Writing and Publishing News

Yesterday we explored five publishing mistakes and how to avoid them. Today, we’ll cover five more.

1: Authors neglect to study the publishing industry. To understand the importance of this task and to learn where to go to get the information you need, check out my blog posts for August 23, 2012.

2: Authors decide not to hire an editor. Many authors, by the time they complete their manuscripts and self-edit it, they are more than ready to get it published. Some of them don’t feel they have the money to spend on a professional editor. Some expect to get a good enough editing job through their pay-to-publish company. Still others believe that they don’t need to hire an editor because traditional publishers have editors on staff.

One of the biggest mistakes a hopeful author can make is neglecting to hire a professional editor before approaching publishers of any type. News flash: publishers want to see professionally edited manuscripts.

If you want to enter into the world of publishing, learn something about the business. Study your options and the ramifications of your choices. Define your responsibilities as a published author. You may still make a few mistakes along the way—we all do, but knowledge will definitely save you money and heartache.

3: Uninformed authors blindly sign up for unnecessary services. Some pay-to-publish companies state that they will get your books into bookstore databases and provide a return policy on your books for a fee of around $700-$800.

I have two things to say about that. First, you can get your books listed in bookstore databases nationwide for free. All you have to do is fill out an Advance Book Information (ABI) form. Your book will be listed in Books in Print (BIP). This is one database that bookstores use to order books. If a customer asks for your book and it is listed in Books in Print, the bookstore can order it for that customer. And the listing in BIP is free.

Secondly, the return policy that some publishing services are selling their authors is, in my opinion, a huge waste of money. This policy is no more a guarantee that booksellers will carry your book than a nickel guarantees the purchase of a candy bar.
Authors neglect to consult with professionals.

4: Authors rush into making decisions. Patience is of major importance for an author who expects a high monetary return on his or her efforts. Rush through any of the processes related to your publishing project and you could miss an important step. Take your time. Make sure you understand the process and are making all of the right decisions in the right order.

5: Authors don’t consider book promotion until their book is published. Every book, in order to sell it, must be promoted and promotion is the author’s job. Authors should be thinking about and planning for book promotion when they start the writing/publishing process. Once the book is a book, it will take a great deal of energy and time to pursue the amount of promotion that will sell those books. And this is something that many authors neglect to consider.

Read books such as those I wrote especially for you—Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author and Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author. They are available at Amazon.com and other online and downtown bookstores.
http://www.matilijapress.com
http://www.patriciafry.com

It happens fairly often. I meet disgruntled, disillusioned, almost bankrupt authors who admit to making most of the mistakes listed below. They might have wonderful books in hands, but little understanding of the publishing industry and even less marketing savvy. They learn too late that the time to ask questions and study options is BEFORE you begin to make publishing decisions.

First-time authors are eager to see their books in print. I know this. I’ve been there and I’ve made mistakes. As authors, we work long and hard on our projects. The last thing we want to deal with after finishing a manuscript is the learning curve. Rather than spend weeks, months or years searching for a publishing opportunity, we’d rather sign with the first “publisher” who extends a friendly hand.

I’m on a mission, folks—a mission to help hopeful authors become more well educated and informed about this industry so they will make more appropriate choices on behalf of their publishing projects.

Following are 5 mistakes that many new authors make—mistakes that can cost you large sums of money and dramatically diminish your opportunity for publishing success.

1: Inexperienced authors write a book as the first step. Why is this considered a mistake? If you aspire to have your book published and widely distributed, this may be the wrong approach. Whether you’re writing a how-to book, biography, self-help, romance novel, children’s story, mystery, memoir or dictionary, write a book proposal first.

In the process of writing a book proposal, you will:
• Learn if you have a viable book at all.
• Discover whether there is a market for this book.
• Determine your target audience.
• Ascertain the best way to promote your book.
• Be prepared to establish your platform.

Write a book proposal as a first step and you’re more apt to write the right book for the right audience. How better to snag a traditional royalty publisher than with a promising project?

2: Eager new authors often go with the first publishing opportunity they stumble across. You don’t make other business decisions this quickly. You research the possibilities and study your options. Many authors forget that publishing is a business. We get so attached to our projects and so eager to see our books in print that we act emotionally rather than logically.

