There are books about self-publishing for "dummies" and "complete idiots." Dummies and idiots can't publish books, and probably shouldn't write them. The book shown below is for smart writers-but not necessarily geniuses-who want to learn about self-publishing. It's also for people who like funny pictures of dogs wearing oversize eyeglasses. Bookstores are closing. Book publishers are firing employees and cutting back on new books. But the self-publishing business is doing extremely well, for four main reasons: (1) Advances in technology and falling costs have helped to remove middlemen between creative people and their audiences, and to equalize distribution. Tiny companies-even one-person companies-can have the image and impact of giant corporations (2) Specialization and "micro-ization" have revolutionized many areas of commerce, ranging from breweries to broadcasters. (3) Online booksellers, particularly Amazon.com, make millions of books easily and economically available to millions of readers, worldwide. (4) Electronic "eBooks" are much less expensive to produce and distribute than books printed on paper. If you combine the four factors, the early 21st century is a great time to be a self-publishing author. Never before have authors been able to publish books and reach the public so quickly and inexpensively. However, because of the wide range of service providers and the huge number of decisions to be made, it can be hard to get started. The book will help you decide whether to set up your own publishing company or use the services of a self-publishing company. If you decide to use one of those companies, It'll help you choose the right one, and choose which services to buy from the company, which to get elsewhere, and what to do yourself.