Gone are the days when you must find a publisher who believes in your book and is willing to take it on and make it a success—paying you a small royalty for the privilege. Now, you can publish your own book—for better or for worse. The advantage of this hands-on publishing environment is that you are in control of your book—how much you invest in it, how aggressively you promote it, and how much money you make from it. The challenge is that you must find ways to market your book, despite not having the kind of extensive reach that a large publishing company would have.

The only limits on marketing and distribution are those imposed by your imagination and your budget—with one having an impact on the other. The more creative and innovative you are in promoting your book, the more successful you are likely to be. In the world of publishing, as elsewhere, it's all about relationships and connecting with others in meaningful ways.

InsideOut Media provides an empowering, creative service for authors seeking a dynamic partner in this exciting realm of do-it-yourself publishing. If we're a good fit for you, and if you're a good fit for us, let's explore how to make this partnership a win-win process, to our mutual benefit and fulfillment. Contact us for an exploratory chat and let's talk about books!

Four key elements for success

1. Get your book professionally laid out, edited and proofread.

With the vastly expanded market now open to self-publishing authors, competition is more intense than ever. Having a well-written, professionally produced book with an attractive, sophisticated design and compelling promotional copy is crucial if you are serious about becoming a successful author. Bad grammar, sloppy writing, typos and other basic errors will greatly diminish your credibility and reduce the power of your message. Sadly, many self-published books fall far short of their potential by being poorly laid out, loosely structured, grammatically incorrect and/or written in a style that is not reader-friendly.

2. Engage a professional designer to create a compelling cover design, look and feel.

The look of your book may make the difference between someone clicking on it to know more and just passing it by—or not even seeing it. Unless it generates immediate interest, it will get lost in the vast crowd of options out there. A skilled designer will focus on a cover that not only reflects the message and market of your book but also ensures that the design is Internet-friendly, with a look that is just as visually powerful when the book is no more than a thumbnail image on an ipad/iphone.

3. Get feedback. 

Get your book read by a variety of people in different walks of life—people you do not know who are willing to offer candid feedback about the quality, impact, purpose and message of your book. Not everyone is a gifted or skilled writer, although many are wonderful storytellers. Don't be afraid to ask for objective feedback and don't limit your request to just family members or friends. This can save you valuable time, energy and resources, while helping to ensure that your book is the best it can be. It can be difficult to ask for help, but if your writing is not strongly compelling or if you have difficulty finding your 'voice', get some input from an experienced editor and see how it could be enhanced, restructured or reworked for maximum impact and readability.

4. Have a plan.

You may not know how successful your book could be, how exactly you're going to promote it, or even how you're going to pay for it to be marketed effectively. But it's important to have a goal—a vision of where you would like your book to go and what you would like it to achieve. This is not just about making money; in fact, if that is your only reason for producing a book, you might want to rethink your motivation. Passion, purpose and commitment are powerful when combined with a clear intention, decisive actions and a creative marketing approach. Some of the most successful authors are those who write for the love of it, and their focused passion often opens doors, leading to spontaneous connections and timely opportunities that lead to success. 

WHO WE ARE

We are a small, hands-on self-publishing company dedicated to producing books that make a positive, creative, meaningful difference in people's personal/professional lives.

Our highly individualized, à la carte service includes:

• substantive editing/revising/writing of manuscripts;
• creative input and enhancement of ideas/structure/tone/message;
• first-class copy editing and proofreading;
• layout and design of text;
• illustrations (if required) and contemporary cover design;
• compelling wording/messages on the back cover;
• ISBN, bar code, PCIP data, MARC, author's photo;
• e-book conversion for Kindle and others;
• uploading to Createspace (for print on demand) and Amazon;
• printing of hard copies (if required), at favourable rates;
• quality control and checking of printer's proofs;
• assistance with obtaining back-cover endorsements;
• creation of a WordPress site and/or landing page for your book;
• social media support;
• recommendations for promoting/distributing your book;
• a customized 1–3-minute video that promotes your book in a compelling and entertaining way.

Finding the right fit

Just as you may strive to write a book that reflects your values, message, purpose or ideals, we only take on those titles that fit with who we are and strive to be. With the right fit, producing and publishing your book becomes a rewarding interactive journey that involves far more than just a well-managed production schedule or an impressive-looking end product. It's an extension of you—your passion, your creativity and your unique contribution to the world.

We devote a chunk of our time to our own creative projects and typically take on no more than two or three authors a year. If we work with you, you become part of our publishing 'family', and we treat your book with the same dedication and excitement as we do our own.

Our core values are:

• integrity
• creativity
• empowerment
• self-responsibility
  

MEET THE TEAM

Olga Sheean has been a professional writer and editor for the past 30 years. Formerly a magazine editor and columnist, she has also worked as an editor and photo-journalist for WWF International in Switzerland and as an editor for the United Nations in Geneva, New York, Manila, Hungary and elsewhere. She has written over 300 magazine articles on human dynamics, creative potential, holistic health, quantum living, relationships, the environment and conscious evolution, and was the owner of Berkana Books Self-Publishing services in the mid-90s, publishing inspirational self-help titles for non-fiction authors.

An empowerment coach and relationship therapist with clients all over the world, Olga is also the author of seven books, all of which incorporate her ground-breaking proprietary processes and principles relating to empowerment and human dynamics.

Whether she is working on a blog, an article, a UN document or a book, Olga is a skilled and prolific wordsmith, maintaining a superior standard of excellence in her work and leveraging the power of the written word with clarity, creativity and style.

Lewis Evans represents a rare blend of skills, creativity and commercial realism. A talented artist, illustrator, inventor, author, creativity coach and graphic designer, he is also highly skilled in social media, blogging, project management, web design and innovative marketing strategies. In his 30 years of marketing communications, art and design, he has coached, mentored and provided consultancy to individuals and organizations worldwide—from Virgin, BP and Hitachi, to UNDP, the ILO, GlaxoSmithKline and Enterprise Ireland.

Some highlights from his extensive career:

Lewis is a prolific professional artist who exhibits internationally and helps artistic communities effectively promote their work.

He has invented, designed and commercialized several innovative products.

He's the author of Hominine—a fast-paced geopolitical thriller that raises important questions ...and provides disarmingly simple answers.

Lewis is also the founder of Creative COGS—a service dedicated to cultivating an ethic of sustainable success through cutting-edge creativity and values-based communication.

He is the CEO of Cogenica Media—an innovative influence-building, content-creation and management and conversion optimization service for businesses.

TELL US ABOUT YOU...

Please answer the following questions so we can determine if we would work well together to create a powerful publishing win-win: