HOW TO - Determine the correct number of pages and binding format for your book

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A book can be any number of pages however it needs to be divisible by 4 in order to be printed offset (ie. more than 500 copies) and divisible by 2 in order to be printed digitally (ie. less than 500 copies). I advise always having your book divisible by 4 that way you can print with either print method at any time, for any reason without needing to do any more work on your book or pay anyone else to do this for you.

For binding in order to be perfect bound (ie. with a spine at the side instead of 2 stables in the side) the minimum page count is approximately 40 pages (depending on the stock) but a colour book with thicker pages can generally get away with less than this. On the flip side once you reach a certain number of pages the maximum page count is approximately 300 pages (once again depending on the stock) before you are no longer able to perfect bind and you need to move to stitch binding (ie. sewing sections of the book together and gluing those sections into the spine instead of gluing the individual pages in). This is done in order to ensure books with a larger number of pages remain bound and that individual pages don’t fall out due to the large nature of the book just as saddle stitching ensures individual pages don’t fall out due to the small size of the book.

HOW TO - Protect your Digital Intellectual Property

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You don't need to register an ebook but I do recommend doing so. This is something your publisher can do for you (to make the whole process a lot less complicated) but it is also something you can do yourself by contacting ISBN Australia and completing the various paperwork and paying the various charges for 1) your ISBN and 2) your barcode.

The reason I recommend registering an ebook is because by doing so your ebook is protected by the same laws as your physical book. When I say protected though the protection would be good in Australia but as soon as you release your book on the world wide web the high quality free protection we have here simply by putting the copyright symbol on your book not only needs to be paid for per country (if you would like that same protection outside of Australia) but to be perfectly honest with you it will do jack-all.

If someone wants to steal or plagiarize your book they will and unfortunately there is not much you can do to stop them. As such you need to make the decision before you release your book to the general public as to whether the pro's of releasing it eg. the enjoyment, money and credibility you will receive etc. out way the cons eg. multiple people all over the world pirating or plagiarizing your book in some manner.

If you go through ISBN Australia the full process (if you have never done this before) will take approximately 2 weeks. If your publisher does it for you your registration can be approved within 72 hours. They other key difference you need to note though is if you do this for yourself you will be your own registered publisher whereas if your publisher does it for you they will be your registered publisher.

For self and online distribution this doesn’t matter but when it comes to bookstore distribution only your distributor (who needs to also be your registered publisher) will be able to put your book into bookstores for you via traditional distribution channels in  other words choose your registered publisher carefully as it could be the difference as to whether you can distribute your book to bookstores down the line without needing to re-register a second edition or worse re-print that edition to display the new registration in the required positions eg. isbn + barcode on back cover, isbn + publisher’s name in the publisher’s imprint etc.

And I will let you in on another secret too. When someone does take advantage of you via either piracy or plagiarising and you decide to take legal action in regards to it (which by the way is not something I recommend but is also the only way to rectify this injustice) did you want to know how to protect your intellectual property before it is released so you can prove they copied you and not the other way around? – post it to yourself. It sounds too simple but if you print out a copy, post it to yourself and never open the envelope, the sealed envelope post marked with the date you sent it will a) quickly prove who had the content first and b) hold up in a court of law if you ever need it to.

If you would like more information on getting The Publishing Queen to register your book for you click here.

HOW TO Collect Killer Testimonials

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When collecting testimonies for the back of your book I recommend sourcing them in the following order:

1. A raving fan
2. Someone related to the subject of your book
3. Someone with celebrity status

There is no quick or easy way to get a celebrity on board as it is always who you know and not how well known you are. Saying this however if a celebrity is not the above 2 things first I would actually not recommend using them at all as a raving testimony from someone unknown will be more powerful than an ordinary testimony from a celebrity.

As far as how to reach the people you want testimonials form, think of who you want and put it out there to your network eg. ask all your friends, family, business/social contacts and networks you are connected to (online & off eg. social media is as good a source as asking people in person) for an introduction to who you want to speak to (and of course give them a good reason why – eg. tell them about your book as this will not only give credibility to your request, but it will be more likely to be accepted when someone find the connection for you). This can also help pre-sell your book by getting people talking about it before it exists. You never know who your dentist’s, best friend’s, cousin’s boss is?

For more tips on what is required to go on your cover and/or contents design for a saleable book check out my 5th book – ‘How to Design your Book to Stand out from the Crowd’.

HOW TO Write a Book

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When writing the most important thing to remember is that every chapter must have an introduction, a body and a conclusion as well as a natural flow between the three.

Before you begin writing a chapter plan that chapter out. Take a pen and paper and write a short bullet point list with first point being where you want the chapter to start and the last point being where you want your chapter to end. Then fill the list out with logical flow from the start to the end ensuring it is both natural and complete (eg. no steps/part of storyline missing).

Once this list is completed sit it next to you when you write. Allocate yourself some time in a quite space and begin writing and don’t stop until you have finished writing your chapter. Do not pause, do not edit, do not get distracted just focus on working your way through your bullet point checklist elaborating on each point as you go.

You will be surprised how quickly you can get your book written using these methods.

For more information on how to plan your book out click here

HOW TO know what length your chapters should be

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There is no set length that any chapter should be regardless the style or subject matter of your book. Saying that no chapter of your book is complete until it has an introduction, a body and a conclusion.

Plan before you start so you know what to cover in your introduction, body and conclusion. Make sure your introduction says what people can expect to get from reading the chapter, the body contain good content that creates a logical flow from the introduction of that chapter to the conclusion of that chapter and your conclusion sum up what they have just read. It is also important that your conclusion hints towards what is coming in the next chapter so that the conclusion of chapter 1 flows smoothly into the introduction of chapter 2.

Once you have done all these things your chapter will have a beginning, middle and end along with a natural flow between the three sections. This is when you know your chapter is the perfect length it is supposed to be.

For more information on how to plan your book out click here.

On behalf of a client (who I'm introducing to you) which is the best email address to give him to speak directly to The Publishing Queen?

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Currently the best email address if they want to speak to me direct is kylee@thepublishingqueen.com. They will not get an immediate answer as being The Publishing Queen my days are full with back to back appointments but they will always get a response within 24 hours (even if it is after hours).

We are about to introduce a new affiliate marketing system which means the future answer to your question is to direct them to a new web form. This form will collect all necessary details from your friend to let me know exactly where they are at so instead of responding to an email with a series of questions to give me enough information to offer your friend customised advise I will be able to call them (once again within 24 hours of receiving their form) with an accurate answer to their questions and customised recommendations for their specific needs the first time I speak to them.

The added advantage of this is that being an affiliate link I will be able to track exactly who refers who to me which means in return for referring the customer to me 5% of their first order will be credited to the sender as an afiiliate.

If you are interested in becoming an affiliate check out the regsitration form on our affiliate page.