Publishing Choices For Writers - Self-Publishing Vanity Presses (Part One)

Another type of publishing under the self-publishing umbrella is what is euphemistically called Vanity publishing or a Vanity press. A vanity publisher is one which will publish any book as long as an author is willing to pay for it. Because it is almost impossible for someone to get into a traditional publishing house as an unknown, vanity presses are very attractive to new authors.

The name vanity publishing stems from the fact that certain publishers, for a fee, will publish any work by appealing to an author's vanity. These authors would be willing to pay a fee to see their name in print, no matter what the quality of the manuscript. As such, vanity presses gained a reputation of being more interested in the money they got from the authors than in the quality of work since the author takes on not only all the costs but also all the risks of the success of their book. Basically then, vanity presses have nothing to lose by publishing any type of work.

This stigma attached to vanity publishers has only recently begun to be re-evaluated as the publishing industry's choices have expanded and new vanity presses have changed the vanity press business model. However, depending upon who you talk to and their outlook on vanity publishing, an author will need to look closely as to whether or not they want to choose to publish with a vanity publisher.

There are several keys to recognizing whether or not a company is a vanity publisher. The vanity publishing business model is based upon obtaining profits from being paid by the author rather than from any sales of a book. Since they will have already received their income from making the book, a true vanity publisher does not have to be concerned with the quality of the work they publish because they do not care whether or not the book ever sells.

A second key to look for when trying to determine whether an author wants to work with a vanity publisher are the services that are provided to help the author with their book. A true vanity publisher will offer no services to an author and will take a work and publish it "as is", no matter how many spelling or grammatical errors the work contains. If an author just wants to see their book in print, then this will not be an issue. However, if an author wants to have a book they are proud of displaying, then having the option to take advantage of editorial and design services is a necessity in any publisher they choose.

More recently, hybrid vanity publishing houses have emerged which are changing the way the public is looking at vanity publishing. Author House, IUniverse, Lulu, UPublish, Xlibris are all examples of hybrid vanity presses. Like vanity presses, they will publish any work for a fee, no matter the quality of the work with no editorial quality assurance review. However, these houses have added editorial and design services that an author can pay for, thus making them not true vanity houses, but rather vanity hybrids. If an author takes advantage of the editorial, cover design and layout services, these presses can produce excellent work.

Why would any author want to publish with a vanity house if it has such a bad reputation? In part two of this series about vanity publishing, I will discuss several reasons why a vanity press may be an appropriate option for an author.

Candace C. Davenport is a retired attorney and published author whose love of writing led to co-founding a small independent publishing company, Our Little Books. Our Little Books ( http://www.ourlittlebooks.com ) is dedicated to publishing inspirational, educational and fun little books for pocket or purse. Candace encourages all people to find their inner muse and become published authors with their own little book, either for pleasure or for their business. Sign up for a free report on how Becoming a Published Author Will Improve Your Credibility and Make You an Expert in Your Field at http://www.ourlittlebooks.com/free-report/. Enjoy!

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How to Get Your Book Published

Congratulations! It has taken a lot of time, effort and concentration to bring your book to this point.

Writing was the easy part! The next stage will take as much - if not more - concentration, discipline and "stickability." There are thousands of manuscripts in cupboards around the world that did not reach the production stage and get successfully get published.

First things first

a. Proofreading. Has your manuscript been proofread and thoroughly checked for spelling and grammatical errors? Is your content logical and reasonable ? Is your manuscript easy to read and understand?

b. Acknowledgments. Have your quotations been acknowledged? Check the front pages of Bible translations for information about acknowledging scripture or visit the publishers via the Internet.

c. Accuracy. Are your facts accurate? e.g. "During the time of St Jerome in AD 275, everyone believed in the laying on of hands by the Bishop or the elders for the baptism of Holy Spirit.." (Did "everyone" really believe that?)

d. Editing. Finding a professional editor to give your book a good polish is the next stage in producing a book that will be salable. Submit your completed manuscript to your copy editor on a rewritable CD or memory stick so they may make changes directly onto the disk and return it to you. If the corrections are made on a hard copy with ink, that leaves room for additional errors when updating your manuscript.

Choosing a Publishing Route

Basically you have four choices - self-publishing, print-on-demand publishing, finding a formal publisher or using a literary agent.

1. SELF-PUBLISHING

Self-publishing is when the author bypasses all the intermediaries, deals directly with the editor, cover artist, book designer and printer, and then handles the marketing and distribution.

If you self-publish you take a greater risk, but you also get to press sooner, keep control of your book, and make more money. You are required to invest time and money, but the rewards are greater.

Famous authors who self-published their books before finding Publishers include John Grisham, D.H. Lawrence, Edgar Allan Poe, George Barnard Shaw, Mark Twain, Rudyard Kipling, and Virginia Woolf. You will not be the first.. or the last!

Should you choose the self-publishing route, you need to make decisions about the following.

The size of your book (physical size and number of pages).
The cover design. (Use a good artist.)
Additional pages - e.g. Dedication, Foreword, Introduction, Prologue (if appropriate), Acknowledgments, Advertisements, Copyright notice, Autobiographical sketch, and legal Disclaimer.
Copyright notice. "Copyright is a right granted to creators under law. Copyright in all artistic works is established from the moment of creation - the only qualification required is that the work must be original."
Layout and typesetting. (Use a professional typesetter).
Obtaining ISBN and bar code.
Selecting a good professional printer and requesting quotes on an initial print run.
Marketing of the finished product. (Where, when and how.)

2. PRINT-ON-DEMAND PUBLISHING

Search Google for Print-On-Demand Publishers. These are companies that prepare your book for printing using special technology.

Print-On-Demand publishing is one of the easiest ways to get your book published on the Internet. There are a number of good companies offering this service. They work with you and turn your manuscript into a beautiful physical book. You pay the costs up-front, which are far less expensive than normal printing and, because they are not investing money in your project, they will print anything you have to offer (within reason, of course).

The difference between P.O.D. and regular publishers is that they do not actually print your book. They simply prepare it for printing. Technology has advanced to such a degree that they are able to print one complete book at a time, as needed. The quality is excellent.

Some examples of Print-On-Demand Publishers are createspace.com, booksurge.com and authorhouse.com.

3. FORMAL PUBLISHER

Finding a Publisher is not easy. Publishing is a business and the expected financial return is the bottom line for Publishers. Publishers carry all costs and authors usually receive royalties of around 10% of net receipts (i.e. what the publisher receives for books sold.)

It is estimated that publishers receive about two million book-length manuscripts every year, so unsolicited manuscripts have little or no chance of being well received. It is, therefore, important to do extensive research in order to find a publisher who is interested in your type of manuscript. It is highly recommended that aspiring writers purchase the "Writers' & Artists" Yearbook" for information on publishers and their submission requirements.

4. LITERARY AGENTS

Literary Agents are specialists who work for both the writer and the publisher. They assist writers to find interested publishers. They also protect publishers from being overwhelmed by unsuitable manuscripts, which is why many overseas publishers only accept work submitted by Literary Agents.

There are two types of Literary Agents. Some simply evaluate your book and return unsuitable work. Others offer editorial services and assist to bring books with potential to their final stage. You may expect to pay around 15% of your royalties for their services, plus administration costs.

Should you choose to use a Literary Agent, send a synopsis, your manuscript and a brief history of your background and achievements in writing. The Agent will evaluate your book and either accept it for submission to a publisher, suggest re-writes, or reject it. If accepted, it is usual to sign an agent/writer contract.

IMPORTANCE OF CONTRACTS

Whatever your choice of publishing route, make sure you have a valid, legal, written contract covering all details, financial and otherwise.

Val Waldeck
http://valwaldeck.com - reaching our generation one book at a time Visit my website for a *free* copy of my special ebook, "When The Storms Come"

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How to Self-Publish Using Print on Demand

The introduction of Print on Demand publishing sparked a bit of a revolution in the publishing industry. Writers no longer need to be at the mercy of editors and publishing houses, earning only tiny portions of the sales their hard work actually generates.

What is Print on Demand?

Print on demand is not a publishing style. Rather it's a form of technology that allows the printer to create limited runs of a book that you've created.

Print on Demand simply means that the printer creates only as many copies of your book as you've ordered. Computer technology effectively replaced the old type-setting blocks that used to be the standard in publishing so that writers are now able to take control of their own publication careers.

