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Fiat Self-Publishing Hub

👋 WELCOME!

Welcome to the Fiat Self-Publishing Hub! (3:01)
Information
Disclaimers
Support
List Your Book On Thy Olive Tree's Website

Directories

Intro & Terms of Use
How to Search the Directories
Illustrator Directory
Service Provider Directory
Printer Directory

📃 SELF-PUBLISHING CHECKLIST + WORKBOOK + BONUS WORKSHEETS

Self-Publishing Master Checklist
Self-Publishing Workbook
Fiat Self-Publishing Model Notetaking Sheet
Discernment Worksheet & Video Walkthrough (16:01)
Creative Spark Worksheet
Nonfiction Outline Worksheet

What Makes a Good, True, and Beautiful Book?

Video Overview (3:10)
Introduction
What Makes a Good Book?
What Makes a True Book?
What Makes a Beautiful Book?
What Can This Tell Us About the Non-Negotiables of Self-Publishing?

Overview of Self-Publishing

Video Overview (11:03)
My Story & Getting on the Same Page (13:17)
The Different Types of Publishing
Setting Realistic Expectations
Why Should You Self-Publish?
What Makes a Successful Author?
Why Self-Publishing is Anything But the Self
The Fiat Self-Publishing Model (4:22)
The Fiat Self-Publishing Model (Image + Notetaking Sheet)
⭐Favorite Self-Publishing Resources

Discerning God's Will for Your Book

What is Discernment?
Discernment Overview (5:43)
Discernment Tips from Charbel Raish (5:47)
A Constant Process
Discernment Tips that Apply to All Stages
Helpful Tips and Quotes from Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers
(Video) Discernment Tips from Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers (67:16)
(Video) Decision-Making and Discernment with Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers (30:42)
Discernment Worksheet
⭐ Supplemental Resources

Sanctity: Keeping God at the Center of Your Work

Keeping God at the Center
Defining Success in God's Eyes
The Numbers Game
The Comparison Game
Reflection Questions

Creative Spark: Finding Inspiration for Your Book Idea

Finding Inspiration and Clarity for Your Book Idea
Finding Inspiration Video Overview (3:01)
Tips for Finding Inspiration
10 Book Ideas to Get You Brainstorming (7:01)
Examples of Innovative Books
Exploring Amazon Book Categories (6:22)
Browsing Bestsellers (14:42)
Auto-Populating Ideas Using the Search Bar (5:26)
📃Creative Spark Worksheet
⭐ Supplemental Resources

Validating Your Idea: Is This Worth Pursuing?

Four Tips for Validating Your Book Idea
Additional Resources and Tools

Unique Value Proposition: Determining What Makes Your Book Unique

Overview: Developing Your Unique Value Proposition (18:50)
Your Unique Contribution
Performing Market Research
Who Do I Hope to Serve?
Determine Your Niche

Goal Setting

What is the "Big Picture" Goal for Your Book?
Interview with Charbel Raish: Building a Ministry Around Your Book (64:52)
You Can't Set Realistic Goals without First Understanding Your Genre
Writing Goals
Self-Publishing Timelines

Why It's Helpful to Think About Printers Now

Begin Thinking About Printers (Especially for Design-Heavy Books)

Financial Considerations

Financial Considerations Overview
Perform a Skills Assessment and Set a Budget
Consider How You Will Fund Your Book
Thinking About Crowdfunding PDF Handout
Interview with Stephanie Petters: Cut The Financial Risk By Crowdfunding Your Book (57:19)
Presentation by Stephanie Petters: Key Components to a Kickstarter Campaign (62:01)
Track Your Expenses

Start Your Author Platform Now

What is an Author Platform?
Interview with Cathy Knipper: Author Branding, Platform Building, and Book Marketing (58:37)
Develop Your Author Brand & Aesthetic
Interview with Dominic de Souza: Brand Archetypes (56:43)
Build Your Email List
Presentation by Greg Johnson: Email Marketing & Author Newsletters (69:30)
Start Using (Or Being Intentional About) Social Media
Interview with Molly Balint: Social Media Tips + Getting Started On Instagram (62:54)
Author Websites
Presentation by Kristina Romero: Overview of Author Websites (47:21)

Outlining Your Nonfiction Book

Introduction to Outlining a Nonfiction Book (1:24)
Brainstorming Exercise
Nonfiction Book Structures (9:50)
Outlining Methods and Tools (2:23)
Example of a Traditional / Linear Outline (5:08)
Example of a Mind Map (2:58)
Planning Your Chapters (8:57)
What to Do if You are Feeling Stuck
📃 Nonfiction Outline Worksheet

