Shelley Hitz and Heather Hart are co-authors of “Desktop Publishing 101: A Step-by-Step Guide to Publishing Your Book in Various Formats.” Hitz and Hart are business partners and earn a living helping authors write, publish, and market their books.
“Self-Publishing Books 101” is available on Amazon in two formats: Kindle (free) and paperback ($ 9.95). I am a newcomer to the world of Kindle and recently discovered that many Kindle books are available for free. I also started publishing my own Kindle books recently. So when I saw this book, I grabbed it. You can’t beat that price!
Unfortunately, many free Kindle books are practically useless. It’s easy to find gifts that shouldn’t even be available. But that’s not the case with “Desktop Publishing Books 101.” I like this book for several reasons. The first is this: Hitz and Hart offer a quality book. It’s not a barely disguised sales letter, as Kindle giveaways tend to be. It’s packed with great content and could easily sell for $ 5 or $ 10.
Kindle books are usually free for a limited time because Amazon has a program called KDP Select that allows authors to reduce the price to zero for up to 5 days every 3 months. But “Desktop Books 101” is what’s known as a “stay-free” book – it’s always free. So I congratulate the authors for setting an example for all genre writers – if you are an author and you want to offer a free book, do what these women have done – give us a book that can be sold – a real book. Do not fill the market with garbage.
The second reason I like this book is because the content is excellent. The book does what the title tells it it will do: provide a comprehensive introduction to the world of desktop publishing. There are three sections: Part 1, Foundations for Publishing Success, covers the initial steps of writing, editing, and marketing a book. Part 2, Your Book Desktop Publishing, is the heart of the book and addresses the issues of cover design and the various types of book formats: print, e-books, audiobooks, and foreign language translations. Part 3, Other Publishing Decisions, ends with chapters on obtaining copyright, forming an independent publishing company (if you wish), and a nice summary chapter that sums up the entire book.
This book presents a complete overview of desktop publishing. Although I have published five Kindle books on my own in the past six months, I still consider myself a newbie with a lot to learn. This book filled in many gaps for me. So whether you’re new to desktop publishing or have some experience, this book will allow you to see the big picture of a rapidly growing industry.
Another reason I like this book is because it is well written. Both Hitz and Hart are gifted writers with the ability to provide simple explanations in English. The book flows very well from chapter to chapter. It is logically organized. And I like that each topic is fully explained; you will repeatedly find links to additional resources.
The last reason I recommend this book is because it is written by two people who have achieved great success in the desktop publishing business. Hitz is a prolific author with 35 books to her credit. Hart has also written several books. If you want to learn how to write, publish, and market your own books, Hitz and Hart can help. This book is a wonderful way to start your training, and you may want to check out the many resources these women offer at www.trainingauthors.com and www.ShelleyHitz.com.
If you’re new to desktop publishing and need instructions on how to get started, this book is a great place to start. Without reservation, I give it 5 stars. You won’t find a better introduction to desktop publishing, free or at any price. You can get it here: