Do you have a book in you? Research suggests that over 80 percent of Americans say they do.

Sure it would be nice to sell the book to one of the big five (or four) and get a cushy advance, but the reality is that the book publishing industry is changing. While the best selling authors are still doing well, mid-list and lower authors are struggling to get published. Many are turning to digital publishing and are making more than they did with traditional publishers.

In this course, I’m going to cover everything you need to know about publishing your books for Kindle, Nook, iBooks and more. You’ll learn:

- How to build a ready-made audience to buy your book.
- Formatting issues to avoid
- The difference between epublisher and self-publishing
- How to choose a distribution channel…should you go Amazon only?
- And much more!

How to Write and Publish E-Books is on Saturday, May 18, 2013 from 1 to 4 at PVCC

I’ve been very fortunate in my life. I’ve been able to eek out a career from home doing a variety of jobs. I love that I can pick projects that excite me and make a living doing them. But that doesn’t mean I always reach my goals or that I don’t struggle to overcome self-doubt and fear. It’s not as bad now because I can point to successes in my life that are the result of taking action and following through. And yet, in many respects I feel I’m falling short of my potential.

I’m an avid reader. I like to learn new things I can use to improve my business and writing. But I also read a lot of self-help related to success and motivation. I’ve read Napoleon Hill, Jack Canfield, Dale Carnegie, Norman Vincent Peale, Zig Zigler and many books covering law of attraction ideas (all these books pretty much say the same things, just in different ways). While reading, I write down motivating quotes and do the activities. And then, like two weeks after New Year’s day, I’ve stopped working on the goals and am back to my same old actions and thoughts. [...]

This year’s Virginia Festival of the Book was as fun and educational as ever. My only beef was that there was no luncheon. I used to love the luncheon. (There was a brunch, but it was at the same time as my panel.)

This year, I sat on a panel that discussed how to make writing pay. We were a diverse group, which I think helped audience members see varying options to making money using words. The moderator, Rachel Unkefer, recorded the panel and shared it with the panelist so we could share it with you.

The panelists included (listed in the order they first appear on the recording):

Gabe Goldberg – a technical writer

Edie Eckman – book writer and technical editor for knitting and crochet

Leslie Truex – working at home and digital writing

Don Fry – writing coach and author of Writing Your Way.

Listen to How to Make Writing Pay here.