{"id":1097,"date":"2011-03-02T06:31:51","date_gmt":"2011-03-02T14:31:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/publishingblog\/?p=1097"},"modified":"2011-03-02T06:31:51","modified_gmt":"2011-03-02T14:31:51","slug":"writing-publishing-and-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/publishingblog\/?p=1097","title":{"rendered":"Writing, Publishing and You!"},"content":{"rendered":"

So what are you getting from this blog? I hope you are recognizing the value. Just in the past few days, you\u2019ve had the opportunity to receive some resources for finding printing companies and writers\u2019 groups. You\u2019ve had a lesson that many writers miss\u2014when to capitalize \u201cmom,\u201d \u201cfather,\u201d \u201caunt,\u201d etc. and when not to. You\u2019ve learned about the concept of and how to test-market a book. You\u2019ve had a lesson on public speaking for novelists and we\u2019ve talked about the author\u2019s platform. You\u2019ve also received an invitation to take my new \u201cEstablish Your Author\u2019s Platform Workshop\u201d http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/course_platform.htm<\/a> and to participate in the gigantic Los Angeles Times Festival of Books: http:\/\/www.spawn.org\/latfb2011.htm<\/a> <\/p>\n

We\u2019ve given you the information and offered you the tools, so what is your next step? I\u2019d like to know. Do you know?<\/p>\n

Some of you are writing books. Your next step is hire an editor to fine tune it before you send it off to a publisher, agent or launch out to publish it yourself. Contact me: PLFry620@yahoo.com. <\/p>\n

You should also be thinking about establishing your platform before you get too far down the road. A platform will help you to sell your book to an agent, a publisher and your potential readers. Publishing a book without having established a platform is like going out in the rain without an umbrella, boarding an airplane without a ticket. You\u2019re not prepared for what\u2019s ahead.<\/p>\n

If you have a completed book and you are trying to find a way to get it published, you MUST read my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book<\/strong><\/em> (only $14.95 now). http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/rightway.html<\/a> <\/p>\n

If you are contemplating hiring a pay-to-publish company, PLEASE read Mark Levine\u2019s book, The Fine Print of Self-Publishing<\/em> before signing any contract. He tells you which ones are best and worst. This step could save you a lot of money and heartache. Just because these companies exist, does not mean they are the right company for you and your project.<\/p>\n

Join SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) and get the ebook version of this book FREE. SPAWN is also a good place to continue learning about the publishing industry and networking with other authors and publishers at all levels of success. http:\/\/www.spawn.org<\/a> <\/p>\n

If you have a published book and you are in the process of promoting it, your affiliation with SPAWN will help immensely and so will my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book<\/em>.<\/p>\n

I met writers the other day who hope to become published authors, but who did NOT want to think of publishing as a business. Sure, publishers run businesses, but they didn\u2019t want to consider the publishing of their books to be a business venture, yet they want readers and sales and money to put in the bank. I hope the panel convinced them that they can\u2019t have it both ways. It\u2019s like a game of poker\u2014either you are in or you\u2019re out.<\/p>\n

I apologize if this seems rambling. I hoped to make some points this morning, but I am rather distracted by clients, students and SPAWN members this week\u2014thankfully. I love my students and clients and SPAWN members. They just sometimes keep me soooo busy. I complained about a slow week last week. When am I going to learn to appreciate the lulls\u2014use this time to replenish so I am better prepared for the crazy times? I\u2019ll bet this is something some of you are working on, as well. If not, you aren\u2019t completely embedded into the world of writing and publishing, yet. And you certainly aren\u2019t opening yourself up to help or advise others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So what are you getting from this blog? I hope you are recognizing the value. Just in the past few days, you\u2019ve had the opportunity to receive some resources for finding printing companies and writers\u2019 groups. You\u2019ve had a lesson that many writers miss\u2014when to capitalize \u201cmom,\u201d \u201cfather,\u201d \u201caunt,\u201d etc. and when not to. You\u2019ve […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t