Writing and Publishing News from

Two of my articles appear in publications this week. My piece on shifting your writing into high gear in order to survive the economic downturn is in the October 2009 edition of the Freelance Writer’s Report (print version). If you’re a freelance writer, you really must subscribe to this newsletter. I’ve been subscribing for years.
http://www.writers-editors.com

Ron Pramschufer features my piece on successfully dealing with competition in his September 2009 edition of Publishing Basics. Read it at http://www.publishingbasics.com/current.

Also in this edition of Publishing Basics, you’ll find articles by Brian Judd and Peter Bowerman—both professionals whom I have had the pleasure of meeting.

While you’re checking out Ron’s publication, be sure to read his MOST informative FAQ page related to the ISBN. I’m pretty sure that if you have a question about the ISBN—no matter how off the wall it is—Ron has an answer for you on this page. Use the link above to find the newsletter and then click on the FAQ for ISBN link on the first page of the newsletter.

For those of you who are interested in buying just one ISBN, Ron Pramschufer is an agent for Bowker and is authorized to sell single numbers. He charges $99.

For years, I’ve been advising against purchasing just one ISBN. Why? Because publishers, like myself, were selling them. Since, when we purchase a block of them, our publishing companies are tied to those particular numbers, any books with our ISBN would be tied to our publishing company, as well. It can make things rather sticky when trying to place books in bookstores, get a distributor, etc.

But now, finally, you can purchase just one ISBN from Ron at Publishing Basics as well as from RR Bowker.

This is, of course, for those authors who wish to self-publish in the traditional way—by establishing his/her own publishing company. If you go with a “pay-to-publish” company, they will provide the ISBN in their name. If you land a traditional royalty publisher, they will use their ISBN to identify your book within the industry.

For more about self-publishing (including a handy timeline), locating and approaching a traditional publisher and when to choose a pay-to-publish company, read my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book.
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

This book does not tell you how to write, publish and market your book. It gives you your options and helps you to sort out the pros and cons so you can make the right decision for you and for your project.

This weekend, while composing an article for a publishing newsletter, I referred to the fee-based self-publishing process as “pay-to-publish.” What do you think? Does this describe it?

I may have told you that a “colleague” lambasted me and others who use the term “self-publishing” when referring to AuthorHouse, Infinity, Dog Ear Press, etc. They used to be known as POD Publishers. That didn’t stick because POD stands for print on demand and these companies weren’t the only ones using this technology.

Pretty soon, you heard the “POD” author crowd saying that they had “self-published” with such and such POD publisher. And these companies were using this term to lure authors. Perhaps this was designed to make the author feel as though he/she had more control over their projects. At any rate, this has been a sore spot with self-published authors (those who established their own publishing companies to produce their books) ever since. Me included.

Sure, I began referring to these companies as “self-publishing” companies—in order to be understood. But I always use quotation marks indicating that this is the common term; not my choice of terms.

After receiving the accusatory note from the gentleman, I promptly responded. I said that I couldn’t agree more with him that “self-publishing” does not aptly describe what they do—how they work. And I challenged him to help me come up with a suitable term to describe them. I never heard from him again.

Either he wasn’t up to the challenge or he had a block on his email so my response did not reach him.

Yesterday, however, the phrase “pay-to-publish” came to me. What do you think? Could we call them pay-to-publish companies? How does this description/title strike you?

If you have never established your own publishing company, you probably don’t care if these companies are known as “self-publishing” companies. Maybe you like the idea that, when you “publish” with one of these companies, you are known as a self-published author. But what did you do to rate the title other than write a book and plunk down some money? You don’t even own the ISBN. You don’t actually have a company. And, for some of you, there are obstacles to promoting your book.

I’ve spoken with authors who can’t afford to have booths at book festival, contract with distributors or negotiate with independent booksellers because they have to pay so much to purchase their own books from their pay-to-publish companies.

Some of these companies are still using the term, “co-publisher.” This seems succinct. The author strikes an agreement with a publisher whereby the author puts up the money and the publisher produces the book. I worked with a co-publisher once in the 1990s. I had researched and written a book for a local private school and we worked with a co-publishing company to produce it. The purpose was not to go public with this book and try to sell millions of copies. The director of the school wanted the book primarily as a thank you to donors and an enticement for parents of potential new students.