Learn the difference between a traditional royalty publisher and a pay-to-publish service. You’ll find hundreds of traditional royalty publishers listed in Writer’s Market (available in the reference section of your library or for sale for about $30 in most bookstores. A new edition comes out each September).

Visit bookstores in search of books like yours. Find out who published these books and contact those publishers.

As an author, you have many options. Research them, understand them and scrutinize them in order to choose the one that is right for your project.

3: New authors believe that they don’t have a chance with a traditional royalty publisher. This is simply not true. If you have a viable project, you arm yourself with knowledge and you approach the publisher in a professional manner, you have a definite chance of landing a traditional royalty publisher.

Find publishers who produce books like yours. Study their Submission Guidelines. Follow these guidelines in approaching them with your project. If they request a query letter first, do NOT send your complete manuscript. If you don’t understand what goes into a query letter, study books and articles about writing a query letter. Hire someone to help you get it right.

There are hundreds of small to medium-sized publishers eager for good, marketable books. For example, everyone knows that poetry books are a hard sell. Yet, Writer’s Market lists over 40 traditional royalty publishers who publish books of poetry. There are at least 125 publishers of mysteries and about the same number who produce historical novels. There are over 200 traditional royalty publishers that publish biographies and more than 175 who produce children’s books. Encouraging, isn’t it?

4: Many authors don’t understand publishing terms. Authors will say to me, “I’m self-publishing with ABC Publishing Company.” What they are actually doing is going with a pay-to-publish company. What are your primary publishing options?

Royalty Publisher
A traditional royalty publisher puts up the money for the production of your book and pays you royalties on books sold. These publishers are generally very selective in the books they publish

Self-publishing
Self-publishing means that you establish a publishing company (get a fictitious business name, purchase your own block of ISBNs, etc.). You get your book ready for publication, you hire a printing company, you are responsible for distribution and shipping and you reap all of the profits.

Pay-to-Publish Company
You pay the company to produce your book. Most of these companies will accept any manuscript—they are not generally discriminating. They each enter the publishing arena with very different publishing contracts. It pays to do plenty of research so you know exactly what you’re signing.

5: Newby authors don’t generally solicit advice from professionals until it is too late. Do NOT sign a contract with any publisher or purveyor of publishing services without hiring a literary or intellectual properties attorney. This should go without saying, yet thousands of authors each year bypass this important step.

I also recommend that inexperienced authors talk to other authors who have used the services they are considering. Contact organizations such as SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) http://www.spawn.org, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and Small Publishers of North America (SPAN). Ask questions.

Further, you should read books such as the one I wrote especially for you—Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author. It’s available at Amazon.com and other online and downtown bookstores.
http://www.matilijapress.com
http://www.patriciafry.com

Tomorrow, we will explore another 5 publishing mistakes and how to avoid them.

You keep hearing (reading) me and others nag and advise on the importance of studying the publishing industry. Do you really need a whole bunch of information about the industry when all you want to do is produce one book as quickly and easily as possible? Absolutely, unless you have a death wish for your book.

Nearly 80 percent of books produced these days sell fewer than 100 copies total. Now what do you think is different about the 20-some percent of authors who are selling anywhere from 1,000 to a million or more copies of their books? They were more well-prepared to enter the world of publishing. They are making better decisions on behalf of their books. They are actively promoting their books.

And how did they know these things were necessary? You guessed it! In most cases, they learned something about the publishing industry before getting involved.

Sure, there is the rare (and generally well-publicized) circumstance where an unaware author falls into an amazingly successful situation. There are what appear to be the occasional overnight success. For most of us, however, we must pay our dues. And if we want some measure of success as a published author, it’s imperative that we do our homework.

