RSG072: Michael Campbell on What It Takes to Publish a Book Like The Rideshare Guide

The Rideshare Guide comes out in less than two weeks, and in this episode of The Rideshare Guy podcast, I give you a behind the scenes look of what it takes to publish a book like The Rideshare Guide! Take a listen to this episode and let me know what you think in the comments below.

Michael Campbell

If you’d like to read a transcript of this podcast, please click here.

Intro

  • I’ve been writing about the rideshare industry for almost 4 years – and now I’ve written a book on it!
  • In this episode, I’ll be talking to my publisher, Michael Campbell of Skyhorse Publishing, on what it takes to publish a book like The Rideshare Guide (out April 24, 2018!)
  • If you’re interested in how the book writing process goes, from start to finish, this is going to be a really insightful interview for you to listen to
  • Don’t forget, on April 24, my new book is released: The Rideshare Guide. It’s a book for really anyone from new drivers to people who’ve been driving for a while, and it’s meant to be a book you can skip around and find what you’re looking for. You can find out more about it here

Interview with Michael Campbell

  • Michael Campbell is an editor at Skyhorse Publishing, an independent publisher in NYC
  • Mike edits nonfiction titles of all types, from politics to prescriptive books like The Rideshare Guide
  • First got started with sports writing
  • Now has worked at Skyhorse Publishing for over a year

Skyhorse Publishing

  • Since publishing has changed so remarkably in the last few decades, Skyhorse doesn’t restrict itself to one type of book or genre
  • Memoirs, biographies – even books about fly fishing are some of the most frequently published books by Skyhorse
  • Skyhorse focus on a consumer audience, vs. an audience like schools (textbooks)

How Does a Book Get Published?

  • Self-publishing, via Amazon Create Space or other self-publishers
  • Working with a publisher, either by sending in an unsolicited submission or by working through an agent
  • The best way to get published is to work with an agent
  • Working with a smaller publisher, like Skyhorse, usually means you’ll have one person, like an editor, with you throughout the book’s creation and publication journey

Publishing The Rideshare Guide

  • Funny story how The Rideshare Guide came into existence – all because of an Uber driver who off-handedly mentioned there should be a guide on rideshare driving, since it’s difficult to figure out what to do!
  • There really wasn’t anything out there that covered everything related to ridesharing – some one-off books, but nothing that answered all the questions rideshare drivers typically have
  • Also helps to have a platform, which RSG has to promote the book
  • Favorite parts of the book? The tax info, puking stories, and the future of ridesharing

What Makes Certain Books Stand Out?

  • In this day and age, it’s the author’s platform: can they promote their books?
  • With non-fiction writing, establishing credibility in your field is very important
  • For fiction, it definitely helps to have some sort of platform (website, social media, email list, etc.)
  • What makes you and your book unique?

Outro

  • Thank you so much to Mike for coming on this episode – it’s been great working with him and the team at Skyhorse, and I just wanted to share some behind the scenes info for listeners and readers about what it takes to publish a book
  • For more information on publishing a book or on Skyhorse, check out Skyhorse Publishing’s website
  • Don’t forget – The Rideshare Guide is coming out soon! The book comes out on April 24th, 2018 and you can find out more about it here
  • Super pumped about the book – you can also pre-order it here:
  • Follow me on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and you can always contact me if you have questions – I like to hear from you all!

Show Notes

If you’d like to read a transcript of this podcast, please click here.

-Harry @ RSG