SelfPublishing Debacle or Solution

Self-Publishing - Debacle or Solution
By Alex Landels

There are some reviewers, literary critics, and traditional publishers who believe that self-publishing (SP), in all its varieties, is for the unprofessional and untalented author. Self-published authors have not faced any critical review of their work, and the companies that do self-publishing are motivated by money rather than the quality of the work!meThere is definitely some truth to this but it applies equally to some of the traditional publishing houses. These houses have, over the last 10 years or so, maintained an unhealthy fixation on Best Sellers and on the ottom line--none of them have said they are not interested in making money. Many in the publishing industry are concerned about this trend and about the trend that the bigger houses have become too removed from the general writing population.

Clearly there are differences between self-publishers and the major publishing houses. The major houses have editors who edit the books. The major houses pay for the production costs, start to finish, for their authors. The major houses have good distribution systems and will heavily advertise books they feel will break through and beco Best Sellers.

It is naive to think that authors taken on by the major houses are not paying for their books to be published. These authors do pay to get their work published--and pay and pay and pay. They receive royalties (as low as 10%) on actual book sales. The author also loses a great amount of control re copyright, editorial, graphic, and marketing decisions. The accounting practices of some major houses have left some authors waiting for months to be paid or to have recalculations and holdbacks on their advances. It is not until you become an important and saleable author that you can negotiate to make the traditional publishing houses deals more equitable.

After sorting through all the debate, there are some valid criticisms that can be directed at self-publishing authors and firms. Those valid points are: Unprofessional editing, formatting, and printing.

Who Should Self-Publish?

Authors who want to receive a higher financial reward and maintain control over their material; i.e., not signing away copyright to a publisher. Traditional publishers, as mentioned above, are notorious for paying low royalty fees and for slow payment.

An author who has written a book that will appeal to a very small but important audience. Traditional publishers have no interest in esoteric and overly specific books--the economics of their distribution and pricing system make them a non-sector from the start.

People who have specific expertise and offer consultations and/or seminars to their clients. Usually the volume of sales, in this case, would be too low for traditional publishers. It is an excellent way to reinforce your expertise and make additional money after the seminar.

Authors of books that deal with subjects or material considered too controversial for traditional publishers. Traditional publishers are litigation-shy and have a big stable of titles to defend. They don't want to jeopardize their stable for a book that is too close to the edge.

Authors who have talent and a good product but haven't been able to match up with a traditional publisher interested in new talent. Most publishers are mega-corporations and, like such beasts elsewhere, adopt formulas of success; i.e., est-seller syndrome and are very reluctant to try out an untested author.

Authors who want to avoid the bureaucratic and slow machinations of the large publishers.

Who Should Not Self-Publish?

Authors who firmly believe they have a book of wide appeal and great saleability. The backing of a large publishing house partnered with extensive distribution makes this a virtual no-brainer for the confident. The economics of self-publishing favors small production runs, reducing the availability and eventual profitability of a successful book.

Authors who are unable or unwilling to champion their own work. Believe it or not there are writers out there who would be afraid to ask their own friends, relatives, and colleagues to buy their books..

Authors with limited financial assets. The cost of self-publishing does not have to be high; it can be less than $500 if properly set up by the author. (The usual cost will be around $1500.) Some struggling authors would not have this cash:JK Rowling, who was on social assistance when she wrote the first Harry Potter book, is a good example.

A.G. Landels web site is at www.edit-pros.com

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First Step in Publishing Short Stories Reading

First Step in Publishing Short Stories - Reading
By Vivian Gilbert Zabel

When I took composition classes in college, I often became frustrated with all the reading I had to do, story after story after story, many times thousands of pages per assignment. Yet as we discussed the stories and what made them interesting or what didnt, I was learning how to write. Even today, as I read and review, I learn more about what makes a good story and what doesnt.

I used the reading, discussion, and then writing idea when I taught, too. I tried to highlight one or two concepts per story, then had the students write something using those concepts and any others we had already covered. First, though came reading and reading and reading.