How does one adequately study the publishing industry?
• Read books by publishing professionals. Let me suggest my latest book, Publish Your Book. It’s at Amazon.com and most other online and downtown bookstore. Also read other books by me (Patricia Fry) as well as Mark Levine, Brian Jud, Dan Poynter, Marilyn Ross, Penny Sansevieri and others

• Subscribe to newsletters, magazines and enewsletters related to the publishing industry. Here are my faves:
Publishing Basic
http://www.publishingbasics.com

Book Marketing Matters
http://www.bookmarketing.com

Book Promotion Newsletter
http://www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com

SPAWNews
Free for anyone
http://www.spawn.org

SPAWN Market Update
Membership in SPAWN required
Join SPAWN at: http://www.spawn.org

• Join writers groups that lean heavily toward book publishing and marketing. Also join online groups such as SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) http://www.spawn.org

• Attend writers’ conferences. At least attend one—two is even better, if you can manage it. Do an Internet search using keywords, “writers’ conference” and “your city.” Also use the following conference directories to find those that are appropriate. Note: A writers’ retreat is different from a writers’ (or authors’) conference. Check the workshop list and presenters to make sure of the conference’s focus.
http://writing.shawguides.com
http://www.allconferences.com
http://www.newpages.com/writing-conferences

• Follow blogs posted by publishing professionals and successful authors in your genre. Here are a couple of directories that might help you locate blogs that are meaningful to you: And be sure to frequent this blog, as my whole focus is to inform, educate and teach authors and writers.
http://www.blogs-collection.com/directory/writing.php
http://blogs.botw.org
http://www.blogdirectory.net

• Listen to/watch webinars, teleseminars, blog talk radio, podcasts on various aspects of writing, publishing and book promotion. They are all over the Internet.
http://podcastdirectory.com
http://metamosis.com
http://webinarexplorer.com

As you can see, there is no reason why any author should go into the business of publishing without ample knowledge, resources and a healthy understanding of the industry. Sure, it’s going to take time. Definitely, research and study are not the most creative things you could be doing. But if you desire some measure of success as a published author, it is your duty to educate and inform yourself about the industry and your responsibilities as a published author before you take the plunge.

Today, we’re continuing our discussion about how to work with a publisher. Yesterday, I gave you five ways to work with a publisher. Here are an additional five.

6: Be prepared to hand over control. Once the contract is signed, the publisher takes control. You’ll like some of his/her decisions and others may upset you. While some publishers will keep you in the loop on issues related to your book, be prepared to see your title change, for example. I once had a publisher who used my advance to hire an artist for my book. I kept asking to see examples of the artist’s work, but was never given that opportunity. Eventually, the company changed hands and scrapped my book. They returned my manuscript along with the drawings (which I had bought). They were awful! The point is, however, that the publisher is the one with the experience, he/she is putting up the money to publish the book and they have the final word.

7: Expect to rewrite your manuscript. Just when you thought your book was finished and you’re anxious to start the next one, your publisher may ask for a rewrite. Make sure that you have a contract at this point. Sometimes a publisher will ask you to revise your sample chapters before committing to publishing your book. Decide how much work you are willing to do before the project is accepted. I once got involved with rewriting several chapters of a book for a publisher. In fact, he asked me to refocus my entire manuscript. They sent me back to the drawing board three times without so much as a promise of a contract. I finally realized that the book they wanted me to write was nothing like the one I wanted to write. And with no contract forthcoming, I decided to withdraw my manuscript.

8: Check the proofs over carefully. The publisher will generally send you a proof of your manuscript before publication. Take plenty of time with it and give it a thorough check. You might be surprised at some of the things they will change and some of the formatting errors they will make.

9: Request guidance in marketing your book. Once the book is published, ask about the company’s promotional plans. Ask for any suggestions they might have for marketing your book. Often, the publisher will be asking you these questions. He has you fill out a questionnaire listing your connections and affiliations, etc. And he hands this over to his publicity department. But if you let him know that you are willing and eager to go out and promote your book, the publicist may arrange for some opportunities for you.

10: Keep your publisher informed as to your marketing efforts. Once a month or so, send an email or post a note reporting on your promotional progress. Say, for example, “I sent press releases to newspapers in the northeast region. I sent review copies to 30 magazines and newsletters. I have two book signings scheduled. And last week I spoke before the local branch of the National Association of Business Women and sold twelve books.” Send the publisher copies of any book review. Anytime your book receives a review or an award, an article relating to the book is published or you are quoted, for example, send copies to your publisher.

