An Artist Guide to Landing a Publisher

So why do you the artist need a publisher? The most important answer to this question is, you are the talent, let someone else sell that talent! With the acquisition of an publisher all the leg work and time consumed trying to sell your art is now the responsibility of the publisher. Your primary concern as a professional artist is to produce quality artwork, not to try and flog your wares to the market place. So now that you have decided that you need a publisher how do you get one? What is a publisher looking for? What does a publisher expect from you? How do I know that the publisher is giving me a good deal? The following is designed to give you answers to these burning questions and help give you direction in the pursuit of a publisher.

Publishers are an active member in the art world. They are always on the move looking for new talent and the next "big thing" in the industry. I can not think of being at any art show, large or small and not being approached by several publishers and agents. By you becoming active in the art world and participating in art shows you will drastically increase your exposure to publishers. If a publisher starts to see you at several shows they now see a commitment by you to your profession and your work. A publisher is investing in you as much as they are in your work. Always present yourself in the highest quality that you possible can, never show up to a show in your painting smock with bed head and bad breath. Being eccentric once you are a world renowned artist is an asset, being unkempt and unprofessional while undiscovered is the kiss of death. Think like a publisher.

Would you invest your funds in someone who does not present themselves to the public in a professional and interesting manner? Of course you wold not, so why would you expect a publisher to. There are several different shows and venues that you can participant in that are sure to have publishers roaming at them. Every city has a art festival yearly. Some are at the local city hall and others are at librarys and civic centers. For example in my local area is the Toronto Outdoor Art show and the One of a Kind show. Both of these shows are full of local and international publisher scouting them. Other shows to consider are licensing shows and conferences. These are not only good for attracting publishers, but they are also great for picking up commercial licensing that will put your artwork out on mass and maybe attract a publisher. One of the best shows for licensing and coincidentally the show that I met my publisher is the Licensing 2010 show in New York, NY.

Be prepared for a publishers interest in you. Always have a CD of your current work and an up to date biography on hand that can be easily handed to a publisher. Once again having a package ready on the spot will show the publisher that you come prepared and are willing to go that extra mile. Be sure to engage in the conversation with the publisher and do not let them carry the conversation. One again, publishers want to see that you are able to interact with the public and present yourself in a favorable light. Be prepared to sell yourself and not just your work, remember you and your work are a package deal.

Another direct avenue to a publisher is through national portfolios such as Ducks Unlimited, Federal Duck Stamps and State or Provincial stamp competitions. Publishers are always paying close attention to the winners of these contests and judged art competitions. Winning the federal duck stamp is a sure fire way to draw the attention of a publisher. The national exposure that these contest provide should be looked at as free advertising for you and your work. You want a publisher to see your work in a winning light giving your name worth. Winning a major competition gives the publisher instant value to your name and he or she will be more apt to invest in you as part of their stable.

Finally the most direct way is to send your work to the publisher directly. Before you do make sure you have a strong introduction letter written. Introduce yourself in a confident manner without being cocky. Show confidence without arrogance. Start with your background, what you have accomplished in the past and what you are working towards in the future. Make it know to the publisher that you are a team player and looking to become part of the company "stable" of artist's. Publishers are not interested in glory hounds so make sure the structure of your letter of introduction is humble and modest. Always include a bibliography of all the publications you are printed in and a time line of credentials and awards you have won or placed highly in. Also include your work in both paper and digital form.

Have a few of your strongest works on a well designed sell sheet that should be placed on the top of your package so it is the first thing the publisher will see. On a CD include several (10-15) of your images in a high resolution JPEG format for the publisher to review. By having your strongest images on the front sheet you will peek the interest of the publisher and they will want to see more. A well designed sell sheet will encourage the publisher to read on and view your work on the CD. DO NOT HAVE WEAK IMAGES ON THIS CD JUST TO FILL SPACE. If you do not have 10-15 strong images I suggest that you spend more time building your body of work before you approach a publisher. A publisher wants several printable, marketable images available before they will even consider publishing you. It is better to spend some time and be prepared, you only get one shot at a first impression! Remember what I said earlier, you and your work are a package deal.

