Top 5 Shenanigans of 5 Top Print-on-Demand Publishers

5) Cosmetic corporate connections

Publisher B has a new corporate overlord in Amazon, but offers no carriage with Ingram, which means no order availability through many bookstores nor major website listings with competitors Barnes & Noble.com, Powells.com, Bamm.com, etc.

Hint: Find a publisher that offers wholesale distribution through Ingram (which includes listings on Amazon, too). Publishing is already competitive enough; your distribution channels shouldn't be.

4) Disavowing any knowledge

Publisher P calls itself a traditional publisher, even though it uses the same on-demand technology as other PODs. They require an exclusive 7 year contract (twice as long as most traditional agreements) and absorb all your rights before you discover the truth.

Publisher L doesn't call itself a publisher at all, but rather a conduit toward publication. It even features a picture of a machine "publishing" your book for you. Do you want a hot-water heater handling your pride and joy?

Hint: Sign a non-exclusive contract that you can cancel in 30 days written notice and pick a publisher that uses real live human beings to format your book.

3) "Free" on-demand publication

Free things require no commitment, which is a harsh finale for a book you labored to write. We have heard of authors who "published for free" and then the author forgot who published their book! As Vince Lombardi says, "The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor." Getting what you pay for was never more appropriate, as authors of free services can attest.

Hint: You get out of something what you put into it; choose your publisher accordingly.

2.5) "Free" publishing that isn't actually free

I have to slip in this bonus shenanigan. Publisher T claims they will publish your book for free, yet require a $3,985 investment from the author. Last time I checked, that wasn't free. Their justification? They reimburse the payment to you once your book sells its 5000th copy.

Hint: Ask them the percentage of times they actually reimburse their authors. Ask for the titles of the books and author's names. Then get the contact informaton for every one of those authors and confirm it.

2) Traditional publisher affiliations

Traditional publishers make the lions share of profits because they take a gamble on every author. Publisher U has executives from the traditional publishing industry; which means they know how to take an author's money up-front AND in the long run on the back-end.

Hint: If you pay to be published, make sure you make a higher royalty than a traditional publisher pays. And make sure you don't confuse "20% net profit" with a "20% retail royalty".

1) Charging to be profitable

In this competitive publishing environment, publishing is hard enough without having your publisher charging you for things that should be free. Publisher X recently introduced an option for $249 that lets you set your own retail price. And when you see this bar graph comparison, you will understand why: http://outskirtspress.com/marketing/case-owp.gif

Hint: Having pricing flexibility is certainly better than not having it, but you shouldn't have to pay for it.

Learn more about publishing your own book with a free e-book at http://www.outskirtspress.com. Brent Sampson is the President & CEO of Outskirts Press and the award-winning author of "Self-Publishing Simplified". A free ebook edition is available at http://outskirtspress.com/publishing.

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Book Marketing 101 - Enhance Your Publisher's Efforts

Congratulations! You have found a publisher well suited to your book. The contract has been signed. You are a published author! What's next? What will your publisher do? What should you do to enhance the publisher's efforts?

Authors covet traditional (trade) publishers because those publishers are experts in taking a book from manuscript to retail stores with perfection. No matter how many articles you might have read about the enticement of self-publishing or "vanity" publishers, trade publishers know what must be done, how to accomplish the tasks and they can do it in a timely manner. They have the artists, printers, distribution channels and retail connections that you require. That's why you should be willing to share some of the profit with trade publishers.

Without a publisher, you would need to be an expert at cover art, graphic design, editing, printing, acquiring distribution channels, web site design, marketing to retail booksellers and all facets of sales. Very few excellent writers are also experts in all of those areas. And, even if you were an expert in all of those fields, would you have the time to accomplish all of those tasks, as well as restock retail stores? In today's highly competitive and rapidly changing retail book market, even trade publishers cannot do everything. So, unless your last name is King or Clancy, you will need to chip in with some time and effort to make your book a smashing retail success.

What can you expect from your publisher?

A trade publisher will edit your book, create cover art, print the books, contract with distributors and then place your book on the Internet sites of Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble, Target and other major global retailers. Your publisher will market your book globally and arrange for distribution in all relevant countries. The publisher will then process the books to sales outlets and restock them on a regular basis. Your publisher may also promote your book at book fairs, through catalogs, through an e-mail or fax blast, generate media publicity, arrange book tours, create a web site, solicit reviews and arrange book signings. And, despite all of this effort on the part of your publisher, you'll receive royalties, which a pretty nice feeling.

However, in today's ever-changing book sales market, a great deal of additional work remains to be done by the author. Much of this is electronic marketing. Because of the changing nature of the publishing world and the revolution in electronic book purchasing, someone needs to market your book throughout the Internet world. Because this work is extremely labor-intensive and detail-oriented, few publishers have the time, workers and enthusiasm to make it happen. This is where the author must step in, with the motivation to work hard on behalf of his or her book. The bad news is that there is a lot of work for the author to do. The good news is that almost no expertise or money is required to accomplish these vital tasks.

Viral marketing:

The Internet has turned the publishing world upside down. Even mammoth publishing houses are today petrified with this abrupt change. People can purchase on the Internet, bypassing brick and mortar stores. They download books to their Kindle. They can even download books on the Internet for free. People today make purchasing decisions based upon what they can see and read on the Internet. For example, Amazon not only allows you to describe your book, display its cover and details; it also has a feature called "Search Inside" that allows prospective buyers to sample many pages of your book before buying. Bookstores and publishers are frightened and losing profit margin. But here is where you can step in and help your publisher.

What should you do to help your publisher? You can contact your local newspapers, magazines and on-line Blogs in order to solicit articles about you and reviews for your book. You can contact local bookstores and arrange for book signings. You can sell books on your own through local organizations. You can try to obtain reviews and interviews about your book everywhere in town. One of the fastest ways to solicit business for your book is through the media. Since you require positive reviews to sell your book, newspapers, magazines and book clubs are a great place to start. When you encounter serious interest, send them a review copy. If your publisher runs out of review copies, send them the e-book as a review copy, or ask them to purchase the Kindle version.

But, the world is a lot bigger than your neighborhood. If you want a great many people to read your book, you will need to create a global electronic marketing campaign. Fortunately, almost all of this can be accomplished with your computer. Better yet, it won't cost you a dime.

First, create a viral marketing campaign. Viral marketing means many things, including web pages, Blogs, social networking, video marketing and all other electronic means of selling your book. It sounds difficult. In reality, it is simple and free. Use effective search terms in Google or Yahoo to find places and people related to your book. For example, a book about the history could be promoted to schools, public and private colleges, universities, historical societies and organizations dedicated to historical preservation. Thousands of people, places and organizations that might use such a book can be located with Internet searches.

Once you uncover these people, places and organizations, all that remains is to contact them with a sales pitch for your book. E-mail marketing is cheap and fast. However, your sales pitch must grab the reader's interest quickly. You must construct an e-mail cover page that is informative, has embedded links to your web sites and the publisher and will sell the value of your book instantly. More about e-mail marketing later in this article.

