I have just finished my second book about Bali and this time I have written a guide for people interested in retiring in Bali. Writing certainly doesn’t come easy for me and even though I have all of these ideas running around in my head, getting them written down is another thing all together.

I learnt quite a bit from writing my first book on starting a business in Bali and the feedback I got from it. There has also been this small revolution in publishing over the last couple of years and there is much less stigma attached to self publishing a book. In fact publishers are starting to find new authors after they have had success from selling their work directly to Kindle and other ebook readers.

There are many books on retiring to Thailand, the Philippines and South American countries, but nothing that I have ever seen for Bali or Indonesia. I am hoping my book can help to fill this gap.

You can download the book from the main part of the website here.

I have to admit even though I am a bit of technology geek, I have been reluctant to buy a Kindle or any other electronic reading device. I am still a fan of ordinary printed books. While I regularly buy books from Amazon and have them delivered to Bali, I also enjoy browsing bookstores. I think it will be kind of sad if book stores close down in the same way CD shops largely have.

I only just purchased my first Kindle book. I don’t even have a Kindle reader, but Amazon have software which you can install on your computer. It was the title of the book that got me and I knew I just wanted to read it right away: How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months.

It was only $4.99 and most of the reviews were pretty good, so I thought what the heck.

The experience from buying the book online and making it available on my computer almost instantly is quite amazing and even though I am still kind of reluctant, I might even become a Kindle convert!

Ebook sales have now overtaken paper book sales on Amazon and the whole publishing industry is being turned on its head. It’s now possible for anyone to write and sell a book online, entirely cutting out the publishing phase, which is the barrier to entry for most new writers.

You might be asking what this has to do with Bali, but I know that there are many writers or aspiring writers living here. We all know that writing the greatest book in the world, is never going to sell, unless people know about it. “How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months” helps to solve this problem by laying out a marketing plan how anyone can achieve similar results.

The tools that are used should be familiar to most people, Twitter and blogging, but it’s how this author uses them that are in my opinion quite original. While there are thousands of blogs and information on how to use Twitter for your business, I think what he says makes a great deal of sense and is done very succinctly without the usual bs. I also enjoyed reading his take on dealing with negative feedback and how he even uses that information in his business.

Even if you aren’t a writer, I think many of the ideas in the book can be used for marketing or even starting any kind of business.

I just received the proof of the printed version of my book “How to start a business in Bali”. I approved the proof, so it is now available for sale through Createspace and hopefully soon, through Amazon. My whole experience with Createspace has been fantastic and the printed book looks great.

It’s a weird feeling seeing a book with your own name on the cover. I now understand why it’s called “vanity publishing”. The printed book looks great and just like you would pick up in the bookshop. I don’t feel like reading it again though, because I am sure there are still typos and mistakes in it.

I expect that more books will be sold this way in the future. It’s great that you can buy almost any title and it will never go out of print.

My book is also available on the Kindle, but I am reluctant to promote it because of the large cut Amazon makes. I just read also that Google are launching their own ebook store and authors get to keep 60-something per cent for their sales.

The extra competition and increase in sales outlets is only good news for aspiring authors. I am pretty sure that if you can create a useful and informative book, have some expertise in marketing and are prepared to work hard, you could make a reasonable income from writing.

I was looking for more places to get exposure for my guide to starting a business in Bali. After doing some research, I found that anyone can sell print on demand (POD) and ebooks on Amazon.

I think it is a fairly recent move that Amazon has started or they acquired a site called CreateSpace. CreateSpace allows people to sell books, DVDs, music and MP3s.

I am currently in the process of trying to get my ebook approved. People will be able to hopefully soon be able to buy my book from Amazon in either an ebook or paper book format.

You have to become a little familiar with publishing terms such as “bleed” and “trim”. The interface however to their site is very simple to follow. You can even create a cover for your book from one of their templates.

In terms of pricing, I priced my book at $25, of which I would receive $10.70. There is a PRO version available also and if you pay some money to join, you will receive a little more money.

I have heard of authors traditionally getting paid very little for their books, so I am sure even this amount is pretty good.

Another thing I like about this service is that there are no upfront costs to the author. They even supply you with an ISBN number if you don’t have one. I looked at the self publishing service of Lulu and their basic cost to get your book into their store was $300!

One more advantage is that once your book is online in the store, it should be there forever! It will never go out of print, so as long as your book is on a topic that won’t get dated, you will be able to earn royalties on your sales for the rest of your life.

About the only downside I have seen so far, is that you need create and submit a separate file to create a Kindle version for your book. It is something I will be trying to work out next.

I did read though, that 500 titles are being uploaded to Amazon everyday! It’s a very competitive marketplace, which is why you want to create something that targets a small but specific niche market.

Update: The book was approved last night. I had to order a copy to check it before it goes “live”. The cost was about $4 for the book and $10 for shipping.

Today I have great pleasure to announce the launch of my new eBook – How to start a business in Bali – A practical guide to setting up and running a successful business in Bali.

If you have ever thought of setting up a business in Bali, this guide is for you.

When I started researching it soon became apparent that I needed to hear from experienced expats who have set up businesses in different areas. I did five interviews with entrepreneurs all with completely different businesses in Bali – including a business consultancy, organic farm, translation and cultural service and a hotel.

Learn from experienced people and avoid making mistakes that could be costly down the road.

Need more information? – get a full run down of the eBook here.

I am probably one of the world’s worst shoppers, but I do like reading and being able to flip through guide books on Bali.

This book is more than just a shopping guide though, it also covers restaurants, day spas, bars and hotels in Bali.   The reviews are frank and to the point.

The shopping part covers Bali’s range of arts, crafts, furniture and accessories for the home.  I can see the book will be useful for people living in Bali, who like me aren’t into shopping, but are asked by visiting friends to take them to wood carvers, painters etc.

You can buy it in Bali from Periplus bookstores or online from Amazon

The Indonesian tourism authority spends very little on marketing Bali to the world, yet millions of visitors every year choose to spend their holidays in Bali. I believe this is partly due to the many books written on Bali mostly by foreigners that create a special sense of Bali for anyone visiting the island.

This is a list of some of the timeless classics on Bali. Please let me know in the comments if you know of any books that should be added to the list.

A House in Bali by Colin McPhee is a timeless classic on Bali. McPhee arrived in Bali in 1931 after hearing a record of Balinese music in New York.

Fragrant Rice: My Continuing Love Affair with Bali by Janet De Neefe tells her story of living in Bali since 1974. The book is part biography, part social anthropology and part Balinese recipe guide.

Balians: Traditional Healers of Bali is a book of interviews and photographs of some of Bali’s traditional healers (Balians). The six interviews are with, Mangku Alit, Jero Sekar Manik, Jero Tapakan, Jero Mangku Srikandi, Mangku I. Made Pogog and I Gusti Gede Raka Antara.

Bali & Lombok Lonely Planet’s guide to Bali.