Although it has become relatively easy to self-publish, it's also easy to make serious mistakes in writing, design and marketing that can seriously limit the acceptability and sales of a self-published book. It's sad--and funny--that some of the worst self-published books, and the majority of the books discussed in this book, are books that try to provide advice to other authors. This book will help you avoid the worst mistakes of others, so you can publish a book that you can be justifiably proud of, and perhaps enlighten, entertain and inform others--and maybe you'll even make some money.

In 2016, like many millions of Americans, I had voted for Hillary Clinton to become our 45th president. And, like many millions of Americans, I assumed that there was no way that Donald Trump could beat her. In 2008 Trump wrote, "I know Hillary and I think she'd make a great president." During the 2016 presidential campaign he said, "She has to go to jail." If it were not for our peculiar and archaic Electoral College–plus last-minute interference from FBI Director James Comey just when Clinton's favorable poll ratings were moving up, and sabotage by Russia–Clinton would have become president. Trump frequently boasted about his "landslide" victory. In truth, his electoral win was no landslide at all. In the popular vote Clinton won by about 2.9 million votes–a margin of 2.1%. That's higher than the victories won by JFK, George W. Bush, Nixon and other recent American presidents. Jerome Kowalski, an attorney who has known Trump for more than 30 years, said, "Michael N. Marcus's powerful book is nothing short of a detailed bill of particulars of the evil Trump presents and why his reign of terror must be stopped."

This is the story of the amazing Hunter J. Marcus (my “four-legged son”). Hunter lived for 15 years and three months. He was a golden retriever and the typical lifespan for a "golden" is 10-12 years, so he definitely had high mileage. His death was not sudden, violent nor unexpected—but was nonetheless very sad. I could not be more miserable because of the loss of a human child. I never thought of Hunter as a pet, and certainly not as a possession. He was a housemate, playmate, child, co-conspirator, fellow traveler and—most of all—my best buddy. He soared like an eagle, swam like a porpoise, ate like a shark and often thought like a human. Hunter understood dozens of English words and was very obedient—when he chose to be. Golden retrievers are very smart, and very independent. Hunter always knew exactly what he was supposed to do in any situation, and sometimes he was willing to do what he was supposed to do. We rewarded bad behavior because anything a dog does is cute! This book is a memorial, but it's fun, not morbid.

LAUGH & LEARN This bestselling book is a collection of amusing anecdotes and useful advice on a wide range of subjects: money, relationships, parenting, business, work, cars, food & drink, life & death, education, health, technology, media, aging, time, animals, baseball, sailing, sex, writing & publishing and law. The book is the sad—and also humorous and helpful—story of what the author did wrong over a lifetime and what he learned from his mistakes, plus what he learned from observing other people, companies, animals and events. Marcus often fantasizes about traveling back in time to warn himself not to make stupid mistakes. He says, "The ten-, twenty- and sixty-year-old me might have ignored the advice of parents, teachers, doctors and accountants—but not the advice of me. If I talk to myself I have to listen. While technology will not yet allow me to go back and talk to myself, I can warn and advise anyone else who's willing to pay attention. That's why I wrote this book. And maybe by looking back I can influence my own future."

An American professor of folklore visits relatives in Russia. Initially, he comes to do research on aspects of Russian epics, which have been passed down orally and have literally survived on the lips of the peasants. However, the American soon abandons his primary purpose and decides to pursue loftier goals. He falls in love with a Russian lady. Their romance flourishes. Then, something unexpected occurs and the American discovers the true nature of his lover. Vasil Donskov experiences first hand the tender kiss of a Russian werewolf.

“She may be an insane chimp, but she’s my insane chimp!” Two ingenious metanarratives that take comedy writing to surreal, uproarious new heights. Mike Sacks is writing the apotheosis of avant garde comedy—books written as found documents, trawling through the ephemera of suburban America, jokes low-brow, bizarre and visceral in a package more formally taut and wildly ambitious than nearly anything published as literary fiction today. Stinker Lets Loose is the deadly accurate novelization of a non-existent ’70s drive-in film, complete with images from the set; it explores the implications behind Eastwood and Reynolds vehicles while one-upping them in puerility and wildness.

So, you want to publish books.Drawing on 23 years of experience operating an independent publishing company, Joe Biel has written the most accessible and comprehensive guide to running a successful publishing business. You'll learn all the skills of the trade, including how to:Develop your individual books to connect with readers on a practical and emotional levelChoose between offset printed, digitally printed, and eBook formats and work effectively with printersBuild an authentic niche so you can reach your audience and sell books directlyUnderstand if and when you're ready to work with a distributor or large online retailerCreate a budget and predict the cost and income of each book so your company stays in the blackDecide what work you need to do yourself and what can be done by othersPlan for sustainable growthFeaturing interviews with other upstart independent publishers and funny anecdotes from publishing's long history as well as detailed charts and visuals, this book is intended both beginners looking for a realistic overview of the publishing or self-publishing process and for experienced publishers seeking a deeper understanding of accounting principles, ways to bring their books to new audiences, and how to advance their mission in a changing industry. All readers will come away with the confidence to move forward wisely and a strong sense of why publishing matters today more than ever.

When Saddam Hussein's successor forms an alliance with Iran, strengthening their lethal army, shockwaves reverberate around the globe, and Captain Patrick Dillon and a U.S. Army Heavy Brigade are sent in to destroy the enemy. Original.

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow. Look for CROSSED, the sequel to MATCHED, in Fall 2011! Watch a Video

"I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to." And, as soon as Bill Bryson was old enough, he left. Des Moines couldn't hold him, but it did lure him back. After ten years in England he returned to the land of his youth, and drove almost 14,000 miles in search of a mythical small town called Amalgam, the kind of smiling village where the movies from his youth were set. Instead he drove through a series of horrific burgs, which he renamed Smellville, Fartville, Coleslaw, Coma, and Doldrum. At best his search led him to Anywhere, USA, a lookalike strip of gas stations, motels and hamburger outlets populated by obese and slow-witted hicks with a partiality for synthetic fibres. He discovered a continent that was doubly lost: lost to itself because he found it blighted by greed, pollution, mobile homes and television; lost to him because he had become a foreigner in his own country.