Once you do attract a publisher be prepared and know what to expect as compensation for the right to publish your work. A legitimate publisher will offer you anywhere from 15-20% of the whole sale of the limited edition. They will also offer the Artist's Proofs from the limited edition, this usually being 10% of the run. So, if you print a limited edition of 500, 50 Artist's Proofs will be yours free and clear, this is standard and you should be expecting this. Any other licensing is usually split as 35-50% in your favor. Beware of the small time publisher that is only looking to take your work and flog it to the lowest bidder. A legitimate publisher will want a written contract for every print published that will clearly spell out the terms of the production run. Make sure you have this signed contract in hand before your allow reproduction of your work.

Derek C Wicks is an internationally acclaimed wildlife artist who's work has been use to endorse many conservation efforts and charity's. Derek's credits include 2007 Ducks Unlimited National Artist of the Year and he is named as one of the 60 Masters Of Wildlife Art by Portfolio Press, New York, NY. Derek's Full biography can be viewed on his wildlife art website. Derek's how to paint in acrylics art instruction video's are available through Power To Paint Production. Derek is published by Wild Wings LLC, Lake City, MN.

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Some Collected Wisdom on Writing and Publishing

I've been asked about writing for many years. How do I start writing? What should I write about? Should I write in the morning? What method or style of writing will increase my chances of success? Should I get an agent? How do you choose a publisher?

In a four decade career in higher education, consulting, and now missions, I've asked my own questions. Every time I met an author I tried to discover what made him or her successful. I asked them about their tricks of the trade.

The observations that follow were gleaned from those multiple conversations with published authors, book editors, and publishers, along with a few tidbits from my own experience. I've paraphrased original comments to make them more accessible, and I've borrowed heavily from friends "in the know." I salute their experience and expertise so freely and lovingly given to the writing craft.

Some Thoughts on Writing

All writers experience "writer's block." Stop. Take a brief break, like a walk. Perhaps read a pertinent book. Pray. Think about what you are trying to say.

All writers experience "writer's doubt." That's one reason "writers' colonies" have developed in places like Paris, New York, or Boston. Writers need one another for stimulation, encouragement, affirmation, etc. So when you experience "writer's doubt," remember, you're normal.

For most of us, writing is work. It may be enjoyable work, but it is still work. That's the source of the old joke about the author who was asked, "Do you enjoy writing?" The author replied, "I enjoy having written."

For some of us, writing is like going on a diet. We don't do it until we really want to do so. Desire produces discipline. Far more people aspire to write than actually do.

Dreamers dream, writers write.

There are many reasons people write, personal expression, professional obligation, a sense that something "needs to be said," to earn income, ministry or service, etc. Whatever your reasons, try to pick topics about which you are passionate, or at least care about. The writing process will be far more enjoyable, and you're much more likely to finish the project.

Write sometime, some way, every day. Make writing a habit.

Know why you want to write. Identify what drives you. Set realistic, achievable, but stretch goals with target accomplishment dates. Goals may be a project, pages/words per day/week, etc.

The better the outline, the quicker the writing. Do your homework.

Once you have the outline and you've done the research, write. Just write and keep writing the best draft that you can, but don't worry a lot about its flow or connectedness or logic. This comes together on the second or third pass. Great writers like Philip Yancey take two-three years to write a book, and they typically rewrite sections repeatedly.

Pick a space where you can leave your writing materials out, open, and ready. It's easier to "pick up where you left off" than to try and start all over again.

Pick a time to write that fits your own rhythms, early morning, late at night, blocks of time, whatever works. John Maxwell frequently gets up in the middle of the night to write. Works for him. Wouldn't work for me. Find what works for you.

For some writers writing is not a sacrifice. For most there are trade-offs. Recognize this and make a choice. For example, you may have to give up evening television, etc.

Every writer needs readers, not only when the project is finished but also as the writing is being crafted. Readers' comments are only as valuable as your capacity to receive critique. Many academic writers never develop this capacity. They seem to think every word they write is "sacred." Not so. You must set aside your ego and look for helpful criticism with a sense of humility. It's still your writing, so you do not have to adopt the reader's comments, but you'll always benefit from others' pre-publication review. You should develop the same attitude when you work with editors. This includes project word limits. It's possible to say "more" with fewer words.