I have also worked with individuals to produce their memoirs to be distributed to family members and a few friends, only.

And this is what I believe the primary function of co-publishers and pay-to-publish companies should be—to produce promotional books for organizations and companies, to publish short-runs of business books quickly and to help individuals realize their dreams of publishing a few copies of their life stories.

In my opinion, there are just too many potential obstacles for authors who want wide-spread recognition for their books when they go with a pay-to-publish outfit. Of course, each of these companies offers a different contract and varied levels of customer service. But I tell the hopeful authors I meet, that they will have more freedom to promote their books if they establish their own publishing company.

Many of those authors say, “But I just don’t have the energy or good health to start my own publishing company.” I can understand that. A lot of writers pen their memoirs or write a novel long after retirement. Then, I feel, it is my job to convince these authors that they really can’t set their sights on high sales because the only way they’re going to attract readers, whether they self-publish or go with a pay-to-publish company, is to participate heavily in promoting their books.

I spoke with an elderly author a few weeks ago who has spent tons of money on magazine advertising for her “pay-to-publish” book. She has sent out press releases, she says, in the millions. And still sales are pitiful. Why? She doesn’t have a name that will attract readers—she’s unknown. I suggested that she make some personal appearances, write articles/stories for appropriate magazines and newsletters, have a web presence. People are more apt to buy a book when they know the author and have, perhaps, heard her tell her story. Then her emailing and mailing campaign might result in more sales.

It all boils down to the fact that most authors are still uninformed about the publishing industry, their options, the possible consequences of their choices and their responsibilities as a published author. Unfortunately, when they finish writing a book, they quickly and easily find one or more companies eager to publish for money and they don’t look beyond the representative’s promises. They imagine readers clamoring to buy their books. They visualize dollar signs. But they don’t have a clue as to how to go from point A (getting their book in print) and point B (attracting readers).

Please, if you are a first-time or struggling author or you know someone who is, purchase my book today. I wrote it expressly for YOU! You’ll see what I mean as soon as you start reading it. I’ve been writing for publication for over 35 years. I have produced 29 books through a variety of companies, including my own Matilija Press. I have met hundreds of authors who have failed and I know what mistakes they have made. These authors inspired this book.

Order The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book today at
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

A recent customers said, “It’s like having a mentor–a publishing coach–in a book.”

You might want to check out Maria Schneider’s blog of September 8, 2009, wherein she lists her pick of the 25 best writing blogs in 2009.
http://editorunleashed.com.

When she announces the 25 best “publishing” blogs, maybe she’ll include this one.

There are sure a LOT of writing and publishing blogs, organizations, books and publications. It’s like a movement out of control. I think I’ve mentioned before that, when I started writing, I didn’t know another writer. I was unique—a rare novelty among my friends and acquaintances. In fact, I was rather unbelievable. That is, others found it difficult to believe that I was a writer. They’d never heard of me or read my work. I didn’t look like their perceived profile of a writer. What is that profile, anyway? In my mind, a male author had tousled hair. He was wearing a heavy tweed jacket with leather elbow patches and smoking a pipe. The typical woman writer, in my mind, was lean, pithy, mid-aged and wore large glasses on the tip of her nose.

Well, despite what others thought, I was a writer—a working writer who constantly struggled to
prove it.

During the 1970s and ‘80s, anyone who actually wrote did so only when the mood struck. It was
a matter of inspiration, not perspiration. They wrote to satisfy their muse, not to earn a living or build a career.

I think it was in the late ‘80s, perhaps, when someone publicly estimated that 80 percent of the public believed they had a book in them. Today more and more of those people are actually writing that book. Not only that, they are seeking publication.

While some serious writers/authors see this as a terribly invasive rash of competition, others know that this invasion and the changes occurring because of it, will certainly alter the face of publishing forever. In fact, the changes are taking place as we speak.

In my mind’s eye, I can see a caricature of old-school publishers holding on for dear life to the way it has always been, while some of the new kids on the block are tugging on the other end of their security blankets. Who will make (is making) the difference in publishing? You and me. The savvy, innovative, smart entrepreneur will be responsible for the transformation as well as the newby, clueless author. Each one of us who dares to enter into the publishing field, whether we arrive with knowledge, creativity or we’re completely unaware, our choices will help to shape the publishing paradigm of the future.

