Self-Publishing, Step-by-Step

Class Schedule: Thursdays – Nov. 11 and Nov. 18 | 7:30 – 9:00 PM

This two-session virtual course taught by Christy Schmidt, provides participants with a complete roadmap to guide them through the self-publishing process.

Content will include:

• Appreciate the modern publishing market
• Overcome the infamy and dispel the mystique of self-publishing
• Become aware of self-publishing scams
• Realize realistic time and financial costs of self-publishing
• Understand how to prepare a manuscript using self-publishing applications
• Choose the appropriate genre and length for marketing exposure
• Discover when a copyright license is required for quotes and pictures
• Attract the perfect beta readers and professional editors
• Understand the vital purpose of cover art and how to find a talented digital artist
• Define the minutia of publishing: ISBNs, Bar Codes, LCCNs and BIFACs
• Appreciate superior book design and explore design resources
• Time obtaining and registering your copyright
• Review marketing essentials: both virtual and brick-and-mortar solutions
• Explore self-publishing outlets like Amazon and IngramSpark – and understand how their competitive natures can help or harm your efforts
• And more!

Christy A. Schmidt, Esq. has served as a professor and instructor for over thirty years. A graduate of Emerson College and Rutgers University School of Law, she prides herself on guiding students to master all areas of communication. The warm reception for her self-published novel, Treasure, based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest, inspired her to retire from a twenty-year law practice to follow creative pursuits. Her texts, Talk it Out: Mastering Critical Discourse and No Words: Mastering Nonverbal Communication assist students and professionals with critical thinking, perception and public presentation. Among her other works is her photo-exploration, To A Lighthouse which delights juveniles and adults with beautiful photos of each New Jersey lighthouse and engaging family-bonding exercises. She serves as an adjunct at both Kean and Monmouth Universities, offers private workshops for professionals, operates a portrait studio, manages a virtual art gallery, and continues to publish fiction and nonfiction work.