Getting readers may be one of your bigger challenges. People often say they'll read your material, then don't read it, or don't read it in the timeframe in which you need feedback (quickly), or don't read it with a truly objective eye, i.e. soft-pedaling their response to avoid "hurting your feelings" or saying what they really think.

Try to identify a couple of knowledgeable and objective readers who will faithfully return your material with honest commentary in the timeframe you require. Try to identify one or two other readers, who may know very little about your subject, but who are well-read individuals capable of giving you honest feedback on style, grammar, sentence construction, flow, content, "readability," etc.

Don't try to write for multiple audiences. It rarely works. Choose an audience, e.g. college students, colleagues, the general public, professionals, homemakers, rocket scientists, etc., and write for that audience. But know your audience.

Study the writing of successful authors who are writing for the audience you want to reach. Learn from these authors. Don't copy them. Emulate them.

Some Thoughts on Publishing

Get a publisher and stay put. Get in the publisher's stable and you and your projects will naturally rise higher on the business's hit parade.

If you want to increase exposure for your work, program, or organization, write books that reach the public and match the interests of the organization with the public's interest.

You may want to write for your peers. This is good, but few books will be sold and you may need to identify a university press.

You may want to write books for the general public. In this you're not trying to "impress" but "express." Don't try to show off your vocabulary. Remember, the first law of communication is to communicate.

"Books aren't bought; they're sold." You have to get out and hawk the book. Do media interviews, book signings, speaking engagements re the book, etc. Cooperate with the publisher on this and create your own market.

Books are generally divided into publications categories like academic, professional, inspirational, etc. A trade book is one written for the general public.

Publishing houses generally prefer to receive a book proposal before a book is written so the staff can work with the author to craft the book.

Book proposals are always required and should be presented in the most refined form possible according to the publisher's guidelines. The proposal allows the publisher to assess the author's ability to write a well-crafted book and may be the difference between an accepted or rejected project.

It's kosher to send your proposal to more than one publisher at a time, as long as you tell them what you are doing. But publishers do not really like this and it may be a matter of shooting yourself in the foot by robbing the publisher of a bit of incentive to invest time and money reviewing your manuscript. You are probably better off to submit your proposal to "your publisher" (if you've published before) or to the publisher you think fits your topic, then wait for a response (4-6 weeks). If the book is rejected, then of course you can shop it around.

If your book proposal is rejected, stay encouraged. Publishing lore is full of stories of authors who piled up rejections only to publish eventually and sell a lot of books (e.g. J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter).

Sometimes a book contract will include a stipulation about "bulk sales," meaning bulk orders from an agency like a radio program, which will in turn market the book on air. The contract may stipulate that the author receives a lower royalty rate on these kinds of bulk sales. In other words the author does not receive as much from this arrangement. A lot of books may be sold, but the royalty is lower and this arrangement may also dry up the market for additional sales.

One author said, "Get as good an advance as possible." But advances are based upon computed and perceived first year royalties, so this is largely a situation of "Pay me now or pay me later." An advance is good for the author, because it is guaranteed and in the bank, particularly if the book bombs. Many publishers now regularly pay advances because it is becoming a norm and is expected. When this happens, an author may receive one-half the expected first year royalties when the book contract is signed and the other one-half when the book is finished and submitted to the publisher.

For new authors, getting the book published is what usually matters, not really the money involved. So whether you receive an advance or simply wait for royalties does not amount to much.

For new authors, royalty percentages run about 14% to 16%. Very well known authors sometimes get royalties as high as 22% to 24% or higher comparable advances, but this is rare.

For newer authors in particular, literary agents are typically not necessary and, unless they really "add value" to the process, they become "middle men" who may "get in the way" and do little besides take a percentage of the author's royalties. On the other hand, some literary agents, depending also upon the quality and content of your work, are worth their weight in gold because they can get your manuscript reviewed by publishers who would not look at your unheralded submission.