This is not something that most people consider. When a positive shift occurs, whether it is in business, education, politics or whatever, the credit (or blame) is bestowed upon a band of leaders. But, actually, everyone involved was responsible to some degree in facilitating meaningful changes—some by making all of the wrong decisions and bungling their way through and others by using the mistakes and success of others to reshape the future.

Authors come in droves from every walk of life to write the next best selling book, share their life story with the world, make a statement through their writing. First time authors are starting publishing companies in order to produce books for other new authors. While some authors and publishers excel, most drop the ball and fail. But each of them brings something to the industry and helps, in large and small ways, to chart its course.

Most of you, who are reading this blog post, are writers or authors. This week, think about what you are contributing to the future of publishing. What direction are your decisions and choices likely to shift the tides of this industry? Are you bringing into it a valid project or a frivolous one? Do you strive for excellence or do you just want to hurry your book into the system without regard for quality? Here’s a really important question, are you making informed choices on behalf of your book project or are you supporting one or more of the many sleazy companies that are in business primarily to take advantage of unaware authors?

PLEASE be proactive on behalf of your writing career or book project. The best way to do that is to educate yourself about the publishing industry. While I wrote a book to help with this important task and, while I’m going to highly recommend that you read it sooner rather than later, I also want you to reach out beyond what I’m offering. Publishing is not for the weakling and it never has been. But today, just as there are more brands and flavors of breakfast cereal on the supermarket shelves, there are more choices and opportunities in publishing. Think about it, you stand in the cereal aisle for several minutes each week gazing at the packages, reading labels, checking prices and studying the manufacturer’s promises before paying $3.00 or $4.00 for a box. Doesn’t it make sense that you would give your business decisions with regard to a publishing project at least this much consideration?

Read The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. Order it today at: http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

Sign up for my online book promotion course (in progress) by Tuesday, September 15, 2009.
http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookpromotion.htm

It’s tempting to just push on through and write that book without coming up for air until it is finished. Then, while your book is with your choice of POD “self-publishing” companies, you relax a little and decide to take this time to learn something about the publishing industry. You purchase a good book on the subject, such as The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. And you start listing all of the things you may have done better, smarter, wiser… Your confidence drops and you wish you could start all over.

If you are thinking about writing a book or you are currently in the process of writing a book, STOP! Study the publishing industry, first. Read my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book.

• Learn how the modern-day publishing industry works.
• Discover your publishing options, the possible consequences of your choices and your responsibilities as a published author.
• Learn some writing techniques.
• Find out how to self-edit.
• Discover the value of hiring a good editor for your manuscript no matter what your publishing choices.
• Find out why it is important to write a book proposal and receive guidance in producing one.
• Learn about distributors and wholesalers, and library and bookstore sales.
• Learn how to locate, approach and work with an agent or publisher.
• Discover what the big world of book promotion entails.

Folks, this is all stuff you MUST know if you want to successfully navigate the publishing industry, and the best time to start your study is before you decide to write a book.

Read books like mine, of course. But also join publishing organizations such as SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network), SPAN and IBPA (formerly PMA). Read their newsletters. Subscribe to additional newsletters and magazines within the industry. Did you know that you can get the highlights from Publisher’s Weekly, for example, sent to your email box FREE. Sign up for Google Alerts using keywords related to your topic, genre and publishing, in general. Every morning, you’ll receive lists of appropriate articles, sites and blogs you can check out. Here are some links for the above-mentioned organizations and services:

Order The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book at
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

SPAWN. http://www.spawn.org
SPAN. http://www.spannet.org
IBPA. http://www.ibpa-online.org
Google Alerts. http://www.google.com/alerts
Publishers Weekly FREE daily news. http://www.publishersweekly.com

For years, I’ve been saying, “Publishing is not an extension of your writing.” In other words, you can’t just ease into the world of publishing using the same skills and techniques you use in writing. As you know, writing is a craft and publishing is a business.

Well, publishing is not advanced writing, either. You can’t shift from one to the other as easily as you would glide from first to second grade. It’s more like leaving grammar school and enrolling in college or graduating from the carefree life of high school and suddenly having a spouse and kids to take care of.

Anyone who can write worth a darn, can sit down and write a book. Sure, some people might have trouble organizing the book, fleshing out the characters, handling dialog, etc. But a serious, diligent writer, such as our fictitious Daren, will work through these obstacles and eventually complete a book. When Daren finishes the book, he decides to take what he perceives as the next logical step and have it published. So what does he do? He panics.