Outlining Your Fiction Book

Introduction to Outlining a Fiction Book
Brainstorming and Planning
Story Structures
Methods for Story Development
Plotting & Outlining Tools

Special Considerations for Outlining Highly Visual Books

Storyboarding
Storyboarding Guest Talk: Kortnee Senn (4:36)

Prioritize Your Writing

Growing in Your Craft of Writing
Getting Started and Staying on Track

The Writing Process

Introduction
Style Guides (The USCCB Has One!)
Where to Find Images in the Public Domain
Where to Find Books in the Public Domain
But What If I'm Not Finding What I Need in the Public Domain?
Presentation: Permissions & USCCB Style Guide with Jeanette Fast Redmond (57:46)
Industry Update with Jeanette Fast Redmond (Bible Permissions, UCSSB Style Guide) (47:47)
Book Funnel Considerations
Interview with Lisa Canning: Book Funnels & Turning Your Book into a Business Card! (57:02)
Choosing a Title
Feedback: Alpha and Beta Readers
Front and Back Matter
Copyright Page
Back Cover Blurb (12:32)

The Editing Process

Introduction
15 Tips for Self-Editing
What Types of Editing Do You Need? + 4 Tips for Working with an Editor Handout
Interview with Jody Benson: Different Types of Editing & How to Work with an Editor (54:02)
Additional Considerations
Tips for Hiring an Editor
(Handout) You've Hired an Editor... Now What?
I Got My Editor's Feedback... Now What?
Interview with Lindsay Schlegel: Receiving Feedback, Strategizing Your Time, and Building a System for Managing Edits (61:29)

Translation

Translating Your Book into Other Languages
Presentation by Christine Lacayo: Translation & Multicultural Storytelling (55:04)
(Handout) 17 Content Ideas to Nail Your Multicultural Marketing

Formal Review Considerations (After Finalized Manuscript & Before Publication)

Introduction
What Does Canon Law Say?
What Do the Terms Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur Mean for Your Book?
How Do I Know if I Need an Imprimatur?
How Do I Get an Imprimatur?
What If I am Unable to Pursue an Imprimatur, But Still Want Formal Review?
Conformity of Catechetical Materials to the Catechism
Endorsements
Trade Publication Reviews
Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs)

An Overview of Publishing Platforms

Introduction
Which Formats Should I Publish In?
Publishing Platforms: Industry Recommendations
Going Wide Versus Going Exclusive

Publishing Platforms for Printed Books

What's the Best Publishing Platform for My Printed Book?
Print on Demand Versus Printing in Bulk
Selling Printed Books on Amazon KDP Print
Selling Printed Books with IngramSpark
Selling Printed Books on Bookvault
Amazon KDP Print, IngramSpark, and Bookvault Print Quality and Capabilities
Selling Printed Books with Amazon (Outside of Amazon KDP Print)
Selling Printed Books on Etsy
Selling Printed Books on Your Own Website
Selling on a Catholic Marketplace

Publishing Platforms for Ebooks

Ebooks: An Introduction + Ebook Handout
Interview with Jacqueline Brown: Overview of Ebooks (66:59)
Ebooks: Going Wide Versus Exclusive

Publishing Platforms for Audiobooks

Audiobooks: An Introduction
Audiobooks: Exclusive or Wide?

Understanding Distribution Options

Introduction
Interview with Charbel Raish: Distribution, International Rights Licensing, & Book Pricing (54:22)
In-Person Sales
Retail Stores
Libraries
Catholic Churches & Schools (16:36)
Interview with Katie Bogner: Marketing Your Children's Book to Schools + 2 Handouts (Book Bio Template & Dos and Don'ts of Marketing to Schools) (71:53)
Selective Rights Licensing

Publishing Terminology & Specifics

Introduction
Metadata (and the importance of keywords)
ISBNs
Barcodes
Library of Congress Control Numbers (LCCN) & Publisher’s Cataloging in Publication (P-CIP) Data
BISAC
Copyright Registration
Mandatory Deposit
Marking of Country of Origin on U.S. Imports
Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)

Working with Printers

Introduction
How to Find a Printer
Interview with Danielle Hitchen: The Logistics of Printing Your Book Overseas (41:06)
Getting Quotes From Printers
Printing Terminology and Important Considerations
Obtaining Printer Specs
Working with a Printer
Types of Printed Copies
How Many Printed Copies Do I Order?
Using Pre-Orders to Make More Accurate Purchasing Decisions

Pricing Your Book

Introduction
An Introduction to Pricing Your Printed Book
Pricing Your Printed Book for Wholesale
A Formula for Pricing Your Printed Book
Pricing for Ebooks
Pricing for Audiobooks