Before the advent of Print on Demand (POD), writers who wanted to self-publish had to pay for large print-runs of books that they would often need to store in garages or spare rooms until they'd sold. Using POD means that you only need to order as many books as you've sold. This saves you time, money and storage space!

Why Should Writers Self-Publish?

The traditional method of publication was to write a novel, submit it to a publisher and then wait 6 or 12 months for the editor to decide if they would accept or reject it. If they accepted it, the book would go into a large print run of usually 10,000 and get shipped out to stores.

The writer got offered a contract that promised that they'd get paid 5% or 10% of the sale price of the book in the stores. If the book didn't sell well within a few short months, then the book was withdrawn from sale and the writer would usually not get offered a new contract to write anything else.

This is a harsh way for any talented writer to make a living, but self-publishing changes the rules.

When you self-publish, you're self-employed. You're in control of all the profits - not just a tiny percentage of them - and you're in charge of marketing and sales. By using Print on Demand technology to have your book printed, it means that you only have to print as many books as you have orders for.

Writing Your Book

Always be sure you've written and edited the complete manuscript before you send it out to your Print on Demand publisher. Many newer writers tend to send out incomplete manuscripts that haven't been edited to check for typing errors or plot problems.

This might not seem like such a big thing when you're excited about finally finishing your manuscript, but your readers will notice. Word of mouth is vitally important to a self-published author.

Visit some of the professional writing sites available to learn how to edit your work on your own properly without having to pay exorbitant fees to a proof-reader.

How To Self-Publish

There are plenty of reputable print-on-demand publishers available, all willing to allow writers to publish their own books. Always check that the company you choose has a good reputation with the writers who have already used them.

Some POD companies, such as Lulu or Booklocker, will create an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) for you as part of the printing service they provide. If you don't want them to have control over who owns your ISBN, you can register your own at isbn.org

Check and double check the formatting guidelines your print on demand publisher expects. There's no point sending in a manuscript that is incorrectly formatted. After all, your printer will only create what you send them. It's important that you get your formatting right before it goes into print.

Creating a Cover

If you know someone who is great with graphic design and you can have your own cover created, then this can help you enormously. Paying a print on demand company to hire a graphic designer for you can get a little expensive, but it's still a better option than trying to create something yourself.

Remember, your self-published book could be listed on sites like Amazon or Barnes and Noble, so you'll want it to look as professional as possible.

Print on Demand vs. Vanity Press

Learn the difference between self-publishing and vanity press. A true self-publishing print on demand publisher will always be clear about you keeping your own rights to your work. You control the content and the cover art. You control the sales and pricing.

A vanity press is where you pay a company to publish your work for you and then you only receive a percentage of the sales price back in return. This arrangement is NOT the same as self publishing through print on demand and can actually compromise your rights to your own work.

Marketing Your Self Published Book

If you decide to self publish, you're not just in charge of writing and creating the book. You're also in charge of sales and marketing too. The first place most writers think of selling their book is in a book store.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of bookstores and chains won't stock self-published books. However, you might be surprised to find that more books are sold outside of bookstores anyway.

It's possible to list your books for sale on your own website, but unless you have some serious visitors to your site, you might find your book sells a little slowly. Your POD publisher might have a great bookstore listing right on their own website that will happily list your book for sale there.

Submit your book to book review sites. Many readers will only buy books after they've read a recommendation and a little teaser about what the book's about.

Finding a way to get the large online bookstores to list your book can be a great benefit to your marketing efforts. Submit your book to Amazon, Barnes and Noble or any other online bookstore you can think of to help increase your exposure.

Conclusion

Self publishing can be an incredibly rewarding way for any writer to realize the dream of being published. You not only get to hold your finished book in your own hand, but you might also find that the freedom of creativity you have along with the control over the potential profits is second to none.

Discover how to successfully self publish from leading self published authors. Here at Self Publishing Explained we focus on bringing you the most relevant self publishing information. Start now with real life strategies and information by visiting Self Publishing Explained to read what people are saying. http://www.selfpublishingexplained.com

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A Quick Guide to Online Publishing

First of all, the cost of online publishing is typically affordable, often free. Online publishers don't have the overhead that paper publishers do. In addition, online publishers generally make their money off of advertisements and premium accounts, so there is no need for authors or creators to pay large sums in order to publish their documents. Second, online publishing is much easier than traditional publishing. Determining whether or not a print publishing company is reputable can be difficult, and finding a print company willing to take on your work at all can be challenging. Online, however, you not only have the choice of many publishers, but you can view the publisher's work easily on their web pages. This means that you know what you're getting into well before you publish.

Because of the success of online publishing, more and more online publishers have been springing up over the Internet. Modelling print publishing, different types of online publishers are available for different types of work. For instance, online literary magazines accept creative writing and art. A variety of web sites, like Associated Content and Orato, allow users to publish their own journalistic endeavors. Magazines for niche audiences, like students, women, sports enthusiasts, etc., have also gone online. Writers, artists, and other creative professionals can choose to submit to these online publishers. However, the Internet also offers opportunities for individuals looking to take the self-publishing route. Blogs and web sites are two examples. Free and easy to use, a blog allows an individual to turn anything--from recipes to diary entries to poetry and music--into a published work. Users can choose whether this work is private or public, in much the same way that they would if publishing traditionally. Blogs are now used for everything from magazines to newsletters for groups and clubs.

However, a blog presents a problem for the individual looking for an online publisher. Although they are easy to customize, blogs don't give readers an interactive, professional looking document. This takes a great deal of creative options away from designers, as they can't dedicate mock pages to photos, pull quotes, etc. An alternative is the traditional web site. One method of online self-publishing is to choose a domain name that will be the title of your publication, whether it is a magazine, newspaper, journal, or other document. Then you can design the page to look as you would like, with few logistical limitations. The limitation that does exist, however, is related to time and effort. This process is very time consuming and requires you to learn aspects of web design, in addition to charging you for the domain name and hosting.

Fortunately, a new online publishing technology has recently emerged that offers the advantages of blogs and web sites without the disadvantages. This is the file sharing online publishing portal. Sites like megaupload allow individuals to upload documents that they have already designed using software such as Microsoft and Open Office publishing programs. Free to use, megaupload also hosts the documents for free so there is no need to worry about them expiring. Most online publishers allow users to select a privacy level. This way, newsletters for a local baseball team can't be read by the rivals!

Because it is easy, cost effective, and may actually reach more readers, online publishing is the option that many of today's writers and creative professionals take. However, the options for online publishers are numerous. To choose an online publisher, you must determine what your needs and limitations regarding cost and time are. Then, you can decide whether the web site, blog, or file-sharing portal is for you.

Martin Alan enjoys writing on subjects such as literature, digital publishing, digital magazine, publishing software, carbon neutral publishing, file sharing sites and self publishing. He also enjoys keeping up-to-date with the latest developments and innovations in technology and online marketing.

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Publishing Choices For Writers Series - Introduction

Most everyone feels they have a book in them. Eventually, a small percentage of those people will actually become an author and write a book. It used to be that even a smaller percentage of those who actually wrote a book were ever able to get it published despite the fact that was their goal. However, with advancing technology, anyone who has written a book can now get it published in some form or another. For authors, the world of publishing has blow wide open.

There are basically two types of publishers- the traditional publishers and self-publishers. Traditional publishers are any publisher who pays an author an "advance" in hopes of recouping their money (and more) through sales of a popular book. The traditional publisher model has stayed fairly consistent over the years.

Self publishers on the other hand, have changed and evolved with the times. Initially, self-publishing consisted of subsidy and vanity publishers who pretty much published any book for a fee, no matter the quality of the manuscript. If an author was self-published, their work was not viewed with any credibility. Off-shoots of this idea developed such as co-publishing and shared publishing, where self-publishing companies took an active role in helping the author and were more discerning about what manuscripts they published.

These concepts eventually morphed into POD or print on demand companies who may or may not work with the author, but who only printed a copy of a book when the book was bought. Finally, publishing has evolved most recently into e-books; books that are read on a computer and not physically printed. This e-book niche exploded beyond computers with the advent of e-readers such as the Kindle, Nook or iPad and people can even read books on their smart phones. Nowadays, the opportunities for an author to get their work published seem endless!

