| You've written your book, had a friend look it | | | | competitive disadvantage? |
| over for errors, run it through your word | | | | |
| processor's spell check and created a cover on | | | | 1. Hire professionals. Part of the collateral damage |
| your publishing company's website. You are ready | | | | from the economic difficulties book publishers are |
| to do battle in the bookstore. After all, your book | | | | experiencing are the many people who have been |
| is as good as any other book isn't it? There's no | | | | laid off by Old Model publishers. Lucky for you. |
| difference between one book and another. | | | | They are now available as freelancers to work on |
| Surprise. There is a Difference. Three, Actually | | | | your book, bringing all that same expertise to |
| Sometimes a self-published book succeeds | | | | bear. |
| beyond anyone's wildest dreams. These stories | | | | 2. Consider your strategy. Think about your aims. |
| are told over and over, helping to induce millions | | | | If you are dead serious about trying to get |
| of writers to flood the subsidy publishing | | | | national distribution into bookstores, you will almost |
| companies with their books, trying to get a piece | | | | have to print offset. You need both the inventory |
| of the publishing pie. | | | | on hand to ship to distributors and wholesalers, as |
| But unless you've managed to find a niche that no | | | | well as the leverage of low unit pricing to make |
| one else has ever written about, or you have the | | | | the whole chain of discounting work without an |
| only book in the world on parachute folding, or | | | | inflated retail price |
| you are the next J.K. Rowling, your book will have | | | | 3. Don't try to do it all yourself. Authors who |
| a tough road ahead of it. Why? | | | | decide to self-publish need to realize that |
| You are being outclassed on every front by your | | | | self-publishing does not mean you do everything |
| competition, that's why. Here are three reasons | | | | yourself. To succeed against these Old Model |
| you will be buried by the established trade | | | | publishers, you have to treat your operation as a |
| publishers using the "Old Model" of publishing. | | | | business. You should be spending your time writing |
| | | | and marketing your book, not trying to figure out |
| 1. They have better quality. Guess what? People | | | | why Microsoft Word keeps changing your page |
| do recognize differences in quality. At Old Model | | | | endings every time you save your file. |
| Publishing, they are able to anticipate sales of | | | | You Can Compete. But You'd Better Be Smart |
| several thousand copies for even their most | | | | About It |
| modest offerings. Consequently, they have | | | | It's possible today to retain the editors, book |
| printed their book by offset. They may have | | | | designers, cover designers, and proofreaders to |
| used a unique size and format that can't be | | | | make your book equal to any book on the |
| replicated by digital printing. They might have | | | | market. If you treat it as a business, with the |
| cover finishes and paper stock that are simply | | | | clear motive to make a profit, you will find the |
| unavailable to you. Customers see this, and you | | | | professionals you need to help you succeed. |
| look worse by comparison. | | | | If your aim is to create a book for your personal |
| 2. They have professionals working on their | | | | use, or to leave as a family history, or to collect |
| books. Over at Old Model, editors, designers, | | | | recipes for a fundraiser, you can safely ignore all |
| cover designers, and proofreaders who have | | | | of the advice I've given you above. |
| spent their careers learning their craft are working | | | | But if you aim to compete, to establish and run a |
| on their books. They bring years of experience | | | | business that publishes your books, do with |
| and knowledge to bear on every project. Even | | | | seriousness of intent. Commit the time, energy, |
| though Old Model may not do as good a job as | | | | education and resources to make your book truly |
| they once did, they are still light years away from | | | | the equal of anything else on the market. |
| you and the amateurs who have helped you get | | | | Turn Your Strengths to Your Advantage |
| your book ready. | | | | In fact, you can turn this situation to your |
| 3. They have a better economic model. You | | | | advantage. By creating a well-edited, |
| thought you were clever to try to compete with | | | | attractively-designed and intelligently marketed |
| your print on demand distribution model, and were | | | | book, you can act a lot faster than the Old Model |
| happy you didn't have to lay out a cent to get | | | | publishers. This becomes your competitive |
| your book into print. You thought that this was | | | | advantage when you realize the power of being |
| the new, the modern, the twenty-first century | | | | able to react to events faster than your |
| way to publish, and that those old fogies haven't | | | | competition. |
| caught up yet. But their offset-printed book costs | | | | And if your aim is to attract a contract from Old |
| them one-third what you are paying for your | | | | Model, your top-quality book could become your |
| book. They can price you out of the market | | | | best calling card. If you're largely concerned with |
| without breaking a sweat. | | | | sales, know that when your ideal customer stops |
| Help is On The Way | | | | at the table in Border's, they won't hesitate to |
| You will get hammered in the market if you don't | | | | pick your book up. And you can take that to the |
| revise your plan. To be competitive, you will have | | | | bank. |
| to fight fire with fire. How to minimize your | | | | |