Get a Copyright First... Right? 5 Big Myths About Getting Published

Writers -- you expect them to be the most literate, informed people on the planet. Yet editors are continually astonished by how little new writers bother to learn about the publishing industry before they send their work out. Writing is an art and a craft, but publishing is a business, and publishers expect writers to approach them in a professional, business-like manner. This means that writers must know the rules of the road before they begin. Let's start with some of the common myths that one finds floating around that have the potential of crippling your writing career before it even begins.

Myth #1: You must get a copyright to protect your work so editors don't steal it.

Fact: Under U.S. copyright laws, your work is protected as soon as it is in tangible form. You do not need to apply for and pay for an official copyright before you submit your work.

But should you do it anyway, just to be sure?

No. And here's why not.

Reason #1: If you are submitting to real editors at real publishing houses as you should be (not vanity presses or so-called "subsidy" presses), your manuscript will be just one of thousands of hopefuls in a staggeringly-high slush pile. Ahead of your manuscript in the line are manuscripts that were pre-screened and submitted by agents (who also have staggeringly-high slush piles in their own offices). If an editor has that kind of overabundance of material on hand, what incentive is there to steal?

"But," you protest, "what if the editor decides to publish my work under the name of a famous author so the publisher can make a lot of money?"

Think -- would that famous author really sit still for that? Of course not! Famous Author's lawyers would be all over any editor who tried to pass of someone else's work as that of Famous Author's. Nor is Famous Author likely to form a conspiracy with an editor to steal someone's work and publish it under Famous Author's name. There are too many things that can go wrong, too many careers at risk. Possibly, maybe, under certain phases of the moon and alignments of the planets, this might happen in the music industry. Maybe. If you're submitting songs, get educated about the music industry and how copyrights work. If you're submitting novels and nonfiction, don't sweat it.

Reason #2: So you go ahead and shell out 20 bucks or so to get that copyright. You submit your manuscript. Editor takes a look at your manuscript. First impression: "Hmm. This author copyrighted the work. Doesn't trust me to know not to steal manuscripts. Pah! Amateur!" The reading starts off with a bad impression, and goes downhill from there.

Reason #3: It's 20 rejections later, and you're still shopping your manuscript around. Editor number 21 picks it up and sees the copyright date from ten or so years ago. "Man, this has been out for a long time. Must be a real loser." Again, the reading starts off with a bad impression, and back comes the manuscript with rejection number 21.

The only exception to this rule is if you are self-publishing. Then and only then do you need to purchase an official copyright. Everything you need to know about copyrights can be found at the U.S. Copyright Office at http://www.copyright.gov/

Myth #2: You have to pay a lot to get your book published.

Fact: You don't have to pay anything other than postage costs of mailing your manuscript to get it published. A legitimate publisher pays YOU the going industry rate for the various rights to publish your work. A literary agent gets paid a percentage only AFTER selling your book.

If an agent asks for "reading fees" or other fees other than itemized postage costs, the agent is likely a scam agent. If an agent can make money with reading fees, what incentive is there to actually sell your book?

If a publisher offers to publish your manuscript for a fee, that publisher is a subsidy publisher, known more commonly as a vanity publisher. Vanity publishers accept anything that comes at them. They are little more than a glorified printing service, with one important difference: the imprint on the book and the ownership of the ISBN number belong to them, not to you.

Why is that important? Because if you want your book to appear in real bricks-and-mortar bookstores, you don't want the imprint of a vanity publisher on them. Book distributors and buyers know who the vanity presses are and avoid them like the plague.

If you really want to self-publish, go with a good printing service, such as Books Just Books. Educate yourself about copyrights, ISBN numbers, bar codes, distribution services, marketing, and other business aspects of publishing. You need to know the business side, because when you self-publish, you are starting a business.

If you do not want to self-publish, avoid the siren calls of the "We'll Publish Your Book!" vanity press advertisements in the backs of magazines, polish your work until it gleams, then submit it to legitimate publishers, the ones listed in the Writer's Market.

Myth #3: If you want to break into publishing, start with writing for children. It's easy. Then move up to writing for adults.

Would all the children's writers out there stop howling with laughter? Thanks.

Fact: Breaking into the children's market is harder than breaking into the mainstream adult market, and breaking into the picture book market may be the hardest feat of all.

Part of the difficulty is that everybody and his uncle thinks writing for children is easy, so they dash off a cute little tale in Dr. Seuss rhyme about the fuzzy bunny who saved the day, throw in a heavy-handed moral, and send it off "to get published." Slush piles are knee-deep in these amateur offerings. When 95% or more of the slush pile is unpublishable scribbling, it's no wonder that the odds look so bad when you just look at the numbers.

But even for writers who know what they're doing, who study the market, who read children's books all the time, breaking in is hard. Editors are demanding. Children's books have to be concise. The author must choose words carefully for best effect.

