Billy Ashby Kicks Off Self-Publishing Series

Billy Ashby, from A&A Printing in Tampa, opened our series on Self-Publishing from the printer's perspective. Billy has worked in printing for 15 years, and the company has been in business for about 40 years. He brought several samples of their work and discussed some of the differences between his company and other online options, including owning your ISBN number, and being able to see the actual printing process!

Billy has partnered with the godfather of self-publishing, Dan Poynter, and Marc Grant, CEO of Mentor Equity Press International, and Pam Lontos, head of PR/PR, a public relations firm that has many nationally known clients, to provide a more complete solution from writing through promotion of your book here. I was able to attend their workshop last December and came away with a lot of great information. I've read some of Dan's books, Pam's book, and intend to use their ideas in promoting my own work.

Billy talked about layout and formatting, cover design, book sizes and the ramifications of using color in your manuscript. He answered all questions with a friendly, knowledgeable attitude, and hoped that the attendees learned something they could use, whether or not they chose his company to print their work.

Next in the series, in July, we'll hear from a local PR expert. We hope this gives you options to explore as you continue on your quest to be a published writer. As Dan mentioned in his workshop, when you have your name on a book, it gives you instant credibility. So keep on writing, and good luck!

Until next time,
John