For additional information about publishing, landing a publisher, working with a publisher or agent, marketing your book and so much more, read my latest book, Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author. It’s available at Amazon.com in print and Kindle and at most online and downtown bookstores.

Congratulations! You’ve landed a publisher. But don’t relax, yet. Now, you need to figure out how to work with him or her. Follow this guide and you should enjoy a good working relationship with your publisher for the life of your contract.

1: Respect his or her time and space. Respond with just the information requested and send just the material required. Do not, for example, inundate the publisher with frequent phone calls. Don’t send several video tapes showing you speaking before the local Rotary Club, the correspondence between yourself and your editor for the last several months or the first eight drafts of your manuscript unless he/she asks for it.

2: Be prompt with proofs and rewrites. Ask if there is a deadline. If not, project one for yourself and share it with the publisher. Say, for example, “I can have this to you by the end of the month, is that okay?” Once a deadline is established, do your absolute best to meet it.

3: Keep yourself in the loop. You deserve respect, too, and respect for an author means being included in the project. I do not suggest calling the publisher every few days to see what’s up. Rather, try to keep an open line of communication with him or her. Ask the publisher to share his/her calendar with regard to your project. If he says that the galleys won’t be ready until the end of November, don’t call him in September asking if they’re ready. If an unreasonable amount of time goes by without word from the publisher, email him or her and request an update. It is usually okay to call a publisher if there is a valid reason. Obviously, some publishers are more organized and better communicators than others. If certain personality types drive you crazy, you might want to consider who you’re dealing with before making a commitment to a publishing contract.

4: Be up front with your publisher. If you have a deadline, but you’re having trouble reaching someone who is key to your last chapter, for example, let the publisher know there is a problem and how you plan to rectify it.

5: Give the publisher your best effort. A new writer wrote to me recently and asked if she should tell the publisher that she plans to hire an editor after he looks at her manuscript. Of course, I told her that she needs to hire that editor before sending her work to the publisher.

To be continued. Tomorrow, I’ll provide 5 more tips for working with your publisher.

You’ll also find information about locating publishers, choosing the right one for your project and working with him in my latest book, Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author. Available at Amazon.com and most other online and downtown bookstores. Also for sale here—along with a FREE sample chapter: http://www.matilijapress.com

I met an author via email yesterday who I’d like to use as an example in this morning’s blog post. Like so many, many people, he signed a contract with a pay-to-publish company without doing important research and comparisons. Things didn’t go well and he managed to get out of the contract early (after four years, he says).

Most authors I met during the late 1990s and early 2000s who had bad publishing experiences did not get back on the horse. They cut their losses and bailed on their dream to publish. But this author went another direction. He began to do the research he wishes he had done before getting involved. Once he had more information, resources and knowledge, he began making new decisions for his book project—educated decisions. And he plans to bring his book out anew, now that he has a greater understanding of the industry and his responsibilities as a published author.

Few authors can afford to start over again once they’ve spent a large chunk of money with a pay-to-publish company. That’s why I do my best to catch the attention of hopeful authors before they enter into any agreements.

Here’s the drill:

1: Start your publishing journey by studying the publishing industry.
2: Make sure you are writing the right book for the right audience.
3: Save up money for a good book editor.
4: Write a book proposal.
5: Take your time when choosing the appropriate publishing option.

You’ve been reading my blog posts long enough to know that there’s way more to it than that. But these seem to be some of the main aspects that most new authors disregard. They go into publishing blindly, succumbing to the charms of friendly publishing representatives. They write the book they want to write without regard for their readers. They don’t want to pay for editing—sometimes know they need it, but don’t want to pay for it. They rush to get their book published like there is no tomorrow.

When tomorrow comes and they begin to educate themselves about the publishing industry, it is too late for some.

So my hat is off to the gentleman I met yesterday who admits to making some mistakes right out of the chute, but who is now taking it slow and doing a whole lot of studying before taking his next step.

Don’t forget, I’m teaching my online self-publishing course starting tomorrow (July 23, 2012). Sign up today at:
http://www.matilijapress.com/course_selfpub.htm

Get your FREE copy of my latest ebooklet, 50 Ways to Promote Your Ebook, here: http://www.patriciafry.com