A Writer's guide to self-publishing.The challenge facing most self-published authors is in balancing the business demands of a publisher with the creative drive that's in each author. Often, self-published authors must wear many hats--designer, accountant, sales rep, publicist pub·li·cist n. One who publicizes, especially a press or publicity agent. publicist Noun a person, such as a press agent or journalist, who publicizes something publicist and travel agent. Of course, once your book is published you have to market it yourself, taking on the job of literary personality and public speaker, all the while hoping to become someone interesting enough to attract people at book signings and public events. Some of the most successful African-American authors started out that way, E. Lynn Harris E. Lynn Harris is an Black American author, (b. June 20, 1955). Harris writes primarily about African American men on the down low or in the closet; Harris confirmed that he is a homosexual. He lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas and Atlanta, Georgia. and Iyanla Vanzant among others. As a self-published author myself, I've met countless aspiring writers who come to signings and literary events with endless questions. Based on my own experience and that of other self-published authors, in order to succeed and sell books, perhaps the best advice is to have a well-thought-out plan and be prepared for just about anything. Over the next few pages, we'll take a look at the process from beginning to end, and hopefully provide some ideas and helpful suggestions to self-published authors. It begins with editing Amazingly, this is one area that many new writers overlook. Yet it is critical to the success of any book. Bernadette Connor, author of Damaged! and The Parcel Express Murders, believes the biggest mistake most self-published authors make is "the lack of editing." It's inexplicable in·ex·pli·ca·ble adj. Difficult or impossible to explain or account for. in·ex  pli·ca·bil . Simply put, the project won't go anywhere
until the manuscript is edited. I emphasize to newer writers that your
editor must be a professional and not your second cousin second cousinn. 1. A child of a first cousin of one's parent. 2. A child of one's first cousin; a first cousin once removed. , or your girlfriend who loves to read, or even a book retailer. "Editing should be done by an editor who has absolutely no emotional ties to the work or the author," says Connor. "It's imperative that they be honest in highlighting the weak points of the work." Nancy Flowers, author of A Fool's Paradise fool's paradise n. A state of delusive contentment or false hope. fool's paradise Noun a state of happiness based on false hopes or beliefs Noun 1. and publisher of the upcoming Twilight Moods, agrees. "Just because your friend is an English teacher or was an English major The English Major (alternatively English concentration, B.A. in English) is a term for an undergraduate university degree in the United States and a few other countries which focuses on the study of literature in the English language (the term may also be used to describe a student does not make them a book editor!" There are two different kinds of editing for purposes of getting your manuscript in shape. The first is style editing--sometimes called content editing--to address problems with plot, character, dialogue, pacing, consistency and anything related to the content of the book. When the manuscript is closer to publication, it should be line edited--sometimes called copyediting--to correct grammar and syntax. Finding quality editors--content editors or copy editors--isn't always easy, but there's no getting around it. "Talk to other authors about editors," suggests Yasmin Shiraz, author of The Blueprint for My Girls. "When you connect with the editor, let them know what your goals are so that they will want to be a part of your life's work Life's Work is a sitcom that aired from 1996 to 1997 on the American Broadcasting Company channel that starred Lisa Ann Walter as Lisa Ann Minardi Hunter, the assistant district attorney who had a husband named Kevin Hunter ." Learning the market Having a thorough understanding of the marketplace is also important for any author, particularly first-time authors. The success of a book will largely depend on the author's ability to interact with book retailers, the press, the publishing industry and most importantly Adv. 1. most importantly - above and beyond all other consideration; "above all, you must be independent" above all, most especially , the book-buying public. Becoming knowledgeable about the book market requires legwork leg·work n. Informal Work, such as collecting information or doing research in preparation for a project, that involves much walking or traveling about. and research. For research, the Internet is a useful tool, but it's no substitute for getting out and learning firsthand first·hand adj. Received from the original source: firsthand information. first . It's an area where many new writers look for quick fixes or ways to avoid