Authors, It's Time to Think Outside the Box! What You Should Know About the Publishing Industry

What many authors don't realize is many majorwith the internet has good results. For example,
publishing companies have been taken over bydid you know that if you have a printed book
large conglomerates that place much more valueavailable from Amazon, it's actually MORE difficult
on money and the bottom line than they place onto promote than having an e-Book listed on
the books they publish.ClickBank?
In the 80's, I was an editor for a thriving publishingThe reason is simple: most affiliate marketers (i.e.:
house in Cincinnati. We published high-quality textthose who sell most of the stuff on the internet)
books for middle schools, high schools, andwon't go through the trouble of actively
universities. The company had been in businessmarketing items that offer them a small
for 25 years and had an excellent reputation.commission. And where does that leave the
Shortly after I moved to Seattle, the companyauthor who has gone through the hard work
was purchased in a hostile take-over.getting their work self-published (usually through a
The first thing the new owners did was lay offprint-on-demand publisher)? It leaves them sitting
half of the staff. They kept all the marketers, forthere, with a book, and no where to go with it.
they knew the value of marketing. But theyAgain, I speak from experience. I myself have
knew nothing about publishing. They totally guttedtwo printed volumes available through Amazon,
the heart and soul of the company: the creativeand I no longer bother trying to sell them. Instead,
teams, the production teams, and the editorialI have chosen ClickBank as THE SYSTEM that will
staff. Several of my friends and co-workersallow me to get my works into the world. And...it's
wrote me on a regular basis about the horrorworking!!
stories taking place there. Overnight, it hadClickBank is just the starting point in an
morphed from a great place to work into aEFFECTIVE marketing venture. But it's a MAJOR
nightmare. Needless to say, the company wentstarting point. It allows YOU to market your own
out of business within a few short years.books successfully. YOU are in control.
These types of take-overs happened all over theThere are many tricks to this which we have
US in the 80's and the 90's. I've attended manydiscovered, and continue to discover, and we are
writer's conferences and heard tales from bothwilling to share this knowledge with you. One of
authors and editors about this situation. Back then,the first things you must realize is: It is up to YOU
there was little a writer with original ideas and ato get Your Work into the World, but you don't
unique voice could do about it-companies that onlyhave to do it alone.
care about the bottom line are not interested inSo, if you are serious about your Work, Listen. If
something that won't have immediate massyour Work keeps calling to you because it's tired
appeal.of sitting in the closet, or in the drawer, or under
Their mindset is: If it's hard to market, it's notthe bed, then Listen. It wants you to Keep Your
worth looking at. They don't want anything newDream Alive! Your own Work is calling to you! It
and different: they want niche items that fit intowants to be rebirthed. This time, it wants to be
established genres. Anything too thoughtful or toobirthed into the World so that IT, and YOU, can
different is out.Make a Positive Difference during these very
This circumstance left writers, like myself,important times.
scrambling to get accepted at small presses. WhatOUR WORLD NEEDS YOU to start Believing in
did I hear from them? They told me that theyYourself, and in Your Gifts, so that you can do
were receiving a 100 times more manuscriptswhat you came here to do!
than they had in the past. They were oftenYou don't have to be kept down by the "Old
booked for 10 years or more into the future, andSystem" any longer. There is a NEW SYSTEM for
they weren't accepting anything new. In fact,a NEW WORLD. The paradigm has already
they weren't even opening the envelopes to seeshifted, and those who can recognize this, and go
what was being sent to them! Usually, they wouldwith the flow, shall prosper. And THEY shall make
just return them with an apology form letter, orthe difference.
they would throw them away.We intend to be among those who can think
Yes, back then, there wasn't much writers withoutside the box, release our own chains based on
unique ideas and unique voices could do. But thatoutdated beliefs, and move forward. We
has ALL CHANGED with the Internet!encourage you to do the same. And, if you
It's time for writers to realize that times havechoose, we can help you.
changed. Those who still believe they need aIn many, many ways these are GREAT TIMES
printed book must start thinking outside the box. Iwe are in living in. And we, the Creators--those
say this with love in my heart, for I have had towho can see and express Beauty and Truth-can
go through this same transition.make it even better. Let's join together, and
I have also learned that not everything associated"Make It So!