Book publishing is difficult no matter how a book is published. And like all industries, there are good players and bad players which can give the different types of publishing a bad reputation. But each method of publishing has its benefits and detriments and you probably can not say that one is better than another. They are just different.

While traditional publishers initially looked down on self-publishing and convinced the literary world that self-published authors were not as good as traditionally published authors, these same traditional publishers have had to scramble to change their business models as their profits eroded to the various different self-publishing models. But the bottom line is that the publishing world has opened up opportunities everywhere for authors to find some method to get their books printed. Authors are no longer limited to just one method of seeing their work. And that is a good thing for writers.

Authors have to find the right modality to fit their work. Books that look great in print may not be e-book material. At the same time, the e-book method may be the only way that some authors can make any money. Authors may only want a few books for just their friends and family, while others may see their book as being number one on the New York Times best-seller list. What all these options do, depending on what an author needs, is to give every author a chance to become published and that was not the case in the past.

With the new and different publishing opportunities come new and different responsibilities for authors. Authors need to be aware of these prior to choosing any one specific method to publish their book. In the other articles in this series, I will discuss the different methods of publishing, their pros and cons. With this information, potential or repeat authors will be able to examine the opportunities now open to them and make better choices on how they want their book published.

Candace C. Davenport is a retired attorney and published author whose love of writing led to co-founding a small independent publishing company, Our Little Books. Our Little Books ( http://www.ourlittlebooks.com ) is dedicated to publishing inspirational, educational and fun little books for pocket or purse. Candace encourages all people to find their inner muse and become published authors with their own little book, either for pleasure or for their business. Sign up for a free report on how Becoming a Published Author Will Improve Your Credibility and Make You an Expert in Your Field at http://www.ourlittlebooks.com/free-report/. Enjoy!

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A Guide to Self Publishing

Self publishing involves the act of an author publishing books or magazines at his or her own expense. If the author self publishes, the author has control over content, editing, printing, marketing and distribution. In traditional publishing, the publisher invests money prior to publishing for marketing, printing, binding and promotion of the publication. Because the publisher wants to recover the cost of the initial investment, the publisher researches to make an educated guess about whether the author and the book will earn enough money to recoup the initial investment after its release. The publisher will only select the author's writings if a profit can be earned.

The author will assume all financial responsibility of the project from marketing to distribution and storage. The writer will receive all of the profit from the sales and maintain all rights to the publication. In this case, the author typically will not accept pre-prepared packages, but will submit a bid for each aspect of the publishing process. In some cases, because the author has full autonomy and receives all proceeds, the author can yield a much higher quality product.

Vanity publishers will publish the work of an author without regard to the quality of work or its potential to be marketable. The vanity publisher is only responsible for printing and binding the publication. Since, the responsibility lies solely with the author, vanity publishing is often more expensive than traditional publishing, but offers more autonomy. Vanity Publishers make their money from the fees charged to the author, rather than on sales from the publication. Therefore, it is the author's responsibility to market and advertise to gain exposure.

Print on Demand allows authors who have a desire to self-publish to do so for a small fee and in some cases, for free. Print on demand companies typically offer to print and ship a book only when the book is purchased. Their services can also include collecting royalties, listing in online bookstores and in some instances, formatting, proof reading and editing. Because the process is digital, the initial investment required by the author is generally less than vanity publishing.

Print on Demand companies such as Lulu, xLibris, and Trafford Publishing all require a small initial investment for each of their packages. Companies such as Yudu.com, Amazon's Booksurge and CreateSpace offer self publishing services for free. When publishing a work with these companies, the responsibility of getting a work to submission ready status generally lies with the author. These companies allow the author to design book covers, as well as, choose whether the publication will be an eBook, hardback or paper back.

These low cost services give amateurs, as well as, seasoned authors independence from publisher demands, editorial control and more profits or royalties than with traditional publishing.

With subsidy publishing, the author pays for the printing and binding of the book, but the publisher will contribute a certain amount to the author to cover expenses such as editing, distribution, marketing and storage. Because of the publisher's contribution, the publisher possesses, owns the book and also has a portion of the rights, while the author only receives royalties on the copies that are sold. In this scenario, the author will possess little or no autonomy in certain production decisions.

Martin Alan enjoys writing on subjects such as literature, online publishing, digital magazine, publisher software, file sharing sites and how to self publish. He also enjoys keeping up-to-date with the latest developments and innovations in technology and online marketing. For more information on online publishing click here; http://www.yudu.com.

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Book Publishing Tips For the New Author

As a new author, perhaps the most difficult step to realize success is getting your first book published.  Book publishing companies each have a procedure you must follow for your book to get published, or even considered.  But with a lot of effort and persistence, you're sure to see the words "manuscript accepted" come through your inbox or mailbox soon. Use these helpful hints on book publishing to get started.

Before Contacting a Book Publisher

Proofread your book several times, and then hire a professional proofreader to read through it at least twice.  Also, spend some time on choosing a title for your book as well as chapter headings.  These are very important and will determine how well your book sells.  A book is often initially judged by its cover and its title.  People won't even consider buying it if the title does not captivate their interests.  Also, book readers will often scan the chapter headings to get an idea of the book's overall theme!

Know Your Book Publisher

One thing that's sure to get your manuscript rejected is to submit it without following the book publisher's required procedure.  You might feel that jumping ahead of everyone else or using non-traditional tactics to get your manuscript more exposure will boost your chances of getting published, but this is far from the truth.  The key to success with book publishing is to follow the publisher's rules precisely.  Find out what they require before submitting anything.  Some publishers require a synopsis and the title only at the start, while others require you to submit the entire manuscript.  Some prefer e-mail submissions while others prefer postal mail.  Each book publisher has a way of doing things, so you must find out what they require to even be noticed in the publishing world.  The Web has made this process easier because you can visit the publisher's website to find out their procedures.

Don't Rule Out Small Book Publishing Companies

Small publishing companies are sometimes easier to work with and might even help you get published faster.  A small company doesn't have to sift through a heavy volume of manuscripts like a more well-known publisher would.  Also, the publisher might be able to offer more one-on-one counseling for book promotions should they decide to publish your book.  Look for a book publisher that's willing to work with new authors and guide you through the entire process.

Use an Agent

An agent can help you get started on the road to getting published and save you much time and energy.  Some book publishers are more likely to consider publishing your book if you have an agent.  It shows you are serious about getting published.  An agent may also have contacts with publishers who are more likely to be interested in your type of writing. Some publishers work with only certain genres (such as specializing in children's books or self help books), while others may accept all types of writings.

Keep Contacts Personal

When e-mailing or mailing a query or manuscript, always address your letter to a particular contact person at the publishing company.  Don't just address it "To Whom It May Concern."  If you're not sure who to contact, call the company or view the contact list on the website to get a name and appropriate e-mail or mailing address.  This will ensure that your query will at least be delivered to a decision-making individual.

Make Your Query Brief and Interesting

Use words and statements that will spark interest with any editor.  Use excerpts from your book for illustration, but keep your query limited to one page or less.  Several paragraphs should do the trick.  Keep focused on the good points of your book, while also explaining if you had struggles with writing any portion of the book.  Book publishers will appreciate your honesty and willingness to change portions of the book (if asked) to make it a better read.

Be Patient

Please understand that in order to get published, you must demonstrate a certain amount of patience.  Book publishers must read through many manuscripts before choosing the ones they will promote.  That's why it takes so much time to get published. No matter what form of technology our society invents, publishers will still have to read through long manuscripts to find those "jewels" among so many writings.  Read all the information you can about how to publish a book to get great tips. There are many online resources to help you with the process.  Submit your query or your manuscript, and then wait patiently for an answer.  You might even start writing another book if you plan to continue as an author.  Even if the first book doesn't get published, you'll at least have another iron in the fire to give it another shot!

Make the most of your book publishing experience, and enjoy the ride.  You only live once, so make the most of your days as a becoming author!

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
Learn more about Book Publishing.

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Publishing Choices For Writers - Traditional Publishing, Part One

In another article in this series, I discussed the evolution of publishing and how the opportunities have exploded for authors to have their works published. In this article, I will discuss the original form of publishing, commonly called traditional publishing, what it is, and why an author may or may not want to go the traditional publishing route to get their work published.

