Publishing How-To Books with Palmetto

Share your wisdom and grow your brand with industry specific books.

How-to books are essential guides to navigating tasks or life experiences. From cooking to storytelling to organizing one’s life, how-to books guide the way with clear, actionable steps that empower readers to master new skills, solve problems, and achieve their goals in an engaging and accessible way. Find tips for writing your own how-to book and discover how we can help along your self-publishing journey.

What Is the How-To Genre?

The how-to genre is all about giving readers clear, detailed steps for doing, fixing, creating, or accomplishing something. How-to books may be as simple as cookbooks, detailing specific steps and ingredients needed in recipes or describing more complicated processes like overcoming unwanted habits or mastering new skills. These books break down tasks into manageable parts, making it easier for readers to follow along and achieve their goals.

Books in the how-to genre cover countless topics but the thing they have in common is that they all provide readers with new or additional knowledge on how to do something.

Wide-Ranging How-To Categories

A how-to guide can cover a wide range of topics, giving readers step-by-step instructions on everything from practical skills to personal development. Whether you’re teaching someone how to master a craft, improve their health, or boost productivity, these books can help people reach their goals in various areas. Here’s a look at some popular categories within the how-to genre.

Arts and crafts:

Help readers unlock their creativity and make beautiful projects.

Finance and investing:

Teach readers the essentials of managing money, investing wisely, and planning for financial security.

Food:

Cookbooks offer delicious recipes and step-by-step instructions to enhance anyone’s culinary skills.

Games:

Explain strategies, rules, and tips for mastering everything from board to video games.

Gardening:

Offer advice on planting, growing, and maintaining a thriving garden.

Health and fitness:

Promote better living by sharing workout routines, nutritional advice, or wellness tips.

Hobbies:

Whether it’s collecting, crafting, or a new sport, hobby how-to guides introduce readers to fun and engaging activities.

Calligraphy and hand lettering:

Provide step-by-step instructions to teach the art of writing.

Knitting:

Teach readers different stitches and techniques to create everything from scarves to intricate patterns.

Photography:

Cover camera settings, share composition tips, and teach readers how to capture stunning images.

Woodworking:

Help readers transform raw materials into functional or artistic pieces, offering plans and techniques.

Home maintenance:

Provide practical advice for keeping homes in great condition.

Outdoor:

Guide readers through outdoor adventures, like camping, hiking, or survival skills.

Personal improvement:

Help readers improve their lives with self-development tips on things like time management or building confidence.

Productivity and business:

Show readers how to optimize their time and find success in their professional lives.

Science and technology:

Make learning accessible to everyone by explaining complex topics in a simple, clear way.

Writing and Publishing How-To Books

When writing a how-to guide, it’s important to keep in mind that every genre has its own style and structure. A successful how-to book includes content that is:

  • Relevant and up to date
  • Packed with unique insights and knowledge
  • Clear with detailed instructions, materials needed, and steps
  • Easy to read and navigate
  • Enhanced with images to illustrate the steps
  • Filled with storytelling to add inspiration, connection, and a touch of humor

Publishing a how-to book is different from publishing other genres. A witty title and interesting cover can really make a difference in grabbing readers’ attention — many how-to books tend to be coffee table books, after all! Additionally, marketing your how-to book may include emphasizing social media marketing rather than media coverage. No matter your type of how-to book, self-publishing is an excellent publishing method for this genre.

Additional Tips for Writing a How-To Book

Writing a successful book in the how-to genre involves more than just explaining steps — it’s about connecting with your audience and making the process engaging and accessible. With the right mix of practical advice, relatable examples, and simple language, your how-to book can truly stand out. Here are some tips to help you create a compelling how-to guide.

  • Know your audience: Understand whether you’re writing for beginners, intermediate learners, or experts. Adjust your language and style to match their experience level.
  • Keep it practical: Focus on giving real, actionable advice. Avoid heavy theory and stick to simple, hands-on steps that readers can actually use.
  • Offer help with common mistakes: Readers will appreciate tips for avoiding common errors, along with easy fixes to keep them moving forward.
  • Add checklists and recaps: Summarize key points or steps at the end of each section with handy checklists or quick recaps for easy reference.
  • Share your own story: Let your readers in on your personal experiences. This builds a connection and makes the advice feel more relatable.
  • Simplify complex ideas: Break down tough concepts using analogies, visuals, or comparisons so readers can get the hang of it without feeling overwhelmed.
  • Keep readers engaged: Include prompts or mini-exercises to encourage readers to put what they’re learning into practice right away.

The Benefits of Self-Publishing a How-To Book

Self-publishing a how-to book offers many advantages that can impact your success as an author. Here are some examples.

