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Getting Real About Getting Published |
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So you say you want to get pub-2403258503801684lished? Well, great! These days you have more options than ever to see your work in print. Whenever I teach at conferences I am always amazed at how many authors are still unaware of their pub-2403258503801684lishing options. Today, more than ever, writers have the ability to take control of their writing future and get pub-2403258503801684lished...today! How? Well, self-pub-2403258503801684lishing for one. What? You don't want to self-pub-2403258503801684lish. You're worried about the stigma attached to it? Did you know Mark Twain self-pub-2403258503801684lished his books? Didn't seem to hurt his career, did it? Ever heard of a little book called The Joy of Cooking? Yep, you guess it, self-pub-2403258503801684lished as well. Or how about the movie: Legally Blond? Yes, that's another success story. Whenever an author comes up to me and asks if there's anything wrong with self-pub-2403258503801684lishing I always tell them "No, as long as it doesn't look self-pub-2403258503801684lished." Save the science projects for your kids, but make sure what you're pub-2403258503801684lishing is nothing short of perfection.
Let's look at it this way: your book is your resume, it's your message to the world. Would you ever consider sending a resume that was less than perfect to a potential employer? I doubt it. So you should never consider sending your book out into the world unless it's ready for the intense scrutiny it may receive from your readership.
These days, we're dealing with a pub-2403258503801684lishing market that seems to be shrinking by the second. In fact, did you know that 83% of the books pub-2403258503801684lished each year are put out by the five major pub-2403258503801684lishing houses in New York and to add insult to injury only 1% of everything pub-2403258503801684lished in the U.S. each year by these five houses is by previously unpub-2403258503801684lished authors? Does this mean that there are fewer books worthy of pub-2403258503801684lishing success? No way. What this means is that pub-2403258503801684lishers are no longer willing to take risks on unknown authors and untested topics. So, how can you beat them at their own game? By circumventing the traditional pub-2403258503801684lishing model and taking your work through the process of self-pub-2403258503801684lishing. Then, if you catch the eye of a traditional pub-2403258503801684lisher you have a bit more bargaining power than you would, say, languishing in the slush pile. When traditional pub-2403258503801684lishers pick up a self-pub-2403258503801684lished title, it eliminates a great deal of risk for them. It's by no means a sure thing, but when a self-pub-2403258503801684lished title is selling well a traditional pub-2403258503801684lisher knows two things: they know they have an author who knows how to market their book, and they know they have a book that's found an audience.
When it comes to self-pub-2403258503801684lishing, you have a number of options. First, you can become your own pub-2403258503801684lishing company, creating your own imprint and pub-2403258503801684lishing your own work. The downsides to this are the funds needed to launch a company, design a book and run the first printing. This form of pub-2403258503801684lishing is a good idea if you have a gift book or desire something other than a standard paperback format. The alternative is of course going print-on-demand. If you're unfamiliar with this form of printing then listen up: it's revolutionizing the pub-2403258503801684lishing industry and leveling the playing field. Authors are no longer need to navigate a myriad of obstacles set forth by an elusive and often unforgiving industry; they can see their work pub-2403258503801684lished - sometimes in ninety days or less.
Now, for a minimal fee (usually from $499 to $1,500), you can see your book in print. Essentially, what you're doing is hiring a pub-2403258503801684lisher to pub-2403258503801684lish your book. They take care of the cover, the book interior, the ISBN, and the distribution. They are compensated for this by receiving a portion of the profits every time you sell a book. You are compensated through royalties and while these do vary, they typically fall somewhere in the 18-20 percent range per book. The great part about POD pub-2403258503801684lishing is that the "on-demand" part enables them to print books as they are needed, meaning that someone (probably you) won't get stuck with a garage full of books you can't get rid of. If you only sell 100 books, that's what they'll print. There are no minimum orders, and your book will always stay in print.
Understanding how the pub-2403258503801684lishing industry works will go a long way to helping you determine which pub-2403258503801684lishing option is right for you. For some, the idea of POD or self-pub-2403258503801684lishing will open doors you might not have otherwise considered. For others, the traditional route is the only way to go. In the end, the decision of how to pub-2403258503801684lish is up to you but understanding and educating yourself to available options is your duty to yourself and your career. I encourage all of our yet-to-be-pub-2403258503801684lished readers to empower themselves and take control of their pub-2403258503801684lishing future. Your dream of becoming pub-2403258503801684lished can now be a reality. It's up to you to make it happen!
Wishing you pub-2403258503801684lishing success!
About the author:
Penny C. Sansevieri
The Cliffhanger was pub-2403258503801684lished in June of 2000. After a strategic marketing campaign it quickly climbed
the ranks at Amazon.com to the ##1 best selling book in San Diego. Her most recent book: No More Rejections. Get Published Today! was released in July of 2003 to rave reviews. Penny is a book marketing and media relations specialist. She also coaches authors on projects, manuscripts and marketing plans and instructs a variety of coursing on pub-2403258503801684lishing and promotion. To learn more about her books or her promotional services, you can visit her web site at www.amarketingexpert.comTo subscribe to her free ezine, send a blank email to: mailto:subscribe@booksbypen.com
Copyright ã 2004 Penny C. Sansevieri
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