Web site marketing:

Most publishers will create a web page for your book. But never rely on the public finding that one page, or even your publisher's web site. Anyone can create a free web page for his or her book. Just visit Yahoo, Google, Hotmail, Wordpress, Blogspot, Goodreads, or Geocities and begin building your site. There are many other Internet sites where you can build a web site or Blog for free. The instructions are simple and fast. The more web pages that you create for your book, on your own, the more chances buyers will discover it. I have dozens of such sites.

You can create a free web page that includes many detailed facts about your book, including review excerpts, historical data and links to your Blogs and web sites, as well as your publisher. To keep readers on the site, add dozens of interesting and useful links about the topic of your book. Then, you can create another free web site that includes a syllabus for your book, packed with features and reasons why people should purchase it. Connect these web pages to each other via links. This is FREE. All it takes is some of your time.

The secret to success with Internet web sites is to make them interesting and to use effective key words. Key words (a.k.a. "tags") are the way that search engines find web pages. Select your key words very carefully. The more accurate and appealing your key words, the better the chance that search engines will uncover your book.

Some people recommend that you give away downloadable copies of your book on the Internet, as a marketing tool. Publishers may disagree. However, if you allow someone to download your e-book, or e-mail it to them, there is a chance that they will enjoy it and tell their friends about it. Since most people do not wish to read a book on their computer particularly a long book, print sales will increase as a result. Someone recently asked me if I was disappointed that so many people were reading my book from the local library, rather than paying for it at a bookstore. I don't mind at all. People who enjoy your book will tell friends and family about it. In the end, giving away books judiciously is an effective sales tool.

There is no limit to the number of web pages that you can create. The more times you create a new web page, and the more times you update an existing page, the more times people will discover your book. Continue to perform maintenance on your key words and update your sites with new links. Before you are done, go to this web page http://www.google.com/addurl/?continue=/addurl. Here you will be able to submit your web sites to Google's search tool. This step is critical, so that your web sites will appear on all future Google searches.

Blogs:

Blogging about your book, or writing on other Blogs about it can be a powerful tool to increase sales. Anyone can create a Blog for free and use it to promote a book. I Blog on two of my own sites. Blog about anything of interest to you, or any particular expertise you have acquired. It doesn't have to be related to your book. Note that you can easily promote your book on Blog pages, through links and sidebar widgets. Just be sure to sign off each post as, "Author of ..." below your name.

Perhaps more importantly, you can comment on other people's Blogs, vastly increasing your book's visibility. Use a Google search feature to troll the Internet searching for key words related to your book's topic. When you find Internet newspaper or magazine articles about your book's topic, visit the site and write something there about your book. Always sign off on Blogs with the title of your book and a link to your book's web site under your name.

Similarly, you can comment on articles in magazines and newspapers via their Internet versions. In most cases, you will need to register. It's free and the time you put into registering is a small price to pay for the ability to promote your book in all future iterations of that newspaper or magazine. Most Internet news media allow reader comments after an article. When you find an article related to your book, write your comment and then sign your name and, "Author of ..." after your name. Be sure to include the title of your book and a link to its web site under your name.

Write articles:

Anyone can write articles and have them published on the Internet. Where is your expertise? In what way can you provide people with valuable information? Writing articles is not simple or swift. You may need to conduct some research. Take your time and write carefully. Your topic need not be connected with your book. I have had articles published on topics as wide ranging as publishing, psychology, religion, life, death, war, happiness, prejudice and philosophy. Each article is a chance to sign off with your book's name and a link to its web site.

Establish a Goodreads account. Goodreads is a web site for readers and authors. It is a terrific place to see and be seen. There is no more natural place to sell your book's value to potential readers. Although Goodreads is not a retail site, it offers an opportunity to network with other authors who have similar interests and problems.

Social networking:

Join as many social networking sites as possible. MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Ziggs, Yahoo, LinkedIn, Multiply, Urbis, Squidoo... They are all valuable ways to make your book known. You may be able to generate your own Wikipedia page. At each of these social networking sites, you can create a profile, including a description of your book and stores where it is sold. But your work there is not finished. Join groups within the sites that are related to your book, your writing, or anything related to the topic. Promote your book through Facebook, MySpace and Twitter by joining groups related to it. LinkedIn is an excellent place to network with professionals of all types. At LinkedIn, you can create a profile to describe your book that will be seen by countless readers. You can also join groups of interest related to your book. You can reach literally thousands of people within these groups.

Amazon:

Amazon is not only a place to sell your book. It is a place to post a Blog. Amazon has a new sponsored link called "Filedby" that includes an author biography page where you can post a Blog and relevant articles. Also within Amazon, each content section has forums in which people start topics or respond to the topics of others. You can post messages and responded to messages in Amazon forums as wide ranging as history, fiction, war, romance, art, science, religion, literature, etc. Again, each time you write, sign off with your name and the title of your book. You will instantly reach thousands of potential buyers.

Another Amazon feature allows anyone with an Amazon account to create a review for any book sold there. Think about every book that you have read. You can locate the book on Amazon and create your own customer review. Just scroll down the Amazon page for any book until you see a button that says, "Create Your Own Customer Review." Follow the instructions to rate and then review the book. When you are done, be sure to write, "Author of ..." after your name. Every time someone reads your review of that book, the name of your book will appear. Since the reader is already on Amazon, they can purchase your book by typing its name at the top of the page. You can review as many books as you wish, each time marketing your own book under your signature.

Email marketing:

You can personally contact tens of thousands of critical people and organizations with e-mail. Never count on your publisher doing this. They can only dream of having the time and labor to accomplish such a task. All that you need are e-mail addresses, an effective sales letter and some time.

Use the Internet to search for lists of people who would have a natural interest in your book. You can uncover literally thousands of e-mail addresses related to your book's topic. Organizations often include membership e-mail addresses. All that is left for you to do is to create an effective e-mail cover letter and send it to each member electronically. This is not spamming because the addresses are publicly posted.

While few of us are brave enough to open an attachment from a stranger, we are all willing to open a hyperlink. Embedding Internet hyperlinks into your e-mail cover page is simple and fast. In most e-mail programs, you can right-click on any word in an outgoing message and then select the "Hyperlink" option. Follow the instructions to embed the hyperlink. That word will appear in all future e-mail versions of your letter in blue or red. When your reader clicks on the blue or red word (while compressing the "Control" key), your web site will emerge in their browser. With this method, the reader can access all of your book's important web sites, including your publisher's web site, book reviews, the book's Amazon page, another web site that contains a syllabus, author interviews and much more.

Hyperlinks are also vastly superior to typing in lengthy Internet addresses. For example, the Amazon Internet address for many books can be quite lengthy and would occupy at least two lines in an e-mail pitch page. Instead, simply hyperlink the word "here" at the end of a sentence. Clicking the word "here," which will appear in blue or red, will transport the e-mail reader to the book's Amazon page.

Your e-mail cover page message must be brief and concise - less than one page; while compelling the reader to learn more about your book. No one will bother to read a lengthy dissertation about your book while the rest of his or her daily incoming mail is piling up, waiting to be read. Just grab their interest quickly, hyperlink the best web sites and provide contact information. The e-mail is only designed to command their interest. The embedded web sites will sell your book. At least one of your embedded web sites should allow the reader to instantly purchase the book. Another hyperlinked web site should contain the book's syllabus, access to your best reviews, the author's biography and links to other relevant sites, articles, Blogs and books.