the inevitable. "A lot of self-published authors don't do enough research about the market," says Brenda Thomas, author of Threesome. "A lot of them come to me and ask for my media list. That says they don't do their research." Thomas says Thomas Say (June 27, 1787 – October 10, 1834) was an American naturalist, entomologist, malacologist and carcinologist. He was a taxonomist and is often considered to be the founder of descriptive entomology in the United States and one of the founding fathers of the she doesn't mind sharing information, but she is somewhat put off when authors have done no homework on their own and want information handed to them. "My friends tease tease (tez) to pull apart gently with fine needles to permit microscopic examination. tease v. me because I research the research to make sure nothing's changed Nothing's Changed is a poem by Tatamkhulu Afrika. It shows a Coloured man's (presumably Afrika) emotions upon returning to District Six in Cape Town, Afrika's home community before it was emptied. ," Thomas says. "You have to learn the market before you do anything." Terrance Dean, author of Be Empowered: 30 Days of Meditation for Men of Color not of the white race; - commonly meaning, esp. in the United States, of negro blood, pure or mixed. See also: Color , dearly saw a niche for his work, even though he didn't have publishing expertise. "When I got into this, I didn't know anything about the literary world. But I knew my book was unique." Dean's book was acquired by a major publisher less than four months after he self-published. "My book hadn't sold a lot of copies, but I had something that [the publishers] were looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. at the time." Reading books on writing and publishing is always a good start. But that's not enough. Attend book signings and book events to become more familiar with established authors, book retailers and readers. Editors and literary agents also frequent such events, as well as other authors and retailers that usually support established writers and aspiring authors. Attending events like local book fairs or signings at neighborhood bookstores gives new authors an opportunity to interact with people who can impact their careers. Keep an eye out for what people are reading. It will help you make smart decisions. "You need to know what your competition is doing. But you don't want to do so much research that you end up mimicking other people's work," adds Shiraz. Again, the balance between creativity and business sense is the trick. Beyond Guttenberg's printing press At this stage, there are more business decisions to be made. But those decisions should be informed by the research you've done. I recall spending hours in bookstores with another author and friend looking at novels, comparing their size, their price, the number of pages and the cover illustrations. It was tedious research, but when I decided on a printer, I had a clear idea of what I wanted. Like any good businessperson, you should shop around. The right printing house depends on many factors, not the least of which is the quality of their work. Still, location, fulfillment and price are also important factors. Here are some things to consider: Typesetting--Typesetting isn't always necessary in the age of electronic documents available on CDs and high-resolution graphics software. The new self-publisher's preference and the requirements of the print house will determine if typesetting typesetting: see printing. typesetting Setting of type for use in any of various printing processes. Type for printing, using woodblocks, was invented in China in the 11th century, and movable type using metal molds had appeared in Korea by the 13th is appropriate. Copy rights--A critical step in protecting your creative work, manuscripts or book is having it copyrighted, using Form PA available through the Library of Congress. The LoC notifies writers once their application is received, but it can take up to eight months for the copyright to take effect, so plan accordingly. The Library of Congress also assigns books an official Library of Congress number for their records. The publisher needs this number to be listed among the books that are released during that year. Cover Design--This is a subjective area, but it's certainly important, especially to book buyers, retailers, the press and anyone else who picks up your book. From her research, Brenda Thomas learned that consumers spent roughly 10 seconds examining the front cover of a book and 15 seconds on the back, so she was determined to have a cover that stood out. Covers aren't more important than content, but they should be visually appealing. "Writers have to be visual artists as well," notes Yasmin Shiraz. "As new authors, we have to understand that a lot of consumers won't give a book a chance without liking what's on What's On (Traditional Chinese: 熒幕八爪娛) is a weekly half-hour TV series that airs on Fairchild Television. Format Originally started in 1996, the show is currently the longest-running program in Fairchild Television