4 ms·

Step by step guide on how to publish a book (how we made xkcd: volume 0)

47 points by kn0thing 17y ago

kn0thing 17y ago
Please steal this model. And even if you don't go the 'dead tree inventory route' consider selfpublishing via Lulu.com or the like once you've got a blog/website with a solid userbase (OnStartups, I'm looking at you).
- dshah 17y ago
  Totally been planning on "The OnStartups Book". Good news is now that my first book (Inbound Marketing) has been a runaway success, I have some leverage with the publishers too. Also, I want to donate all profits from the book to an organization that promotes entrepreneurship. Looking into who the lucky organization will be. And, I'm looking right back at you Alexis. I'm going to need help promoting the book and you're an internet rockstar.
  - kn0thing 17y ago
    Love it! You should threaten your publisher with talk of self-publishing. I'll answer any questions that may come up (as long as you promise to write your own tutorial when it's done). It'd mean more money for that nonprofit, too. I've always wondered about an entrepreneurship-focused org, but haven't found one that blew me away yet. Loved your RtR fundraising, btw :) My process of selection involves a lot of stalking and research, followed by pestering until I can find someone there who really gets breadpig. I'd be happy to help be a set of eyes for you as you look. edit: Oh, and I'll gladly help promote!
- edw519 17y ago
  ...once you've got a blog/website with a solid userbase... Do hacker news posts count? I just determined via searchyc.com that I've posted over 3300 comments here. I imagine there must be some value for someone in there. I'd love to share "the best of edw519" via hardcopy (with pg's permission, of course). I wouldn't be interested in making money with this. Just sharing my favorite thoughts about programming / business with people who don't normally come here (clients, prospects, colleagues, friends, family, etc.) Any thoughts?
  - jrockway 17y ago
    Why would you need pg's permission to publish your own work?
    - pg 17y ago
      You don't, of course.
  - kn0thing 17y ago
    This seems like a no-brainer, especially going to Lulu (or like) route, especially if you don't want to make money on it and you're more hesitant about the initial capital cost to paying a printer for a few thousand copies. I'd give you more encouragement for self-publishing the 'dead tree in apartment' route if you had a proven audience of people already buying your merch (tho, if you're selling edw519 shirts, you're doing something very right).
- MattCruikshank 17y ago
  I greatly enjoyed my experience of self-publishing on Lulu.com. It is truly satisfying to hold a physical copy of your own book, in my case it was my National Novel Writing Month book.
njharman 17y ago
$150 for an ISBN? Really? I'm pretty sure you can get them for free or less from government (or at least could 20 years ago. More recently my friend got an ISSN (magazine version of ISBN) for cost of filling out form.
- kn0thing 17y ago
  Please share the link and I'll gladly update the entry (with citation)! I wish I'd known.
- pmichaud 17y ago
  Yes, if you buy one they are about the price. However, if you buy 10, they are about $250, so buying in bulk makes a lot of sense if you're planning to publish more than one book.
- jvdh 17y ago
  This really surprised me too. I just got one in the Netherlands, and it only cost me €10.
  - Luc 17y ago
    Out of curiosity, where did you get it?
    - jvdh 17y ago
      directly from isbn.nl
- njharman 17y ago
  I might be totally misremembering, but I sure thought it was from government and not Bowker. Seems like something that has been privatized and of course prices jacked up tremendously. IRRC I wasn't getting an individual ISBN either I was getting a publisher code, and could issue thousands of ISBNs under it. What a scam/racket, esp the barcodes. (like https certs, domain registration and other government mandated monopolies) It doesn't flippin cost $150 to track a number in a database.
wmf 17y ago
It's missing step 7 about getting distribution for the book.
- kn0thing 17y ago
  Ah, this is unfortunately something I know little about, because it was handled by xkcd's distribution center. I'd love to update the entry with suggestions, but this was operating under an assumption that the book would be an extension of an existing merch system (shirts, etc). The best recommendation I can make atm is Amazon, but unfortunately, it's without experience: http://aws.amazon.com/fws/ http://aws.amazon.com/fws/
deleted 17y ago
[deleted]