Edited books typically do not sell well and publishers are not all that interested in them. This is especially so for edited books with many authors, unless the book has a very good focus. Edited books that include a "point-counterpoint" approach around a focused and timely topic sometimes do well. It is the responsibility of the book editor (not the publisher) to secure permission from other publishers to use already published material in an edited book.

Publishing is changing rapidly and dramatically, influenced by the Internet and digital capabilities affecting audio and video productions as well. When you write, consider publishing in a "mediated" format, i.e. a digital presentation. This could be high definition digital video on DVDs, sound design productions on CD, a book or article published on a website, etc. In these formats, you will potentially reach far more people than any print publication could possibly reach, and you will reach younger people who now learn more from media than from any other source.

"Self-publishing" is easier and less expensive than ever and is gradually attaining new levels of acceptance. Self-publishing is perhaps best achieved via electronic means. Publishing one's own work and promoting it until it attains a recognition sufficient to attract the attention of larger publishing houses is a bit like a new or maverick film maker producing an "independent" film, distributing it as best he or she can, and then evaluating the results. It can happen. Think, The Shack.

Writing is a craft. It typically requires time and effort to develop your best work. Whether you write for yourself or for the world, learn from others and enhance the power of your pen.

Dr. Rex M. Rogers is President, SAT-7 USA, the American advancement arm of SAT-7, a Christian satellite television ministry based in Cyprus and reaching 22 countries across 7 time zones in 3 languages: Arabic, Farsi, and Turkish. He is former president, Cornerstone University, and writes a column, "Good News from the Middle East." Contact him at http://www.twitter.com/RexMRogers. Read his blog and find additional information at http://www.rexmrogers.com.

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Publishing Choices For Writers - Self-Publishing - Part Two

In Part One of the Self-Publishing review, I discussed the background of self-publishing and brought up many retained prejudices which authors must consider prior to self-publishing. In True self-publishing, where an author does everything and actually forms their own publishing company, one of the largest negatives is that an author invests all their own capital to publish their work.

However, and this is the huge benefit of being their own self-publisher, in return for their investment, the author owns all the rights to their book and has all the freedom they want when dealing with content, editing and cover. They have the final say in what their book looks and sounds like. They have control over all the production and how their book gets out into the world. True freedom!

Also, having full control of their work means the author has full control over all the profits from the sale of the book. There is no share of cost to an agent or publisher because the author is the publisher. The author can choose what to sell the book for and how much in discounts they are willing to give. Generally, the goal of the self-publisher is to make money on their books and they will make money on every book that they sell.

The author also has control over the timing of their book. With traditional publishers, it sometimes can take up to two to three years to get a book out. Depending on how persistent an author is, it can take just a couple months to see their book if they are self-publishing. This timing aspect can be very beneficial to the author if, for example, they want to use their book in their business immediately such as in back of the room sales.

Unfortunately, for marketing purposes, it is very difficult to get self-published books into regular brick and mortar stores as those stores buy through wholesalers who rarely carry self-published books. Also, and although this is slowly changing, it is difficult to get a self-published book reviewed by well known reviewers. Despite that, a true self-publisher is willing to put the time, effort and money into their book. In return they get to keep control over their creativity and style. They do not have to conform to the standards of others. For some authors, that is well worth their time and money and marketing limitations. It is a choice they make, not because they could not get published elsewhere, but because they want to keep control of their own success.

For some people, self-publishing is the only viable option. Despite the negative bias against self-publishing, authors who choose to take the responsibility and risk of publishing their own book under their own publishing company, can realize their dream the way they want it to be. As the publishing world evolves, there may come a day, that self-publishers will be looked at for their quality of work and not dismissed just because they self-published.

Although there are semantic arguments over names, there are several other types of self-publishing included under the self-publishing umbrella where an author does not have to do everything completely on their own. In other articles in this series, I will discuss these different types of self-publishing, such as the various forms of vanity publishing, POD (print on demand) and e-books.

