Curriculum
👋 WELCOME!
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📃 SELF-PUBLISHING CHECKLIST + WORKBOOK + BONUS WORKSHEETS
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What Makes a Good, True, and Beautiful Book?
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Overview of Self-Publishing
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- Video Overview (11:03)
- My Story & Getting on the Same Page (13:17)
- The Different Types of Publishing
- Setting Realistic Expectations
- Why Should You Self-Publish?
- What Makes a Successful Author?
- Why Self-Publishing is Anything But the Self
- 📃 Worksheet
- The Fiat Self-Publishing Model (4:22)
- ⭐Favorite Self-Publishing Resources
Discerning God's Will for Your Book
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- What is Discernment?
- Discernment Overview (5:43)
- Discernment Tips from Charbel Raish (5:47)
- A Constant Process
- Discernment Tips that Apply to All Stages
- Helpful Tips and Quotes from Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers
- (Supplemental Video) Discernment Tips from Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers (67:16)
- 📃 Worksheet & Video Walkthrough (16:01)
- ⭐ Supplemental Resources
Sanctity: Keeping God at the Center of Your Work
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Creative Spark: Finding Inspiration for Your Book Idea
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- Finding Inspiration and Clarity for Your Book Idea
- Finding Inspiration Video Overview (3:01)
- Tips for Finding Inspiration
- 10 Book Ideas to Get You Brainstorming (7:01)
- Examples of Innovative Books
- Exploring Amazon Book Categories (6:22)
- Browsing Bestsellers (14:42)
- Auto-Populating Ideas Using the Search Bar (5:26)
- 📃 Worksheet
- ⭐ Supplemental Resources
Validating Your Idea: Is This Worth Pursuing?
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Unique Value Proposition: Determining What Makes Your Book Unique
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Goal Setting
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Why It's Helpful to Think About Printers Now
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Financial Considerations
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- Financial Considerations Overview
- Perform a Skills Assessment and Set a Budget
- Consider How You Will Fund Your Book
- Interview with Stephanie Petters: Cut The Financial Risk By Crowdfunding Your Book (57:19)
- Presentation by Stephanie Petters: Key Components to a Kickstarter Campaign (62:01)
- Track Your Expenses
Start Your Author Platform Now
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- What is an Author Platform?
- Interview with Cathy Knipper: Author Branding, Platform Building, and Book Marketing (58:37)
- Develop Your Author Brand & Aesthetic
- Interview with Dominic de Souza: Brand Archetypes (56:43)
- Build Your Email List
- Presentation by Greg Johnson: Email Marketing & Author Newsletters (69:30)
- Start Using (Or Being Intentional About) Social Media
- Interview with Molly Balint: Social Media Tips + Getting Started On Instagram (62:54)
- Author Websites
- Presentation by Kristina Romero: Overview of Author Websites (60:41)
Outlining Your Nonfiction Book
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Outlining Your Fiction Book
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Special Considerations for Outlining Highly Visual Books
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Prioritize Your Writing
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The Writing Process
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- Introduction
- Style Guides
- Where to Find Images in the Public Domain
- Where to Find Books in the Public Domain
- But What If I'm Not Finding What I Need in the Public Domain?
- Book Funnel Considerations
- Interview with Lisa Canning: Book Funnels & Turning Your Book into a Business Card! (57:02)
- Choosing a Title
- Feedback: Alpha and Beta Readers
- Front and Back Matter
- Copyright Page
- Back Cover Blurb (12:32)
The Editing Process
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- Introduction
- 15 Tips for Self-Editing
- What Types of Editing Do You Need?
- Interview with Jody Benson: Different Types of Editing & How to Work with an Editor (54:02)
- Additional Considerations
- Tips for Hiring an Editor
- You've Hired an Editor... Now What?
- I Got My Editor's Feedback... Now What?
- Interview with Lindsay Schlegel: Receiving Feedback, Strategizing Your Time, and Building a System for Managing Edits (61:29)
Translation
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Formal Review Considerations (After Finalized Manuscript & Before Publication)
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- Introduction
- What Does Canon Law Say?
- What Do the Terms Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur Mean for Your Book?
- How Do I Know if I Need an Imprimatur?
- How Do I Get an Imprimatur?
- What If I am Unable to Pursue an Imprimatur, But Still Want Formal Review?