Once you have created an impressive e-mail cover letter, save it in generic form for future use. Then, each time you wish to contact someone new about your book, retrieve the file and customize it to that particular receipient. In most cases, you will require only a few minor changes to your original letter. This will allow you to contact literally hundreds of people rapidly.

Only a few days are required to create and modify e-mail cover letters, web sites and Blogs appropriately. It will cost nothing. In fact, some large Internet companies, like Google, will pay you per click if you allow them to advertise on your site. Instead of paying for web site development, create your own site and make money by selling advertising on it. Learn more about the "affiliate programs" at Google and Amazon.

Conclusion:

The world of book marketing and sales is undergoing considerable, rapid change. People who formerly explored books and purchased them at their local bookstore now increasingly accomplish this task from home or work on the Internet. Since publishers are still required to edit, print, distribute and market in traditional ways, and since they have fewer staff due to lower margins, it falls upon the author to accomplish many new tasks related to electronic marketing and sales.

You can construct web sites and Blogs that can be used to attract the public to your book and accomplish the sale with a few mouse clicks. You can solicit reviews, articles and sales by creating several attractive and concise web pages, by using appropriate key words in those web sites to attract search engines and by implementing an effective e-mail marketing campaign. You can accomplish all of this right from your own computer - and it is virtually cost free.

Marketing a book can be time consuming and frustrating. But do not count on your publisher to accomplish everything, particularly if you are a new author. Be willing to implement your own marketing campaign with web sites, Blogs, by writing articles and with an effective e-mail blitz. The harder your effort, the larger your royalty checks will become.

Charles S. Weinblatt
Author, "Jacob's Courage: A Holocaust Love Story"
http://jacobscourage.wordpress.com/

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Book Publishers - Be Careful Before You Sign With A Book Publisher

The wrong book publisher can turn your dream of becoming an author into a nightmare.

One out of every eight people call themselves a writer, which means there are roughly 24 million people in the United States who carry that banner. Unfortunately there are charlatans and scam artists just waiting to ambush the unsuspecting author. How can a novice writer protect themselves against unscrupulous book publishers?

Anyone can call themselves a book publisher.

Always remember money flows towards the author from the book publisher, not the other way around.

What to look out for:

The book publisher charges the author a fee up front, to have their book accepted, considered or read. These fees are sometimes called a reading fee, intake fee or administrative fee.

The book publisher directs authors toward specific editing services or gives authors' names to these services, with the caveat that if the author hires the editing service, their book will be published. Every book needs editing. It is part of the publisher's job to provide that editing at no cost.

The book publisher offers a contract where the author has to pay for part of the publishing costs. The acquisition editor will sometimes say that the publisher's list is full for that season, but the author's book has so much going for it, they would still like to publish it. However the publisher's resources are fully committed and the author will have to share in the costs.

Some book publishers offer contracts that are unfair, such as they obtain rights that should remain with the author of the work. Some book publishers' contracts contain a clause that if the author says anything negative about the book publisher, there is a monetary fine. There are also book publishers who hold the rights for a lengthy time period, regardless of whether the book is still in print or selling.

The book publisher doesn't disclose they are a Publish on Demand (POD), or vanity/subsidy publisher, or actually denies they are a POD book publisher. There is nothing wrong with an author using a subsidy/vanity book publishing company as long as the author is well aware of the disadvantages.

Publish on Demand books are not, as a rule, stocked by bookstores. Some POD book publishers will insist that their books are available in book stores, as a way to get around this issue. Available is not the same thing as stocked. Available only means the book can be ordered through the bookstore. Since the majority of books sold, are stocked and sold by bookstores, this situation puts a damper on sales.

What else can a writer do to check if a book publisher is legitimate?

Go to the local bookstore and see if any of the book publisher's titles are stocked. Ask the manager if necessary.

Search the Internet using the book publisher's name plus the word 'scam' or 'complaint.'

A book publisher's website is targeted to its customers. If the website promotes the books they've published that's a good sign. If the website is focused on recruiting writers, that's a bad sign.

Go to forums or bulletin boards that are for writers and see what the authors who have published with the book publisher you're considering have to say about their experience.

Want to find out how you can avoid scams and still get your book published? You can receive a free report Perils and Pitfalls of Publishing for Writers just visit Free Report

About The Authors Brian Hill and Dee Power have written several nonfiction books including The Publishing Primer: A Blueprint for an Author's Success and The Making of a Bestseller: Success Stories From Authors and the Editors, Agents, and Booksellers Behind Them.

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Finding Romance Publishers

Romance publishers are companies which are dedicated to looking for good stories of romance. They look for stories that will make an impact in society. There are very many romance publishers all over the world. When you are looking for a publisher, you are probably a young or old writer who is looking for a break through in this regard. Writers or authors have a very close relationship with publishers. This is because they help each other in many ways. If you are a writer with a good romance story, a publisher will want to read your work. Your work goes through a process in which you are informed whether the story is good or not. If you are a writer who feels that your story needs an audience, there are several things you can do to ensure that you increase your chances of success. First, you need to do a thorough search. Do not just search for any publisher.

You need to look for romance publishers. You need to have a list of the publishers because, the more you use many publishers, the more chances you have of being published. If you have read through the biographies of many famous writers of romance, you will learn that they sent their work to as many as to over 50 publishers before their breakthrough. Nothing has changed since then and the market of publishing has become even more competitive. For this reason, you need to have a very good story if you want romance publishers to look at your work a second time. Therefore, you need to get searching as you look for all kinds of publishers. The easiest way is to make a list of all the publishers of romance that you come across. It is vital to later go through the list and, find out exactly what they want in regard to the story you have. The following are some of the requirements that you are likely to find when you find publishers for your story.

They might specify the length of text that you should give them. This might be the first chapter and many publishers will also tell you that you need a query letter. Then you will be told to give them time and they will contact you. It is vital to know all the regulations that are necessary so that you can do everything right. The following is an example of some of the romance publishers who will be suitable for your work. They are for girls publishing, Amber quill press, Antelope e-books, Asylett press, Avalon books, Barbour publishing and Belle books; the list goes on and on. Look for more publishers and when you present the right stuff to them, you will definitely not be disappointed. The idea is to keep trying and, when the door is shut, try to go through the many doors of publishing that are available. Above all, make sure that your work is good enough to please the publishers. This way, you will get to have all your dreams about writing come to you. This is because they help each other in many ways. If you are a writer with a good romance story, a publisher will want to read your work. Your work goes through a process in which you are informed whether the story is good or not. If you are a writer who feels that your story needs an audience, there are several things you can do to ensure that you increase your chances of success. First, you need to do a thorough search. Do not just search for any publisher.