It used to be the choices for authors were easy. The only way you could get your book published was to have a publishing company offer you a contract. With this traditional method, in return for providing editing, proofing, design and printing as well as guidance and experience at no cost to the author, an author gives away any rights and control of their book to the publisher. The publisher makes their own decisions as to editing and cover choices, often times effecting changes that the author may not agree with. While an author may have some input, the final decision is up to the publisher which often causes friction between publisher and author.

An example of such a conflict, and one that has played out over the past several years with many different authors, has involved cover choices. In each situation, the author's story involved a person of color. However, the cover the publisher chose showed a person of Caucasian decent.

While the author argued that it was necessary to be true to the story, the publisher looked to the bottom line, believing that Caucasians would not buy a book with a person of color on its cover. Because the author gave up their rights to the book, the publisher had the final say. [But the times may be changing. Just this past year, a publisher received enough backlash from the general public about their misrepresented character on the cover, that they withdrew the book and re-published it with a new, correctly characterized cover].

In exchange for giving up all rights to their book, the publishing company pays an author an advance against future royalties that may or may not be earned back by the sale of the book. This advance can be anywhere from a few hundred to millions of dollars if you are already a best selling author. While smaller presses are more likely to give new writers a chance, that chance would be reflected in a smaller advance offered to an author. But no matter how large or small the advance, this advance is not "free" money to the author, as the publishing company deducts future royalties out of the advance until the publisher has recouped its investment.

With traditional publishers, the publishing company is betting the book will sell, at a minimum, enough copies to cover the advance, so the size of the advance is based upon the number of books the publisher thinks it can sell to cover its costs. If a book does not sell, the publisher would be out the advance they paid the author and they will not get their costs covered. If the book does sell, the publisher's costs are covered, their advance is paid off and future sales bring in money not only for the publisher but for the author as they begin to get ongoing royalties. However, these royalties are only a very small percentage from the sale of each book, usually on average of around seven percent. Therefore, for an author to actually make money from their book, there has to be a large number of book sales.

In the second part of this article on traditional publishing, I will discuss the games publishers play and the pros and cons of choosing to go with a traditional publisher.

Candace C. Davenport is a retired attorney and published author whose love of writing led to co-founding a small independent publishing company, Our Little Books. Our Little Books ( http://www.ourlittlebooks.com ) is dedicated to publishing inspirational, educational and fun little books for pocket or purse. Candace encourages all people to find their inner muse and become published authors with their own little book, either for pleasure or for their business. Sign up for a free report on how Becoming a Published Author Will Improve Your Credibility and Make You an Expert in Your Field at http://www.ourlittlebooks.com/free-report/. Enjoy!

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Should You Publish Your Own Book?

Many people write novels and memoirs. Many professionals write books to enhance their professional reputations. Should they consider self publishing? Book publishing print on demand makes self publishing easier and cheaper, but potential authors may have some questions.

Q. Should I publish my book through an established publisher?

If you can, sure. You'll probably need an agent who expects a piece of your advance and royalties. If there's not much chance of a lot of sales, there's not much chance of finding an agent. Your royalties are going to be maybe 5% to 10% of what the publisher receives. That means your book will need to sell a large number of copies to make it worth the time of any agent to pitch it for you.

If you can get a conventional publisher, the publisher will handle editing, proofreading, cover design, layouts, indexing, ISBNs, Library of Congress numbers, and the multitude of details that separate professional book publishing from amateur. If you are published by an established publisher, you get credibility. All those are worth a lot. But you will still need to promote the book yourself.

Q. Isn't publishing a book a long, expensive process?

Through a traditional publisher, yes. Of course, a lot of the time and money is to insure quality and to launch the book into bookstores.

If you expect to self publish, do a full launch, and compete in bookstores, yes, it is a long and arduous process. Do not try to compete in bookstores without first reading Dan Poynter's "The Self Publishing Manual."

Quality can be expensive. With a traditional publisher, you pay for it by low royalties. With self publishing, you pay for it directly up front.

Getting a book you can sell online, at personal appearances, and in your office need not be long and expensive. If you just want to give the book away to family and friends, it can be quick and inexpensive. It is only a little more involved than duplicating pages and having them bound at an insta print shop, but you get an elegant book.

With print on demand, you can buy even a single copy at a modest price. I published a 108 page US Trade perfectly bound paperback and printed off a single copy that cost me $10.65 total, shipping included. In even slightly larger quantities, they cost less apiece: You save on both printing and shipping.

Q. Aren't print on demand books of poor quality?

No. Many publishers now use print on demand technology. The quality can be every bit as good as you get from a conventional printer. The one I ordered was excellent.

Q. How much money can I expect to earn?

For most books by most new authors, not very much, no matter how you publish it. Self publishing and selling personally and online, you can keep more than half the price. Selling through bookstores you would get much less than half the price. You're responsible for promoting the book in either case.

If you are an independent professional, the real benefit of publishing a book is in building a reputation among clients as an expert in your field. Clients will seek you out. Publishing with a major publisher is better for your reputation, but a small publisher is better than no publisher--unless you are in an academic field. If you self publish, buy your own ISBN and name your small press something different from your name or the name of your book.

For those who are asking, How do you publish your own book? Thomas Christopher created the CD, Get Your Book Out!. The CD has videos to show you how to self publish Book publishing is now quick, cheap, and easy.

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The Top Options For Book Publishing

"John, what is the best way to get my book published?" After years of experience in the publishing industry, this is a question that I am often asked by new authors. At one time, many believed that there was only one viable option for publishing your book, and that was to approach the large publishing houses. Fortunately, the publishing landscape has changed over the past few years, and this assumption is no longer true. In fact, there are now many viable ways to get your book published, and we'll look at just a few of them here.

Mainstream Publishers

Mainstream publishing houses are some of the oldest means of getting the book you are writing published and out into the public eye. However, for the majority of writers this is a long drawn out process that may take years if you are even accepted under the wing of a large publishing house. There are specific guidelines you must follow to even be considered, and you will require the assistance of a literary agent before a mainstream publishing house will ever review your book proposal.

Keep in mind that many of the big publishers receive hundreds of submissions each day, and that only a tiny percentage of those will ever be published. The deck is stacked against you if you go this route.

Small Independent Publishers

Small independent publishers are increasing in numbers daily. They generally specialize in printing books that fit into one type of genre or another. Generally, they have access to a full distribution of channels which can help put your book right up there in the book stores with the hard-hitters of the mainstream publishing houses. There is no need to hire a literary agent since you are able to send your proposal to the acquisitions editor of a small independent publishing house.

Self Publishing

Self publishing offers you more freedom with your creativity and writing talents. Nearly ninety percent of all the books published today are self-published books. You can easily and quickly publish your own book, thereby saving time, money and the efforts of attracting the attention of mainstream publishers. Self publishing offers you the means of sidestepping many overwhelming barriers to becoming noticed by the big publishers. While it is true that you will have to take ownership for marketing and promoting your book, this would be the case even if you were published by one of the big houses, as they are not going to invest much in promoting an unknown author. And that is one of the key reasons why I believe self-publishing has become so attractive.

One ironic benefit of self publishing is that if you are able to make your book a hit, it is then much more feasible to attract the attention of some of the larger publishing houses. You see, once your book sells through your own efforts you become much less of a risk to the publishing house, and thus a much more attractive option to them. The great thing about the large publishers is their immense distribution power, and THAT can mean a big boost in your book sales.

When you choose to self publish you have greater control of your book and its contents. You choose what stays and what goes, you get to decide what your book cover looks like, and what your back cover blurb says. You are also in control of marketing and promoting your book. So when asking yourself, "How will I get my book published?" self publishing is in my opinion #1 among your options, and definitely something that you should consider.

John Harricharan is an International Best-Selling Author with nearly 40 years of experience in book publishing.

John's latest creation, Authors University, teaches current and aspiring authors the latest methods for writing, publishing, and promoting their books. Check out his recent post Get My Book Published at AuthorsUniversity.com.

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Not a Famous Author? Get Published Anyway!

Are you a writer that have been seduced into believing that if your book is published through one of the many traditional publishers out there, you have finally made it?

