By Natalie Taylor
On March 17, 2023 at the Biblioteca, Peter Levitan gave a presentation about self-publishing, titled “How to Write and Publish a Book in Six Months.” He presented valuable advice on how to accomplish this.
After many years in the advertising world, startup companies, and running business development across Europe and the US, Peter began publishing his own books. His presentation was a motivational pitch for anyone who wants to get published on their own. He dealt with the how and why of getting this done.
The first question you need to answer is: why write “my book”? Be clear why you want to publish. Is it vanity? Is it because you feel you have something important to present to the public? Whatever your reason, self-publishing is a viable option. One can certainly try the traditional publishing route, but this is fraught with many obstacles. The first, of course, is the difficulty of finding a publisher. Even if you do succeed in finding one, there are the questions of control. With a publisher, you relinquish control of your “product” and the rewards are not as great as you might think. In the past, if you were picked up by a well-known publishing house, they did the marketing, book distribution, and so on. Currently, unless you are a well-recognized writer, those tasks will most likely fall on you. Self-publishing means doing the same, but with control over time and content.
The statistics are staggering. Of those who decide to write a book, only three percent complete it, and only 0.06 percent get published. On the other hand, self-publishing is a sure way to get your book done, and there certainly are cases where these get picked up by a publisher after the fact. The stigma of self-publishing is no longer the same as it was let’s say 20 ago.
If you do decide on self-publishing, do not skimp on making it the best writing you can. Polish your writing. Do your research so that the information you provide is as accurate as possible. Avail yourself of sites like Reedsy.com that can provide names of development editors who can make your writing professional. Hire a book cover designer that will you’re your book “pop.” Most of all, don’t expect to make money. However, there are many other benefits of being a published writer—you will be considered an “expert” and that can be a practical way to market yourself, if that is your aim. Even before you publish your book, develop a website, a blog, and create a social presence to build an audience. Learn the internet tools that are available, like ChatGPT, just one of the useful internet aids for writers.
After the talk, and the Q & A session, it felt as if the audience had been energized. They had been given many ideas and ways to move forward. For more information and to contact Peter Levitan, visit his website: peterlevitan.com
