New chapter online now - and free to read


If you're a fan of our Writers' Zone, you'll almost certainly be following our serialisation of Alison Baverstock's Marketing Your Book: An Author's Guide.

Marketing your book: an author's guideAlison's book is essential reading if you plan to see your work published.

From the moment you reach the first page, Alison is by your side guiding you through the labyrinth of the publishing world.

She provides you with practical and proven tips every step of the way - from submitting your manuscript, finding an agent and approaching a publisher, to working with booksellers and even organising a great launch event.

We've now added a new chapter - the eighth - where you'll find advice on going it alone, and how to market your self-published book.

Self-publishing can be successful


What we love about this chapter in Alison's book is the fact that she knocks lots of preconceptions squarely on the head.

It's all too easy to conjure up stereotypes about people who self-publish...
The egomaniacal poet peddling pretentious stanzas.

The clubbable old army officer determined to inflict his memoirs on those who are too slow or weak to escape.

The ethereal young novelist, too brilliant to be constrained by either plot or a publishers' contract.

And yes, there are people like this. But more importantly, there are many others who have brilliant books that wouldn't see the light of day if they weren't self published. Could you be one of them?

Let's take a look at some of the good reasons Alison sees for self-publishing.

  • You want complete control over how you want your book to look. After all, Ben Schott's Original Miscellany was first published at his own expense – and it was the look and feel of the finished product that convinced a publisher to take him on.

  • You want to prove to commercial publishers that your books can sell. If your self-published book sells well, publishers will want to know more about your work. It also gives you great insight into what they do.

  • You just want your book published. If you're not interested in commercial success – say you want to preserve your family history – then why shouldn't you self-publish?

  • You know more about your market than any publisher. If you're writing a specialist book, and you've already got access to potential customers in your field, then why share the profits with a third party?


Self-publishing isn't vanity publishing, but if you're going to make a success of it you need all the help you can get.

And that's where Alison's book is so invaluable. Not only does she shatter a few myths, she guides you through marketing, book formats, hiring an editor, securing reviews, winning publicity and establishing a high profile. You even benefit from sections on database management and order fulfilment, helping you to get your book into the right people's hands.

So why not go and take a look? And if you'd like to read an additional two case studies, or you can't wait to read the other chapters, you can buy a copy of Marketing Your Book now from A&C Black's website - and get a useful discount into the bargain.