- Conformity of Catechetical Materials to the Catechism
- Endorsements
- Trade Publication Reviews
- Advanced Reader Copies
An Overview of Publishing Platforms
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Publishing Platforms for Printed Books
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- What's the Best Publishing Platform for My Printed Book?
- Print on Demand Versus Printing in Bulk
- Selling Printed Books on Amazon KDP
- Selling Printed Books on IngramSpark
- Amazon KDP Versus IngramSpark Print Quality and Capabilities
- Why Should You Sell on Both Amazon KDP & IngramSpark?
- Selling Printed Books with Amazon (Outside of KDP)
- Selling Printed Books on Etsy
- Selling Printed Books on Your Own Website
- Selling Printed Books on Bookvault
Publishing Platforms for Ebooks
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Publishing Platforms for Audiobooks
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Understanding Distribution Options
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Publishing Terminology & Specifics
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- Introduction
- Metadata (and the importance of keywords)
- ISBNs
- Barcodes
- Library of Congress Control Numbers (LCCN) & Publisher’s Cataloging in Publication (P-CIP) Data
- BISAC
- Copyright Registration
- Mandatory Deposit
- Marking of Country of Origin on U.S. Imports
- Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)
Working with Printers
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- Introduction
- How to Find a Printer
- Interview with Danielle Hitchen: The Logistics of Printing Your Book Overseas (41:06)
- Getting Quotes From Printers
- Printing Terminology and Important Considerations
- Eco Friendly Printing Considerations
- Obtaining Printer Specs
- Working with a Printer
- Types of Printed Copies
- How Many Printed Copies Do I Order?
- Using Pre-Orders to Make More Accurate Purchasing Decisions
Pricing Your Book
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Design (The Beautiful)
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- Introduction
- Types of Designers You Might Need (Not All Designers are the Same)
- What Questions Should You Be Asking Your Designer?
- Design Briefs: What Your Designer Should Be Asking You!
- Books are Judged By Their Covers
- Interview with Benita Thompson: How Your Book Cover Can Make or Break Your Success as an Author (60:25)
- What are the Parts to a Book Cover? (Front, Back, Spine, & Dust Jackets)
- Special Considerations When Working With Illustrators
- Typesetting & Interior Design Tips
- Designing Ebooks
- Tutorial: How to Format an Ebook Using Microsoft Word (44:50)
- Overall Design Tips
Business Responsibility
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- Disclaimer
- How to Use this Section
- You are in the Business of Selling Your Book
- Presentation by Tammy Hyska, CPA: Top 3 Financial Mistakes Business Owners Make (49:07)
- Interview with Henry Kutarna: Your Book as a Business & Thinking Like a CEO (66:01)
- Interview with Henry Kutarna: Exploring the Concept of a Catholic Economy within Book Publishing (33:19)
- Developing a Business Plan (8:12)
- Project Management Tips
- Should I Sell Under My Own Name or a Company Name?
- Business Set-Up Tips
- Choosing a Business Name
- Business Bank Accounts
- Sales Tax
- P.O. Boxes
- Business Insurance
- Tips for Tax Season
- Contracts
- Interview with Lawyer James Olsen: Self-Publishing Contracts (59:25)
- Interview with Lawyer James Olsen: Legal Considerations of Self-Publishing (60:34)
Setting Up Your Book on Various Platforms
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Shipping & Order Fulfillment
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Marketing
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- Introduction
- Presentation by Kate Sell: Understanding the Catholic Landscape when it Comes to Marketing Your Book (58:21)
- Marketing with Distribution Channels in Mind
- Presentation by Greg Johnson: Book Launch Marketing Strategy (54:31)
- Creating a Marketing Plan
- Book Photography / Mock-Ups
- ARC / Book Launch Team
- Tip for Sharing Amazon Links
- Email Marketing
- Instagram - Overview & First Steps
- Instagram - Favorite Hashtags
- Instagram - Making Connections
- Instagram - Influencer Marketing
- Instagram - Giveaways
- Facebook Groups
- Blog & News Site Reviews
- Sample Press Releases
- TV, News & Radio: Top 50 Catholic Media Outlet List with Contact Info
- Gift Guides
- Vendor Booths
- Podcasts
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Interview with Jacqueline Brown: Amazon Ads, BookBub, Marketing Strategy (66:22)
- Is My Marketing Working?
Special Considerations: Children's Books
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