| Selecting the right method of publishing your book | | | | industry. Many do not require that you submit |
| is always a challenge, but for novice authors who | | | | your manuscript through an agent. They will |
| begin to write after retirement, the task is | | | | accept them directly, and welcome first-time and |
| particularly difficult. The excitement of having | | | | less experienced authors. |
| completed their first book is quickly tempered as | | | | POD Publishing |
| they plunge into the confusing maze that | | | | POD houses have proliferated in the last decade. |
| characterizes the publishing industry. That | | | | They are offshoots of digital technology and |
| experience is very different from working in a | | | | thrive because of the simplicity of moving your |
| familiar area that has been associated with the | | | | manuscript onto press and the ability to print any |
| life-long career that they have recently left. | | | | quantity of books you might need, no matter |
| The options are many, but as newcomers to the | | | | how small. That means newcomers can launch |
| industry it is not easy to select the ideal method | | | | their careers without investing in press runs of |
| or the best publishing house. If you are one of | | | | thousands of books. It is ideal technology for |
| these retirees and realize that your professional | | | | memoirs and short how-to books targeted to |
| background hasn't prepared you for the intricacies | | | | very specific audiences. |
| of bringing your manuscript to life, this brief | | | | With POD, you pay a single upfront charge. In |
| primer will offer you a basis for making your | | | | return, the house handles all pre-press |
| selections. | | | | requirements from designing a cover and |
| Three Publishing Methods | | | | formatting the interior to obtaining an ISBN, |
| The publishing world is broken into three basic | | | | Library of Congress certification and in some |
| categories: traditional, publishing on demand (POD) | | | | cases a formal copyright. The house then prints |
| and self-publishing. Each is characterized in part by | | | | your book and in most cases places it with book |
| a specific methodology that is based on the | | | | stores and with one of both of the major |
| capability and the requirements of the printing | | | | wholesalers. When books are purchased, you |
| press that it uses. Presses used to produce books | | | | receive a royalty. |
| are broken into two groups. | | | | The major downside of this is that the wholesale |
| Digital printing, the newest entry into the publishing | | | | price the POD charges for the book very often is |
| field, is accomplished with a technology similar to | | | | not competitive with the market and |
| that used in computer printing. Its greatest | | | | consequently retards sales to some degree. If |
| advantage is the ability to print short press runs, | | | | you want books for your own use, you must buy |
| not previously possible. Many retirees will | | | | them at an author's discount and waive any |
| recognize this system as an extension of the | | | | royalties on the purchase. |
| digital printing facilities their former companies | | | | The other concern with POD publishing is that the |
| operated in-house. | | | | lesser quality houses release books that are |
| Offset presses, the old tried and true war horses | | | | poorly designed and in too many cases very |
| of the industry, require an inked image that is | | | | poorly written. The lack of uniform standards has |
| then transferred from a plate to a rubber blanket | | | | marred the reputation of this segment of the |
| on the press. Its shortcoming is its inability to print | | | | industry, but the more recent successes of |
| fewer than 1,500 copies cost-effectively. There is | | | | quality POD houses are turning that reputation |
| substantial waste as the plates and ink are | | | | around. I consider POD an excellent means of |
| adjusted to obtain perfect colors and registration. | | | | entering the publishing world for first-time authors. |
| Offset is ideal for longer press runs. | | | | Growing Popularity of Self-Publishing |
| Traditional Publishers | | | | While many people mistakenly refer to POD as |
| Traditional publishing houses are the ones that | | | | self-publishing, it is not. In the case of true |
| rapidly come to mind when most people speak of | | | | self-publishing, every task is completed by the |
| publishing. They are the behemoths like | | | | author or in some cases farmed out to |
| Doubleday, Penguin, Knopf, etc. Today most of | | | | professionals under the direct supervision of the |
| the "biggies" have been absorbed by huge | | | | author. That includes all of the pre-pub activities |
| conglomerates, and are extremely difficult for the | | | | mentioned above in the POD section, as well as |
| average author to contract. They deal almost | | | | printing and distributing. |
| exclusively with celebrities, political figures and | | | | This approach has attracted growing interest on |
| well-established writers, and usually print by offset | | | | the part of authors, both new and experienced. |
| because of the large quantities they produce. | | | | While it requires an investment up front to cover |
| Access to one of these houses usually requires | | | | all costs, every penny of profit goes directly into |
| first retaining the services of a literary agent, not | | | | the author's pocket. |
| an easy task. The agent then attempts to place | | | | Publishing is a critical element in your effort to |
| your book with a publisher, and if successful, | | | | bring your book to the marketplace. Before you |
| shepherds it through all production activities and | | | | leap into a contract, make sure you have |
| manages all monies involved for you. | | | | selected the most beneficial publisher, one that |
| Fortunately, the majors are not the only | | | | can give your book the boost it deserves. You've |
| participants in traditional publishing. Thousands of | | | | waited a long time to realize your dream of |
| smaller, independent publishers have sprung up | | | | writing a book. Your choice of publisher will go a |
| across the nation. Some of these have become | | | | long way to making your retirement writing |
| highly successful and well-recognized in the | | | | ultimately successful. |