This presentation accompanied a talk I gave at the Ann Arbor District Library on February 27, 2013 on my adventures in self-publishing.

1. What, me publish?
Dan Romanchik, KB6NU
http://www.kb6nu.com
cwgeek@kb6nu.com

2. Am I lucky or what?
• Trained as an engineer, i.e. I never really learned
how to write.
• After 12 mostly unsatisfying years as an engineer,
mostly as a test engineer, I lucked into a job with
Test&Measurement World magazine.
• After six years as a writer and technical editor,
became a freelance writer and website developer.

3. Am I Lucky or What?
• Lifelong amateur radio operator, but not very
active until August 2002.
• Began amateur radio blog - KB6NU.Com -
November 2002. Now, has nearly 2,000 posts
and loyal readership.
• The first “No Nonsense” amateur radio license
study guide - 2007.

4. My books
• “No Nonsense”Amateur Radio
License Study Guides
• Technician, General, Extra
• 21Things to Do AfterYou GetYour
Amateur Radio License
• Having Fun with Ham Radio: Letting
My Inner Geek Out

5. Creating your e-book
• My first attempt: Calibre/Sigil
• Calibre is an e-book management
program. Capable of converting e-
books from one format to another.
• Sigil is an e-book editor.
• This approach worked, but the
two-step process took a lot of
time.

6. Creating your e-book
• Jutoh is a program designed
specifically for creating e-books.
• Jutoh works on all major desktop
platforms:Windows, Mac, Linux.
• Not free, but costs only $40.
• Great support via the Jutoh mailing
list. Program author participates in list.

7. Creating your e-book
• Other solutions
• Adobe In-Design -VERY expensive.
• Smashwords: Online e-book creation, will also
sell book for you.
• Some word-processing programs now export
ePub files.
• A bunch of others.

8. Editing
• A good editor WILL make your book better.
• They’re not cheap, though.A good editor could
cost anywhere from $200 to $2,000.
• Another problem is finding one that you can
work with.

9. Covers
• While it may be true that you
can’t tell a book by its cover,
your book will be judged by
its cover.
• Expect to pay at least $200
for a professional cover, more
if you’re doing a print cover.

10. Selling your e-book
AMAZON!

11. Selling your e-book
• iBookstore
• Smashwords
• Direct from your own website
• Leanpub
• Specialized websites:AmateurRadioSupplies.Com

12. Marketing
• No paid advertising.
• I do send out press releases.
• Rely heavily on my blog, social media (Twitter),
mailing lists, word-of-mouth.
• Free advertising: 2600 magazine
•AMAZON!

13. Your “platform”
• What is a platform?
• My platform:
• Blog
• Mailing lists
• Speaking
• Teaching
• Create your writer platform : the key to building an
audience, selling more books, and finding success as
an author

14. Should you offer a print version?
• Ann Arbor is the world capital for short-run
printing: Edwards Bros., Cushing-Malloy, more
• Print-on-demand (POD)
• U-M Espresso machine
• Lulu
• Whether or not you offer a print version
depends on what type of book you’re publishing.

15. I’m not getting rich (yet)
• I’m definitely not getting rich, but sales are
increasing.
• The money I’m making is more than paying for
my amateur radio hobby.
• I plan to write and publish more books. In the
works are books about learning and using Morse
Code and digital multi-meters (DMMs).

16. Do you have a book in you?
• If you have ever considered writing a book, I’d
encourage you to do so.
• The barriers to publishing are so low now that
they’re almost nil.
• There are lots of good reasons to do so.
• What do you know about? What is your passion?

17. QUESTIONS?
Dan Romanchik, KB6NU
cwgeek@kb6nu.com
734-930-6564