{"id":717,"date":"2010-01-30T05:34:16","date_gmt":"2010-01-30T13:34:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/publishingblog\/?p=717"},"modified":"2010-01-30T05:36:34","modified_gmt":"2010-01-30T13:36:34","slug":"why-should-you-listen-to-publishing-professionals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/publishingblog\/?p=717","title":{"rendered":"Why Should You Listen to Publishing Professionals?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It may seem contradictory, at times\u2014what you hear from publishing professionals. But this is only because we each have different areas of strengths, interest and passion. We have varied backgrounds\u2014some professionals come directly from publishing houses or literary agencies, others are relatively new to the industry, but they\u2019ve learned rather quickly, others, like me, have trudged around in the industry muck experiencing it from an author\u2019s point of view for over 35 years. <\/p>\n

While we all might offer different messages\u2014we\u2019re rather adamant on certain things\u2014most of us agree on some important points. For example, you must have some money designated toward your publishing project. You\u2019ll need it for a good book editor. PLEASE, don\u2019t turn your manuscript over to a retired professor, your son\u2019s English teacher or a coworker of a friend who is \u201cgood with words and spelling.\u201d <\/p>\n

In fact, plan to run your manuscript by your book editor of choice twice, especially if there is quite a bit of rewriting after the first edit. Plan to spend anywhere from $800 to $3,500. In some cases, more. <\/p>\n

You might need money in order to get your book published. Hundreds of authors, each year, self-publish and countless others go with pay-to-publish companies. By the way, Ron Pramschufer just came out with a new FREE ebook called, Publishing Basics, Navigating the Self Publishing Minefield<\/em>. Check it out. I haven\u2019t read it yet, but I believe that Ron has the same mindset as I do with regard to self-publishing. We\u2019d rather see you self-publish (establish your own publishing company) than to turn your book over to a pay-to-publish company.
\n http:\/\/www.selfpublishing.com<\/a> <\/p>\n

Also be sure to read my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book<\/em><\/strong>. It will help you to sort through your options and make the right decision for you and your particular book. http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/rightway.html<\/a> <\/p>\n

Here are a few other things that publishing professionals generally agree on:<\/p>\n

\u2022\tPublishing is a business and should be approached as such from the moment you decide you want to become a published author. <\/p>\n

\u2022\tIt is imperative that you know something about the publishing industry before making any decisions. In other words, study the publishing industry before getting involved.<\/p>\n

\u2022\tYou\u2019ll have a more positive and possibly successful experience if you make decisions based on knowledge rather than emotion. You may love your book and are eager to see it in print, but this doesn\u2019t mean that publishing it is a good business decision for you.<\/p>\n

\u2022\tAuthors who expect to sell copies of their books outside of their circle of family and friends MUST be willing to promote their books.<\/p>\n

\u2022\tYour book will sell for as long as you are willing to promote it.<\/p>\n

\u2022\tThere is an exercise that, if seriously pursued, will help authors determine whether or not they have a viable product. This exercise also shows authors how to create a more viable product. This exercise is called \u201cwriting a book proposal.\u201d<\/p>\n

The truth that most professionals understand is that not every author is cut out for the world of publishing and not every book is a viable product. (The pay-to-publish people don\u2019t seem to have learned this, yet\u2014or don\u2019t care.) We see hundreds of authors fail every year. The rate of failure used to be 76 percent. Now it is being quoted at 79 percent. I was pretty sure that this figure was rising with the influx of authors who enter into publishing with crummy books, and who have the freedom to publish even if they aren\u2019t ready, educated about the publishing industry or able to understand the difference between a good book and a bad one. (The failure rate is determined by the number of books sold\u2014I believe that 79 percent of books sold less than 100 copies in 2004\u2014when this statistic was documented. And I imagine that now, in 2010, the rate is even higher.)<\/p>\n

Professionals work diligently to educate authors and the good news is that there are also more excellent books being produced and there are more savvy authors entering into the world of publishing.<\/p>\n

For those of you who are new to publishing, don\u2019t avoid these publishing professionals. Read what they write. Visit their blogs often. Listen to their teleseminars and attend their workshops. Ask them questions. Follow their recommendations, hire a good book editor, write a book proposal and you may be one of the 21 percent who sell anywhere from 1,000 books per year to 100,000. <\/p>\n

Contact me with your questions and concerns. I also do editorial manuscript evaluations. PLFry620@yahoo.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It may seem contradictory, at times\u2014what you hear from publishing professionals. But this is only because we each have different areas of strengths, interest and passion. We have varied backgrounds\u2014some professionals come directly from publishing houses or literary agencies, others are relatively new to the industry, but they\u2019ve learned rather quickly, others, like me, have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"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