Write That Book Already!: The Tough Love You Need To Get Published Now (18 page)

THE PRIUS OF PUBLISHING: HYBRID MODELS

There are hybrid models that lie somewhere between self-publishing and vanity presses. Subsidy publishers distribute books under their own imprints, and as a result are selective in deciding which books to publish. Subsidy publishers take payment from the author to print and bind a book, but contribute a portion of the cost as well as additional services such as editing, distribution, warehousing, and marketing, though the quality of these services may be unremarkable and minimal. As with commercial publishers, the books are owned by the publisher and remain in the publisher’s possession, with authors receiving royalties for any copies that are sold once the book has earned out. The rights for the book are generally retained by the subsidy publisher and authors have little control over production elements such as cover design.

Print-on-demand (POD) publishers generally do not screen submissions prior to publication. Many POD publishers are web-based, accepting uploaded digital content from anyone who is willing to pay. Authors can design a printing plan that meets their requirements or choose from a selection of packages. For an additional fee, a POD publisher may offer services such as jacket design, editing, proofreading, marketing, and publicity. Some POD publishers are branching into the growing field of e-books, and many offer ISBN (International Standard Book Numbers) service, which allows a title to be searchable and listed for sale.

WHEN SELF-PUBLISHING MAKES SENSE

Self-publishing makes sense for authors who want to have a book published and don’t care if it sells at all (e.g., someone who wants to print a family history and give it to every family member and the local library), someone who has a way to sell books independently and doesn’t need access to retail book outlets (e.g., a doctor who speaks to hundreds of people many times a year and can sell books at the events; the owner of a bed and breakfast who will sell copies of a history of the building site to people staying there over the years), and corporate entities that are in a position to sell their books directly to a specific audience in enough quantity to justify printing them, even though they won’t be distributed in bookstores.

In short, self-publishing is increasingly becoming a viable way to publish. There are a number of reasons for this:

• The POD method has become more affordable with new technology.

• The Internet has become a means for some authors to bypass the traditional publisher/bookstore route—we repeat,
some
authors.

• The Internet and electronic book technology are redefining the very concept of what a book is, as authors can “publish” their books online at almost no cost.

The benefits of self-publishing are:

• Getting a faster turnaround on production

• Keeping your artistic vision intact (in other words, no fights with your editor because you are your editor)

• Receiving significantly greater return on each book sold, without having to wait for unintelligible royalty statements or money held against returns

Rarely, but sometimes, it might even make sense for you to self-publish because you have struck out with the traditional publishing path. Let’s say you are a science-fiction writer with a book you believe in, but all the agents and publishers have turned you down. You are a go-getter with resources and time, and you know how to locate sci-fi conventions and review publications. You are savvy enough about marketing to begin with an initial small review mailing that will produce endorsements that you can then include in subsequent larger print runs. Maybe you can break the mold and sell your book yourself. Maybe you can get William Shatner
and
Leonard Nimoy to give you blurbs, create a sensational website, and perhaps even sell e-books online.

Before you self-publish, there are a couple of questions you should ask yourself: Do I care if my book never gets reviewed in mainstream publications or distributed to bookstores and other traditional book retailers? Do I have enough of a platform to sell this book outside of bookstores without losing my shirt?

THERE’S MORE TO SELF-PUBLISHING THAN WRITING

If you do choose to self-publish you need to know that a lot of hard work will begin after your book is completed. Instead of handing it off and working with your publisher, you’ll have to roll into publicity and marketing mode. The first crucial step of any marketing campaign is determining who your audience is. (Some would argue that you should determine this before writing the book.) Next, spend a little money on designing and printing a succinct press release. Then send free copies of your book to any personal media contacts and influential people in your field.

A web presence is a low-cost way of keeping the world informed about any news related to you and/or your book. You can also buy an e-mail contact list from Cision (
www.us.cision.com
) or some other similar service. You probably can’t afford a full-page ad in
USA Today
, but you might find another publication, geared specifically to your audience, with reasonable ad rates. Donate books to radio station pledge drives and charity fundraisers. Present yourself as an expert in your field to local and national media outlets. Watch the news, and remind producers that you are available to comment on breaking stories. Always keep a box of books in the trunk of your car, and carry a copy with you when you travel. Network like crazy, but don’t be one of those people everyone avoids at parties because you can’t talk about anything
but
your book. Once in while, talk to the other guy about
his
book.

The danger of going the self-publishing route is this: no one is great at everything, and it takes an immense amount of resources to publicize, distribute, and market a book. If you aren’t out on the lecture circuit and can’t afford the time and money it takes to rent booth space at conventions, chances are you’re going to end up with a lot of extra product on your hands. It’s hard enough to get attention for a new book with traditional publishing resources behind it, so think carefully about whether or not you can sell enough copies to make this worthwhile, without the benefit of media reviews and bookstore distribution.

SUCCESSFUL SELF-PUBLISHING: A TRUE STORY

The following is a personal story from Betty Kamen, a successful self-published author who by a wild coincidence happens to be Kathi’s mom!