You need to look for romance publishers. You need to have a list of the publishers because, the more you use many publishers, the more chances you have of being published. If you have read through the biographies of many famous writers of romance, you will learn that they sent their work to as many as to over 50 publishers before their breakthrough. Nothing has changed since then and the market of publishing has become even more competitive. For this reason, you need to have a very good story if you want romance publishers to look at your work a second time. Therefore, you need to get searching as you look for all kinds of publishers. The easiest way is to make a list of all the publishers of romance that you come across. It is vital to later go through the list and, find out exactly what they want in regard to the story you have. The following are some of the requirements that you are likely to find when you find publishers for your story.

They might specify the length of text that you should give them. This might be the first chapter and many publishers will also tell you that you need a query letter. Then you will be told to give them time and they will contact you. It is vital to know all the regulations that are necessary so that you can do everything right. The following is an example of some of the romance publishers who will be suitable for your work. They are for girls publishing, Amber quill press, Antelope e-books, Asylett press, Avalon books, Barbour publishing and Belle books; the list goes on and on. Look for more publishers and when you present the right stuff to them, you will definitely not be disappointed. The idea is to keep trying and, when the door is shut, try to go through the many doors of publishing that are available. Above all, make sure that your work is good enough to please the publishers. This way, you will get to have all your dreams about writing come to you.

Francis K. Githinji Is An Online Dating Expert. His Latest Project Free Online Dating Service Shows How The Power Of Online Dating Can Be Harnessed Internationally and With Great Success, Or You Could Post Your Valued Comments On His Blog At Dating And Relationships Magazine

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Will the Current E-Book Craze Topple Publishers As We Know Them?

Some 85 overflow attendees at the ASJA-sponsored free gathering on Sunday, May 15, in the Berkeley Public Library heard both sides (and a skeptic's doubt) about what may be two sea change revolutions roiling in the publishing world.

The topic was "E-Books, Apps, and Clouds: How Writers Are Creating the Future of Publishing." Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, predicted the end of mainstream publishers as we know them. Berrett-Koehler's David Marshall countered by telling of the changes that traditional publishers will make to survive and thrive in the future. And publishing consultant Peter Beren, after the Coker-Marshall exchange, offered a third view, that ultimately the "big houses" may just absorb and dominate the e-book format.

It's time to let the public decide what they want to read

Mark Coker began by saying "It's time that writers and publishers stood up for free speech!" And that it was paradoxical that only a few blocks away his mother (and he in utero) took part in the Free Speech movement at its peak in the 1960s. And now, finally, with e-books ranked as the #1 format among all trade categories, there is a renaissance in book publishing as firms like Smashwords, offering a free publishing and distribution platform, help give ordinary people the power about what should be said and printed.

"The 'Big 6' have judged the worth of writers by the commercial merit of the books they sent for publication. They controlled the printing presses and the venues of mass distribution, but their myth as the arbiters of value is giving way to a new reality as brick and mortar bookstores close, they pass the post-publication PR burden to the writers, their book advances tumble while they still reject almost every submission, they take 18 months to put those few books accepted in print-and if the new book doesn't sell in the first weeks that it's in the bookstores, it is withdrawn to be remaindered or pulped."

"Writers have been exploited. It's the public who should decide what they want to read. We offer an online, open platform so writers can release their potential. That creates many more choices."

Coker said that answers to two questions will lead to the downfall of the big publishers (though they will never totally disappear, nor should they):

The first question is, "What can publishers do that I can't do myself?"

The second, "Will using a traditional (or mainstream) publisher harm my book's success?"

In response to the first question, Mark said that any author can use the Smashwords format to create an e-book in nine software languages. Those books are then openly marketed by distributors worldwide, democratically serving all. There is no cost to the author/publisher. And a royalty of 60-85% is paid for every book sold (compared to 5-17% in royalties for the major houses). The books are released as e-books almost the moment they are processed.

The second question, how would a traditional publisher harm a book's success? By making it unaffordable (in part to pay for their overhead), said Coker, often selling it at prices double or triple the e-book rates. And by limiting its distribution, geographically or for restricted periods of time. ("E-books know no boundaries since they become immediately accessible internationally once they are seen in an online catalog. Readers can also sample a part of the book before buying. And since there is unlimited space in the e-book bookstore, the books will remain available everywhere forever.")

"By self-publishing and having the means affordably at hand, the authors/publishers can take control of their own publishing destiny," Mark added. "If they write a good book that resonates with writers, buyers will honor the writer with word-of-mouth promotion."

But another key question remains unanswered: will the "open press" or "ancillary publishing" process bring authors enough income for their efforts? "Right now we have less than 50 authors earning $50,000 a year," Mark replied, smiling. But in just three years his firm has helped 20,000 writers publish 50,000 e-books, and in the process Smashwords has become one of the largest e-book distributors.

Smashwords is one of eight "open press" firms now printing and distributing both bound and electronic books. Others include CreateSpace, Kindle, PubIt!, Lulu, Blurb, Scribd, Google, and LightningSource.

Is a second publishing revolution afoot?

The established publishers held their ground. It was posed that not only will they remain (though probably changed), they would create a new kind of book and production that is simply too complex and layered for the new firms like Smashwords to match.

D. Patrick Miller, the President of the NorCal chapter of ASJA (American Society for Journalists and Authors) presented David Marshall, VP of Editorial and Digital at Berrett-Koehler Publishers in San Francisco, a nonfiction independent house in the educational field.

David felt that the future of traditional publishers depended upon software, layering, video, animation, interactivity with the reader, and responding to the "age of reading TV and watching books" by smarter and tighter cutting-edge firms. In this new world, authors were asked not to think of themselves as book writers but symbols of creative change.

Marshall also focused on a revolution in publishing, emphasizing more the digital explosion in tablets and e-readers, ranking the top four as Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, and Google, and citing the four top formats as PDF (creating the exact replica of the print book), e-pub (with flowing text where type font and size can be changed but graphs and tables must be omitted), Mobi (in the Kindle), and the scanned process used by Google Book Search.

Most of the transformation from print to digital, he said, has been in fiction; nonfiction has increased from 7 to 12% of the total. Marshall then painted the vision of how nonfiction will look in the near future, as "enhanced" books including audio, video, self-assessments, and community portals where readers can talk with the writer and other readers. There might be games in the book or animation in the preface with the author's voice-over.

Most of the book won't live in the tablet either. It will "live in the clouds," in a grand file beamed down from a database available any time from anywhere. The user can buy any section or chapter they want, paying through a meter. And the data can be dynamically changed, updated, or added to (as can articles) as facts emerge or change.

This will transform the authors' role. They will publish digitally first, then think print later. The barriers and excuses will be gone. "If it makes sense, print it," Marshall said.

The "power of free" then becomes possible with the digital book. The writer can capture market share by giving away the first book (or the first chapters), then charge as the fan base develops. An e-list becomes the authors' selling center.

Since e-books in the future will be multimedia, the writer will be responsible for the text and the embedded media components. Writers will find partners from film, audio, and art to create the best format.

David encouraged the participants to read his "Tools of Change Conference Call Report" from February, 2011, available at scribd.com.

From that report, the changes on the publishing horizon are almost overwhelming. Particularly interesting in the report are Wired Magazine's Kevin Kelley's six trends that book publishers need to address in order to stay competitive and eight ways to make it easy to pay but hard to copy. Brian O'Leary (Magellan Media) compares the old paradigm to the new and Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale) gives a chilling author's perspective. In fact, all 12 pages paint a brave New Publishing World in which today's major houses, and Coker's self-publishers, hardly fit.