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

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Options For the Self Publisher

You have finished writing your book. Now you want to figure out how to get it published. The traditional way is to approach established publishing companies and get them interested in the project. But times are changing and you may want to publish the book yourself. Well, it's the right time to do that! Publishing has never been easier to do or less expensive.

There are two options in "self publishing".

Subsidy publishers/printers. The terms subsidy publisher and subsidy printer are essentially interchangeable. A search for self publishing resources on the Internet will yield subsidy printers. Subsidy printers offer more services than the usual commercial printer. The services may include transforming the manuscript into book format, creating a book cover, registering the book with various book databases, possibly some distribution, editing, and, perhaps, limited marketing.

You pay the subsidy printer for each service selected. Almost all of these printers put one of their International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs) on the book. To members of the book trade, the owner of the ISBN is considered the publisher. While this option works well in some circumstances, for general book trade purposes, these books are not usually well regarded. This is because they tend to have been poorly designed and edited. Also, book traders know that they rarely come with an intensive marketing campaign which is what it takes to sell large numbers of books (thereby making a profit!).

Self publish. The second option might be called the true self publishing option. In this case, the author takes on all the roles of the publisher. This includes having the book edited, designed, printed, registered, marketed, distributed, and sold. Writing a book can be a tough, time-consuming experience. Publishing a book can be even more challenging.

This option works well if you are willing to learn how to do each of the steps required to publish a book and understand that publishing is, first and foremost, a business. Technologies introduced in the last ten years have put book publishing within the reach of more people than before. There are desktop publishing programs which supply the tools needed to design a book and its cover so the commercial printer can produce your book.

The other big game changer in publishing is print-on-demand. Print-on-demand is a printing method in which new copies of books are printed only when an order is received. This is done using digital printing. While the unit price is higher than with offset printing, there are several advantages.

The setup is quicker and set up costs are lower than offset printing.

Large inventories do not have to be kept, reducing warehousing, handling, and inventory accounting costs.

There is little or no waste due to unsold product.

Digital or print on demand printing is frequently used by subsidy printers, self publishers, and by traditional and academic publishers looking to manage the costs of their backlist or to do test marketing.

You can, of course, still choose to use what is called a "short run" with a commercial offset book printer. A typical short run is 1,000 books. The lowest "short run" I have found with an offset printer is 500 copies. Offset printing is relatively inexpensive per book ordered and the price per book drops with increases in the ordering quantity. "Offset" printing is a mass production method of transferring images from a plate to a rubber blanket and finally to the printing surface. It is the most common method of printing in use today.

As a self publisher, you can use a mixed strategy. Employ print-on-demand as the standard way of having your book available in small quantities. An example would be a single order of up to 1000 books. Opt for the offset print run to fulfill single orders over 1000 books.

Self publishing can be very rewarding. Effort and research on your part is required, but is well worth it. The information in this article will help you add to your resume - published author!

Celia Webb, co-author of Publish Today! Check out http://www.pilinutpress.com for more free articles on writing and publishing.

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How Cyber Law by Brett Trout is an Example of POD Publishing

Cyber Law by Brett Trout (ISBN 978-1-934209-71-4) is an excellent book by a very talented writer. Cyber Law is a major success story for World Audience Publishers, and after reading just a few chapters, anyone can see why!

World Audience's goal is to be a driving force in the changing business of book publishing, which is being brought about by technology. Cyber Law specifically deals with how law is both shaping and trying to keep pace with the Internet. Cyber Law covers its subject in a clear and entertaining manner. It is thus a perfect fit for our press, and Cyber Law's success bodes well for this press' vision and goals. It is useful to study how the author approaches his subject and then apply that knowledge toward this press' pursuit of its vision. It is vital that the authors World Audience publishes have a good understanding of blogging, for example, to market their books, and Cyber Law explains this subject and many others in great detail.