1. Look to the Internet and Get Published

It appears that a seemingly arbitrary rejection system within traditional publishing companies has helped to fuel an exodus of authors and writers, some good and some not so good, to the Internet. The Internet is currently operating as a tool for unknown and not so famous writers and authors to publish their work.
The web is turning into such a market that it offers access to all types of writing communities and connections. It's estimated that in the future, almost everyone will either be using, or will have used the Internet at some point in their life. The Internet is connecting virtual, social and physical communities on a global basis.

2. Take alook at this scenario:

"With a Traditional Publisher, an editor picks up manuscript A and decides he likes it. Then he starts on submission B and decides he likes it better. When he reads the third one on the pile, C, he's even more excited and thinks it's even better than B. Which means that he must think C is better than A, right? Well, maybe. But since they're all different, there might be different qualities at work, which means B is better than A, and C better than B, but only in some ways. If the editor's boss then says they can only afford to publish two books that month, do you think that means he will pick B and C, since he's decided they are 'better'? Not a bit of it.



It depends on what every other Editor is doing, and what every other publisher on the block is doing too, come to that. So, A might get published after all. C might get put off, (you remember, the 'best' book), and might not even make it onto the list next month either. That's the way Traditional Publishing works. It's unpredictable. Plus, just to make things more 'human' and even less logical, it also depends what day of the week it is; whether a pay rise is in the offing; and what the Editor had for lunch. That's the way it is in those offices." This is one writer's point of view. Mike Scantleburg, has described a scenario that could be very amusing if it didn't ring somewhat true.

These points are presented not to knock traditional publishers; it's good work if you can get it. In reality, there are not many, if any, writers that would turn down a book deal with an advance. If a scene like the above is even remotely true, it helps to explain why regular, ordinary people can get rejection letter, after rejection letter, after rejection letter.

3. Print on Demand (POD)

What's becoming popular is print on demand (POD) services that are offered online. The popularity of print on demand sites like Lulu, Outskirts Press, Amazon's Booksurge and others allow every writer to publish their work. Some of these services allow the author and others to buy one copy at a time. Cost of publishing, ease of publishing and the speed that books are available, are some of the most important deciding factors of print on demand services. Be sure to keep in mind that one of the most important features to look for when you self publish or use a print on demand service is that you, the writer, retain the rights to your book.

4. Self Publishing Success

Getting published is easily than most know, especially if you're not banking on going the traditional route. Mapping out some good points here are worth taking a look at:

Today, in more cases than not, the Internet is being looked upon by more and more writers and authors as the first choice to get their work to the reader, not the last.
Traditional publishing proponents state untruths such as self published books lack quality. There are quite a number of good self-published books. In the 1980's, ''The One Minute Manager'' was self published. The authors Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson wanted to get their book to the public fast; and they also wanted to control the price of the book. They decided self-publishing was the way to go. The book became so popular that a traditional publisher, William Morrow & Company contacted the writers and agreed to publish the book through their company.
It appears that it is almost impossible to get a traditional publisher to accept new writers (unless you are already famous). This is flashing a bright green light to writers and authors alike to look into self publishing and print on demand services. These choices allow a writer decide how much time he or she will spend pursuing traditional publishers. The writer understands that they not only have the option of publishing through traditional publishers, but they can also publish their work through the Internet.

Currently, the self publishing and print on demand route to get a book published is growing at phenomenal speeds Writers and authors are creating a new path directly to the web where they are getting published in very large numbers.

Carol Wilson has been writing for over 10 years. Carol's three books include His World, Whistler's Gift and Permission to Motivate Yourself. For more tips and information on blogging and writing go to http://www.fiveminutevacation.com and bloggingeatingwriting.wordpress.com.

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Should You Wait For a Traditional Publisher Or Self-Publish?

If you can't find a publisher for your book, don't feel bad--it's very hard to get published by a major house unless you're famous. However, don't give up. If you have a message that will inspire, make your readers smile, or teach them a truth that can change their lives, then by all means, self-publish. If you're willing to promote it, you may just find a publisher for it later on.

Two of my books were traditionally published and two were self-published. There are advantages and disadvantages to both so you may just find that self-publishing is the route best suited for your story.

My journey into the book publishing world started in the mid 90s, when I decided to write a memoir about caring for a profoundly handicapped child. I called it, "A Time to Weep; A Time to Laugh." After receiving a round of rejection slips with responses like, "We already did a story like that"; We don't do personal experience stories" and even, "Our editor died," I decided to publish it myself.

I had my manuscript professionally edited and typeset. Sweltering in my garage during a particularly hot summer in Maryland, I attached the pages together with an old comb binding machine and made a hundred copies.

At first I felt embarrassed promoting a book to the news media that had been rejected by publishers...until the day I received my first letter from a reader: "Dear Lisa Saunders, I recently read an article...about your daughter Elizabeth. I just had to buy your book...I've had a hard time with accepting [my daughter's disabilities]...Thank you for writing your book. It helped a lot." Her letter meant the world to me. My story did have a purpose.

Then, unbelievably, a publisher contacted me. The editor said, "I am attracted to your book, not only because it's a good story that fits into our market, but because you have already laid the foundation for a good promotional campaign." I signed my first contract with a publisher. I gave up the right to sell my self-published version (which hurt when I received an order for a hundred copies from a hospital) and spent an entire summer rewriting the manuscript according to the editor's specifications. But moments before the book went to press, the publisher downsized. My editor was let go...and so was my book.

Although I was able to keep the small advance, I felt utterly defeated and shelved the manuscript. I just didn't have it in me to pursue another publisher or to self-publish it again.

I moved on. Besides, memories of my great-grandfather's bed clanging back and forth in his bedroom on railroad-like tracks, my aunt making me use the outhouse, and the terror of riding my ornery pony, blossomed into the children's novel, "Ride a Horse, Not an Elevator." While the Sentinel newspaper in Maryland serialized "Ride a Horse, Not an Elevator," I searched for a publisher. Another set of rejection slips convinced me to try getting an agent instead. Even getting one of those was difficult, but I finally did and signed a one-year contract with her.

But she was unable to sell the story to a publisher within the year so I decided to self-publish again. This time I had a printer bind it to look like a real paperback book (called perfect bound) and I sold it to local school children, horse enthusiasts, and New York and Iowa featured it as part of their state-wide 4-H program called, "Horse Book in a Bucket."

I have since been traditionally published. My first book to find a publisher, "Ever True: A Union Private and His Wife," published by Heritage Books, was a result of me finding three-years of Civil War love letters between my great-great grandparents in my mother's attic. And the next book to find a publisher, "Anything But a Dog! The perfect pet for a girl with congenital CMV (cytomegalovirus)" published by Unlimited Publishing LLC, was my updated story about my disabled daughter Elizabeth, but this time, I wrote it about her life in relation to a homeless, old dog who found his way to her couch.

Although being published by someone else gives you some credibility with certain media, most readers don't care. Unless you are fortunate enough to get published by a major house that will spend a lot of time and money promoting your book (which is unlikely unless you are famous), I think it is better to be self-published because you can do what you want, when you want, and without asking permission.

With all the authors out there willing to share their experiences, there is no need to feel alone on your journey to getting published.

Good luck!

Lisa Saunders, Suffern, New York
Web site: http://www.authorlisasaunders.com
Blog:"How to Get Thin and Famous (or at least published!): http://howtogetthinandfamous.blogspot.com/

Lisa is a full-time writer for the State University of New York at Rockland and a member of its Speakers Bureau. She is the author of the books, "Anything But a Dog! The perfect pet for a girl with congenital CMV (cytomegalovirus)"; "Ever True: A Union Private and His Wife"; "Ride a Horse, Not an Elevator" and free e-book, "How to Get Published."

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Ready to Publish That Book?

Do you believe your book deserves a wide audience and has it got what it takes to enthrall good agents and publishers alike? If so, then jump onto the book publishing rollercoaster, wait for the setbacks to begin and for those proverbial pigs to fly...eventually!

Not that any self-respecting writer should ever be put down or discouraged in their quest to reach the major bookstores, but awareness is key to getting over the tough times ahead. Even the esteemed J K Rawling got way more than her fair share of rejection before finally being accepted by Bloomsbury years after her first manuscript. She muses, "I covered the first three chapters in a nice plastic folder and set them off to an agent, who returned them so fast they must have been sent back the same day they arrived."