Perhaps David Marshall's summary of that report best expresses the sense he shared with clarity, conviction, and excitement at the ASJA gathering:

"All 'heck' is breaking out in the digital publishing space. E-books are just the first wave of many waves of digital innovation. Early pronouncements from some pundits that enhanced ea€?books are more interesting to publishers than consumers misses the point. As the market for pure text products, even in digital form, moves to free, publishers must innovate to provide new layers of consumer value, or perish. Products such as The Elements (185,000 sold) show the portent of the industry. Unfortunately, most publishers will not be able to profitably transform themselves into companies such as Touch Press, Open Road Media, or Callaway, and some of the stiffest competition to traditional publishers will likely come from VC-funded 'born digital' start-ups. I sat at a conference lunch table (recently) under the banner, 'What's the difference between book and software publishing?' That is an apt reflection of how these two industries are quickly merging. (Berrett-Koehler's) collaborative partnership business model is more important now than ever before. We (too) must re-invent ourselves to stay relevant."

The big houses are more likely just to absorb the e-books

In a conversation after the ASJA gathering, Peter Beren commented "I remember more than 30 years ago when we used the same rhetoric and vigor that Mark Coker used today, but then we proclaimed that you didn't have to publish in New York, that West Coast publishing was the new frontier of creativity!"

Coker had just called for writers to re-embrace freedom of speech, and prophesized the end of mainstream publishers as we know them.

Peter is a literary agent; a columnist for the San Francisco Publishing Examiner; a publishing consultant to authors, self-publishers, and independent publishers, and a literary agent with 30 years experience in book publishing. Among his six published books are The Writers Legal Companion (with Brad Bunnin) and California the Beautiful.

"I just can't believe that e-books are the self-publishing keys to the kingdom. Mark's rhetoric is as extreme as ours was. Particularly if it gives the idea that a writer can self-publish and by-pass the traditional publishers and achieve the same result in terms of readers and earnings. If the person does that, and only distributes to electronic platforms/channels, it is very difficult for a reader to know a work exists and how to get it. E-books are a great secondary sales channel and they can add to the authors' earnings in a considerable way but right now the entire channel accounts for only about 13% of total sales.

"Nor do I see bookstores disappearing any time soon. True, Borders folded, but Barnes and Noble is predicted to bring in $300 million more in business in its absence. Independent bookstores, while only 5% of the market, are doing well, and the Expresso Book machine now produce books on the spot worldwide. In fact, it's far more likely that traditional publishers will absorb the e-book channel just as they have absorbed trade paperbacks, books on tape, and boxed sets. Random House and other major publishers are going back to their authors and releasing their works in e-book form. They are even experimenting with enhanced e-books, which the new, smaller open press firms simply can't do.

"And what about the craft itself? Think of coffee table books-that can't be duplicated electronically.

"Also, how much of the e-book fire is being fed by the dozen or more firms earning $100 million selling self-publishing services?"

Peter added that he doesn't disapprove of self-publishing or e-books, just the hype. He said that e-books are keeping many of the smaller publishers in the black right now, and there are many micro publishers that will flourish in the new environment.

In fact, Beren saw the difficulties a year ago in a his San Francisco Examiner Publishing column, on March 4, 2010, when he shared that "(w)hen self-publishing grew by leaps and bounds, it grew because technology made book printing simple. Combined with print-on-demand (POD)-where you get the orders first and then print to fit-self-publishing became an irresistible lure. Suddenly, there was disintermediation, eliminating the middle-man. Anybody could get their book on Amazon where it would democratically rise or fall without the mediation of the prejudices of a store's book buyer. Since they were dealing with POD, there was no need to hold inventory or carry the capitol risk of inventory. Anybody could be an author, anybody could publish a book.

"What self-publishers discovered with the e-commerce channel was that somebody or something needed to capture the attention of the individual reader and motivate them to look the book up on Amazon or some other venue. Marketing and distribution became, and still are, self-publishing's great challenge."

A revolution at the presses? Or two? Or is it more-of-the-same but with new players and new tools? Keep reading..."

Gordon Burgett has been a book publisher since 1981 specializing in both non-fiction and niche marketed products. He has also had 39 books and 1,700 articles published. He began offering almost-ready-for-print manuscript reviewing in 1995 to help fellow professional speakers make certain their "book" was in fact ready for release and fully directed for maximum sales or use. He now helps all non-fiction authors select the best publishing route, save money, and create top-quality books and products. If interested, please see http://www.gordonburgett.com or read his blog at http://blog.gordonburgett.com.

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What Are Music Publishers?

Today, there is a rather wide variety of music publishers, small and large. In reality, everyone that writes songs is a de facto music publisher if they intend their music for the public and they do not have a publishing deal. That is, if someone wants to use the music, then, at least in theory, they would come to the songwriter for permission to use the song. This would be an example of a songwriter acting as a publisher in a reactive role as the user comes to the songwriter in this case. The primary role of a music publisher today is usually more proactive. Music publishers find users for original music and sometimes manage the usage of the music on behalf of the songwriter. Of course, songwriters can also be proactive in promoting their original work. Music publishers can be the songwriter or they can be someone who represents the songwriter in either a reactive or proactive role.

While there are many opportunities for songwriters to manage the business side of music, there are only so many hours in a day. Therefore, for some songwriters, it makes sense to find an advocate. This advocate is the music publisher who shares in the potential income for the original music in exchange for services.

Small music publishers are varied in their approach to the business. Some small music publishers are individuals who have only their personal songs. Some small music publishers may own a catalogue of music that is intended as a form of investment. This is usually music that has been recorded and continues to collect royalties. This type of music publisher wants to collect fees for their property much like a property owner collects rent for a rental property. Other small music publishers may have limited "catalogues" of music which have been assigned temporarily to them for the purpose of finding a customer willing to pay for each song. Again using the real estate analogy, this service would be like a fee based real estate leasing company.

The rights of songs are temporarily assigned to the publisher as the publisher seeks to find interested "buyers". The primary function of the assignee or publisher is to find "customers" for the owner. For assignees or publishers, there are many secondary functions which may include managing the account for the owner and/or maximizing exposure for the owner.

I think it is important at this point to distinguish between two misunderstood terms related to ownership in the music business. In particular, I want to describe the differences between an owner and an assignee. When a song is written, it is automatically copyrighted under U.S. Copyright Law and it is the property of the songwriter or songwriters. The songwriter at this point is the owner. The copyright should also be registered, which is a statement of claim to the intellectual property which is the song. This is done with an application through the U.S. Copyright Office. This copyright may be assigned to a second party at the time of registration or it may be assigned after being registered in the name of the songwriter or it may not be assigned at all. If assigned, it may be assigned to a publisher for the purpose of finding interested artists, larger publishers, commercial sponsors or labels. Therefore, the publisher becomes the assignee but the songwriter remains the owner. This arrangement is typically based on a set period of time. That is, the assignment of rights will eventually revert back to the songwriter or owner. Some publishers will pay to own a song in which the songwriter generally receives a lump sum of money in exchange for the song. In this case, the songwriter is usually entitled to no additional compensation unless otherwise stipulated in a contract.

