Look what just arrived!
Other Mark's book, show and tell
- Thread starter Berkeloid
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- #2
That's great! Couldn't have timed it better after he talked about it in his livestream!
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- #3
How are you enjoying the book? 
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- #4
It's very interesting, I learned a few things about Mark I didn't know before, and it's nice having a reference of things to try growing and how easy or difficult they are. I'm still working on getting set up at my rural property so don't have proper growing space yet, so it won't be until I get some beds set up out there that I will be properly going through the book picking out things to try!
But the book itself is very nicely designed and presented. I'd be interested to find out more about the process. I assume Mark hired a designer, proof reader, etc. and it'd be interesting to hear more about how that process went.
But the book itself is very nicely designed and presented. I'd be interested to find out more about the process. I assume Mark hired a designer, proof reader, etc. and it'd be interesting to hear more about how that process went.
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- #5
Thanks for the feedback, mate - I appreciate it a lot.
The process of writing a book was as complicated as I expected it would be for someone like me who has never published a book before. Add in glossy images, and it got even harder.
The easy part was coming up with the idea and writing the book in a Word doc. Finding a publisher and the best way to print this type of book was not easy.
Most people think that due to technology, you can make a book as a PDF and add it to print-on-demand services (like Amazon), and away you go. The truth is, it takes skill and time to edit, proof, and format the pages and images so that they can be printer-friendly and not get ridiculously expensive to create.
Once we received all the advice and performed the calculations, we realised that the best approach was to partner with a publisher/retailer (Booktopia) and have the book printed in bulk to reduce costs and maintain reasonable quality control. Often, POD produce inferior quality books.
Once the book is finally done and printed, the marketing begins. Signing books, email campaigns, and content to try to garner interest in the publication.
You end up with a whole team of people trying their best to make the book succeed, and for me personally, I feel a lot of responsibility not to let those people down. Needless to say, it's also extremely important to me that those who buy the book enjoy it and don't regret their purchase.
We have sold several thousand copies of the book so far, which is about breaking even for the costs of printing and marketing. We're hoping it will continue to sell for years to come, and in reality, it has to for me and the team to make any decent earnings from it. Otherwise, it's a publication purely for love, not money. Oh well, at least I can say I have written a book and I'm proud of the result. If it gives people some joy or inspiration, all that work will be worth it.
The process of writing a book was as complicated as I expected it would be for someone like me who has never published a book before. Add in glossy images, and it got even harder.
The easy part was coming up with the idea and writing the book in a Word doc. Finding a publisher and the best way to print this type of book was not easy.
Most people think that due to technology, you can make a book as a PDF and add it to print-on-demand services (like Amazon), and away you go. The truth is, it takes skill and time to edit, proof, and format the pages and images so that they can be printer-friendly and not get ridiculously expensive to create.
Once we received all the advice and performed the calculations, we realised that the best approach was to partner with a publisher/retailer (Booktopia) and have the book printed in bulk to reduce costs and maintain reasonable quality control. Often, POD produce inferior quality books.
Once the book is finally done and printed, the marketing begins. Signing books, email campaigns, and content to try to garner interest in the publication.
You end up with a whole team of people trying their best to make the book succeed, and for me personally, I feel a lot of responsibility not to let those people down. Needless to say, it's also extremely important to me that those who buy the book enjoy it and don't regret their purchase.
We have sold several thousand copies of the book so far, which is about breaking even for the costs of printing and marketing. We're hoping it will continue to sell for years to come, and in reality, it has to for me and the team to make any decent earnings from it. Otherwise, it's a publication purely for love, not money. Oh well, at least I can say I have written a book and I'm proud of the result. If it gives people some joy or inspiration, all that work will be worth it.
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- #6
That's really interesting, thanks for the detail! Glad to hear you've sold a decent number of copies so far too. Hopefully the sales will maintain some momentum for a while yet, especially with Christmas around the corner!
I didn't know Booktopia handled publishing, I always thought they were "just" a book retailer, so that's very interesting. I had kind of assumed it was POD but was surprised at the high quality of it, so makes more sense now knowing it was a more traditional production process.
I definitely think writing a book is something to be proud of, even if you had only sold a few copies! Not many people can say they are a published author.
I didn't know Booktopia handled publishing, I always thought they were "just" a book retailer, so that's very interesting. I had kind of assumed it was POD but was surprised at the high quality of it, so makes more sense now knowing it was a more traditional production process.
I definitely think writing a book is something to be proud of, even if you had only sold a few copies! Not many people can say they are a published author.
Mark's book is on my Christmas shopping list.
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- #8
That sounds like a wonderful Christmas gift to yourself!
FarmingBoy!
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Cool!
Where can I purchase the book?
Where can I purchase the book?
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- #10
100 Top Crops You Can Grow
Aussies and Kiwis order here. Ever wondered which plants will give you the biggest, best, and most bang-for-your-buck harvest? Mark Valencia—former soldier turned self-sufficiency guru—has spent years testing, growing, and eating his way through the ultimate backyard crops. Now, he’s sharing his...
www.briobooks.store
100 Top Crops You Can Grow
Buy 100 Top Crops You Can Grow, Growing your own sustainable and nutritious garden by Mark Valencia from Booktopia. Get a discounted Paperback from Australia's leading online bookstore.
It's currently on sale!
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- #11
I just had my shipping confirmation notice. So my copy of the book is officially on the way too 
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- #12
My copy arrived a little while ago too! I can't wait to sit down and go through it. It arrived when I was on holiday
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