I met two more authors this week who are unhappy with their pay-to-publish companies and their books aren\u2019t even out, yet! Both of them have my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. And both of them told me that they read my warnings about some of the pay-to-publish companies after they\u2019d signed contracts.<\/p>\n
This is not to say that I bad mouth certain pay-to-publish companies or even all of them. But I do issue a strong warning for new authors advising, encouraging, admonishing them to go into a contract with a pay-to-publish company ONLY after they have done the following:<\/p>\n
\u2022\tStudy the publishing industry.
\n\u2022\tKnow all of their options and the possible ramifications of their choices.
\n\u2022\tUnderstand their responsibilities as a published author.
\n\u2022\tHave a publishing or literary attorney look over any contracts presented.<\/p>\n
As writers, we move into the unknown area of publishing, the first time around, much too quickly and eagerly. We don\u2019t stop to make the shift\u2014the transition\u2014from writer to businesswo\/man. We enter into publishing with the heart and expectations of a writer rather than the business sense of a savvy, informed author. We make decisions based on emotions and intuition rather than education and knowledge. And we get ourselves all tangled up in some of the most awful, disappointing, costly, situations.<\/p>\n
Do you have a book manuscript almost ready for publication? Then you\u2019ve come to the right place at the right time. Here\u2019s what you need to do next.<\/p>\n
Study the publishing industry<\/strong> Read books by Dan Poynter, Brian Jud, Marilyn\/Tom Ross and other long-time professionals. If you are considering a pay-to-publish company DEFINITELY study Mark Levine\u2019s book The Fine Print of Self-Publishing.<\/em> Levine rates, ranks and exposes 45 of these companies.<\/p>\n
\nRead my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book <\/em><\/strong>(by Patricia Fry). Order it through Amazon.com or here, http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/rightway.html<\/a>. It\u2019s also in many libraries.<\/p>\n