Congratulations on writing your book! Now you need to learn how to publish it and get all those royalties coming in. WritingDoneRight exists to help you learn the steps you need to do in order to turn your manuscript into a print book, an eBook, or an audiobook. We will teach you about software, tips for design, and where to send your book to get it in front of your readers.
WritingDoneRight is a teaching resource by author Thomas Murosky. At the time of this channel's creation, he has published six books in Christian teaching, but he also has broad experience in technology resources and has created his publishing company OWIC Publishing founded on Free and Open Source Software. He primarily uses and teaches on Linux Mint, but the software demonstrated in this project also runs on Windows and Mac. The distribution services explained are internet based and can be used in any operating system.
What is WritingDoneRight?
We are dedicated to teaching you about how to start with a raw manuscript and putting it into a format you need to get your book listed on various distribution networks. These networks include Ingram (a multi-channel listing service), Amazon (for Amazon related stores), Findaway Voices (for global audiobook distribution), and more. There are a lot of places to list your book for sale, and we will help you learn about what those resources are and how to use those resources effectively. To list your book, it will need formatted according to printing guides. We will teach you the software and know-how to format your manuscript no matter what operating system you use or how small your budget is.
What is FOSS?
FOSS is an acronym for Free and Open Source Software. That means it is software that will not cost you money to use, and if you have the knowhow, you can make edits to the code. There are several reasons we may want to use free software. First, if you have a low budget, FOSS software can get your work done without charging you a lot of money for basic software. Second, philosophy. Not everyone likes what some software companies do. That could be moving to subscription models for software to changing how their connected services work. The third reason is more control. I like this aspect of FOSS software. I want to be confident that I can control my software rather than letting my software control me. No matter your situation, you will get your book done with this software, though for many people, purchasing software is a valid trade off as well!
What is Distribution?
In order for people to buy your book, it must be available for sale somewhere. This is where distribution comes from. There was a day when you needed to go to a printer and spend thousands of dollars for piles of books that you would need to figure out how to sell. But in our new world, it is easy to have an online bookstore that you do not even need to worry about stocking inventory! Whether your book is listed at large, well-known stores like Amazon or Barnes & Noble, or smaller ones, you can setup distribution to tell people to just go to their favorite online bookstore and order your book! A big part of distribution is to setup your own bookstore, and do not overlook the local communities where you can have your books in stores in your town! Either way, distribution means to get your book into the hands of your readers.