As I read the September, 2005, issue of The Writer, I discovered an article by Erika Dreifus titled Learning short-story writing by example. She agrees with my university professors and me: We learn by reading closely and reading as writers attending to the ways others employ the elements of fiction: setting, plot, character, theme, and so on.

So where can a person find short stories to study, ones that will help learn correct story writing? Of course books of short stories are found in all book stores. In fact Holly Jahangiri and I have a collection of short stories for sale at Amazon.com or Barnes and Nobles. Plus many bookstores connected to colleges have anthologies for sale. If someone couldnt afford to buy an anthology or collection, used bookstores or libraries carry them.

Web sites can be found that have stories and advice for writers. The Internet is an interesting and impressive source. Some magazines still publish short stories. Searching in cyber space will locate many that do.

The best help found in reading, though, is to read well-written short stories, and read, read, read.

****

Sources:

1. Dreifus, Erika, Learning short-story writing by example, The Writer, September 2005.
2. Notes and lesson plans by Vivian Zabel

Vivian Gilbert Zabel taught English, composition, and creative writing for twenty-five years, honing her skills as she studied and taught. She is a author on Creative Writers ( http://www.Writing.Com/ ), and her portfolio can be found at http://www.Writing.Com/authors/vzabel. Her books, Hidden Lies and Other Stories and Walking the Earth: Life's Perspectives in Poetry, can be found through Barnes and Noble or Amazon.com.

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SelfPublishing Tips for Formatting a Book

Self-Publishing Tips for Formatting a Book
By Yvonne Perry

Ive heard it said so many times, Ive always wanted to write a book, but I don t know where to start. Well, its no more difficult than learning to play the piano, I tell you! Joking aside, here are some pointers that will help you get your rough draft book ready for the printer.

First of all, you have to actually get the book into an electronic format. I suggest you type up your text into a Microsoft Word document. The printer may prefer the document to be sent as a portable document file (pdf) by using Adobe Acrobat, Quark, InStyle or some other layout program. Using styles in Word can present an unstable document when opened in a different version of the program. But, for the typesetting, editing and formatting phase, I find Word does a great job.

Does Size Really Matter?

Yes, when it comes to cost savings it does. The average paperback book size is five inches wide by eight inches tall which is one-half the size of a sheet of 8.5 by 11 inch paper. Finished size for hardcover books is 5.5 by 8.5 inches because the cover overhangs the papers edge. However, the page size and setup is the same for paperback or hardcover. Youll need to select page setup from the file menu and open the tab called paper size, then type in the above mentioned page dimensions. In order to get the margins to print correctly and allow enough room for binding you need to set up your page with (.50) inch margins on the top, bottom, and outside margins. Be sure to click on mirror margins and set the inside to (.75) inches. Most people my age wear readers or need bifocals, so a comfortable reading font (typeset) sizes for book print is between 11 and 12 points. Verdana is my favorite font because it is easier to read. I find that Arial font is hard to read because the is and ls are too close together. Each line should have about 50-60 characters, including spaces. Each page should have approximately 40 lines. This should give you about 250 words per page.

Learning to use styles can drive you crazy, but if you are up for the challenge the feature can save you time. It allows you to create uniform text, paragraph settings, character spacing, and other qualities to selected portions of text. You can have the title in one font size and bold style, the chapter headings in a smaller font such as Times New Roman, and the body text in Verdana or whatever font you like best. Using styles will give the book a consistent look. Another advantage is when you change an attribute of the text in one paragraph, everything with that style will automatically update throughout the entire book. Pretty nifty!

Youll need to have headers and footers with chapter titles and page numbers. These are added by selecting view from the MS Word toolbar to open the header and footer. Then, type in your chapter title, author name or the book title, add the page number, etc. Section breaks will need to be created in order to define and customize the chapter headings. Use insert also on the MS Word toolbar to add a section break.

