  As someone who’s never looked good in even one hat, I’ve always been intrigued by the expression about wearing two.
But that’s what I’m doing. In addition to continuing to publish books through Bacon Press Books, I’m also working as a book production coordinator for Joel Friedlander’s new full service book design and production enterprise called The Book Makers. A little backstory When I first decided to try independent book publishing, I spent more than a year reading everything I could find on how to do it right. A few experts offered consistently good, usable advice. Joel Friedlander, aka The Book Designer, was one I followed closely. He shared essential information without always trying to sell something. His blog posts on book design were incredibly helpful. So were his webinars, his monthly cover design contests, his weekly and monthly compilation of blog posts about publishing. In other words, I was a big fan. I even bought his book design templates to see if I could learn how to do it myself. It’s all about helping authors Yes. Sure. There are lots of scams out there to take advantage of eager authors. But what I’ve found over the past four years is that there are more people who really do want to help authors. That’s why I started Bacon Press Books. That’s what Joel’s blogs, courses, eBooks, and webinars have been all about. When Joel said he was looking for a few people to work with him and Tracy Atkins, I jumped at the chance. I knew I’d get to learn more about book production and publishing from two people I admire. (And a side note for a longer blog: Just because you have to pay a fee, doesn’t mean it’s a scam. When you’ve got good people doing good work, it makes sense to pay for their services.) Sometimes DIY isn’t the answer Yes. Sure. One of the best parts of independent publishing is that you’re in control. You get to decide about content, cover, marketing, the works. Start to finish. And you keep your royalties. But . . . It also means you have to know about cover and interior layout and design. And what about editing? Proofing? Does your book need an index? We won’t even get into the launch, distribution, marketing and promotion. Sometimes it’s more than an author can handle on her/his own. Let me quote from Joel’s announcement for The Book Makers: "There were lots of authors who had no intention of “doing it themselves,” and I don’t blame them. If you’re only going to publish a book once, or only once every few years, there isn’t much of an incentive to learn the ins and outs of book construction, typography, and formatting software. So, over 2 years ago, Tracy [Atkins] and I attempted to launch a “done for you” service for authors, only to be sidetracked time and again. Now, for the last 6 months, we’ve got The Book Makers up and running with a trained staff and a desire to help you get your books done. I encourage you to visit the site. You’ll be able to see examples of the beautiful books we’ve produced for other indie authors, download a complete Services Guide, check out the various “production packages” we offer at fixed prices, and even enter the information you’ll need to get a custom estimate for your book project." Full disclosure This may not be for everyone. It’s a premium service - you can see some of the prices on the website. And yes, I will get paid for those authors who work with me. But there are other coordinators who are great and I won’t receive a dime if they’re the ones who help you with your book. The Book Makers does not publish books. And there is no tie-in with Bacon Press Books. Mostly. I think it’s good to know about a service that can help you bring a beautiful, professional-looking book to market. See what you think. Check out The Book Makers.
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