47 points by kn0thing 17y ago

Please steal this model. And even if you don't go the 'dead tree inventory route' consider selfpublishing via Lulu.com or the like once you've got a blog/website with a solid userbase (OnStartups, I'm looking at you).

dshah 17y ago
Totally been planning on "The OnStartups Book". Good news is now that my first book (Inbound Marketing) has been a runaway success, I have some leverage with the publishers too. Also, I want to donate all profits from the book to an organization that promotes entrepreneurship. Looking into who the lucky organization will be. And, I'm looking right back at you Alexis. I'm going to need help promoting the book and you're an internet rockstar.
- kn0thing 17y ago
  Love it! You should threaten your publisher with talk of self-publishing. I'll answer any questions that may come up (as long as you promise to write your own tutorial when it's done). It'd mean more money for that nonprofit, too. I've always wondered about an entrepreneurship-focused org, but haven't found one that blew me away yet. Loved your RtR fundraising, btw :) My process of selection involves a lot of stalking and research, followed by pestering until I can find someone there who really gets breadpig. I'd be happy to help be a set of eyes for you as you look. edit: Oh, and I'll gladly help promote!
edw519 17y ago
...once you've got a blog/website with a solid userbase... Do hacker news posts count? I just determined via searchyc.com that I've posted over 3300 comments here. I imagine there must be some value for someone in there. I'd love to share "the best of edw519" via hardcopy (with pg's permission, of course). I wouldn't be interested in making money with this. Just sharing my favorite thoughts about programming / business with people who don't normally come here (clients, prospects, colleagues, friends, family, etc.) Any thoughts?
- jrockway 17y ago
  Why would you need pg's permission to publish your own work?
  - pg 17y ago
    You don't, of course.
- kn0thing 17y ago
  This seems like a no-brainer, especially going to Lulu (or like) route, especially if you don't want to make money on it and you're more hesitant about the initial capital cost to paying a printer for a few thousand copies. I'd give you more encouragement for self-publishing the 'dead tree in apartment' route if you had a proven audience of people already buying your merch (tho, if you're selling edw519 shirts, you're doing something very right).
MattCruikshank 17y ago
I greatly enjoyed my experience of self-publishing on Lulu.com. It is truly satisfying to hold a physical copy of your own book, in my case it was my National Novel Writing Month book.

njharman 17y ago

$150 for an ISBN? Really? I'm pretty sure you can get them for free or less from government (or at least could 20 years ago. More recently my friend got an ISSN (magazine version of ISBN) for cost of filling out form.

kn0thing 17y ago
Please share the link and I'll gladly update the entry (with citation)! I wish I'd known.
pmichaud 17y ago
Yes, if you buy one they are about the price. However, if you buy 10, they are about $250, so buying in bulk makes a lot of sense if you're planning to publish more than one book.
jvdh 17y ago
This really surprised me too. I just got one in the Netherlands, and it only cost me €10.
- Luc 17y ago
  Out of curiosity, where did you get it?
  - jvdh 17y ago
    directly from isbn.nl
njharman 17y ago
I might be totally misremembering, but I sure thought it was from government and not Bowker. Seems like something that has been privatized and of course prices jacked up tremendously. IRRC I wasn't getting an individual ISBN either I was getting a publisher code, and could issue thousands of ISBNs under it. What a scam/racket, esp the barcodes. (like https certs, domain registration and other government mandated monopolies) It doesn't flippin cost $150 to track a number in a database.

wmf 17y ago

It's missing step 7 about getting distribution for the book.

kn0thing 17y ago
Ah, this is unfortunately something I know little about, because it was handled by xkcd's distribution center. I'd love to update the entry with suggestions, but this was operating under an assumption that the book would be an extension of an existing merch system (shirts, etc). The best recommendation I can make atm is Amazon, but unfortunately, it's without experience: http://aws.amazon.com/fws/ http://aws.amazon.com/fws/

deleted 17y ago

[deleted]