“My personal success story involves writing and lecturing about a subject that has widespread interest, mainly because it centers on a widespread problem. Women were filling drug prescriptions for relieving the discomfort of PMS (premenstrual symptoms) and menopausal discomfort. I, however, offered a safe and effective natural alternative. So my book had a large audience!

“My major problem with traditional publishing is the loss of control. For example, words I think are essential for a point I am making may be eliminated. And here and there a descriptive expression would be ‘dumbed down,’ or replaced by one that changes my meaning. A second issue is time—the time it takes to get my book rolling off the printing presses. Why couldn’t my publisher see how important it is to put all other projects aside and give MY BOOK priority? These concerns led me to self-publish.

“But first, a warning: I don’t think a novice who has never been published professionally should take a stab at self-publishing. You have to earn your right to do that successfully. A major requirement is to know how the professional editors work. It’s an excellent idea to sit down with a professional editor to learn how it’s done. After such an experience, you now have the potential to self-edit and self-publish. (If you are unpublished, professional editors are available. Check online, or contact your high school English teacher.)

“It’s a good idea to give your manuscript to several people for feedback before it goes to press. Offer your work to someone who knows about your subject, to someone who knows nothing about the subject you have explored, to someone who is young, and to another who is old. If your message has been both clear and important, people in each of these categories will come up with almost the same critique, plus unique ideas based on their personal experience and age.

“Then there’s the matter of subject. Is your message one that has been previously tackled, again, and yet again? Are you offering a new perspective? Obviously, the latter is essential for success. Make sure your jacket copy and marketing materials communicate to your potential audience that you have something new and important to share.

“Okay, your book is written, and now you have to sell it. If there is any reference to a product in your book, you may want to approach a company that manufactures, distributes, or sells that product. That company may promote your book directly to their clientele, or they may even offer a financial grant, or a percentage of the sales of their product generated as a result of your book. In my case, a company that manufactures a cream that relieves the problem of PMS and menopause (the subjects of my book), bought tens of thousands of copies of my book, using it as promotional material.

“Go through your manuscript with an eye to selecting paragraphs that are provocative. These are excerpts you should be sending to magazines, newspapers, and radio and TV stations, offering yourself as an exciting guest. Broadcasters are always looking for interesting people to interview—yes, even the biggies have staff on the lookout. It’s okay to be persistent and follow up. Most importantly, once you are being interviewed, be sure to mention the title of your book and, if possible, contact information for the book’s availability. Save the copies of the actual interviews to show to your grandchildren.

“Offering a free lecture in your neighborhood based on your book often produces high sales. Approach the local women’s and men’s groups, church and synagogue groups, etc. On my very first lecture presentation, a woman came up to me after my presentation, asking for my card. I didn’t have a card—but I have never been without one since. I also have a one-page flyer that I leave on every seat before the audience arrives. The flyer contains my contact information, along with a list of my books, and their availability.

“I also start each presentation with a short humorous story. Getting my audience to laugh at the outset assures that they will be attentive. Good luck and good book sales!”

ANOTHER TRUE STORY: PASSION OVERRIDES EXPERIENCE

This self-publishing story was contributed by Emily Scott Pottruck, who decided that self-publishing would be the most effective way to meet her goal, raising money for a good cause:

“I decided that at every decade birthday, I would do something outside of my comfort zone to benefit something that changed my life. Animals entered my life in a big way in my forties, so at fifty I decided to do something that would benefit animal welfare nonprofit organizations. I met Amy Tan through my four-legged children (others know them as dogs) and hers, and was exposed to a world of authors and writers.

“Making a long story short, I decided to create a coffee table book that portrayed the bond between people and their pets. It was important to me that all types of households (ethnicities, gender, family structure, etc.) and all types of household pets would be included so anyone with a pet would find someone in the book with whom they could identify. This was not another dog book or cat book. This was a book about the relationship we humans have with our pets.

“I mentioned this to Amy and then with incredible naiveté, I asked her (note: NEVER ask a famous author to do this unless you are either as naive as I was or he/she owes you a huge favor) to write the foreword. Remarkably (which gets more remarkable as I become more learned), she agreed. Thus,
Tails of Devotion, A Look at the Bond Between People and Their Pets
, was born.

“Amy also said, ‘If you really want to make money for charity, then you will need to self-publish. There isn’t a publisher that would do this for free. Knowing you as I do, nobody will market this as strongly as you will.’

“
Tails of Devotion
would become my birthday gift to myself; I would incur all the costs so
every penny from every sale
would go to charity.

“This is where passion overrides experience. Had I known what I did not know, I would have stopped at this point. Had I known that my desire to have a visually stunning book, well-made, high-quality product would be as costly as it was, I would have written a check to the charities and blown out my birthday candles. Had I known that the process would take 100 percent of my time for sixteen months, then 80 percent for twelve months, then 40 percent for eight months, I would have hired someone and gone to the golf course. The passion I had for
Tails of Devotion
consumed me so I had no choice but to proceed and I am smarter and more fulfilled because of it. I now believe that people are not workaholics but passionaholics. There was nothing I wanted to do that didn’t include
Tails of Devotion
.