

Editing

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How to Turn Publicity into Profits – Part Two: Writing Body Text That Keeps People Reading

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue May 22, 2018

(This is the second of a two-part series)

You can generate more publicity, sell more books and become more profitable if you follow several simple techniques for writing promotional material sent to business buyers. These are people in corporations, associations, schools and other non-retail organizations.

Part One in this two-part series described writing attention-grabbing headlines. Part Two tells how to write body copy that keeps the reader through your communication. Once you hook the readers with your headline, you must deliver on their expectations or they will stop reading immediately. Use the body of your press release to continue the momentum started with the headline and get the readers to take the action you recommend.

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How to Turn Publicity into Profits – Part One: Writing Attention-Grabbing Headlines

by Brian Jud
Bowker | Tue May 15, 2018

(This is the first part of a two-part series)

You can generate more publicity, sell more books and become more profitable if you follow several simple techniques for writing press releases. This is particularly true when communicating with buyers in niche segments such as corporations, associations, schools and the military. Part One in this two-part series describes writing the headlines, and Part Two tells how to write body copy that leads the reader through your release.

Publicity is the least expensive and perhaps most productive of the promotional strategies publishers use to generate exposure for their books. And a press release is the tool most commonly used to stimulate publicity. However, too many publishers' press releases go unheeded because the publicity copywriters make one major mistake – they write their press releases about their books.

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Marketing vs. Editing vs. Writing: The Delicate Balance of the Self-Publisher

by AC de Fombelle
Bowker | Thu Feb 1, 2018

Life is all about balance. The balance between your personal and professional commitments; between heart and mind; between activity and rest. A perfect life is one in perfect equilibrium. In self publishing, the tricky balance is between writing, editing and marketing. Three necessary activities for a successful publishing project.

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

Editing

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The Universal Pitfall

by AC de Fombelle
Bowker | Mon Dec 4, 2017

We all are disappointed when we miss an objective, but did we really do what was needed to reach it?

Working towards success is a bit like riding a bike. First, you need to get on the bike, preferably a good one. Actually, first, you’ll need to make sure your bike is ready to roll, adjust the saddle and lights, check the brakes, chain, and tires. Then, you get on the bike.

You’ll also need to pedal, and not too slow, otherwise you’ll just stay in the same spot and fall/fail miserably. You will then put your bike into the right gear depending on the difficulty. Get the wrong gear and you’ll overtire yourself for no reason; either using way too much energy on an easy road or struggling on steep paths. Finally, you’ll need to keep in mind where you are trying to go otherwise, all this effort will be for nothing. You’ll end up going in circles, backwards or in a totally useless direction.