I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve heard about the 17 teens in Massachusetts who made a pact to get pregnant. This sounds like an irresponsible thing to do, doesn\u2019t it? Well, you see a similar irresponsibility among hopeful authors. Just this morning, my Google Alert noted a blog post by someone who was encouraging others to write books just because it was fun.<\/p>\n
Certainly, having a child before you understand the responsibilities of parenthood is a more serious decision as it involves an innocent life. But I can\u2019t help noticing similarities in some authors—those who decide to write a book for the wrong reasons, for example, and then go blindly into publishing. <\/p>\n
There are responsibilities in authorship, as well. As an author, you have a responsibility to your readers to provide a good story or a well-written self-help or informational book, for example. And you are responsible for promoting your book no matter what publishing option you choose. <\/p>\n
A pregnant woman has nine months to prepare for parenthood. Most couples spend a great deal of that time studying baby magazines, talking to others with babies, shopping for the safest equipment and the most comfortable, convenient clothing and discussing issues of parenthood with their physicians. <\/p>\n
It takes an average of four and a half months (eighteen work weeks or 725 hours) to write a typical nonfiction book. Most authors don\u2019t have the luxury of 40-hour weeks and they spend a year or more writing. Few of them use any of that time studying the publishing industry. One day they simply emerge from their writing room and announce, “I\u2019ve just written a book and now I\u2019m going to have it published.” They rush blindly into the foreign, highly competitive world of publishing without even a hint of knowledge. How irresponsible is that? How self-defeating is that? This is part of the reason for the high failure rates among authors. At last tally, approximately 75 percent of books in print in 2006 sold fewer than 100 copies. <\/p>\n
So what are the answers? For teenagers and others who are not prepared for parenthood, take precautions against pregnancy. For hopeful authors who simply must write that book, start studying the publishing industry from day one. Read books that are outstanding within the industry. This includes books by Ross (publishing), Jud (book promotion), Poynter (self-publishing), Levine (fee-based POD publishing companies) and myself (Fry). My hallmark book is an all-around reference book and teaching tool for anyone who plans to write or is in the process of writing a book. This book gives you your options and guides you in making the best choices for your particular project. Order your copy of The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book <\/em>TODAY at http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/rightway.html<\/a><\/p>\n If you are writing a book, read The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book <\/em>this summer and you will have a more well-written book to present to an editor before publication. Almost all of my clients make the same editorial mistakes and then pay me to fix them. If they\u2019d read my Chapter 9—″Get Ready, Get Set, Write,” they would have saved time and money.<\/p>\n Many of my clients don\u2019t have a clue as to what to do once their book is completed. They don\u2019t know their publishing options, the possible consequences of their choices or their responsibility as a published author. Most haven\u2019t even heard of a book proposal. Those who have read my book and who took it seriously, have used my Chapters 4 through 7 to devise a book proposal. They are prepared to write a book that is needed and that will probably sell as opposed to one without an audience or a promotions plan.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t be a clueless hopeful author who will surely fail. Be smart. Enter the world of publishing with the one thing that will practically guarantee your success—knowledge. And start by studying and continuously referencing The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book<\/em>. http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/rightway.html<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve heard about the 17 teens in Massachusetts who made a pact to get pregnant. This sounds like an irresponsible thing to do, doesn\u2019t it? Well, you see a similar irresponsibility among hopeful authors. Just this morning, my Google Alert noted a blog post by someone who was encouraging others to write books […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3,4],"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