The smaller music publishers tend to take on specialized roles to provide needed services in niche markets. These roles are expanding with the changing music industry. Small publishers now take on a variety of responsibilities that may overlap with a variety of other music professionals. There is a good reason for this. The publisher has a stake in the success of an artist so they often take an active role in the artist's development. Therefore, it is not unusual to see publishers acting as agents for the artist, for example. Agency is a service provided for the more specific purpose of maintaining a steady stream of business for a client. Good agents provide valuable services and should not necessarily be confused with a small publisher. The larger the potential income for an artist, the more specialized the roles become which is why you see big names in music with high powered agents. Agents typically maintain the amount of business and associated income of a big name artist because the big name artist doesn't have the time to manage all elements of their career at this level of success. Big name artists also have publicists and managers, but for a new artist, many of these hats may be worn by a single interested individual.

The small publisher will often take the role of agent, publicist and manager in addition to the role of publisher. In some cases, a small publisher will perform as a fee collection agent for mechanical rights as they already receive a portion of the fees that are due for usage. While some small music publishers may provide a variety of services with only a handful of clients, there are also small publishers who specialize in more limited services. They may specialize in a particular classification of music, for example. These publishers tend to have more clients as they tend to have a more limited scope of overall responsibility. Their strength lies in understanding a particular segment of the market and knowing the right people.

Most small publishers are risk takers. They attempt to select unsigned artists with maximum potential, hoping for a "break out". The reward for the small publisher is usually in the form of fees that are guaranteed by United States Copyright Law. Of course, a "break out" can also launch the career of a small publisher if there is a strong relationship with the artist founded on mutual trust. Small publishers may eventually get "squeezed out" by the more dominant players in the industry following the success of a signed artist. Contracts will eventually expire, so it is possible for a small publisher to receive their reward for the duration of work covered under the original contract, but to not receive further compensation for new material from a newly discovered artist who signs with another publisher. It is the nature of the business.

Small publishers maintain contacts with larger publishing companies, record companies, retail marketing executives, and are now using their skills to help promote independents. Some small publishers know when projects are coming up with a label, for example. They also know the type of music that interests various A&R professionals. Other small publishers may be better equipped to assist an independent artist with possible promotion opportunities through a retail store. In either case, an efficient small publisher will use contact management techniques and software to help them keep up with the necessary periodic calls. A good small publisher will follow up on every hold and make sure that a client is paid for all usage of a song.

Large music publishers may perform in the very same capacities as described above on a much larger scale. Catalogues owned by a large music publisher can be in the hundreds of thousands of songs. Large music publishers have the distinct advantage of size. They are well known among industry professionals and, as a result, have easy access to a lot of high powered folks. Large music publishers tend to also have a print media division that distributes printed materials such as sheet music. Large music publishers have other departments assigned to very specific responsibilities such as artist and repertoire or A&R personnel. Overall, the primary focus of the large music publisher is to maintain a positive bottom line through acquisitions and account management, thus it is much more of a corporate style of business.

Finally, there are many different types of music publishers, but the role continues to expand. With the emergence of independent artists and new online distribution models, the role of music publisher must change to meet new demands. It is very likely that the new small music publisher will have sufficient computer skills along with the more traditional understanding of music publishing, marketing, promotion, contact management, accounting, copyright law, negotiation, business etiquette, contract law, music business politics, and just plain old common sense.

Article written by Del Boland and distributed by permission of Del Boland. Follow Del's blog at http://publishingboxofdreams.blogspot.com.

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How Publishers Decide to Publish a Book (or Not)

Have you ever wondered how publishers go about deciding whether to publish a manuscript?

I recently talked to Andrea Mullins, the publisher of New Hope Publishers (who just happen to be the publisher of my book, Abundant Gifts). Andrea outlined the process in great detail. Though this process might differ slightly from publisher to publisher, most follow the same basic process. (I know, because I have worked with at least a dozen of them, as an author, editor, and/or book coach.)

Note that many publishers do not accept unsolicited manuscripts or book proposals. That means that you usually have to have an agent, or some prior contact with an editor who has given you the go-ahead to send in your proposal. If you do not have an agent or the go-ahead from an editor, the book proposal is routinely returned with a form letter.

It will be returned only if you included a self-addressed, stamped mailer for the package to be returned, by the way. Otherwise, you can guess where it's dumped.

If a publisher does accept unsolicited proposals, they usually have guidelines, posted on their web site. Make sure you follow these guidelines to the letter, or you'll waste your time and your chance with that publisher.

Here's what happens to your book proposal, once it arrives at a publishing house:

1. The proposal gets added to the pile along with a lot of other book proposals. Depending on the publisher's submission guidelines (check these ahead), the proposal may be screened first by someone. If an agent has contacted an editor, the proposal will end up on that editor's desk. He or she will look it over, and make an initial decision whether to bring it before others in the publishing house.

2. If the editor deems the proposal worthy of pitching, he or she will take it to the next "pub board" meeting. Usually the "pub board" consists of the publisher, an acquisitions editor (usually the one who first sees your proposal), a marketing person, a sales manager, and a "numbers cruncher." The acquisitions editor champions your book, persuading the others as to why this book is worthy of being published. The editor will have nothing to go on but your proposal, so that's why it has to answer any question a publisher might have about what the book is about, who the audience is, why the author is qualified to write the book, what the competition is, what kind of marketing the author will put into it.

It's important to know that there are any number of reasons why a publisher might reject a book, even if they love the idea. They may already be publishing a book like it, or know that another publisher is going to publish a similar book. They may have done research already, and they know that "those kinds of books" don't sell. I recently pitched a book to a publisher. They loved the idea, but their research on prior books like it told them that this particular book doesn't sell enough to warrant publishing.

3. If the pub board thinks the book has possibilities, usually they will crunch some numbers. Often this means going to special services they have access to, that tell them exactly how many books of a similar title sold. (Regular folk don't have access to such numbers from services like Bookscan, which tracks how many books sell per week in retail outlets including bookstores and other outlets such as Target or Wal-Mart stores.)

Publishers don't only look at the bookstore sales, thankfully. In fact, more than half of all books sold are sold through channels other than bookstores, such as mail order, warehouse clubs, special sales to a variety of outlets such as corporations, nonprofit organizations, or associations that might buy bulk orders. If a publisher knows a book will do well in these channels, and the publisher already has inroads into these special markets, they may publish the book even though they know it won't do well on the retail level.

This is where it pays to do your homework, both about potential non-traditional outlets you may have contacts with, and about which publishers might have such contacts so you can target them knowledgeably. For instance, one of my clients has a book with a potential market for college students. We sent the proposal to a publisher that is associated with a college campus ministry.

4. If all lights are green-the publisher loves the idea, the author has a solid platform, the numbers work out to indicate the book will sell well-the publisher tries to determine how many books will be sold in the first year. Typically, they will figure a royalty advance based on this number. Of course, they will probably shoot lower at first, figuring there will be some negotiating on the part of the agent and/or author. They will then offer the author a contract.

