Today is a special episode of the Fireside Chats with Danny Iny, where we’re going to be interviewing one of the most well-known and prolific writers and marketers working today, Guy Kawasaki about his new book: APE! (or Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur)

You see, we’ve noticed how many of our readers and listeners are interested in, writing a book – if they haven’t written one already! And with all of the changes in the publishing industry, more and more people are turning to self-publishing – just like Guy.  It’s not enough to be a great author any more – now you also have to be an entrepreneur and a publisher, too.

So Danny and Guy are going to be talking about what really goes into self-publishing a popular book. Guy uses his newest book APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur, to explain which steps of a book launch (self-publishing included) are absolutely necessary. And you’ll get a whole bunch of tips on how to write, edit, format, crowd-source and publish your own book.

So let’s get started – those manuscripts aren’t going to draft themselves…

Click here to listen to the podcast:

Danny’s Interview with Guy Kawasaki about APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur

Distilled Wisdom

• Self-publishing is difficult especially for non fiction writers because of the pictures, captions, bullets, and tables that are difficult to format.
• Writing a book can be compared to the process of vomiting: you spew out your book as fast as possible and then you spend the next 6 to 9 months refining your vomit trying to get to something that is beautiful.
• A book will not be art on your first draft.
• Self-publishing is a craft – comparative to artisan baking or wine making where you control every step of the process. It is a great sense of accomplishment.
• Traditional publishers tell you what to do every step of the way and you have less control. In self-publishing you have full control, but you also have full responsibility.
• To avoid the self-published look you need to get a professional copy editor and cover designer.
• The most work happens in the entrepreneur stage. The most can go right or wrong.
• You have to SELL your own book, and that is a lot more challenging than people often realize.
• Crowdsourcing is a great way to get help on every process of APE. Guy got help from 1,200 people for help with ideas, editing and reviewing.

Resources

You can find out more about connecting with your audience in a positive way by checking out our Fireside Chats on Product Launches and Effective Webinars. And of course – don’t forget to get a copy of the book APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur!

In the meantime, I’d like to hear from you: Have you been thinking about writing a book? Would you self-publish or try to go after a traditional publisher and why?