Design (The Beautiful)

Introduction
Types of Designers You Might Need (Not All Designers are the Same)
What Questions Should You Be Asking A Designer? + Handout on Questions to Ask a Book Cover Designer
Design Briefs: What Your Designer Should Be Asking You!
Books are Judged By Their Covers
Where to Find a Book Cover Designer
Interview with Benita Thompson: How Your Book Cover Can Make or Break Your Success as an Author (60:25)
Interview with Benita Thompson on Book Cover Marketability (23:50)
What are the Parts to a Book Cover? (Front, Back, Spine, & Dust Jackets)
Special Considerations When Working With Illustrators
Tutorial: How to Digitize Your Artwork + Tips for Working with an Illustrator // Katie Broussard (36:55)
Typesetting & Interior Design Tips for Your Printed Book
Designing Ebooks
Tutorial: How to Format an Ebook Using Microsoft Word (44:50)
Additional Design Tips

Business Responsibility

Disclaimer
Introduction
Presentation by Tammy Hyska, CPA: Top 3 Financial Mistakes Business Owners Make (49:07)
Interview with Henry Kutarna: Your Book as a Business & Thinking Like a CEO (66:01)
Interview with Henry Kutarna: Exploring the Concept of a Catholic Economy within Book Publishing (33:19)
Video + Business Planning Template: Developing a Business Plan (8:12)
Project Management Tips
Should I Sell Under My Own Name or a Company Name?
Business Set-Up Tips
Choosing a Business Name
Business Bank Accounts
Sales Tax
P.O. Boxes
Business Insurance
Tips for Tax Season
Contracts
Interview with Lawyer James Olsen: Self-Publishing Contracts (59:25)
Interview with Lawyer James Olsen: Legal Considerations of Self-Publishing (60:34)

Setting Up Your Book on Various Platforms

Introduction
Getting Started on Amazon KDP
Presentation by Greg Johnson: Amazon Listings: Keywords, Ads, Bestseller Rankings (76:30)
Getting Started on IngramSpark
How Do I Set Up My Printed Book with Both Amazon KDP and IngramSpark?
Getting Started on Etsy
Getting Started with Your Own Website

Shipping & Order Fulfillment

Shipping Overview
U.S. Postage
International Shipping Considerations
Packaging
Processing, Shipping & Return Policies
Fulfillment Centers

Marketing

Introduction
Marketing with Distribution Channels in Mind
Creating a Marketing Plan
Presentation by Kate Sell: Understanding the Catholic Landscape when it Comes to Marketing Your Book (58:21)
TV, News & Radio: Top 50 Catholic Media Outlet List with Contact Info
Sample Press Releases
Presentation by Greg Johnson: Book Launch Marketing Strategy + Black Friday / Cyber Monday Tips (54:31)
10 Tips I Would Go Back In Time to Tell Myself About Running Black Friday Sales
Book Photography / Mock-Ups
ARC / Book Launch Team
Tip for Sharing Amazon Links
Email Marketing
Instagram - Overview & First Steps
Instagram - Favorite Hashtags
Instagram - Making Connections
Instagram - Influencer Marketing
Instagram - Giveaways
Facebook Groups
Blog & News Site Reviews
Gift Guides
Vendor Booths
Podcasts
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Interview with Jacqueline Brown: Amazon Ads, BookBub, Marketing Strategy (66:22)
Paid Ads + Quiz to Collect Email Leads
Is My Marketing Working?
List Your Book On Thy Olive Tree's Website

Special Considerations: Children's Books

Overview
Interview with Cassie Herrington: Children's Board Books (53:58)
Interview with Katie Bogner: What Makes a Good Catholic Book for School-Aged Children? (75:23)
(Handout) What to Consider When Writing Catholic Children's Books
Children's Book Awards, Trends, & Tips: An interview with award-winning illustrator, Katie Broussard (60:22)
Additional Resources

Bonus Articles

10 Tips for Recharging Over the Holidays
The Business Pep Talk You Didn't Ask For (But Probably Need)
Launch Flopped? You're Not Alone. Pull Up a Chair
My Favorite Business Automation Tips
It's Time to Check In With Your Business Health

General Business Q & A

What Are Your Favorite Business Podcasts?
How Do You Balance Honoring Sunday Rest with the Realities of Running a Small Business?
What's a Book You've Read That's Been Most Helpful to You in Business?
What's Your Best Tip for Remaining Consistent and Accountable in Business?
What Advice Would You Give to Someone Just Starting Out in Business?
If You Could Go Back in Time and Do One Thing Differently in Business, What Would You Do?

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