Review of A People’s Guide to Publishing by Joe Biel
I recently got a big stack of writing craft and books through a Microcosm Publishing Kickstarter, so I’ve decided to work through several of them for reviewing on my blog.
A People’s Guide to Publishing by Joe Biel is a fantastic book for anyone serious about creating and sustaining a publishing business. The focus is primarily on a more traditional model of publishing with distributors and book tours, rather than a small indie press, but there’s also some information that’s useful to small presses as well. After all, Biel came into the publishing industry through zines and DIY, only gradually growing his business to be a profitable and successful publisher. He uses that experience and knowledge to explain how to take a publishing business from idea to success.
As a small press person, I found the most valuable information in the chapter on publicity, as a lot of the suggestions there can apply to businesses of all sizes, and can even be adapted for personal use for someone who is self-publishing. Much of the other information is valuable to a small press that wants to grow their reach and scope, but after reading the book, I’m quite happy with the size and scope of our small press! It’s still great to get the insight into this portion of the industry, but the time and energy (and initial funding) required to go from small press to small publisher is a lot more than I can invest.
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