Self-publishing means you have to do everything yourself or else outsource various tasks. As writers we can get so close to our writing that we cant see our own typos. Even if you are an excellent writer, you will still need to have someone proofread your book because whatever you send to the printer is what is going to be printed.

If you are thinking of self-publishing your book, you should read Peter Bowermans book The Well-fed Self-Publisher ISBN 0967059860. It could save you a lot of time and money!

Yvonne Perry is a metaphysical freelance writer and the owner of Write On! Creative Writing Services based in Nashville, Tennessee. She and her team of ghostwriters service clients all over the globe by offering quality writing on a variety of topics at an affordable price. If you need a brochure, web text, business document, resume, bio, article or book, visit http://www.yvonneperry.net.

Peter Bowerman will be a guest on Yvonne's podcast Writers in the Sky in January 2007. Sign up for the RSS feed now so you don't miss the show. http://feeds.feedburner.com/audioacrobat/ZOhd.

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How to Choose Publishing Companies

How to Choose Publishing Companies
By Olga Kellen

We are not talking here about big publishing companies that accept only agented submissions; you do not choose them, they choose you. Or more likely they do not. Then, you decide to go the independent route and self-publish or use the help of small publishing companies or POD (print-on-demand).

Or maybe you decide up-front to publish your book independently without wasting many months, or sometimes years, searching for a literary agent and/or conventional publisher.

What are the most important criteria to take into consideration while choosing help in independent publishing?

First. Watch your author's rights. If you pay for publishing, even if only for some of its expenses, then all rights for your work must be yours. Period. Also beware of contracts where publishing companies promise you a lot, but do not say explicitly that your work will really be published and when. You can get into that legal situation without being paid a dime, just by signing; but getting your rights back if your work is not published can cost you money.

Second. Watch your book cost. Some POD will produce a book for more than other similar books cost at a bookstore. Then you won't ever break even, to say nothing of ever making any tiny profit from your book. Keep in mind that if you are going to sell through the usual distribution channels, wholesalers and stores, each of them get their cut - and it is not tiny at all.

Third. The last, but not the least! Think of future book sales before going to print it. How and where are you going to SELL? Most independent publishing companies can only offer you the possibility of selling through their online store, where your book might be lost among many others. In that worst-case scenario, nobody will even know your book exists, nobody will be looking for it, it is not being promoted in any way, and no sales result. Then, book publicists are very expensive and do not guarantee sales in any way. You are on your own, with your inventory not moving at all! What will you do?

So many things to consider before starting...

As of today I am not aware of any independent publishing companies or services that are a really one-stop-shop for all your needs as a self-publisher - from preparing your manuscript for printing to marketing, promoting and selling your book. If you know one, please share the name with me.

Olga Kellen,
LinkedIn member
http://www.linkedin.com/in/olgakellen

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The 7 Levels of Publishing Part One

The 7 Levels of Publishing - Part One
By Mike Scantlebury

Many authors don't stop to think that they are not all the same. They don't all want the same thing. In fact, there are seven possible levels of achievement open to authors.

The first is getting their book published. For themselves. Many authors slave over a hot typewriter for many months (or years), dreaming of the day when they can hold that book in their hand. They don't want to be stuck forever with a pile a papers, a manuscript. They want that collection of grubby bits and pieces to be taken off them and sent back all neatly bound up, with a glossy cover and their name in big letters on the front. Then they get to keep that copy. One. This is the First Level of Publishing, and to achieve this, all authors have to do is receive one copy, in their hands. (Internet Publishing can provide this, easily, and usually for minimum expense, ie You want one copy? You pay for one copy.) 'Traditional' publishers cannot do this. If you, the author, want a copy, you'll have to be lucky enough to land a publishing contract, which means thousands of copies of your book will be printed and you, as the lucky author, will receive one, (or maybe a few) copies. Traditional Publishers don't do singles.

