{"id":853,"date":"2010-06-21T04:47:01","date_gmt":"2010-06-21T12:47:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/publishingblog\/?p=853"},"modified":"2010-06-21T04:48:13","modified_gmt":"2010-06-21T12:48:13","slug":"listen-to-your-publishing-experts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/publishingblog\/?p=853","title":{"rendered":"Listen to Your Publishing Experts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Irene Watson offers an excellent article for hopeful authors in her June 21, 2010 newsletter, Reader Views<\/em>. I recommend that you read it BEFORE writing your book\u2014or, at least before you choose your publishing option. Her title is, \u201cWhy I Wouldn\u2019t Read Your Book.\u201d Read it here and learn:
\n http:\/\/www.readerviews.com\/newsletters\/2010.06\/21.html<\/a> <\/p>\n

Are you sometimes confused as to who, in the world of publishing, you should listen to? Once you enter into this domain, you begin to read books and articles on book publishing, attend writers\u2019 group meetings and conferences, talk to other authors you meet in various settings and so forth. My hope is that you will begin this study BEFORE you start the writing. But most of you don\u2019t. I should say that most of \u201cus\u201d don\u2019t. For the majority of people, the writing comes first. We feel a strong urge to get the idea and the material on paper as a first step. <\/p>\n

Whatever avenue you take, you will eventually be gathering information about publishing. The problem is, the more you gather, the more conflicted and confused you become. I can see many of you nodding your heads as you read this. You wonder, \u201cWho should I listen to?\u201d \u201cWhere can I get reliable information?\u201d<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s my criteria:<\/p>\n

\u2022\tPay attention to the published author who has been in the business for at least 10 years and who, preferably, works successfully with other authors.<\/p>\n

\u2022\tListen to the author who has had multiple and varied experiences in publishing.<\/p>\n

\u2022\tConsider the variety of the author\u2019s publishing experiences\u2014has he\/she self-published only? Or have they only been published through traditional publishers?<\/p>\n

\u2022\tStudy the articles, books, etc. by several different well-known publishing experts and find the common threads. If Poynter, Jud, Fry and Sansevieri all say the same thing, perhaps it is something you should consider.<\/p>\n

Sure, pay attention to every tidbit that comes your way, but also:<\/p>\n

\u2022\tDouble and triple check everything.
\n\u2022\tUse your common sense in the decision-making process.
\n\u2022\tFollow your head instead of your heart.
\n\u2022\tConsider that shortcuts often lead to disaster.<\/p>\n

There are recommendations that hopeful authors would rather disregard. When they do, they often seriously jeopardize their projects. Here are some of the best bits of advice that many authors ignore, which is the reason why such a high percentage of books fail.<\/p>\n

\u2022\tStudy the publishing industry before getting involved.<\/p>\n

\u2022\tWrite a book proposal first.<\/p>\n

\u2022\tHire a good book editor.<\/p>\n

\u2022\tFollow your good sense rather than your emotions when choosing a publishing option.<\/p>\n

Irene Watson\u2019s article provides an excellent heads-up for authors who are headstrong and hell-bent on heading down the publishing path without using their heads.
\nA good place to start studying the complex and competitive publishing industry or a good addition to the mix of study material is my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book:<\/em><\/strong>
\n http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/rightway.html<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Irene Watson offers an excellent article for hopeful authors in her June 21, 2010 newsletter, Reader Views. I recommend that you read it BEFORE writing your book\u2014or, at least before you choose your publishing option. Her title is, \u201cWhy I Wouldn\u2019t Read Your Book.\u201d Read it here and learn: http:\/\/www.readerviews.com\/newsletters\/2010.06\/21.html Are you sometimes confused as […]<\/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