| Is Publishing a Book Right For Me? Increasingly | | | | industry, the process may still seem mystifying |
| more authors and professionals are taking the | | | | and risky, and they can feel a very real sense of |
| dive into publishing books. I have been witness to | | | | trepidation. It is also common for those new to |
| countless authors who have persevered to create | | | | the industry to become guarded when |
| titles that were both personally and economically | | | | communicating with publishing professionals and |
| rewarding. Whether it's the devoted writer who's | | | | book publishing companies. Worries while publishing |
| been crafting her narrative for years, or the | | | | a book and doubting your book's outcome and |
| personal trainer wanting to publish a fitness guide | | | | success are completely normal! |
| for his own gym, the satisfaction of seeing one's | | | | A call and conversation with a book publishing |
| hard work in print is a lifetime accomplishment. | | | | company is a helpful first step in determining what |
| Not to mention, a careful and effective distribution | | | | it takes to produce a book. A book project |
| plan to sell a new book can net its author over | | | | requires much time and planning, and speaking |
| $20,000 in the first year. | | | | with someone within a book publishing company |
| Let's define 'Publisher'. For the purposes of this | | | | can realistically help you identity goals and |
| article, a publisher is a person who has written or | | | | limitations will be crucial to a smart business plan. |
| brainstormed content for a book, and has directly | | | | As a publisher in the business for 30 years, I've |
| hired all the resources and book editors needed to | | | | found people to be suspicious and nervous to |
| edit, design, print, market and sell the book. The | | | | commit at many stages, simply because they are |
| full job of a "publisher", in fact, doesn't stop after | | | | wary of what they don't understand. I have |
| book printing, but continues through actively selling | | | | multiple conversations with potential publishers as |
| and marketing the book as well. | | | | we consider a business plan together, and typically |
| What makes a publishing endeavor successful? | | | | each phone call gets less and less guarded as |
| The best way to understand publishing is to view | | | | some of the mystery to publishing a book is |
| it as a journey-a multi-faceted process of | | | | taken away. |
| frequent book edits, layout design, art direction, | | | | Bring it Home-Selling & Marketing Your Book |
| copy editing and selling/marketing to customers. | | | | Frequently, I will meet an author who is |
| When taking the first step in publishing a book, | | | | extremely skilled at writing and wishes to publish, |
| educating yourself on the reality of the publishing | | | | yet lacks the technical experience to produce that |
| business and realistically assessing your own | | | | successful book design. Other publishers manage |
| personal strengths and weaknesses is vital. The | | | | well enough to package a good book, yet fall |
| most successful publishers who take this journey | | | | short in the selling & marketing aspects of |
| come prepared with knowledge of the industry, | | | | publishing (a separate yet entirely vital aspect on |
| and help from the right type of book publishing | | | | its own). That is why an honest assessment of |
| companies along the way. | | | | your own strengths and weaknesses will put you |
| Get Help - Enlist Experts to Guide You | | | | heads above other publishers when it comes time |
| Imagine you are about to embark on a journey | | | | to sell. If you know you are someone who does |
| into a territory you've never navigated before, | | | | not enjoy marketing and self-promoting, simply |
| where there is no clear path, where competition | | | | recognizing this will identify which areas will need |
| with others is fierce, and copyright laws are | | | | extra planning. |
| murky. You'd want a guide to go with you, | | | | Realistically, the best chance of marketing a book |
| wouldn't you? | | | | after it's been published is with authors who |
| In a field where there are about as many roads | | | | already have a network of followers in their field. |
| to publishing books as there are reasons to | | | | A network is a group of people or potential |
| publish, I recommend working with a book | | | | customers that have some level of relationship |
| publishing company, or book packager. Book | | | | with the author. Some of the most successful |
| packagers do exactly as the name implies: | | | | authors Sea Hill Press has worked with in the past |
| package a book from start to finish, from its first | | | | include coaches, chefs, lecturers and teachers, |
| manuscript to its final sales and marketing. Unlike | | | | each of whom had a pool of students and fans to |
| Subsidy Press, a book packager is personally | | | | directly market their work. Relationships with |
| invested in the success of the books they publish. | | | | potential readers can be built and maintained |
| When a book packager begins work on a project, | | | | through simple name recognition, and using |
| the quality, comprehensiveness, and consumer | | | | low-cost strategies, such as e-mailing lists. In a |
| success of the finished project directly reflect the | | | | business where large Book Wholesalers and |
| aptitude of both author and book packager. | | | | Distributors charge outsized fees to distribute at |
| "Know Thyself"-Realistically Addressing Your | | | | virtually no risk to themselves, a great move is to |
| Publishing Concerns | | | | follow alternative models of distributing your work. |
| Once authors get their feet wet in the publishing | | | | |