In this age of Kindles, iPads, and 99-cent e-books, the publishing industry is in a state of turmoil. So what does that mean for aspiring authors who hope to share their stories with the world? It means that there are more options than ever before for publishing your book.
Thank Mari and Margaret What DIY is What Pubmission is. What Bull's Eye is Introductions Who you are What you write Publishing goals? The book is just the beginning!
It can feel like playing the lottery There’s a lot of competition out there, and the perception is that the Internet has increased the number of people who think they’re writers. There are also fewer publishers accepting unagented submissions . Many established, well-known publishers are either cutting staff numbers or shutting down entirely But unlike the lottery, there are things you can do to improve your odds and we’ll get to them in a bit.
No, but it’s broken and the people entrenched in the way things have been done for the past 50 years don’t want to fix it. (Many of them are now without jobs.) Parallels to what happened to the music industry 10 years ago pry the CD from its dead fingers DRM and the fear of piracy .
POD technology means lower overhead for publishers = cheaper books, but what about the publishers still footing the bill on inventory, printing, and returns
Can't find the book you want in the bookstore? Just print it out...
Or just download it the e-reader of your choice. Kindle, Nook, iPad are making the printed book less necessary Instantaneous Less paper usage
Big chains on the way out? Amazon the now and future king? The (re) rise of the independent bookstore? Return to local?
Outbound to inbound marketing Seth Godin Lecture - Tribes “ Find readers for your writers not writers for your readers”
Marketing platform vs. content quality? The bandwagon problem.
The democratization of publishing: Is this a good thing? Independent Publishers: A closer connection to readers Then new literary agent?
Less marketing and publicity for authors More work for authors? Less editing help Submissions must be top quality More freelance editors
If you’d like to sell your writing and have more than your family and friends reading it, then you need to start thinking like a business owner .
Most articles promoting self-publishing as the savior of publishing can only site Amanda Hockings and John Locke as success stories, and both took book contracts from traditional publishers. Both also had a strong backlist.
Trends – What’s the position in the market place? Competitors/Similar Titles Customers (Potential Publishers/Agents) Marketing Strategy Finances (how much are you willing to invest?)
Publisher Listings : Writer’s Market, Literary Marketplace, Duotrope Plenty of resources at your disposal but it takes a lot of TIME! Visit the publisher’s websites . Not only can you study their submission guidelines, the quality of the website can clue you in on what to expect when they publish your book. Keep an eye out for fees. Are they self-publishing companies? Do they charge reader’s fees or editing fees in order to get published? If it’s an agent, are they a member of AAR (Association of Author Representatives)?
Publisher Listings : Writer’s Market, Literary Marketplace, Duotrope Plenty of resources at your disposal but it takes a lot of TIME! Visit the publisher’s websites . Not only can you study their submission guidelines, the quality of the website can clue you in on what to expect when they publish your book. Keep an eye out for fees. Are they self-publishing companies? Do they charge reader’s fees or editing fees in order to get published? If it’s an agent, are they a member of AAR (Association of Author Representatives)?
Any sound business plan requires you to get into the head of your customer , to research the demographic
That means “ Don’t call and ask if they got your MS or what they thought of it!” Call only a month after the time their sub guidelines say it will take them to get back with you
Make it as easy as possible for them to determine what’s in the envelope Don’t submit to them if they don’t publish your kind of material – wasting everyone’s time.
Get friends and people you trust to give you honest critiques – beware of excessive praise Hire an editor – lots of them available now. Why? The state of the industry is now dictating that editors spend less time editing and more time on selling Even if you have a good idea if you have grammatical errors in your submission (including the cover letter), you’ll go straight into the reject pile.
Are you an introvert? Get out there an challenge yourself. Portfolio: publish short stories in lit mags for example.
Rejoice ! But then get a hold of yourself Get an agent or lawyer onboard (an agent should be easier to find when a contract exists) Familiarize yourself with contracts Make sure you’re not giving up too many of your rights, especially electronic rights Make sure the copyright reverts to you when the book goes out of print. Be willing to roll up your sleeves Listen to your editor , but don’t give in on the things that really matter
Book Expo – Vanity press section was large and always empty.
Publishers lower their manufacturing cost by printing books in the thousands (commonly 5,000 – 7,500) Can you make that kind of investment? Again, to come up with your price point, refer to your competitor research.
If I were self-publishing, I'd start with e-books to gauge consumer interest … and cut costs.
Thank Mari and Margaret What DIY is What Pubmission is. What Bull's Eye is Introductions Who you are What you write Publishing goals?