This seems like a simple enough question but there is no simple answer. There are three basic types of self-publishers. I’ll call them the casual hobbyist, the serious hobbyist and the professional. Before I can answer “How much?” you need to determine which type fits you best.

There are many ways to make a publishing firm succeed, but there is one sure way to make it fail — conducting business without a marketing plan. That is especially true when preparing your special-sales marketing plan, since this is usually foreign territory for the traditional independent publisher. In this case, a strategic plan is like a compass, constantly pointing the way to profitability.

Strong compelling back cover copy sells books! Think about how you buy a book. You pick it up, look at the cover, and if you like the visuals, title, and subtitle, it’s because something resonates in you; something about what you see calls to some desire or longing inside you. That desire could be anything. In the case of a novel (or even non-fiction), it might be to have a transcendent reading experience – to be touched, moved, entertained, transported, etc.

The major holidays are over and we’re tippy toeing into 2007. Your greatest seasonal opportunity to sell books ended last month. Your books will probably remain untouched in storage until the next big gift-giving holiday. Right?

The word grinding can be applied to self-published authors. Moving our product may seem difficult, but the reward is worth the hustle. Learn to walk, talk and believe in your novel. Allow criticism to roll off your shoulders while you focus on the next potential customer.

Its book award application time! Book awards bring exposure to books. Exposure generates sales. Sales mean more money in your pocket. Pursuing those book awards that allow publishers or authors to nominate their own titles can be a worthwhile activity for your book marketing efforts.

Last week I went to pay some bills online. I looked at my account and realized there were charges listed that I had never made. I called the bank immediately. I went to the bank 10 business days later, and I still did not have a functioning ATM card, which meant, to get cash, I had to wait in a long, long line at the bank for a teller. Twenty minutes later, by the time I got to the head of the line, I was seriously annoyed. I expressed my annoyance to the teller. Her response? “Calm down, Ma’am.” Do you think this response calmed me down?