history. the cover." Bar Codes/ISBN/SAN--very few retailers will sell books that don't have bar codes. Bookland Book´land` n. 1. (O. Eng. Law) Charter land held by deed under certain rents and free services, which differed in nothing from free socage lands. This species of tenure has given rise to the modern freeholds. EAN EAN experimental allergic neuritis. bar codes can be purchased from companies that specialize in the technology, which are listed on www.isbn.org, and given to the printer when the book is ready for publication. The term ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number, a number assigned to every printed book around the world for tracking purposes. If a bookstore doesn't have a book in stock, the ISBN verifies that it exists, the first step in getting the book into distribution and retail channels. The SAN (Standard Address Number) is an identifier used to signify a specific address of an organization in publishing, which in this case would be the new publisher. Unlike the ISBN, the SAN will include all of the new publisher's information to help streamline the process of ordering, shipping and billing. Getting distribution So you've finally got your book printed and you're ready to go. At this point, many first-time self-published authors think most of the work is done. Nothing could be further from the truth. Successful self-publishing demands that you look for ways to get your book into book buyers' hands. To do that, you need a distributor. Book distributors usually supply book retailers with their inventory of books. And while self-published authors may operate on a grassroots level--making bookstores of beauty salons, conferences, nightclubs and car trunks--most people still get their books from bookstores. Moreover, when your marketing efforts begin to kick in, people will want ready access to your book. Among the distributors that provide books to bookstores and other publishing outlets are major distributors such as Ingram Publishing and Baker & Taylor; smaller independent distributors like Koen; and those who specialize in African-American titles such as Culture Plus, Afrikan World Books, A&B, D&J and Lushena Books. When my book Hellified was first released, I made the mistake of waiting until I felt there was sufficient "buzz" among black consumers before attempting to secure major distribution. I was fortunate that there was interest in the book, but I recommend pursuing distribution at as many outlets as possible, as soon as possible. And don't forget the Internet. Sites like Amazon provide direct retail opportunities through their Associates Program. Barnesandnoble.com and Borders.com, the online outlets of the book retailers, provide retail opportunities as well. There's no question that ISBNs and cover design will come into play, as well as the author's overall packaging and presentation. Be professional. Creating "buzz" about your book Marketing and promotion is the one area where most self-published authors feel confident, since they are usually enthusiastic about their work and eager to publicize pub·li·cize tr.v. pub·li·cized, pub·li·ciz·ing, pub·li·ciz·es To give publicity to. publicize or -cise Verb [-cizing, -cized] it. Again, it takes research and real work to successfully promote your work. "I hired a publicist, and she had all these connections," says Terrance Dean, who enjoyed national media exposure. However, Dean notes, even if a self-published author is picked-up by a major publisher, that doesn't mean you don't have to work at promoting your book. "The publicist who's working on your book is working on five other books at the same time." Brenda Thomas had an aggressive promotional campaign that was successful when she released Threesome last fall. "I started in Philadelphia, since it was my home. If I saw in the paper or heard about a self-published writer, I would leave work to get that book." Thomas saw many examples of what worked and what did not. "I knew in order to attract media attention, I had to have a quality piece." Thomas made a substantial investment in party invitations and a launch party for Threesome at a nightclub. She invited members of the press and they came. Not everyone wrote about Threesome right away, but reviewers eventually heard about her work over time. The Philadelphia Daily News The Philadelphia Daily News is a tabloid newspaper that began publishing on March 31, 1925, under founding editor Lee Ellmaker. In its early years, it was dominated by crime stories, sports and sensationalism. By 1930, daily circulation of the morning paper exceeded 200,000. wrote a cover story using the NBA NBA abbr. 1. National Basketball Association 2. National Boxing Association NBA (US) n abbr (= National Basketball Association) → Basketball-Dachverband (= lifestyle aspects of Threesome to tie-in with last February's NBA All-Star weekend, which took place in, that's right, Philadelphia. "You gotta got·ta Informal Contraction of got to: I gotta go home. bug the media, `cause they'll forget you," she says. You also have to present a good-looking press kit and a