Cyber Law was published in September, 2007, shortly after our press began publishing books. It is a wonderful example of how desktop publishing, print-on-demand distribution, and our press work. Though we have enhanced our operations in the past 2 years, our core model is largely unchanged. We are efficient, and our business model has little overhead. A publishing team, separated geographically, worked online to publish Cyber Law. The author, in Iowa, worked with the book's editor, Kyle Torke, who lives in Colorado. The final file was then sent to me, the publisher, in New York, and I formatted it into a book using only Microsoft Word. I then sent the file to our artist in Liverpool, England, Chris Taylor, to design the cover with the help of the cover image supplied by another artist. I then created the final files by converting the MS Word files to PDF with the use of a Web application that cost approximately $13. I set up the title (with the information that can be viewed at Amazon.com or related retailers) at our printer, Lightning Source, and then uploaded 4 PDF files: cover, back cover, spine, and interior. It took me about 1 hour to do the technical component of providing the files to the printer.

Cyber Law is one of our best-selling titles, and sales increase steadily each month. As publisher, I consider the sales growth of Cyber Law to be an indicator of how sales of a book can develop and the growth of our press, overall.

I am faced with a seemingly unanswerable question with each book I publish: what makes a great book? And what defines a great book in the first place? Perhaps the fact that I ask this question every time drives the press I run in the first place. To complicate further, the answer or answers to this question are changing because publishing itself is changing. This fact has dramatic impact on certain players in the industry, even as many of those players choose to ignore or avoid the reality that not only is publishing changing, but the answer to my question above is changing, too. In other words, the values held by a previous generation are not my values as a "21st century publisher," operating primarily online, nor is what makes a book great the same.

For example, Cyber Law received excellent reviews, such as: "This book is a quick read and serves as an introduction to the basic issues involved in Internet marketing. Cyber Law's details provide valuable clues..." --Martha L. Cecil-Few, The Colorado Lawyer. And, Cyber Law was reviewed by a noted technology expert, and it is available at the New York Public Library. For me, that (and there are more great reviews of Cyber Law) is a solid set of reviews that brings great credit not only to this book but to my press. And this is how it goes for every single one of our titles-though some of our titles have more reviews than others. But, for an older person not accustomed to the Internet or technology and who grew up reading the New York Times Book Review, the above reviews (or the effect of their marketing) mean nothing-simply because Cyber Law was not reviewed by the New York Times Book Review or perhaps a handful of other esoteric, academic sources (many of which are dying or dead, such as the Los Angeles Times book review section). Therefore, this potential market share of customers won't buy a book that has not been blessed by their sources-such as Cyber Law (even being in the NY Public Library is not enough). This lack of "official sanction" in the publishing world has other consequences, such as making media attention in general hard to attract, among other things. And there are many other examples of how publishing of the past is clashing with the present, even down very petty things such as how older, independent bookstores will open a print-on-demand book to the back cover, note the placement of a bar code, and refuse to look any further at the book based on that fact alone. All of these biases (and there are many more) of the "old guard" are the equivalent of dismissing literally millions of writers who work online, and their books, and to exclude an entire generation-if not two generations-from access to the business of publishing and successfully marketing books in a profitable manner. It is a form of class warfare and economic prejudice. Even racial discrimination or nationalism can be applied to this "old guard" of publishing, who at the very least would be adamantly opposed (mostly politically) to free trade, which drives World Audience's business model. Old-school publishing thrives on unions, for example, which are useless online.

What makes a book great, therefore, is different for me, as a publisher-and not because of my politics (this fact too marks a divide). What makes a book great is when it gets great reviews and that it can survive and prosper on the Web. If a title can do that with limited help from its publisher-such as Cyber Law-then even better because that means even more sales are likely once more resources are applied to marketing it. But if older venues of judging a book's merit or "worth" are either gone or rapidly becoming obsolete, how is the other half to making a book great determined? A book's worth must now be defined by the author in additional to the critic. But the critic's role is diminished on the Web; he is nothing like Mr. Wood's role of the past. In the recent past, an author had little to do with a book's success, and he was even something of an afterthought. However, going back another generation, to maybe the 1920s, the author was a vital part of his book's success. How ironic that technology has returned the author to a prominent role. In the pre-Depression era (The Depression is when the business model of publishing that survives to this day formed), the author was a major media figure, and his image was central to the success of his books. Furthermore, an author's editor played a much larger role pre-Depression (such as Max Perkins) as opposed to the recent past, when editors were virtually non-entities. Yet, if you look at the start of my article, note the main players: author, editor, and publisher-and book. Because of the streamlined nature of our operations, and the multitude of technologies at our fingertips, we require no one else. We do not require a vast union of middlemen.