Good writing is good writing. All editors demand good writing. Children's editors demand it even more, because their market is smaller, and adult buyers of children's books are more discriminating about the quality of those books. We're not just talking parents here, either. Teachers and librarians have a big influence over the children's book market, and you'd better believe they demand quality writing.

Myth #4: Once you've published your first book, your writing career is set. From then on, it's easy.

Fact: Would all the authors who have published one book but couldn't get the second published please raise their hands?

Thank you. From that forest of hands out there, it's easy to see that publishing your first book is not the equivalent of opening the golden door to the publishing industry. There's no free ticket to a glamorous life of autograph parties and spots on Oprah.

Sorry.

Myth #5: Getting published is easy once you know the "secret."

You'll hear this from people who have been "published" by vanity publishers (see Myth #2). Often they're pleased with the service -- but their pleasure comes primarily from seeing their writing between two covers and having a handful of sales. For hobbyists, maybe this is enough, provided they don't spend their retirement savings on publishing scams. You may also hear pitches like this from ebook software vendors who swear that you can write a bestselling ebook in seven days using their "secret" method and their software -- never mind that the ebook market is puny at best and the vast majority of books are still sold in book form through bricks-and-mortar bookstores.

Mostly you'll hear this from people who shop the bookstores and say, "Look at this! This is trash! Anyone could write better than this!"

True, there are some pretty poor books out there, and who can fathom the reason for their publication? Never mind the awful books based on cartoon characters or science fiction shows -- those are put together by book packagers and written by freelancers on a work-for-hire basis. They sell on the basis of the reputation of the television show, not the writing.

An editor's and a publisher's reputations rest on the sales for their books, and no publisher can afford to keep cranking out books with poor sales. What sells most books is good writing.

And there's more. Not only do you have to write the book, you also have to sell it to an editor. You have to write top-quality query letters, book synopses, proposals, and cover letters.

There are no shortcuts. No 10 easy steps. No magic tricks. You must be a good writer. You must know the market and the industry. You must write the best book you can. And you must persist. Those are the only secrets.

Karen E. Bledsoe is a children's book author, writing primarily nonfiction for the school and library market. For more information on writing for children, see her website at http://www.gkbledsoe.com

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Interview with Patricia Fry, author of "The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book"

Welcome to Reader Views Patricia. You have written a book that is a definitive guide to successful authorship detailing critical information about the publishing industry. It is a pleasure to have you speak about your book with Juanita Watson.

Juanita: Patricia, you have written many books and articles regarding writing, publishing and promoting books. What motivated you to write this one?

Patricia: "The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book" was a longtime coming. My first few writing/publishing-related books were sort of niche topics--article-writing, book promotion, how to write a book proposal and a handbook for young writers. But I realized, while working with authors and talking with hopeful authors at book festivals and writers' conferences, that many of them were still struggling. They were approaching the process of writing a book all wrong. They needed a great deal more help, guidance, information and resources than I had offered through my other books or than I could offer through my numerous articles and workshops. I recommend my books and colleagues books, but I truly couldn't find what they needed under one cover. So about a year and a half ago, I decided to write that book.

Juanita: "The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book" is full of invaluable information that must have taken years research. Do you feel your book would help with all problems a new or experienced author may encounter?

Patricia: The publishing industry is changing and there are a lot more options and opportunities out there for authors now than ever before. Of course, authors are going to come up with new questions from time to time--that's why I always ask people who purchase any of my books to contact me via email if they have any questions that the book didn't answer. Although, I worked on the book for a mere ten months, it represents 20 years of my own experiences as a published author and as a publisher. It is also a result of the research I do every month (and have done for the past 5 years) toward writing the SPAWN Market Update. This is an 8 to 13-page newsletter brimming with industry news, resources, publisher/agent interviews and opportunities for authors and freelance writers.

This time-consuming project has helped me to keep my finger on the pulse of the industry. Plus, I used all of the best publishing-related books, newsletters and Web sites I know about to collaborate my information and I interviewed several industry professionals. If a hopeful or struggling author reads this book from cover to cover and then uses it as a reference while they're working on their project, they have a much better chance of succeeding in this business.

Juanita: I truly appreciate your authenticity and the heartfelt concern you have for authors. You make yourself very accessible through email, and continue to keep current in the industry, passing on new information through your newsletters. What has been the feedback so far from readers of your new book?

Patricia: The feedback, so far (and remember, this book is only a few months old), has been extremely positive. But think about it, the hopeful or struggling authors who read this book and takes it seriously, can conceivably save thousands of dollars, earn thousands of dollars and, potentially, experience the publishing success they so desire. I do enjoy helping authors and freelance writers. You know, there wasn't much help or support out there for serious career writers when I entered into this biz. I feel as though I blazed some trails. I didn't realize this until people started asking me for advice. I was startled by how much information I had gathered through my experiences over the years. And I have to tell you, I feel blessed to have experienced the yukky right along with the good, because you learn from both. I've made mistakes. I've been treated poorly by publishers and editors. And I am constantly researching, watching, studying and learning for my own benefit as well as for those who read my books and articles.