well-written press release. "It really has to stand out because the media gets so many." Besides cultivating the media, authors need to constantly promote their work, and there's no one way to do that. Like other self-publishers, Yasmin Shiraz finds bookmarks to be useful. "I had 5,000 made at a cost of three cents each. The bookmarks have my website, a toll free number for orders and an excerpt ex·cerpt n. A passage or segment taken from a longer work, such as a literary or musical composition, a document, or a film. tr.v. ex·cerpt·ed, ex·cerpt·ing, ex·cerpts 1. from the book. I haven't calculated the ROI (Return On Investment) The monetary benefits derived from having spent money on developing or revising a system. In the IT world, there are more ways to compute ROI than Carter has liver pills (and for those of you who never heard of that expression, it means a lot). [return on investment] on the bookmarks, but if nothing else it made people remember my name, my brand and what my purpose is." For any self-published writer who thinks that going on tour to promote your book is glamorous or easy--think again. BIBR BIBR Bay Islands Beach Resort (Roatan, Honduras) BIBR Backward Indicator Bit Received asked first-time, self-published novelist John Dunson--his book, Keeper of Secrets: Day One, was reviewed in the May-June issue--to keep a journal of his experiences on tour. Having spent more than $18,000 to publish his book--he also hired a publicist at $125 an hour for 20 hours a month and paid $1,000 for a slick promotional package--to travelling to more than 42 cities in 10 states; racking up 14,352 miles on his 2000 Honda Accord The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. and shelling out another $22,000-plus in expenses, self-published writer John Dunson's life has begun to resemble a traveling salesman's. In May, Dunson was headed for Louisville, Kentucky  “Louisville” redirects here. For other uses, see Louisville (disambiguation). , for a signing. This is how his day went: Saturday, May 23 12:02 am: Got to be up in six hours! Louisville is only an hour away. Need to map out my route: Barnes & Noble at 2:30; Books-A-Million at 6. In between, I have to do the latest edit of my new book. 7:42 am: Slight dilemma. Joseph-Beth Booksellers This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. (Lexington, KY) had a banner with my name on it, hanging over a balcony. How cool is that? Right now, it's rolled up in the trunk of my car. 10:32 am: I'm getting a little tired of rushing around. Need to relax. What's this? An AmeriSuites. Done deal. 10:54 am: Good decision to get a room. A little sleep keeps me sane sane (san) sound in mind. sane adj. Of sound mind; mentally healthy. sane . Let's see Let's See was a Canadian television series broadcast on CBC Television between September 6, 1952 to July 4, 1953. The segment, which had a running time of 15 minutes, was a puppet show with a character named Uncle Chichimus (voice of John Conway), which presented each , what's on television? Finding Forrester. Cool! 12:17 pm: I'm mad again. Just unpacked and I don't have a sweater. Kentucky is not supposed to be cold this time of year. I hear a nagging voice in my head saying, "You should have used Trip Planner." 2:05 pm: Barnes & Noble called my publicist. They were worried because I hadn't shown up yet. I'm not on until 2:30. They must have a long line for my workshop waiting to hear me impart words of wisdom. Cool. I finish lunch, pay the bill and head toward the door. 4:55 pm: I try to tell Angela (store rep) that 15 books just wouldn't be enough. They always underestimate me, and I love it. Of course, I have more books with me. I don't have 20, I say, but I do have 10. I lie. Angela is now a believer. She wants me to come back as a featured speaker--sometime in the fall, a three- or four-day event. Possible library action, she says. "Call my publicist," I tell her. Gotta go sell more books. 5:40 pm: I'm mad, and it's not because I ate at McDonald's. It's still raining and the parking lot near Books-A-Million is nowhere near full. Neither is the store. I'm not a name author--at least not yet. But doesn't rain usually mean crowded bookstores? Not today it seems. Check the mirror. Gargle gargle /gar·gle/ (gahr´g'l) 1. a solution for rinsing mouth and throat. 2. to rinse the mouth and throat by holding a solution in the open mouth and agitating it by expulsion of air from the lungs. . Spit. Enter. Sit. Smile. It's showtime show·time or show time n. 1. The time at which an entertainment, such as the showing of a movie, is scheduled to start. 