He realizes that he doesn’t know the first thing about getting a book published. Oh, Daren remembers Sandy, in his writers’ group telling how her uncle landed a major publisher for his novel in 1961. And he recalls the conversation one night about how today you must pay someone to publish your book. Not knowing what else to do, our writer went online, typed “book publisher” at the Google prompt and woo la, he knew that his dream was about to come true.

There, right before his eyes was an array of publishers—Xlibris, AuthorHouse, IUniverse, PublishAmerica, Tate… Obviously, it didn’t take him long to land a publisher and soon he was a published author. End of story? Happy ending? Well, no and yes.

You see, while Daren put out boo coo bucks to have his book published and while is book bombed, he is a little smarter about the publishing industry. He said what many first-time authors tell me, “I made every mistake in the book.” Most of these authors never make the same mistakes twice. For some, it is because they move on, up and out of the world of publishing, never to darken its door again. For others, it’s because they educate themselves about the publishing industry before their second and third books. Our author was in the second category.

Daren was lucky. He still had some money left after his wild spending spree with (I won’t tell you which) fee-based “self-publishing” company. He figured that the more services he purchased, the more successful his book would be. Well, there might be a bit of logic in this IF only Daren had understood his responsibilities as a published author.

Okay, fast forward a year or so. There’s Darren in his home office reading Patricia Fry’s book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. He is almost finished with it. He chose this book because, in his quest to learn more about publishing (after failing so miserably with his first publishing project), he stumbled across my (Patricia Fry’s) website and began reading some of my articles. He also became a regular at my blog site. He joined SPAWN and IBPA and drank in the information available through their websites and publications. He participated in the discussion groups, attended workshops and even hired Patricia to help him write a book proposal for his second nonfiction book.

This time around, Daren knows more about what he’s doing. He took it upon himself to educate himself about the industry and his publishing options. He came to understand that he is responsible for promoting his own book and that NO ONE cares about that book as much as he does. Daren has a much greater chance of success the second time around because he realizes that publishing is a whole different animal than is the process or the act of writing and it must be approached from a completely different angle.

Order your copy of The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book TODAY. This book could be your lifeline to the publishing industry. The information in this book could make the difference for you between success and failure. In fact, it is for the many Darens that I meet every year that I wrote this book. And my goal is to reach them BEFORE they start making the typical mistakes.
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

How do you feel about being interviewed? Does it make you nervous—seem invasive? What about conducting surveys—do you cringe at the thought of answering survey questions? Many people dislike being put on the spot like this. Some just don’t like taking the time to fill out questionnaires or respond to personal questions.

I, on the other hand, belong to the group of people who love being interviewed and who eagerly approach survey forms, if it is on a subject of interest to me.

This morning, I wrote a survey questionnaire for SPAWN members. I believe this is a good way to find out what they love and dislike about SPAWN, what aspects of the newsletters they appreciate most and which they avoid and, of course, what they would like to see us add to their SPAWN benefits. It’s definitely a survey to help members get more of what they want and need from SPAWN. Unfortunately, there will be some members who won’t fill it out and who will decide not to renew their membership, when it’s time, because SPAWN isn’t quite fulfilling their current needs.

These are the same members who don’t participate in SPAWNDiscuss, never read the SPAWN Market Update, rarely even take a look at SPAWNews. Of course, we can’t meet the needs of someone who isn’t even aware of what we offer.

I sometimes wonder how many author members could have revived their faltering book sales, if only they had read the article in the SPAWN Market Update about how to get book reviews and if they’d used the large list of magazines that review books. What about those hopeful authors with manuscripts—some of them might have landed a publishing contract by now, had they read the issues of the SPAWN Market Update that list little known publishers. I wonder, if the illustrator or graphic artist member had read my article on promotion for artists, would their career path have become more lucrative? And what about that member who wants to earn a living as a freelance writer or as a photographer. I wonder if they would have walked away from SPAWN feeling a bit disgruntled and disillusioned, if they had taken the initiative to read the many issues of the SPAWN Market Update wherein I list opportunities for freelance writers and photographers. Some months I provide directories listing thousands of jobs.