Juanita: Why do you feel so many people have the dream of writing their own book?

Patricia: I wonder about that sometimes. Maybe a large portion of the population has always wanted to write a book and we just didn't know it because it was a far-reaching dream. The dream has become more realistic. Now, anyone can write and publish a book. We have the technology and we have countless more publishing options.

Juanita: Many people attempt to write and publish a book yet get caught up in the business aspect of the process. What advice would you give to aspiring authors that get discouraged along the way?

Patricia: Know what publishing is all about BEFORE you write the book. Study the publishing industry. Understand publishing options and the ramifications of those options. Understand your responsibilities as a published author. Write a book proposal before writing the book, especially for a nonfiction book. If you are writing fiction, at least be aware of the genre in which you are writing and know your options. Who is your audience? What is your competition? Also be prepared to promote your book. Almost all new authors, who have not done their homework, go into publishing expecting their book to sell by the truckload through major bookstores nationwide. They don't realize, until they learn something about the publishing industry, that the author is responsible for promoting his/her own book. It's a shock when they find out that their book may never see the inside of Borders or Barnes and Noble.

This doesn't mean that it won't sell. It might sell well in an appropriate venue. But how will the author recognize the appropriate venue unless he/she spends some time understanding the industry and his/her responsibility within it. If you know what you're getting into beforehand, you will be prepared and you have a much greater chance of succeeding.

Juanita: You have written many books and articles, are president of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network), teach seminars and workshops, and have an editing and consulting service. What is the most rewarding aspect of the work you do?

Patricia: I've been writing for publication for over 30 years. Hundreds of my nonfiction articles have appeared in over 200 different magazines such as Writer's Digest, Canadian Author, Writer's Journal, Entrepreneur, Cats Magazine, Woman's Own, Your Health, Catholic Digest and many others. I'm the author of 24 books. Eight of them are writing/publishing-related. I established my own publishing company in 1983 before publishing was fashionable. I love to write and still do a lot of writing. But I've discovered that it is more rewarding to help others with their writing projects. I do that through my books, workshops and by working one-on-one with clients.

Juanita: Where do you think the future is in books with so much information being available over the internet?

Patricia: There is nothing like holding a book in your hands or curling up with a good book. The Internet is a wonderful research tool, but a book can have so much more information in easily accessible form. All you have to do is refer to the index in order to locate the information you need. Sometimes, as you know, it takes hours to find enough information or appropriate resources on the Internet.

Juanita: What has been the biggest challenge you've overcome in your writing career that would be inspiration to your readers?

Patricia: Probably becoming comfortable with risk-taking. Anytime you put yourself out there through your writing, you are making yourself somewhat vulnerable. I mean, rejection is always a possibility. In order to be successful as a freelance writer, you must risk rejection. In order to be successful as an author, you must take even greater risks--trusting a publisher or publishing service or financially backing your project, for example. This is why it is so very important to understand the business of publishing before entering into it. For some, various methods of book promotion means taking risks--risking rejection from the public who might bypass your book at a book festival, for example, or who may walk out on you while you're speaking about your book.

For me, hanging out my shingle as an editor and publishing consultant was risky. But I've learned to weigh the negatives against the positives in these situations. Sure, I'm risking something every time I put myself out there in any manner--self-publishing a new book, requesting a book review, agreeing to an interview, giving a workshop, attempting a new promotional activity. But one thing is for sure, if I don't take the risk, I won't ever have the opportunity to succeed in that area. And I have to say that I have experienced success far more often than not. When I didn't, it was usually due to lack of research and knowledge.

Juanita: Patricia, that is great advice that obviously comes from experience. Your career and present endeavors can only serve as great inspiration to authors and aspiring authors. I have read the book review written for Reader Views and have to completely agree with the rave recommendation given by the writer. She, an author herself, states that your book is uncomplicated and straightforward, and she 'can't see how you could possibly fail' using the information and guidance in your book. You have compiled a wonderful book Patricia, certainly outperforming others on the market. Do you have any additional comments for your readers?

Patricia: Keep on writing. If it is in your heart to write, write. But when you decide to enter into the big, unknown field of publishing, shift gears from creator to businessman/woman. If you can't do this, hire someone to work alongside you in your publishing endeavors. And don't forget to have fun along the way.

Patricia's website: http://www.matilijapress.com/ and blog: http://www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog/

Juanita Watson is Assistant Editor for Reader Views http://www.readerviews.com

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