Step 1 - Perfect your manuscript

Make sure your manuscript is immaculate, double spaced and with at least a two-inch margin on either side. Use a familiar font such as Ariel, Times New Roman or Verdana, size twelve. In order to even get an initial scan by a junior editor, your text must be premium class, with no spelling or grammar mistakes, so be sure to proof read and, if need be, ask a trusted pair of fresh eyes to scrutinise it even before your initial letter leaves you. In the case of a novel, your letter also needs to be fresh, feature completely original characters and a story that flows seamlessly.

Only if the first few pages, along with your synopsis and covering letter are noteworthy and relevant to the publisher's needs will your manuscript be moved by the junior editor onto a very small pile that awaits the opinion of a senior member of the editing staff. But be aware that for every hundred manuscripts received, only one or two might be deemed worthy of moving to this pile.

Step 2 - Research your agents/publishers

As in all professions, there are rogues and pros. out there and, after so much hard work, it would be shameful to fall victim to the wrong sort of agents or publishers.

So how do you know if they're good or bad? Normally it's easy to tell:

You should NEVER ever pay an agent or a publisher up-front, whether under the guise of cover art, advertising or other fees of any kind. Once they accept your work, all reputable publishers will offer first-time authors an advance and pay you a percentage of each copy sold. Agents will charge a fee (approx. 15%) in relation to the copies sold.
A Google search on the name of the enterprise plus scam or vanity will identify the ones that are looking to take advantage of new or would-be writers.
Beware of so-called agents offering editing or 'book-doctoring' services at a price, reminding you of how life will change once the publisher finally accepts your novel. A common scam involves the 'book doctor', or the agent himself, earning an illegitimate income and wasting your time for 'polishing' your text. Fictitious submissions are then made and you're notified months later that your manuscript unfortunately won't sell in the current market. Remember that from the start you should only submit polished, finished work to agents, so 'book-doctors' aren't necessary.
Good agents and publishers don't need to advertise, proving themselves instead through their client lists. Google their authors' names to gauge how successful they are and how many books they have published. Beware of special adverts and offers as they are likely to be from the agents you don't need.
Before submitting your work, ask:

Does the publisher accept unsolicited manuscripts? If not, it's a waste of time sending yours to them, as they'll be paying someone to open it, then pack it up again and send it right back to you.
What type of manuscripts does the publisher or agent deal in? If you've written a romantic novel but the publisher backs medical books, then don't bother sending them your manuscript.
How does your publisher or agent wish to receive initial correspondence? How long, or rather short, should your synopsis be? Do they really want some or all of your manuscript sent to them at the cover letter stage - as this may vary, what exactly do they want you to send and when?
Bear in mind that all publishing houses, even the big ones, are sometimes interested in a certain amount of work from new writers. They all need to replace those authors lost to other publishers or those who simply stop writing, so don't despair, lady luck might just be with you on the right day!

Step 3 - Find a good agent

There are more agents out there than publishers but in such a competitive and rigid market, agents also need to be picky and selective about who they choose to represent and recommend to publishers. Market instability or other factors might make many agents reluctant to take on new writers, no matter how well you may write. However, if you feel you must have an agent, then you must sell both your manuscript and yourself to the agent. You'll need to impress the agent as much as the publisher.

Good agents save you a lot of time and heartache, acting as your face to the publishers. They know the publishing houses and what book genres they buy, while using their inside knowledge and contacts to get your manuscript seen in the right place at the right time. Agents should be up on current publishing trends and buying tendencies, meaning your manuscript will be sent to a particular publisher if it is buying at the time.

Step 4 - Write your cover letter and synopsis

The cover (query) letter should be a short, simple, single page introducing you and your book, as these days agents and publishers won't have time or patience to read through much more than than this. Your letter needs to catch their attention while respecting a standard, no-nonsense format:

Start with Dear (name of editor/agent, correctly spelt) or Dear Editor (if you don't have a contact name).

Include a heading - the title of your book.

Used blocked paragraphs, not indented ones, with one line space between them.

Open with a sentence explaining why you are approaching them and make them aware that you know something about their professional achievements as well as the books they publish.

You'll need three main paragraphs: the hook, the mini-synopsis and your brief biography.

The Hook - basically one sentence to illicit intrigue about your book, for example:The Da Vinci Code - "A murder in the silent after-hour halls of the Louvre museum reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ." Then, still writing in the third person, smoothly incorporate the word count and genre at the end of this paragraph's text.
The Mini-synopsis - this is a second paragraph you use to describe your book, expanding on the hook and giving basic, enticing information on the main characters and conflicts involved within.
The brief biography - keep it brief and relevant to writing or the book you have written. If you can boast of any other writing achievements, mention them, even if they're simply a regular blog or article submission you write. If you cannot, don't apologise for not having other books to your name, simply state this is your first book - by this stage in the letter, if your synopsis has impressed the editor enough, then you'll be half way to sending on your manuscript anyway. If you have less to say about yourself, then there remains more space in your synopsis for a few more words to attract the reader!
Close your letter with thanks for their time and consideration. Don't forget to include a stamp addressed envelope if you're sending your letter in the post and give them your email address and phone number.

When and if you finally get a request from a publisher to see your manuscript, make sure you mark the envelope "Requested material", so that it doesn't get buried or possibly lost in their backlog of unsolicited mail.

Step 5 - Never give up!

Think of all those best-selling authors out there who, like you, fought, waited, waited and waited to be noticed for the value of their work. Keep on approaching agents or publishers in a steady, professional manner and ignore all those inevitable rejections - one fabulous day you will be jumping for joy!

Self-publishing

If that joyous day never comes or you're tired of waiting for it, then perhaps self-publishing is the next way forward for you. You take on the costs of the publication and cover all marketing and distribution, and you get all the proceeds from sales.

This method can help you enter the published world, allowing you to demonstrate the fruits of your work and cite sales statistics, albeit invariably lower figures than if you had published with a traditional publisher, but they will reflect the overall popularity of your book. Bear in mind that as a new, self-published author, your book will not have the benefit of selling in the major book stores. If you still decide to take this option, you'd be well advised to pay a professional editor for an evaluation or even a complete edit before going to print - a small investment compared with that of the print run itself.

Based on the Rock of Gibraltar, Tina suppies freelance copywriting and content writing services to a worldwide market via the internet. Over the past nine years, she has produced top-class copy on a diverse range of subjects - from online gaming to international property investment, from insurance and pension services to lifestyle in Andalucia, and from editiorial copy to TV scripts - you name it, she'll have your work properly researched, written and delivered, ready to meet your deadlines. Find out more and read her website blog.

http://www.thewebwriter.co.uk

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Publishing Choices For Writers - Traditional Publishing, Part Two

In Part One of the discussion on traditional publishing, I discussed the give and take of traditional publishing. The publisher gives the author an advance and takes from the author the rights to basically do what they want with the book. The game then for the publisher is to chose a quality book that it believes is marketable, will be popular and sell many copies. This is why a traditional publisher is so choosy in what manuscripts they accept (usually from one to three percent of all submitted manuscripts) and why it is a good idea for an author to have an agent who knows the publishing ropes, and who can work on an author's behalf.

Generally, to have a chance at being picked up by a traditional publisher, an author needs an agent. Publishers receive numerous unsolicited manuscripts all the time. Many unsolicited manuscripts are not ready for publishing or are not marketable in their current state so they are not considered at all. While generally editors will look at all these manuscripts and actually read a few, the chances of being "discovered" among all the unsolicited manuscripts are slim to none. However, an agent has the experience to know what can be a successful manuscript and will personally submit a work to any number of publishers in hopes of receiving an initial positive response.

In order to obtain an agent and subsequently a publisher, an author will have to put together an all-embracing book proposal. This can be very time consuming and expensive if the author hires someone else to do it for them, and not necessarily successful if an writer decides to do it themselves. Then, assuming the author hires an agent, and the agent gets a publishing company to go forward with the manuscript, the agent negotiates a publishing contract. Chances are, most authors will not get a huge advance on their first book as the publishing company wants to see how successful a new writer can be. There are always exceptions, but for the average author, it is best not to plan on making a living on their first book! However, an author with a publishing contract will not have to come up with any money to get their book published.

If an author is published by a traditional publishing company, they will automatically have credibility as an expert with the prestige that goes along with that. The publisher will help with marketing and distribution of the book, providing some publicity support. They will get the book into stores. Sometimes the company will even set up opportunities for the author for speaking engagements and book signings. However, unless the author is very well known, this media exposure may only last for a couple of months. Even with a traditional publisher, for an author to prove their worth by sales (which will translate to bigger advances for a second book), they must be willing to put in time, effort and money to promote their own book in addition to any efforts by the publisher.

