Okay, I don't have one. But what about a list of the quality checkpoints of a superior book?

I don't have that either, but Sandy Nathan does: Winning Book Contests. Yes, it says "book contests" but the details are applicable to your book whether you enter a contest or not.

H'ray, Frances!

Kindle and Nook versions will be available within a week.

From the back cover:

If you believe luck is a mysterious force of the universe, you'll find my summary interesting. If you've always believed that luck was something you make, not something that happens to you, you'll find it even more interesting.

Go. Read. Comment.

And ponder the fact that I can help you speak like a non-idiot when we spend time together to get your book written

In 15 minutes, she knew what to do next, and was pretty sure she could do it.

Hearing the frustration, almost hopelessness, leave her voice, replaced with wonder, had me all weepy and choked up.

Every person alive deserves to live each day in a state of awe, filled with joy. When I can help one person take one step closer to that state—that's what gets me out of bed in the morning.

Some folks might be surprised to discover that James Altucher is, too, because his first 5 books were published traditionally.

Here's someone who can choose traditional publishing, doesn't have to wait to be picked, yet he's chosen the benefits of independent publishing instead.

Read his article. In 5 minutes, he'll change your mind if you're on the fence about which path to choose.

The same day we'll be releasing Frances Schagen's Your Effortless Business. I read the completed manuscript yesterday before sending it off to one of our content reviewers. It's clear and educational, and at the same time warm and personal. "Write what you know" has worked for Frances.

Our next step is one of the most fun in the process: cover design with Asia the artist.

Have you seen all the junk that comes out of vanity press? Traditional publishing avoids that.

No, it doesn't.

Traditional publishing has one primary driver: money. In order to achieve that end, they ensure that, no matter what's inside the book, the cover art, layout, font, and marketing are pristine, top-quality stuff.

Oh; that's what they mean. Not quality writing, quality printing.

That's like ensuring the quality of the plate you serve your guests their cat food on.

Preemptive reply: I'm not comparing traditionally published books to cat food. I'm saying that focusing on money has no direct bearing on the quality of the book inside the cover we're judging it by.

While I have your attention, let's put another mistaken notion to rest; this time, from advocates of independent publishing:

Every time someone independently publishes a bad book, it hurts all of us.

And kills a kitten, I might add.

I'm still waiting for a cogent argument to explain how independent publishing of books is any different from independent publishing of music. Songwriters, good, bad, and atrocious, have been recording and selling their own work for years. I have never in any manner experience any person saying "I heard a poorly done independent song the other day, so I'll never buy another independent song because they're probably all poorly done."

If poor quality put us off something, we'd all have stopped listening to the radio years ago. (Wait; I don't listen to the radio. Does this invalidate my argument? Dunno. Do you still listen to the radio, despite having heard songs you don't like? Oh, you do? Okay. Just me then.)

Folks, assumptions aren't facts. Truth is not caused by belief. It's the other way 'round.

The traditional publishing industry has one interest: its own financial continuation. They're awfully quick to point the money-grubbing finger at their print-on-demand competition who wouldn't exist if there wasn't a market.

My interest in your book is to help you ship a work of art you can be proud of; to fulfill your dream of becoming an author—and, where it makes sense, to create an income stream around your writing.