When Gang Chen self-published his first book with Outskirts Press, he didn’t expect it to turn into such an amazing revenue stream, especially during this economic downturn.
“I tried to publish my book with the conventional publishers,” Gang Chen says. “I contacted hundreds of them and I did get a book deal with one major publisher. Halfway through the publication process, the major publisher requested substantial revisions to my manuscript and suggested adding a co-author to my book. If I were to make those revisions, I would not like the book myself and I would rather not publish it. I eventually cancelled the contract with the major publisher and decided to publish the book myself. I compared various publishing options, and decided to go with Outskirts Press.”
His first book, Planting Design Illustrated, was published by Outskirts Press in 2007. In the first quarter of 2008, Gang Chen was among the five highest-grossing authors for the months of January through March, sharing a combined author royalty pot of over $75,000. Within weeks of receiving the exciting news, Gang Chen submitted his second manuscript to Outskirts Press for publication. The book was titled LEED AP Exam Guide: Study Materials, Sample Questions, Mock Exam, Building LEED Certification (LEED-NC) and Going Green. It was perfectly positioned to leverage the media frenzy surrounding “going green.”
Gang Chen continues, “The author representative and other people at Outskirts Press were hard-working and very responsive. They really know what they are doing. They walked me through the publication process step by step and made it very easy.”
The commercial LEED Certified industry is booming in the wake of the eco-friendly craze. Gang Chen’s books was positioned, priced, and published to fill the need. LEED AP Exam Guide was published on September 23, 2008, and Gang Chen began the process of promoting his book. “[Outskirts Press] services do not end after the book is published. They continue to provide excellent marketing advice.” Indeed. Gang Chen’s two well-written and well-promoted books earned him $14,803 in royalties in November alone. It’s not enough just to write a great book. Only when the author promotes it can great things happen.
Is self-publishing working for him? “I am working on two more books and I’ll definitely use the great service of Outskirts Press again,” he says.
*Outskirts Press would like to extend thanks to Gang Chen for granting permission to share his exciting news in such detail.