In the other articles in this publishing choices for writers series, I will discuss the more recent choices of publishing, including all the available options under the self-publishing umbrella, that an author now has to get their book published.

Candace C. Davenport is a retired attorney and published author whose love of writing led to co-founding a small independent publishing company, Our Little Books. Our Little Books ( http://www.ourlittlebooks.com ) is dedicated to publishing inspirational, educational and fun little books for pocket or purse. Candace encourages all people to find their inner muse and become published authors with their own little book, either for pleasure or for their business. Sign up for a free report on how Becoming a Published Author Will Improve Your Credibility and Make You an Expert in Your Field at http://www.ourlittlebooks.com/free-report/. Enjoy!

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Self Publishing - Is it For You?

Writing a book can be easy. You will have to spend some time writing down your thoughts and connecting them to develop a captivating subject. The hardest part is publishing your book. Contrary to popular belief, publishing a book involves many complex phases. Proof reading to correct grammatical mistakes, editing the sentence structure, typing the entire book into a printable format - all these have to be done in order to get your book published.

A publisher will do all the work for you, but a huge chunk of the profits will be handed over to the publisher. But before that happens, the publisher needs to be persuaded that the book will sell very well; otherwise it is not worth his time and energy. For this reason, most aspiring writers will face rejections for the better part of their lives. However, that does not mean you should stop trying. There is another option -self publishing.

Self publishing has always formed a small fraction of the publishing industry. Nowadays, advances in publishing technology have allowed that percentage to grow. Desktop publishing, Print On Demand publishing, and the development of xerographic printing have all contributed to the industry in a way that makes self publishing your book more promising.

It isn't just new, unrecognized authors that self publish either. There is a list of bestselling self published titles available including The Celestine Prophecy, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and Eragon.

The advantage to self publishing your book is you get full control and freedom. You may design every feature of your book, from the typeface to the cover art. You are in charge of the marketing and distribution of the book. And don't forget, you get to keep all the profits!

The disadvantage of self publishing your book is, while all the paychecks are yours to cash, all the bills are also yours to pay. As a self publisher, you are solely responsible to make sure your book succeeds. Anything you don't know about publishing, you need to learn fast. The outcome of your book, and your career as a writer, depends on it.

Once it has been transformed into a medium that is fit for publishing, you need to find a printing agency. They can do the cover design for you. The cover design and the layout of the book play an integral role in popularizing the book among readers. Search around the internet and you will find plenty of companies that specialize in this niche.

One of the most essential tasks when self-publishing your book is the promotion and marketing process. The publicity of your book is up to you. That means you need to get booksellers to put your book on their shelves, and get book reviewers to spread the word about your book so people will buy and read it.

Never expect overnight miracles since self publishing is filled with hurdles too. Just remember that humble beginnings mark the growth of a prosperous career. In a competitive market, self publishing your book presents steep challenges, but don't be daunted!

c 2010 Bookpal Australia Pty Ltd - All Rights Reserved Worldwide

http://www.Bookpal.com.au/ is helping self publishers all around the world to successfully self publish and market their books with cost effective solutions to create bestsellers. The website offers a free book for budding self publishers, and many other free resources.

Terence Tam is the founder of Bookpal, he previously spent 6 years as an academic and was a contributing author for several academic books. Frustrated with the level of service he was getting with traditional publishers, he set up his own self publishing company to help other authors publish and market books with cost effective yet efficient solutions

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When Self Publishing is Not Self Publishing!

Much has changed since the late sixties when I first self published my set of poems. What I produced then was a book created at the then new company called "Kinkos." On their copier I made 15 sets of my poems, and then had Kinkos use their special machine to bound each set with hard covers. Walla! My first published work. Now that was REAL publishing. It wasn't commercial, but it was getting my work out there.

Since then I have experienced many types of publishing: From the traditional publishing of my play, to three different types of "do-it-yourself." What experience has taught me is that there are many types, and degrees, of presenting your work to the public.

Way back when I made that first book of poetry, one of the avenues of publishing was the so called "Vanity" press. I remember one of the early 60 Minutes TV show, where they did an expose on one such company... pointing out how the company prayed on the "vanity" of writers, publishing elaborate books that the writer ended up storing in their garage. Vanity publishers have been around probably as long as traditional publishing. It used to be (with very few exceptions) that anything published outside the traditional realm, was deemed inferior, if not down right worthless.

That view has changed. Even though traditional is still viewed as the most legitimate means of publishing, it is certainly not seen as the only means of quality publishing.

Today, because of the sheer volume of information to be disseminated, other publishing means are more a necessity... without these "other means" so much quality work would go unpublished. It is still true that much junk is being published, but that, too, has always been the case... both in the do-it-yourself arena AND in traditional publishing. Traditional publishing does not necessarily me quality publishing. The first ingredient to quality publishing is quality content.

The Definite Advantage of Self publishing

For many, publication has been only a dream. But now, it can easily be made a reality. First off, self publishing is not a single method of publishing. It has become a term that encompasses a variety of ways of non-traditional publishing. The "ways" of doing this are many:

There are more, but here are three of the most common:

Some companies who will take your manuscript (for a fee) and do ALL the things the traditional publisher would do...The major difference between them and the traditional publisher is that you cover all cost of production.
The other end of the "do it yourself" scale is when you, the writer, truly take it upon yourself to do ALL the things the traditional publisher would. That is,  you do layout and design, obtain and even arrange for the actual printing of the books. It is very hands-on and you have complete control over everything.
A third and "in-between" option is for you to do everything electronically can produce a book using your computer and then use print on demand technology. Or you could produce a totally electronic version of your book and have it available as a download online.

The point is that there are many ways to publish yourself, but that "Real" or "total" Self Publishing puts you at the helm, you making everything happen yourself. For more information or real self publishing, click here

Richard Gordon is a poet-playwright living in Lake Elsinore, California. He is the author of Martin and The Mountaintop: An illustrated Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. His play Bulldog and the Bear, won the coveted Lorraine Hansberry and the Michale Kanin play writing awards. For the last twelve years of his teaching career, Mr. Gordon taught Oral Interpretation at California State University at Fullerton.

The Joy of life...the Joy of people...has always been the underlying themes of his work. For the past 30 years Richard has been writing...not as a "writer" per se, but as a husband, celebrating his wife, and as a father lifting his children in song...and now as a grandfather soaring with his grandkids.

This guide to self publishing poetry contains two valuable bonuses. One, an informative booklet on how to perform your poetry better, and also an ebook on how to make chapbooks of your poetry. For more valuable information check out [http://www.dynamicselfpublishing.com].

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Is This the Break That Self-Publishing Needs to Gain Respectability?

As discussed in other articles, the term self-publishing historically has had a stigma surrounding this method of publishing. When used as a pejorative, a self-published author meant anyone whose work was not good enough to get published by a traditional publishing house. More recently, self publishing has tried to gain respectability as being an alternative way of publishing, rather than a loser's way of publishing. On March 3rd, 2010, Lulu announced that author John Edgar Wideman would be publishing his latest work through them. Although Lulu does not consider themselves as a self or vanity publisher, (rather a "marketplace guided by a vision of empowerment and accessibility", lulu.com), in all sense and purposes, they are there to help authors self-publish their books, and therefore are part of the expanded definition of self-publishing.

While Lulu's announcement may not sound like a big event, it is notable because John Edgar Wideman is not your typical self-publisher. Mr. Wideman is the first individual to win the Pen/Faulkner Award for Fiction twice. He also won the Rea Award for the Short Story and the James Fenimore Cooper Prize for Best Historical Fiction. He received a National Book Critics Circle nomination and was a finalist for the National Book Award, as well as being a recipient of a MacArthur genius grant. Powerhouse traditional publishers Houghton Mifflin, Henry Holt, Avon and Harcourt published his over 20 previous works. Definitely, as a very well respected, well known and popular author, Mr. Wideman does not paint the picture of someone who would self-publish his works.