The Second Level of Publishing is when you receive five copies. Traditional Publishers do this, (if, by good luck and fortune, they happen to award you a contract, which of course they don't, in 99% of cases). The lucky author will be sent a handful of copies and will be able to give them to their friends, and relatives. You can prove to your mother that you are a real writer, and the milkman, and the postman (who carried all your manuscript packages back and forth to the publishers for you all those years). Also the next door neighbour, (and maybe your kids, if you've got any). Five copies will do it, usually, maybe a few more. Internet publishers, like Lulu, can do this too. You want five copies? You pay for five copies. They even deliver them.

The Third Level of Publishing is when you want 50 copies. This enables you to send copies of your book to every single member of your family, including distant cousins, perhaps as Christmas presents. It also enables you to go into your local big bookshop, say Waterstones or Borders, and ask them to stock a few copies of your latest work. Big bookshops don't see much of a profit in that, but will usually do it if you are a local author. They want the goodwill. Internet Publishers will let you order that amount, 50 copies, and encourage you to hawk them round locally. This is where Traditional Publishing departs, isn't it? Authors who are lucky enough to land a publishing contract assume they can stroll into their local bookshops and their spanking new novel will be there on the shelves, next to all the other best sellers. That might work with the large multiples, which have 'arrangements' with national publishers and are visited regularly by the book reps employed by big publishers. However, new authors are often disappointed to find that their busy publisher, with their national profile and crowded agenda, hasn't managed to get into 'local' bookshops at all - the village store, the newsagents. When they complain, the publisher sends them another cardboard box. So, you write and write, struggling for years and years to land a publishing contract, and you still end up being a book salesperson, (just like people who go with Internet Publishers).

Worse, there's the whole sorry saga of Critics. Authors who go for Internet Publishing realise that they have to send copies out to newspaper critics, plus their local radio and TV, in order to get mentions. Writers who land publishing contracts mostly assume that their new-found friends, the publishers, will be taking care of this side of business for them. Only if you're a star! If the publisher thinks you are going to be a bestseller, they might take the time and make the effort to contact their friends in the media for you. However, many struggling new authors have been dispirited to find that this hasn't happened. When they query it, another cardboard box of books arrives, together with the encouragement to 'go out and contact the critics'. This isn't right! Securing a publishing deal is projected as being the target for authors, the gold at the end of the rainbow, not the start of a new cycle of even harder work. Slogging books out to critics is work, all right, and demeaning for the newly-signed author with delusions of grandeur.

(end of Part One. To be continued.)

Mike Scantlebury is an Internet Author who has set up his own Discussion Forum to debate the future of publishing, (if there is to be one). You can join in the free scrum at http://www.publishingisdead.com where you can also find links to other web sites by Mike Scantlebury where he is offering his own books and stories for critical view.

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How to Get A Book Published The Competition is Tough in The Book Publishing Industry

How to Get A Book Published - The Competition is Tough in The Book Publishing Industry
By Dee Power

How to get a book published is a question every author asks themselves.

How difficult is it to get a book published by a commercial book publisher?

Well the odds are better gambling in Las Vegas. It has been estimated that 25 million people in the United States consider themselves writers and only 5% have been published anywhere.

Most major book publishing houses, and many small presses, will not accept submissions that arent represented by a literary agent. During the research of The Publishing Primer: A Blueprint for an Author's Success, we asked literary agents how many unsolicited query letters/proposals/sample chapters, they receive. For the typical agency it is close to 5000 per year. On the average these agents accepted only 11 new clients, thats about 1out of every 500 submissions.

Of course writers submit to more than one agency in the hopes of obtaining representation which makes the odds a little better, but not much.

It has been estimated that the five large book publishing companies, Random House Inc., Penguin USA, Simon & Schuster, Time Warner and HarperCollins, account for nearly eighty percent of all book sales in the US. This has occurred for the same reasons any other industry goes through consolidation: by combining certain administrative or staff functions, costs can be reduced and profits increased. Publishing, relative to many other industries, has not enjoyed a high Return on Investment (ROI) for investors. Now, book publishers are much more focused on having every single book they publish be profitable. This means a more risk averse philosophy, with a preference for publishing authors with successful track records--a sound business strategy.

