Self-publishing a book is fast and popular strategy for new retailers and wholesalers to market their businesses, and to establish themselves as an authoritative resource in the retail and wholesale trade. While there are hundreds of thousands of retailers and wholesalers, there are far fewer who are published authors. You can help your business stand out in the marketplace by self publishing a book that promotes your retail or wholesale business.

For example, I have self published a book that shares information on the wholesale and closeout industry, called Wholesale Closeout Secrets.

In fact, you can self-publish your first book quickly and easily, without waiting. How? By using a freelance publishing service. There are many such services around the Internet, but it is worth finding a reliable one. You can find a freelance writer through sites such as Fiverrr and Iwriter. Having a freelance writer, and an editor, will help you take full advantage of some of the following benefits below. You can also use Amazon's self publishing service to quickly publish your book for free.

Having a book published, that lists yourself as the author, and includes the name of your business, can help you attract customers and suppliers, since people generally desire to do business with those who are knowledgeable about their industry. You should include your contact information, as well as your business website, in your book. If you are publishing an eBook version, such as Kindle book, you should have links to your website throughout your book.

One of the most common questions about how to self publish a book is whether or not you need your own ISBN number. (It is not required of course.) However, if you want to keep the costs low and the door to door sales possible, then it is probably not a bad idea to get your own ISBN number. This can be done by finding a reputable self publishing house that offers this service and then buying ISBN numbers from them in bulk, allowing you to save money on each book sold. If you publish your book through Amazon, or through a self publishing service such as iUniverse, you will be given an ISBN number.

While a good self publishing service will offer a variety of options in how to self publish a book, not all do. In fact, there are often times when you will not be offered any publishing services at all. That is why it is important to look at what a self-publishing service offers prior to signing up for anything in particular. For example, some will offer you editing services alongside the printing and binding of your work. Others will not.

Another thing that you can look forward to when you decide to start writing your first book is that it will be easier to market and sell if you are selling to your existing customer base. For example, if you have a dress boutique, you can write a book covering topics that interesting to dress buyers.

Many traditional publishers only publish their work through traditional channels, where the author sends copies of it out to a list of editors, readers, agents, and publishers. In this case, you will likely be sending copies of your book to book stores instead of to a distributor.

Your success as a self-publisher will also be impacted by the amount of traffic you can drive to your work through social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. These are the kinds of sites that have become incredibly popular over the last few years. A great deal of people have accounts with these sites, and those who are looking for the latest and greatest literary pieces will see your work before they ever do find it among all the others. If you want to use social media as part of the arsenal of how to self publish a book, then it is definitely something worth taking full advantage of. Here is a quick breakdown of how to get more social media traffic to your self-published work:

Participate in discussion forums - It is important to participate in online discussion forums whenever possible. There are always conversations going on about current events, book reviews, new books, and authors, and anything else you can think of. If you have a product or service that you can offer them, you can always make use of this powerful resource. You can brand yourself as an expert in your field, and you will be able to attract an audience of people that are interested in what you have to say.

Build a network of advisers - Many aspiring authors go through a lot of trial and error before finally landing their first novel. Even if you are not a writer, you can benefit from working with a team of advisers that can help you learn more about the business side of things and build a solid business plan. If you are trying to publish your own work through a traditional publishing house, you may be required to have a contract or agreement between you and the publishing company. If you happen to have contacts in the business, talk to them about how you can develop a good business plan that will ensure you don't wind up with any unwanted business surprises.

Once you have started learning how to self publish a book, you will also want to start networking and engaging your audience. Use social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and StumbleUpon to get the word out about your upcoming publication. If you have never started using social media before, there are plenty of guides and resources available to help you get started quickly and effectively.

Once you have published your book, you can promote your book at your retail location, through your website, to your email list, and at trade shows. Remember, while you can make money by selling your book, you might find that the book's maximum value is in attracting leads to your business.