Yet this time, Mr. Wideman turned down the advance offered from a traditional publisher and decided to self-publish his work with Lulu. Why would a top author decide to give up their large advance and do that? Is this some indication that self-publishing is taking a major turn for the better in terms of being recognized as being a respected way to publish? Why would someone like Mr. Wideman make such a choice?

Mr. Wideman provided his reasoning in a Lulu press release and his reasoning should wake up traditional publishing to the fact that the publishing industry is truly evolving. In fact, the publishing industry is not just evolving, but in Mr. Wideman's words, mutating.

"Lulu seems to represent a very live possibility as the publishing industry mutates. I like the idea of being in charge. I have more control over what happens to my book. And I have more control over whom I reach. I have a very personal distaste for the blockbuster syndrome. The blockbuster syndrome is a feature of our social landscape that has gotten out of hand. Unless you become a blockbuster, your book disappears quickly. It becomes not only publish or perish, but sell or perish."

There will always be traditional publishers. However, given Mr. Wideman's reasoning, they need to be aware that as the industry mutates, more and more alternatives will be available for good and even great authors to get their works published. These authors will be taking advantage of the alternatives available in order to keep more control over their own works. Mr. Wideman has now put traditional publishers on notice. It will be interesting to see how traditional publishing houses respond.

Candace C. Davenport is a retired attorney and published author whose love of writing led to co-founding a small independent publishing company, Our Little Books. Our Little Books ( http://www.ourlittlebooks.com ) is dedicated to publishing inspirational, educational and fun little books for pocket or purse. Candace encourages all people to find their inner muse and become published authors with their own little book, either for pleasure or for their business. Sign up for a free report on how Becoming a Published Author Will Improve Your Credibility and Make You an Expert in Your Field at http://www.ourlittlebooks.com/free-report/. Enjoy!

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Getting Published - Exactly What Does it Take?

How do I get published?" is a question I'm often asked as a publishing coach. People have an idea for a book, and dream on being on a talk show like Oprah''s. So, how do you take those first steps toward the dream?

The first step is to have a great idea. This may not be as obvious as it seems. Your book has to be a combination of several key ingredients:

1. It has to have great appeal to a certain audience (not everyone, but certain specific kinds of people). A book on fitness in general is not as publishable as a book on fitness for working moms. The more general audience books are for the well-established names in a field, not for new authors. (This tip alone could make you more publishable.)

2. Your approach to your topic has to be fresh in some way. "What makes your book unique?" is a key question.

The second step is to understand publishing today and how it works.

Publishing has been undergoing a massive sea change, especially in the past three years. These days it's very difficult to take the traditional publishing path, in which you get a publisher to take on all the costs of publishing and pay you a royalty (percentage of sales--usually 7.5% of what they get after they give the bookstores their 55% discount). Publishers just don't want to take the financial risk of publishing an author unless the author can practically guarantee they can sell a lot of books, because the author already has a large following (called an author "platform").

So nowadays, you not only have to have a great idea, you have to demonstrate you already have a following. You have to demonstrate that a lot of people already know you and read you.

That's why I tell new authors to start a blog, and start "testing" their ideas on a blog. If you have a large following of blog readers, this can impress a traditional publisher.

Of course, you can always go the "New Era publishing" route, and that's to partner with a publisher that offers publishing services. Be careful, though; it's not always obvious who the legitimate "partnership publishers" are and who are the "subsidy" or vanity publishers that will publish anyone and do nothing to help you market your book. I did an interview with Terry Whalin on publishing in general and this new model in particular that can help you figure out what is what.

There's also a book called The Fine Print of Publishing by Mark Levine that goes over publishing contracts of 45 of these "publishing services" companies. Though it's nto exhaustive, it does point you to many of the better-known companies and shows what to look for an avoid.

Publishing is a complicated bag today. On the one hand, it's easier than ever to publish a book--if you have some capital and some good guidance. On the other, it's more difficult than ever to go the "traditional publisher" or royalty publisher route because publishers are cutting back and very risk aversive.

But if publishing a book is your dream, take heart! It can be done, now more than ever. Clarify that great idea, and do a little research on the publishing scene. As Winston Churchill said, "Never, never, never, never, NEVER give up!"

I invite you to explore my blog at http://www.yourbookpublishingcoach.com for posts and links to a wealth of information on publishing, as well as teleseminars with publishing professionals and other resources. Make sure you ask your question and sign up for the Author Success Plan as well!--from Diane Eble, "Your Publishing Coach"

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Traditional Publishing Versus Self-Publishing

Make the Right Decision When It Comes to Your Manuscript

Today, authors have many options. In this article, our manuscript proofreaders focus on the two most prevalent-traditional publishing and self-publishing-as well as the respective pros and cons.

Two major types of publishing

1. Traditional publishing

In traditional publishing, the author completes his or her manuscript, writes a query letter or a proposal, and submits these documents to a publishing house. An editor reads it, considers whether it is right for the house, and decides either to reject it (leaving the author free to offer it to another publisher) or to publish it. If the publishing house decides to publish the book, the house buys the rights from the writer and pays him or her an advance on future royalties. The house puts up the money to design and package the book, prints as many copies of the book as it thinks will sell, markets the book, and finally distributes the finished book to the public.

2. Self-publishing

The process is a bit different for self-publishing. An author who decides to self-publish basically becomes the publisher. The author must proofread the final text and provide the funds required to publish the book, as well as the camera-ready artwork. The author is responsible for marketing and distributing the book, filling orders, and running advertising campaigns. In the past, the author had to decide on the number of copies to print, sometimes resulting in stacks of unsold books gathering dust in the garage! Fortunately, the Print on Demand (POD) technology now used by some self-publishing companies means that authors can have fewer copies printed-only as many as they need, in fact.

Fundamental differences



Time: With traditional publishing, a manuscript can take years to become a book. First, an author may have to pitch the manuscript to several publishing houses before it is picked up. Considering that the bigger houses can take up to six months to work through the "slush pile" (the multitude of queries on editors' desks) to get to your manuscript and that you will likely have to try several publishing houses before you get one to show interest...well, you do the math! That's a lot of waiting. Then, if a house does decide to take your book, the actual process of producing the book takes at least another year. Admittedly, this process applies mainly to fiction. Nonfiction books that are topical and relevant to current world events might be pushed through more quickly.

With self-publishing, depending on the company, an author can literally have a finished book-hardcover or paperback or both-in his or her hands within six months. Of course, authors have to pay for this service, which raises the issue of money.


Money: With self-publishing, you often pay thousands of dollars, depending on the company you choose. In contrast, with traditional publishing, you are paid an advance, ranging from small sums to seven-digit figures. In traditional publishing, the publishing house, with its huge resources, experience, knowledge, and contacts, vigorously promotes your book. When you self-publish, you pay for everything-design, editing, printing, advertising, distribution-to get your book into stores and ultimately into people's hands. You're all by yourself; self-publishing works best for people who are good at self-marketing. The major payoff for all of your payout, though, is control.


Control: Often an author's joy at selling a manuscript turns into despair when an over-zealous editor at a publishing house rips that manuscript into unrecognizable shreds. Publishers might refuse to publish a book because it is too controversial, doesn't fit the house's list, or simply because it won't sell. With self-publishing, the author has much greater control over the contents, design, and appearance, as well as where the book is marketed and distributed.

Having looked at the pros and cons of traditional publishing versus self-publishing, ask yourself some tough questions about what is best for you, your intentions, and your manuscript. Are you willing to play the waiting game in order to earn a large advance from a traditional publisher? Or are control of your manuscript and quick turnaround most important?

The good news is that the available tools-POD, Internet, and online booksellers-are leveling the playing field between traditionally published and self-published books. Authors now have more options.

Remember, a document that's free of spelling and grammatical errors is far more likely to catch the attention of a publishing house editor. Submit your draft to one of our manuscript proofreading services today to ensure that your document is error free.

Chandra K. Clarke is the President and Founder of Scribendi.com, a global leader in the online editing and proofreading industry. Chandra holds a BA in English and an MSc in space exploration studies. Her lifelong devotion to the written word started when she joined The Chatham Daily News as a regional stringer. She then worked as a reporter/photographer for a large chain of weeklies before becoming the managing editor of an independent paper, a post she held for two years before striking out on her own. She writes a syndicated weekly humor column, and has authored two books, as well as dozens of short stories, and newspaper and magazine articles. She is an enthusiastic supporter of space exploration and scientific research.

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