In this series we will address one of the biggest questions facing authors today: how will I publish my book? As little as ten or fifteen years ago, this answer would have been simple: get an agent, who will then pitch the book to major publishers on your behalf. Now, with the wide variety of options available, it can be hard to decide what route to take. This is why, one post at a time, we’ll dissect each of the options in an effort to help authors better answer that question.

The SXSW PubCamp conference and party took place on Friday, and if you'd like to see what you missed, you can watch the recorded version of the event. The conference was aimed at examining the intersection between readers, writers and technology, and some of the sessions included a Publisher's Weekly panel and speakers from Condé Nast.

At SXSW you can usually expect out-of-the-box talks about new technology, industry changes, and innovative solutions. PubCamp’s content was mostly business-as-usual, though there were some great nuggets of wisdom to be had--it's always good to hear what people are buzzing about. Check out the video yourself and let us know what you think!

Today is National Read Across America Day in celebration of the great American children's book author Theodor Seuss Geisel--"Dr. Seuss". The National Education Association's Read Across America program is a year-round push to inspire and motivate children and communities to read. In that spirit, we've listed a few staff picks for our favorite Dr. Seuss books. Leave us a comment with your favorite!

Nate- I Had Trouble Getting to Solla Sollew

Tanya, Katelynn & Jenn- Oh the Places You'll Go!

Andrea & Bill- Green Eggs and Ham

Katie- The Butter Battle Book

Wendy- On Beyond Zebra!

Jay & Heather- The Lorax

Sheila- The Cat in the Hat

Kim- Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories

Brian P.- There's a Wocket in My Pocket!

For more on Dr. Seuss and National Read Across America Day, check out this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJ71mIK2PAg

How to Establish Yourself as an Expert to Grow Your Network and Client Base

Everyone is an expert in something, whether it’s basket weaving, social media marketing, or book editing. Consider this: being known as an expert in your field or area of interest affords you (and your business) all kinds of good stuff: credibility, a wider network, new clients or readers, and chance to cut through the noise. For all types of authors, an expert status can lend itself to getting the word out about a book and grabbing the attention of new readers. Here are three easy steps to get you started:

Beloved author Neil Gaiman discusses why he's not concerned about book piracy, and what happened when he convinced his publisher to give away his book for free.

As long as we've had access to unprecedented amounts of information via the internet, there has been the problem of piracy. Even before ebooks and digital rights management, people were posting and sharing poems, stories, and book chapters on the internet without permission from the author or publisher.

If you’re taking the reins on how your book is being printed, you’ve probably already come to face-to-face with the many available options. We’ve talked before on the Big Bad Book Blog about print-on-demand versus traditional printing, but we thought it might also be helpful to discuss binding style. Paperback, hardcover, mass market—everyone has seen these formats in bookstores, but how do you decide which is right for your book?

Let’s start by clarifying a few terms:

BBBB Readers Cast Your Vote for Us!

With the seemingly limitless options in publishing today, getting some good advice or an expert opinion is more important to your success than ever. Whether it’s peer reviews of your writing, marketing tips or information about how to publish your book—there is a wide variety of excellent online resources for writers, authors, and small publishers.

Still have a few last-minute gifts to buy? We may be biased, but we absolutely love getting books as gifts! If you’re not sure what those final people on your list might like, check out Amazon’s most-wished-for books list.

How do you stay competitive and differentiate your company or brand at a time when cutting through the noise is harder than ever? To get consumers to take notice of you over your competitors, you have to not only demonstrate your knowledge and expertise—you also have to broadcast it. A book is a great medium to integrate credibility and intellectual capital into your current branding and business development efforts.