Embark on a Journey of Discovery with the SWATT Books Blog

There are many important questions you need to ask yourself as an author, but none is more important as “WHY?”. Read on to find out… well, why.

There are loads of self-publishing resources available online. Here is my list of the top 5 self-publishing resources you need if you want to publish a professional-quality book that has the best chance of success.

Aside from writing a good quality book, having a professional eye-catching book cover is of paramount importance to publishing a successful book. But what goes into writing a great book cover design brief that will ensure your book shines? Read on to find out…

Book distribution is one of the areas that many first-time authors considering self-publishing struggle with. This article looks at the various ways to distribute your self-published book and the benefits of ‘Going Wide’.

This article takes a look back at my experience of writing “Stress-Free Self-Publishing”, and how producing a Publishing Plan helped me overcome several obstacles and ultimately publish a book that exceeded my expectations.

Book metadata is an essential ingredient in book marketing and discoverability. This ultimate guide is going to look at what it is, why it’s so important, and give you some practical tips on how to best put metadata to work promoting your book.

It's no secret that if used correctly, writing and publishing a book can be a very powerful marketing tool to boost your credibility; not only for your company but also for you as an author and entrepreneur. In this article, I'm going to share with you 5 different...

A debate has raged in the literary community for decades as to whether self-publish or publisher is the best route for authors to take to get their books into the hands of their readers. Both sides of this equation are so evenly matched, it's very difficult to choose...

I get asked a lot how much it costs to self-publish a book these days, and there are actually several answers. There’s the ‘technical’ answer, there’s a minimum answer and there is a recommended answer. In this article, I’m going to explore those different options so that you can put together a realistic budget to publish your book based on what you want to get out of it.

Many first-time authors are surprised to learn that Legal Deposits are in fact a requirement that is written into law in many countries… and as a self-publishing author, the responsibility for submitting your Legal Deposit copies falls squarely on your shoulders, as do the consequences for non-compliance. To make sure that you don’t fall foul of the law here is a basic primer on what you need to know about Legal Deposits.

One of the most common questions I hear from first-time authors is “How long does it take to write a book?”  Though many experienced authors, writing coaches and publishers can spout all kinds of rough estimates at you, the realistic answer to that question...

Many people find it difficult to comprehend just how important book design is to the success of a book. Here are some secrets to make the process easier.

Before we jump straight into the deep end, let’s take a moment to look at what an Ideal Reader Avatar is.  If you want to write a successful book, regardless of its genre, the most important thing that you need to know before you write a single word is… Who Am I...

Asking what happens to your book royalties after you die might seem like a very morbid question, but it is one that I’ve been asked several times recently. So I asked for some advice from a colleague of mine, Grant Notman from Kept Assets, who specializes in estate...

In an article I wrote back in November 5 Powerful Ways to Measure Self-Publishing ROI I mention that a book can be a fantastic way of attracting valuable PR opportunities such as speaking gigs and interviews. Here is a perfect case in point of how easily that can...

Let's face it, writing and publishing a book can be time-consuming. But there are a few ways that you can save yourself a little bit of time that can make your book more professional in the end. Here are my top 5 Word manuscript tips to employ when writing your...

Sticking with our theme on the blog this month, let's talk about another big financial decision you need to make to make your self-published book a success – setting an attractive cover price. The cover price of your book is one of the key components that determine...

Self-publishing ROI (Return on Investment) can be a touchy subject in the world of self-publishing. Since I became involved in self-publishing in 2015, I’ve spoken with numerous authors about their motivations for wanting to publish their book.  I have heard a myriad...

I quite often get approached by people who have an idea for a book but don’t know where or how to start. I always refer them to this video of a 4Sight talk I gave back in November 2018 titled “So You Want to Write a Book – Now What?” where I discuss the idea of a...

A lot of authors who opt to typeset their own books ask me “what are the Best Fonts to use for my book"? And they invariably expect me to just give them the name of a font that they can then go and use knowing that it will be right. Unfortunately, there is a LOT more...

As part of my job as a self-publishing consultant, I have the privilege of speaking to lots of different authors at varying stages of their publishing journey. Some are already published, some are in the process of publishing their first book, and others are just...

I quite often get asked what the differences are between getting a traditional publishing deal and self-publishing. And the answer is a lot more than you think, but not in the ways you would imagine. There are the differences that everyone expects, such as royalty...

Many authors I work with find the topic of ISBN numbers quite confusing. So in this article, I’m going to share with you everything you need to know about ISBNs. I'm also going to debunk a few common myths about them.   What is an ISBN Number? Let's start right...

This article aims to familirise you with the book design process, so that you can be more informed when chosing a designer to finalise your book artwork.

Self-publishing has transformed the book industry, making it possible for anyone to create, publish and sell a book without using a commercial publisher. However, the quality of many self-published books leaves a lot to be desired, and as a result, only a small...

Since self-publishing has grown in popularity and accessibility, the opinion of the literary world as to whether it is a good thing or a bad thing have been varied and polarising. People either love it or loathe it, they tout is as either the destruction of the...

Publishing your book yourself won’t guarantee you a bestseller, but these self-publishing success stories prove that success is still possible. Mention the term self-publishing to some people, and they will tell you that it’s vanity publishing and that you’ll never...

It’s no secret that more and more authors, even those who have been traditionally published in the past, are now choosing to self-publish. But why? What is all the hype about? Well, here is my take on the 9 reasons why so many authors are going indie.   1. Higher...

I had a client last week that was really struggling with her book cover. We were coming up with some great ideas, but the more feedback she got from friends, colleagues, and target readers, the more confused she ended up being. It got me thinking about what...

Scientists and philosophers since the time of the ancient Greeks have been fascinated by the incredible power of the human brain to decode markings into meaningful messages. Researchers have proposed, tested and discarded scores of theories in search of an answer to...

The rise of online book retailers and Print on Demand Technology have turned the book publishing world on its head, and transformed self-publishing into a commercially viable option. Despite this, the cost of self-publishing is still significant. My aim in this...

Clearly, writing the manuscript for your book is a critical first step on the road to becoming a published author, but there are other essential elements that you should think about if your book is to be successful. These include editing, interior layout, typesetting...

There are numerous pitfalls to self-publishing, and many new authors fall into these self-publishing mistakes through ignorance. Just imagine how much easier the publishing process could be if you could avoid these mistakes altogether. That’s the purpose of this...

In this post we’re going to explore the most common reasons for cheap book design, and why those reasons can be bad for your book. There are four main reasons for cheap book design: The book has been designed out of context The design has been rushed The designer...

This post looks at what self-publishing management is and isn’t, and lists some of the comparison points between the 3 main publishing options available today.