Second edition coming in February, 2026 So, you want to publish books. Drawing on 24 years of experience operating an independent publishing company, Joe Biel has written the most accessible and comprehensive guide to running a successful publishing business. You'll learn all the skills of the trade, including how to:Develop your individual books to connect with readers on a practical and emotional levelChoose between offset printed, digitally printed, and eBook formats and work effectively with printersBuild an authentic niche so you can reach your audience and sell books directlyUnderstand if and when you're ready to work with a distributor or large online retailerCreate a budget and predict the cost and income of each book so your company stays in the blackDecide what work you need to do yourself and what can be done by othersPlan for sustainable growthFeaturing interviews with other upstart independent publishers and funny anecdotes from publishing's long history as well as detailed charts and visuals, this book is intended both beginners looking for a realistic overview of the publishing or self-publishing process and for experienced publishers seeking a deeper understanding of accounting principles, ways to bring their books to new audiences, and how to advance their mission in a changing industry. All readers will come away with the confidence to move forward wisely and a strong sense of why publishing matters today more than ever. [Review Quote] ""When a young intern at Microcosm Publishing—an indie house in Portland, Ore., focused on books that empower marginalized communities—asked founder Joe Biel what she should read to complete her publishing education, Biel was stumped. “I didn’t know what to tell her,” he said. With that intern in mind, Biel wrote A People’s Guide to Publishing: Build a Successful, Sustainable, Meaningful, Book Business from the Ground Up, a comprehensive guide to launching a book publishing venture..."" - Calvin Reid, Publisher's Weekly [Review Quote] ""...an inspirational and practical guidebook for anyone interested in starting and sustaining a publishing company.... Beneath all the details about business plans, marketing, paper choices, printing styles, distributors, and contracts, A People’s Guide to Publishing has a radical, DIY, punk-rock philosophy that echoes that of Microcosm Publishing itself. Publishing is a way to get books out there that need to be read, and Biel offers spirited advice about how to get that done."" - Vivian Wagner, NewPages [Review Quote] ""...goes into the nitty gritty of what it takes to build a publishing company. And we’re talking EVERYTHING. That might sound daunting, but he’s got some pretty fun stories from his own and other publishers’ experience to keep us hyped."" - Emily Einolander, Hybrid Pub Scout [Review Quote] ""[I]nformal but comprehensive...Biel is the founder and president of Microcosm Publishing, a small press that's guided by a strong set of principles and is doing some great work."" - Publishers Weekly, The Best Books About Book Publishing Joe Biel is a self-made autistic publisher and filmmaker who draws origins, inspiration, and methods from punk rock to sell millions of books. Biel is the founder and CEO of Microcosm Publishing, Publishers Weekly's #1 fastest-growing publisher of 2022 and #3 in 2023/2024, and WorkingLit, the software responsible for Microcosm's aforementioned success--now available for other publishers. Biel has been featured in Time, Esquire, Art of Autism, Reading Glasses, Bulletproof Radio, Spectator (Japan), G33K (Korea), and Maximum Rocknroll, as well as NPR and PBS. Biel is the author of A People's Guide to Publishing, Autism Relationships Handbook, Unfuck Your Business, Enduring Legacy of Portland's Black Panthers, and dozens more. Biel is the director of five feature films and hundreds of short films, including Aftermass: Bicycling in a Post-Critical Mass Portland, $100 & a T-Shirt, and the Groundswell series. Biel lives in Portland, OR.