I know firsthand that some people choose NOT to join SPAWN because we can’t promise to find them a publisher or sell their books for them. When they understand that we are here to provide them with the information and resources they need in order to make the best decisions for their particular publishing project, these people will walk away. What they hope to get for their $45 membership fee is $1,000 or more in personal services. Unfortunately, they can’t see that they are getting way more than that. What better, more valuable benefit can an organization provide than an education and the tools to help you succeed.

I liken it to the fish story—give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach him to fish and he will eat for many days to come. I guess we could do as some outfits do and steer authors in specific directions related to our conflicts of interest—those companies that give kickbacks of some sort. But we firmly believe in fostering and supporting author-power.

We believe that, if you want to produce a book, YOU need to be in charge. You will succeed as a published author only if you know what you’re doing—you understand the industry and the process and you make educated, informed decisions on behalf of your project. SPAWN is here to provide the information you need, present you with your options, make you aware of the possible consequences of your choices and help you to understand your responsibility as a published author. If you want more personalized guidance through the publishing maze, it is going to cost you. This is when you need to hire a publishing or book coach or publishing consultant. And this could cost you anywhere from around $500 to a few thousand, depending on what you need from this professional.

You can tell that I am pretty focused on SPAWN, lately. For those of you who are just tuning in, SPAWN is Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network. Visit our newly designed website:
http://www.spawn.org

In the meantime, if you want to connect with someone who can personally guide you through the publishing maze, contact me at: PLFry620@yahoo.com. Learn more about me and my work at: http://www.matilijapress.com/consulting.html

I heard a phrase on a talk radio show yesterday that struck me so strongly that I wrote it down on a post office receipt while stopped at a stoplight. The host said something like, “You can get all of the advice and counseling available, but it won’t do any good if you fail to make use of it.”

Boy did this sound familiar. It’s something that I nag SPAWN members about alllll the time. If you fail to read SPAWNews and the SPAWN Market Update; if you neglect to visit some of the resource and article pages at the SPAWN site; if you decide not to participate in SPAWNDiscuss, the SPAWN Catalog of Member’s Books and Services, etc.; if you don’t take advantage of those opportunities and resources we list that relate to your projects, then of course you’re not going to benefit to the degree that you desire from your membership.

The same is true with regard to the conferences you attend, the experts you consult with, the books and articles you read, the webinars you tune into, the newsletters/magazines you subscribe to and the blogs you visit. If your project is stagnating, if your book sales are dismal, if “rejection” is all you hear, these days, maybe it is time to do something different. Sure you may attend educational events, join professional organizations, subscribe to appropriate publications, visit pertinent blogs. But are you listening, participating, reading and adopting into practice those things that could possibly help you to succeed?

Successful authorship, for example, requires your full attention. There’s a LOT to be learned. There’s tons to consider, adopt and adapt. And one thing is for sure; if what you’re doing isn’t working, something needs to change. It is up to you to find out what that is and to make the change.

I often see authors and freelance writers move their businesses forward and none of them do this by staying in their comfy groove. All of them venture out and put into action those things they learn that make sense to their projects. They are proactive. They don’t sit around waiting for someone else to do something for them.

I have a friend who, several years ago, fell into a weird mental state—a sort of depression. She began searching high and low for help. She visited a shaman, various psychologists and therapists, psychics and hands on healers of various kinds. And she told each of them, “I can’t do anything for myself. I refuse to do any sort of processes or exercises. You have to heal me without my help.” It’s true!

My friend is currently in an assisted living care facility in pretty much the same shape as she was when she started seeking help.

Here’s another anecdote: Sometimes I am asked who influenced me the most or helped me the most to get where I am today? The first time I was asked that question, I contemplated it for a long time. The answer actually came to me immediately, but I thought, “That can’t be right. That’s not an appropriate response.” But I realized it was true and I responded, “Me! I am the one who worked hard to learn the ropes, who stuck my neck out, who experimented and who made the commitments and took the steps necessary to building my business. I influenced my ‘success’ by being proactive.”

Recently, I read an interview with another author and he had the guts to say the same thing.

Folks, if you are seeking success as an author or a freelance writer, do the work, take action, be proactive on behalf of your project. Only you can create the success you desire.

While pursuing your success, be sure to check out some of my books and online courses at http://www.matilijapress.com I also do consultations with authors and freelance writers.