  • Creative control: Self-publishing lets you maintain full control over your book’s content, design, and marketing strategies. You get to make all the decisions without interference.
  • Direct engagement with readers: Self-publishing gives you direct access to your readers, allowing for better engagement and feedback. This connection can be very helpful for future projects.
  • Higher royalties: When you work with Palmetto, you keep 100% of your royalties from book sales.
  • Quicker publishing: Self-publishing with us usually takes around 8–12 weeks, which is significantly faster than traditional publishing.
  • Advertising: You can start promoting your book on digital platforms right away, helping you reach your audience and build momentum quickly.
  • Ownership: You’ll keep full ownership of your book’s intellectual property, including rights to content and potential adaptations.

By self-publishing, authors get to remain in control of their work, find their audiences quickly, and earn the most royalties possible, all while still having the potential to reach thousands of readers.

Palmetto Publishing’s Expert Services

Once you’re ready to embark on your self-publishing journey, Palmetto Publishing is here to guide you. We’re a leading self-publishing service provider that helps authors throughout the entire publishing process, from writing to marketing. At Palmetto Publishing, we help authors avoid common mistakes and succeed with our expert services, including:

Writing and Editing

Starting your book is an exciting journey, and we’re here to help every step of the way. Our website offers many resources to support your writing process, from genre-specific advice to tips on overcoming writer’s block.

Once your work is done, Palmetto offers expert editing services to polish your book to perfection. Having an outside editor review your book is crucial for spotting mistakes, adjusting organization, and receiving feedback to get your book ready for publishing. Our experienced editors review and perfect your work, offer feedback, and make sure it’s print-ready.

Cover Design

It’s no secret that people judge books by their covers — literally. Having an eye-catching cover on your self-help book is essential to reach more readers, and working with an expert cover designer can help. Palmetto’s cover design services help authors create the perfect covers for their finished works, with consultations, revisions, and premium stock images included.

Interior Formatting

A professionally formatted book is essential for a polished final product. Our interior formatting services ensure your book meets industry standards for the how-to genre, whether it’s an e-book or a print copy. We take care of all the formatting details so you can focus on your writing.

Illustrations

Need illustrations to accompany your written work? Palmetto Publishing also provides outstanding illustration services to take your pages to the next level. We offer half-page, full-page, and spot illustrations, bringing your text to life.

Printing

Turning your book into a physical product is one of the most important aspects of publishing. However, self-publishers may not know where to start when it comes to printing their books. Palmetto Publishing provides printing services to create high-quality, professional book copies for self-publishing authors.

Marketing

We also provide book marketing services to advertise your book across a variety of platforms. Palmetto has more than 780,000 media contacts, so your book is sure to reach the right people. Our book marketing services include author website creation, marketing copy, press releases, and media outreach to spread the word about your book.

Talk to a Publishing Consultant Today

FAQ

Can Palmetto Publishing help me publish a how-to e-book?

Absolutely! We require some kind of printing and distribution plan. However, to maximize your book’s reach and revenue, we can help you publish an e-book. You don’t need to self-publish exclusively with Amazon or Apple Books to access Kindle and Apple Bookstore marketplaces. Our authors can publish e-books across all major online platforms.

How much does it cost to self-publish a how-to book?

The cost of self-publishing any book will vary depending on the services you need. On average, authors spend around $3,800 with Palmetto Publishing, but costs can be lower for simpler projects or higher for those needing extensive editing, illustrations, or specialized printing.

It’s best to talk with one of our publishing consultants to get a better estimate for your book. We can review your manuscript and learn about your vision to provide a detailed cost breakdown.

How will readers find my book?

At Palmetto Publishing, we offer marketing and distribution services that help get your book noticed and into the hands of readers. We have several marketing packages so you can find the right one for your audience and budget.

What makes Palmetto Publishing different from other self-publishing services?

We stand out for our personalized and collaborative approach. Our team works closely with you to understand your goals and genre, offering tailored support throughout the publishing process. From expert editing and captivating cover design to targeted marketing strategies, we ensure every part of your book is handled with care and expertise. Our goal is to help you achieve the best possible results while keeping you involved every step of the way.

Authors Love Our Work

Palmetto Publishing helped me publish my first book, Zena Rommett: The Art of Floor-Barre™. The Palmetto Publishing team was helpful, professional, responsible, aware of my timeline, and courteous. After researching the web, I chose Palmetto Publishing because of its excellent reviews and reasonable pricing, which I was looking for representing a non-profit organization. They offer every publishing service from editing to marketing. I highly recommend Palmetto Publishing, whether it is your first book, like for me, or if you are a seasoned writer.

— Camille Rommett, Zena Rommett: The Art of Floor-Barre

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