Posts on Publishing


Amazon Hides How to Win the Buy Box

   I've been selling on Amazon for years, have had a 100% positive feedback rating from the very beginning... no negative EVER. I've switched to Fulfillment by Amazon recently. I'm the publisher of the book in question (the Original Green) and have the low price. …

Book Announcement

   Here's the press release I sent out when this book was published. My primary retail outlet is Amazon, which is why it is mentioned here.


the Original Green [Unlocking the Mystery of True Sustainability] 

Book Tour Begins

   I posted this story when the Original Green book tour began. Useful material is essential, but we need a little lore as well, IMO.


   And so it begins, just a guy in a Smart with an overnight bag, a box of books, and a big idea, rolling out into the South Florida night to a light sprinkle of rain. …

Death in the Jungle

   Here's a cautionary tale about dealing with Amazon. They're essential if you're a self-publisher, but they can be deadly if your book is selling well. The following is an account of what happened to me:


General Thoughts on Publishing

   It's been said for years that if you're an author, you're always your book's biggest promoter. That's never been more true than today, with the conventional publishing industry in shambles. …

iApp

   I have several great ideas for iPhone Apps, but can't do anything about it, because I'm not a programmer, nor do I have time or want to become one. That's exactly how I feel about building websites... …

Launch Party

   Holding a launch party for a new publication is a great idea. I did this first for the Original Green book. Because it was a paper book, I contacted the coolest bookstore in Miami Beach (

Making 3D Book Icons

   Jeff Speck's email signature has a great-looking image of the new book he co-authored with Andrés Duany and Mike Lydon: The Smart Growth Manual. It looks so good that I felt compelled to do something similar with the Original Green. …

Publishing Particulars

Book Production

   I do all of my own book design, writing, photography, and layout. When I'm done, I simply give a pdf file to the printer, who produces the book. This was basically not possible for a single person to do until recently. …

Thanks for Foreword

   This should go without saying, but you should publicly thank the person who writes your Foreword. Here's what I posted on Useful Stuff when Bobby Kennedy Jr. agreed to write the foreword to

Writing in iBooks Author

   This post is remarkable in that it covers pretty much everything you need to know about getting started with iBooks Author. In other words, Apple has created a tool so intuitive that you only need a blog post, not an entire book, to understand it. …


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