If the publisher decides the book won't be profitable enough for them-for whatever reason-they reject the proposal or manuscript.

If you get a rejection from a publisher, it's good to determine, if you can, why the book was rejected. Sometimes they'll tell you; usually they'll just say "it's not right for us at this time." If you have an agent, the agent can often find out what was wrong.

If it's something you can fix-such as adding ballast to your platform-go ahead and take some time to lay some more ground work before moving on to another publisher. This is where an agent or book publishing coach can help you.

If the book just isn't right for that particular publisher, you move on and submit to another. Agents usually submit to several publishers on their "A list" first, and only move on to the "B list" once they hear back from everyone on the first round.

It's worth noting that you usually don't get a second chance with a publisher, so make sure your proposal is as strong as it can be from the outset. Study a publisher's list; see if you can determine what their unique stance is, and figure out how your book fits into what they're doing. Articulate that in your cover letter.

Look at the publisher's guidelines as posted on their site. However, I have always gone above and beyond what they request-and I have sold every one of the books I have ever proposed (11 in all, plus one book reprinted when three agents told me nobody is buying reprints).

Remember, even if you are rejected by one publisher, don't take it personally. Even books that end up being best sellers were rejected by publishers. Hang onto your vision, make sure your book proposal and writing are as strong as they can possibly be, and never, never, never, never give up!

Got a question about writing/publishing/marketing your book? Ask Diane Eble your question about publishing at http://www.askyourbookpublishingcoach.com. For more great articles like these, visit http://www.wordstoprofit.com From Diane Eble, "Your Book Publishing Coach"

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How Publishers Choose Manuscripts

How Publishers Choose Fiction Manuscripts For Print And Profit

Everyone has a story to tell, and common dream is to publish a book. This dream comes from many desires whether financially or popularity driven. The advent of the personal computer provides just enough motivation to get amateurs started on their ways to writing. The ease of computer word processing revolutionized the ease of writing, allowing for more would be writers.

With the avalanche of manuscript submissions the rules for acquiring books had to change. The publishing companies had to develop guidelines and redefine. To answer the problem, we have to find out how publishers choose fiction manuscripts for print and profit.

Background

With motivation to write being the driving force, it wasn’t uncommon fifteen years ago for potential authors to bang out manuscripts on word processors or electric typewriters. The Authors would go through a rewrite replacing as many pages as necessary. This rewrite might require running through whole chapters since a change to one paragraph would disrupt the numbering of sequential pages. Once finished, the author then had reedit several times before he had the perfect draft of the “world’s greatest novel”. A potential novelist might be thwarted by such as a daunting task, his story never put to paper.

To answer the current demand, around 5,000 publishing companies start up each year, and with that hopes of tremendous financial and literary success as they compete to fill shelf and cyberspace. According to R.R. Bowker Company (Cox 2000), 53,000 new book titles roll of the presses. The cold hard reality is that only three out of ten books actually make money for the publisher. The study of all publishers and how they need to do business to succeed would be exhausting and not condensed enough to fit into this presentation.

Publishing houses print basically two types of books: fiction, non-fiction. Non-fiction books cover biographies, self-help, how to, travel, and myriad genres too many to list. Likewise, fiction books cover mystery, religion, historical, horror, crime, and/or a combination of the above. I will report how fiction publishers compete for success in a fiction producing industry.

Method

Publishers seek a certain type of reader based on the genre they specialize in. For example, William D. Watkins, acquisitions editor of Broadman & Holman Publishing, reported in a 1998 writer’s conference that publishers of religious fiction seek their reading audience; 35-year-old women readers. However, not only does a publisher such as Bethany Books compete with publishers of the same genre, they have to entice this same audience out of the ever-popular self-help section of the bookstore.

However, before the printing, fiction writers send their earth shattering manuscripts to publishers. They want to be printed to satisfy their egos, earn money, gain notoriety, be a role model, or contribute to the literary treasury (McHugh, 1999). These authors compete against astronomical numbers of other manuscripts sent to the very same acquisitions editor.

Selection Criteria

The Acquisitions Editor has the huge job of being proactive in the writing market place. Authors seek many publishers because they are experts in the field which they publish. These experts/publishers break down the company into departments of fiction and non-fiction, and then by genre. An acquisitions editor may find himself working in a department or genre and will be proactive in finding new authors, researching the marketplace, negotiating contracts and developing books.

Cox also relates that the acquisitions editor is busy dealing with unsolicited manuscripts. This is a touchy area since not too many publishers want to risk the $10,000 to $18,000 it takes to publish book on an unknown or unpublished author. However, the very manuscripts they reject another company may accept and publish a best seller.

Celebrity used to sell books (Marks, 1998) now the trend has changed. Marks explained that between 1995 and 1998 the sales of hardback books have decreased 7.5 percent. The large book publishing companies who used to award million dollar contracts can no longer afford to do so. Smarter acquisitions are necessary.

The acquisitions editor must have a standard for selecting manuscripts and adhere to that strict set of rules. The manuscript must have believable characters and the writing must not be grammatically or technically flawed. The story needs to be perfect as the editor has little time to spend on sloppy writing. Finally, the manuscript must meet the standards of the publishing company. For example, Broadman and Holman Publishing Company does not want erotica or profanity and the Wilshire Publishing Company only wants stories that have characters overcoming insurmountable odds (Young 2000). Additionally, many Christian Publishers do not want angels to miraculously descend and rescue a heroine.

Salesmanship

Once he selects a manuscript, the acquisitions editor must be able to both sell his company to a likely author and sell an author to his company. According to McHugh, he might pitch author credentials, subject of book, the description of the work, marketing to targeted audience, finances and editorial development. This is the person most likely to make or break the success of his company.

If the acquisitions editor manages to sell the manuscript, the company must immediately begin a marketing plan. This shouldn’t be too difficult at this stage since the acquisitions editor probably included a marketing strategy shared by the proposing author or devised by himself. Early on, the publisher should satisfy questions of; who is the intended audience, where can we reach them, is the author willing to travel to sign the book, should the author travel, how much should the book cost, how many copies should we make? Cox also indicated that the lack of a good publicity will cause a literary masterpiece to fail.

Discussion

While these questions are probed, a selection committee is reviewing the manuscript to verify the acquisitions editor’s hunch. They also look for validity of the story and can the story sell to the intended audience. This committee of reviewers will have as much pull as the acquisitions editor as they share responsibility on book acceptance. This author managed to have a manuscript accepted by an acquisitions editor pending on the outcome of the review committee. The committee voted not to accept the manuscript. During the acquisitions process, the editor will rarely contact the author and may reject the manuscript without giving reason. This is due to the high volume of submissions.

Editorial Concerns

An examination of the writing process might find an inexperienced author with an idea just typing away. Later, as he continually researches his trade, he learns information about writing technicalities that force him to reconstruct his story. One frustrating mistakes new authors make is Point of View (POV). This term describes who is speaking and what they are feeling. Abusing POV in a story causes confusion for the reader.