Publishing is changing, and the rate of change is only accelerating. It is amazing to me that there are still those who are, say, over 50 and averse to technology-and that includes much of the publishing industry. This group-this market share-exerts influence over a large piece of the publishing pie, even today. However, as the Internet and technology continue to evolve and become more sophisticated, "new publishing" is open to more market share, and this older demographic becomes irrelevant. For example, YouTube only became fully mature a year or two ago, and it has opened up many new opportunities for advertising and marketing books. The Web is simply too vast for older publishing business models, which are incapable of adapting, to survive. Thus, new business models that rely on technology-ebooks, for example-will take and replace the market share of old-school presses. Why would they not eliminate a smaller competitor? New publishing will not supplement the old model; it will eradicate it and take its entire market share. And readers used to getting their books through older distribution models will either adapt to the Web or live without books. And in the meantime, a new generation of publishers is redefining what it means for a book to be great, independent of what it meant in the past. Cyber Law is helping to define that, too, both through its well-written very subject matter and the course of success that it is charting on the Web.

M. Stefan Strozier lives in New York City. He is the founder and artistic director of La Muse Venale Acting Troupe. His plays, Guns, Shackles & Winter Coats, The Whales, The Tragedy of Abraham Lincoln, and The Green Game, were performed in lengthy runs, off-off and Off-Broadway, and in the Midtown International Theatre Festival. Additionally, he was written Belzac December Night (one-act; first of 8 plays about America), and La Revolucion (first of 3 5-act plays about the Mexican history), He has directed six plays and one staged reading of a musical, and produced twenty plays. His novels, short stories, poems, essays, plays, etceteras, are on his Web site: http://www.mstefanstrozier.org He has been published in literary journals (online and in print), magazines, and newspapers. He is the founder, CEO, and publisher of World Audience Publishers, and the editor-in-chief of audience Magazine.

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

In Part One of Vanity Presses, I discussed the nature of vanity publishing and the negative atmosphere surrounding this type of publishing. The truth is that because a vanity press is not selective in the work that it publishes, books published under a true vanity press are not seen as prestigious or as credible as those published elsewhere. This is unfortunate because this automatically lumps both good and bad books together by reputation only.

Why would an author choose to go with a vanity publisher? It could be that an author has a book for a very small business niche, or a collection of poetry, a memoir, a genealogy or family cookbook that they want published. They are more interested in making a name for themselves within their niche or giving away their book to friends and family than in profiting from the sale of their book. If they hire their own editors, cover designers and layout artists to create a great product, then publishing with a vanity publisher may be the most cost effective way of pulling everything together.

An author may want or need their book quickly. A traditional publishing house can take up to three years to get out a physical copy of a book. An author has little to no control over when the book will be out in print. Vanity publishing can get books out much quicker, in weeks rather than years, since there is no review process.

Other authors may see their first work published by a vanity press as a way to get into a traditional publishing house for a second work. Generally, traditional publishers rarely will even review an author who has not been previously published. If an author can publish a good product through a vanity press, do enough self promoting such that there are a reasonable number of sales, then those successful results may provide the foot-in-the-door needed to obtain a traditional publisher's attention for a second book.

Finally, some authors just do not want to give away control of their book. They know what they want and they do not want anyone to change how they present their book. They have their cover in mind, they have their content done. By publishing with a vanity house, control is kept by the author and they can publish whatever they want. However, an author has to balance keeping control against the stigma of going with a vanity publisher. But to some authors, control is more important than what people think.

A vanity press can be a legitimate publishing option. The assumption that a work published by a vanity press is one that could not be published elsewhere nor be a commercial success is no longer automatically correct, despite the fact that traditional publishers may want everyone to continue to believe that.

