Things have been hopping around here, and­ one of our exciting developments is that our founder and executive editor, Ali Shaw, has a book coming out! Write Book (Check). Now What? is a short guide to the publishing basics that new authors need to know.

When you’ve placed that final period on the final page of your magnificent manuscript, the rush can be exhilarating. You’ve written your book! But at some point the questions kick in: What do I do with it? How do I get it published?

The publishing industry is confounding to many people, but this short guide will help demystify it. You’ll learn the difference between traditional publishing and independent publishing, the pros and cons of each, and what to consider when determining which path is best for you. With this practical guide for pursuing publication, you’ll be well on your way to seeing your book out in the world.

The book is $4.99 and is slated to launch in just a couple weeks on October 19! We’ll share the link to order as soon as it goes live.

For those who are curious to take a peek now, here’s the introduction:

Introduction

When I was a kid, I’d sit in my room next to my Strawberry Shortcake curtains and flip through the pages of my beloved books while the arid Southern Idaho wind gusted through the open window. The scent of hot ink would waft in through my bedroom door from the printshop in the back of our house. I could even hear the arms of the printer kathunking rhythmically as each fresh page shot out and the arms held it for a moment to dry before placing it on the stack of pages below. I have loved books since before I can remember. I still compulsively smell books both new and old. Although my kids think I’m nuts, the odor of paper and ink, no matter how antique, comforts and inspires me.

Maybe that’s true for you too. You’re a writer, so I think it’s safe to assume you’re a book lover too. You’re probably a regular at your local bookstore. Maybe you even went there when you finished your first draft—after all, when you haven’t known what to do before, your trusty bookseller has been there with advice and just the right book to guide you through the latest challenge. Of course they’d do the same when you’ve written your own book!

Actually, that’s how I met my first client for editing and consulting. I was working as a bookseller while I finished up my master’s degree in book publishing. My manager knew all about my hands-on experience in bookmaking—we actually had a display of books I’d helped publish so far—so when a woman came in, marched right to the info counter, and said to my manager, “I’m not here to buy a book today. I wrote one. How do I get it published?” my manager sent her to me. Sixteen years and more than a thousand books later (many of which are authors referred to my company by lovely booksellers who get asked the same question), I’m happy to say that my passion for helping authors publish their books has never waned. Neither has my joy in cracking open a client’s freshly printed book and admiring it for the first time.

Maybe you’re here reading these pages because your bookseller sent you, or maybe you found it on your own. Either way, first, congratulations on writing your manuscript! Second, we’ve got to talk about the business of getting your book published. There’s no one-path-fits-all, but there are ways to decide which path is best for you and your book. I’ll help you suss that out and explain how to get moving toward the ultimate goal of seeing your book in print.

As printers say, I’ve got ink in my veins. Even though I don’t live in a printshop anymore and the world is much more digital now, the drive to help people make books in all their formats still pulses in me. It’s exhilarating to think of your book out in the world. Let’s get it there.

—Ali Shaw

Executive Editor

Indigo: Editing, Design, and More

Ali Shaw is the founder and executive editor of Indigo: Editing, Design, and More, which has aided more than a thousand books on the path to publication, from blockbusters like Kim Barnouin’s Skinny Bitch Bakery to diverse voices like Nastashia Minto’s Naked to legacy stories published just for the authors’ family and friends. Ali attests that there are few feelings as great as the joy in seeing an author read from their book on tour.