Consider this example:

John and his party approached the top of the crest, as they wove through the underbrush. While still twenty yards from the clearing, John could make out Marta and another man carrying a pot. He heard threatening voices, but couldn’t discern what was said.

He and his warriors approached the clearing slowly, methodically. He knew he had the advantage of cover and concealment, but Angus had the high ground, and Marta. Short of a better plan, John dispersed his remaining three men to advantageous positions and had them ready their fire.

“You there, in the clearing. You are completely surrounded. Release the woman, and you won’t get hurt” he yelled, sounding like a scene from bad movie.

Marta’s eyes perked up and her heart beat with new life. “John!” she called out excitedly before being pulled down. “You guys are going to get it now.”

“Will you please just shut up!” Angus put his hand over her mouth while holding his pistol to her head. “Listen out there, maybe we can make a deal,” he said slowly rising, using Marta for cover.

John was fuming, barely in control. His fists clenched and unclenched with unbridled fury. It had been too much seeing them push Marta around, but now they hid behind her. He motioned for two warriors to remain, as he took one with him. His mind was working furiously, trying to keep ahead of Angus’s possible moves. He and his warrior would circle, flanking Angus. If his warriors were good enough, they may have a clean shot. “What kind of deal did you have in mind?” John shouted before changing positions.

This POV is disconcerting because the reader is thrown around from the thoughts of one character to the other. The following is an example of good POV:

John and his party approached the top of the crest as they wove through the underbrush a few hours later. While still twenty yards from the clearing, John could make out Marta and another man carrying a pot. He heard threatening voices, but couldn’t discern what was said.

He and his warriors approached the clearing slowly, methodically. He knew he had the advantage of cover and concealment, but Angus had the high ground, and Marta. Short of a better plan, John dispersed his remaining three men to advantageous positions and had them ready their fire.

“You there, in the clearing. You are completely surrounded. Release, Marta and you won’t get hurt,” John yelled, sounding like a scene from bad movie. He heard Marta call his name with a voice full of hope. Then he saw Angus knock her down. You guys are going to get it now, he thought.

“Listen out there, maybe we can make a deal,” said Angus.

John was fuming, barely in control. His fists clenched and unclenched with unbridled fury. It had been too much seeing them push Marta around, but now they hid behind her. He motioned for two warriors to remain, as he took one with him. His mind was working furiously, trying to keep ahead of Angus’ possible moves. He and his warrior would circle, flanking Angus. If his warriors were good enough, they might have a clean shot. “What kind of deal did you have in mind?” John shouted before changing positions. With the latter POV, the reader lives the scene through one character’s eyes.

Author Responsibility

Just to reinforce, reconstructing a story either handwritten or typed was a horrible task only a few years ago. Fewer authors actually submitted stories. Publishers could pick and choose as they sought out new authors. Now, the computer allows cutting and pasting, automatic page numbering, tab setting and page formatting. Having easier access to completing a novel brought on many more submissions (Sally, 1999). The publishing companies had to change its vision of seeking authors to filtering through the piles of endless manuscript submissions. Now, it is easier to write a book but harder to publish it. The publishers have developed strict submission guidelines that put the author in a position to be editor and publicist just to get a query letter read.

Acquisition

Today, manuscripts end up in one of three piles; review later, discard, and review immediately. The acquisitions editor has to have a plan of action to filter through the avalanche of mail that comes his way. Some authors haphazardly send whole manuscripts, completely disregarding the publishers’ needs. Either they don’t know what to send, or they are arrogant enough to think their manuscript should get priority over all others. The editors have strict policies they must adhere to, if not, the company could run around acquiring manuscripts that are faulty and not serving the needs of the audience.

The review later pile is where an unknown author who has done his homework will most likely find himself. The authors have researched the name and mailing address of the acquisitions editor, they have submitted their manuscript in accordance with the publisher policy. This usually means a writer has sent out a letter telling of their book, and the editor wrote back asking for either a synopsis of the book or the full text manuscript. Most likely the editor will able to get to and respond to this pile within four weeks.

The discard pile is not normally a heap of worthless manuscripts. This pile consists of manuscripts that do not meet the needs of the publisher. Either the content is wrong, the paper is grammatically incorrect, or contains other major flaws that draw negative attention to itself. Finally this consists of authors who have done everything correctly, but for one reason or another (rarely specified), the publisher won’t turn it into a book. These rejections would normally be returned to an author if the author prepaid return postage. The golden rule for remaining out of this pile is to understand the needs of the company, send a perfect draft, follow all submission guide lines, and include a self addressed stamped envelope.

Oh to be in the review immediately pile. This pile is reserved for several different authors. One set of authors may have pitched the book at a writer’s conference and won the confidence of the editor after a face-to-face meeting. Another set of authors is well known with whom the company had either made initial contact or already had a working relationship.

Production

This process may sound cruel and inhumane, leaving many authors run screaming in frustration. However, it is like any business where the employees grumble but do not have the burden of carrying their companies on their jobs and reputations. Consider this excerpt from an America House Publishing Company’s publishing contract. “This agreement is entered into by both parties in good faith, with the mutual understanding that neither party has guaranteed, or is to guarantee, the sale of any specific number of copies of the said literary work, it being impossible to predict, before publication, what success any book may attain”.

The preceding paragraph assures that the publisher assumes the risk of manuscript selection. The manuscript is only as successful as the marketing professionalism of a publishing company and the ability of the author. Noneffective publicity is certainly one risk both parties take. However a loosely written manuscript is likely to be torn apart by a knowlegable book reviewer. Recalling the earlier section on POV, consider this paraphrase from a review; “the point of view in this story switched frequently leaving the reader confused” (Army Times, 2001). This kind of statement will have readers scurrying away from the newstands. Not a productive ingredient to the success of a book.

We can see how publication has changed over the past two decades. Money that had flowed freely to wine and dine authors and million dollar advances no longer exist. New publishing companies emerge monthly to rival and steal business from corporate giants. The money faucet is clogged leaving publishing houses finding ingenious ways to publish and make profit. Most of the reponsibility lies on the acquisitions editor who must have foresight, instinct, a disciplined selection plan, and a publicists heart. Thier practice of prevention and quality control work hand in hand toward successful book publishing.

References

Cox, J. Self-Publishing: Tips, tricks, & techniques. The book lovers’ haven 26 paragraphs. Retrieved February 6, 2001 from the World Wide Web:

[http://www.execpc.com/~mbr/bookwatch/writepub/]

Marks, J. (1998, January 12). Publish and don’t perish. U.S. News five pages Retrieved February 16, 2001 from the World Wide Web:

[http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/980112/12publ.htm]

McHugh, J. More checklists of acquisitions tips and techniques. The publishing law center 2 pages Retrieved February 16, 2001 from the World Wide Web:

http://publaw.com/check2.html

Stuart, S. E. (1998) Christian writers’ market guide. Illinois: Harold Shaw Publishers.

Young, W. (2000) Christian book writers’ marketing guide. California: Joy Publishing

About the Author: Jeffrey W. Bennett is a published fiction novelist. He is the author of the Missionary/Adventure novel Under the Lontar Palm and Hospital Girl. Both available on line at http://www.jeffreywbennett.com or in major and online bookstores.

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