Let me warn you, writing and publishing a book is like eating a giant piece of beef jerky. It’s rewarding, but it takes more time than you think.
Now that I am in the final stage of this long process, for my book Fix em Up Rent em Out, I can pass along my experiences by writing and self- publishing a book. (As a 2012 update, I have recently published a second book entitled, “Carve Out Your Niche,” which describes how to self-publish and promote a book.)
My initial thought was to write a book about what, to me, was a rewarding real estate experience. I wanted to inspire others to get started in the real estate investing, and to share the shortcuts and to point out the pitfalls of the business.
But, I wanted to do it the same way that I did real estate investing, by learning all aspects of the process and doing it all myself.
The actual writing of the book took 2-3 years in starts and stops. I did most of the writing late at night when my wife and kids were asleep. There were long stretches of time, between periods of writing, when I didn’t think I would finish. At times, doubts crept in and I wondered if I really wanted to publish a book.
What finally convinced me to finish was a book I read entitled “Aiming at Amazon” by Aaron Sheppard. The old way of publishing a book was to print off thousands of copies to reduce the per unit cost, then sell them at bookstores and workshops. The new way, that Sheppard describes, is to sell the books through web bookstores like Amazon.com and to have the printer only print books as they are needed.
Part II of “How to Publish a Book on Real Estate Investing” will follow in the next blog posting.
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