Authors need to be aware of the historically bad reputation that is attached to a vanity press when making their decision to go with such a publishing house. But by taking advantage of the extra services offered, an author may get a great book through a vanity publisher with the advantages of self-publishing and the look of traditional publishing.

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

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When Self-Publishing Makes the Most Sense For an Author

It hit me forcefully just how much publishing has changed as I reflected on my recent interactions with a major publisher over a client's potential book.

As I mentioned in one of my Publishing Coach Weekly teleseminars, there are three paths of publishing one can take.

Path # 1.. You publish just because your life dream is to have a published book. The book is really all you care about.

You can go either the self-publishing route (faster, possible to get published if you have the money), or you can take the longer, more uncertain route of trying to get a publisher to publish you. If you do go the traditional publishing route, you will need time, tenacity, and the willingness to create an author platform.

Path #2. The second path is to publish a book as an adjunct, an asset to an existing business. (My Special Report, "14 Ways a Book Will Boost Your Business," outlines just how a book can be used in this way.)

Usually self-publishing is the best route for such an author. You don't want to wait forever for someone to decide to publish you, you want control -- especially control over how the book interacts with the rest of your business.

Path #3. The third is to build a whole brand and career out of information products, with a book as just one "spoke" in the whole wheel of your message. This usually comes after a book is published, but can come before--as you'll see.

My client in question had really already built a brand. He had a line of products, but no book. We knew a book was that necessary "spoke" because it gives the most credibility. (Virtually every person interviewed in the major media has a print book. It's your ticket to media exposure.)

The publisher, one of the major players in the traditional publishing arena, was interested in the book. We talked for several weeks.

However, the publisher wanted us, essentially, to put all the information that was in the larger home study course--which included DVDs, adios, and a Manual to fully explain the program--into the book.

I put it succinctly to the publisher: "You mean you want my client to put the material they currently get hundreds of dollars for, into a book from which they will glean $1.50 per book?" (It actually would have been half that.)

All the publisher could say was, "Well, self-publishing might be the best route." They wouldn't budge on the content they wanted, we wouldn't budge on the economics.

Something very telling was also said: "If the brand were not already established, we would be more interested." That is, if the publisher could have helped establish the brand, they would have been able to benefit more from the brand themselves. (As in, they would have retained the rights to audio, video etc., giving the author the pittance that has traditionally been offered.)

The traditional publisher also mentioned that they could not get the trade interested in the book if it was "too commercial," i.e., mentioned that there are other products.

We decided to publish with one of the new "hybrid" publishers that offers publishing services and great distribution. The authors will own all the rights, we have total control over content and title, and yet will still get professional design, copy editing/proofreading services, and exceptional distribution (one of the distinctives of the particular company we chose).

Retaining Control Listen, if you, like my client, have a "large message," then it's perfectly legitimate for a book to be an "introduction" to your content. As I said in one of my articles, your book should be the beginning of a person's relationship with you.

In fact, that's one of the things that can help you distinguish which publishing path is right for you. If you have one message that can be summed up in a book, then go for it! Get your book out there.

If your message is complex with many pieces, Path #2 or #3 will be your best bet. If you have the platform and the time, you can try to capture a traditional publisher's attention. If they capture your vision, they might help you create your brand.

Note that if you go this way, though, you have to be very careful not to lose control of what can bring you the most income -- "back end products" that are higher ticket and more profitable.

Those who have let publishers build big brands have often regretted not going the self-publishing route. (I don't feel right naming names without permission, but I could tell you some of the best-known authors have gone through legal means to try to wrest control of their brands.)

The bottom line? Hiring out publishing services with a reputable company that offers good distribution is more and more what I recommend. You will have the most control over timing, content, and your future profits.

So start saving your money. Consider it an investment in your own business, which is what exactly what it is.

For an "publishing insiders'" interview and the self-publishing company I recommend most, visit http://www.askaboutpublishing.com (you can even ask your own question). For more about the Special Report, the teleseminar replay mentioned above and other resources, including the

Author Success Plan, visit http://www.yourbookpublishingcoach.com
-- from Diane Eble, "Your Book Publishing Coach"

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