2. Slang The time at which an activity is to begin. Noun 1. ! "Hi, I'm John Dunson and this is my novel, Keeper of Secrets." Resources for Self-publishing Fees to consider when serf-publishing: (Fees are approximate and may vary depending on service provider.) * Editing: $1,000-$3,500 * Typesetting: $500-$2,000 * Registrations, copyrights, ISBN: $250 * Cover Design: $350-$2,000 * Promotional Materials: $1,500-$2,000 * Postage: US Postal Service postal service, arrangements made by a government for the transmission of letters, packages, and periodicals, and for related services. Early courier systems for government use were organized in the Persian Empire under Cyrus, in the Roman Empire, and in medieval flat rate envelope $3.95 (one book). Also consider USPS (1) (Uninterruptible Switching Power Supply) A power supply for a computer that contains its own battery and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) circuitry. See power supply and UPS. book rate, UPS, FedEx Ground FedEx Ground is a shipping company headquartered in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. Originally a small regional package shipping company called Roadway Package System (RPS), it was created to be a discount competitor to UPS. and other options. * Website Development: $500-$2,000 Useful Websites www.mosaicbooks.com www.aalbc.com www.blackwriters.org www.amazon.com United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. Copyright Office/Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/copyright Step-by-step instructions on how to register works and obtain copyrights, plus downloadable forms. R.R Bowker www.bowker.com Manages the database Books-In-Print that includes all books published or soon to be published in the United States, based on ISBNs issued to publishers. ISBN Agency www.isbn.org The main agency is handled by Bowker. Apply online or download an application for an ISBN. Regular service is $225 for ten ISBN numbers. Rush service is $300. Also links to bar code suppliers by state. Distributors Ingram Book Group www.ingram.com Baker & Taylor www.btol.com Koen www.koen.com Culture Plus 291 Livingston St. Brooklyn, NY 11217 718-222-9307 A&B 1000 Atlantic Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11238 718-783-7808 Literary Services www.literaryagents.com List over 200 agents nationwide www.literarymarketplace.com Information on advertising, sales, marketing, distribution: a special section for small publishers, agent directory, publisher directory, etc.... www.printindustryusa.com Get printing quotes and monthly industry updates. www.spannet.org (Small Publishers Resources and Organizations Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary www.m-w.com Helpful Books Agents 2002 Guide to Literary Agents Writers Digest Books, $21.99, ISBN 1-582-97011-4 (new edition released every year) Writing The African American African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race. Writer's Handbook--How to Get in Print and Stay in Print by Robert Fleming Robert Fleming is the name of:
Free Within Ourselves: Fiction Lessons for Black Authors by Jewel Parker Rhodes, Doubleday, September 1999, $12.95, ISBN 0-385-49175-1 The African American Guide to Writing and Publishing Nonfiction by Jewell Parker Rhodes Jewell Parker Rhodes (b.1954 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American novelist. Rhodes is professor of Creative Writing and American Literature and former Director of the MFA Program in Creative Writing at Arizona State University. , Broadway Books, December 2001, $14.00, ISBN 0-767-90578-4 Turning Life Into Fiction by Robin Hemley Story Press, September 1997, $14.99, ISBN 1-884-91037-8 Publishing and Marketing How to Self Publish and Market Your Own Book: A Simple Guide for Aspiring Writers by Mack E. Smith and Sara Freeman Smith U R Gems Group, March 2001, $15.95, ISBN 0-966-23287-9 Do the Write Thing: 7 Steps to Publishing Success by Kwame Alexander with Nina Foxx Manisy Willows Books, September 2001, $17.95, ISBN 0-967-89596-0 The Serf-Publishing Manual: How to Write, Print and Sell Your Own Book by Dan Poynter Para Publishng, July 2001 (13th edition), $19.95, ISBN 1-568-60073-9 A Complete Guide To Selling Books for the Serf-Published Author by Linda Coleman-Willis, WLW WLW Weblogic Workshop (Adam Bosworth) WLW Ware Liefde Wacht WLW Wei, Lin, Weissfeld (Reliability Model) WLW Women Library Workers WLW Wild Life Warriors (World of Warcraft guild) Publishing, October 2000 $29.95, paperback ISBN 1-890-36801-6 Business and Legal Forms for Authors and Serf-Publishers by Tad (Telephone Answering Device) An answering machine. Crawford Allworth Press, February 2000 $22.95, paperback, ISBN 1-581-15039-3 The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing: How to Produce and Market Your Book on a Budget by Linda Foster Radke, Dan Poynter, Mary E. Hawkins (editor) Five Star Pub., March 1996, $19.95, paperback ISBN 1-877-74916-8 101 Ways to Promote Yourself by Raleigh Pinsky Avon Books, $12.50, paperback, ISBN 0-380-81054-9 Guerrilla Publicity: Hundreds of Sure Fire Tactics to Get Maximum Sales for Minimum Dollars by Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman, Jill Lubin Adams Media Corporation, June 2002 $12.95, ISBN 1-580-62682-3 Literary Publicity: The Final Chapter by Joseph Marich, Jr. Delmar Learning, March 2001 $23.95, paperback ISBN 0-766-83113-2 --Compiled by Tracy Grant and Julia Shaw For more information about literary events of interests to self-published authors, go to bibookreview.com. |
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