How to get a book published by a commercial book publisher isn't an easy task, but with perseverance and a good book you can do it.

Want to find out how you can avoid scams and still get your book published? You can receive a free report Perils and Pitfalls of Publishing for Writers just visit Free Report

About The Authors
Brian Hill and Dee Power have written several nonfiction books including The Publishing Primer: A Blueprint for an Author's Success and The Making of a Bestseller: Success Stories From Authors and the Editors, Agents, and Booksellers Behind Them.

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Do's and Don'ts of SelfPublishing

Do's and Don'ts of Self-Publishing
By Noel Brinkerhoff

It used to be where people who self-published were considered neophytes who weren't good enough to be published by more traditional publishers. They clung like barnacles to the edges of the book world, trying but not gaining access to the inner sanctum -- a place on the shelves of Barnes & Noble and a trip to Oprah's couch.

These days, however, self-published authors can make themselves lots of money, build platforms for the launch of further projects, and even sell their books at Barnes & Noble. Some have landed deals with larger publishers after selling a few thousand books with their own blood, sweat & tears, and even found themselves face to face with the Queen of the book clubs herself.

The first Do of self-publishing is to grant yourself the power to see your words in print. No one is going to come down from on high and give you permission to be published, so you might as well start with a hearty pat on the back for finishing a book. After all, its almost a national joke about how many people are writing or planing to write the great American novel at some nebulous time in the future. You are the only one who can truly decide to empower or dis-empower yourself at this juncture.

The second major Do of self-publishing is to do your research. Most people are in such a hurry to see their words in print that they neglect what will happen after the printer delivers 40 or 50 heavy boxes of books to their doorstep. Enterpreneur publishes a great step-by-step start-up guide for Self-Publishing Businesses that teaches you how to market your book, get repeat business, manage your business finances, and more.

The third major Do of self-publishing is to hone your writing until it shines. New Novelist, from Write Express, is software that can help, whether you're writing fiction or narrative non-fiction. The software takes your idea and builds it intuitively into a full-fledged story, and comes with testimonials from no less than Will Self, a novelist published many times over. Your writing will sparkle, and you'll be a lot less frustrated if you use this important tool.

The first major Don't of self-publishing is don't expect someone to sell your book for you. If you're self-publishing, you're taking on the roles of author, publisher, publicist and distributor, so you will need to think up clever ways to connect with your potential readers. One way I find extremely helpful is to hook up with Verizon Super Pages. They can help you get a web site up and running, if you plan to sell your book this way, or even help you bring some money in, through Pay-Per Click Advertising, while you're waiting for people to purchase your wares. It's a great place to place ads and start getting your name out there.

And the last major Do of self-publishing is be as loud and proud about your book as you want to be. Yahoo Search Marketing has one of the best and fastest ways to get noticed in the crowded world of books. Sponsored Search puts your book in front of millions of eyes, alongside relevant articles and product reviews. Fast-tracking your listing will widen your reach, including your listing on CNN.com, AltaVista.com, and some of the other largest sites currently in business. Doing it this way not only ensures you traffic to your site, it cements your reputation as an expert and an author.

That leads us to the last really important Do of self-publishing, which is to celebrate your achievement. Writing a book is not easy -- that's why we lionize (some of) our writers. Take pleasure in the fact that you have successfully put your thoughts into print, and are well on your way to publishing success!

Copyright 2006 GrammarGods.com

Noel Brinkerhoff is part of the team at http://www.GrammarGods.com. He has been a professional writer for over ten years, specializing in journalism and screenwriting. For seven years, he worked as a reporter for the California Journal and State Net Capitol Journal in Sacramento. He is equally well-versed in book adaptations, and can provide excellent script coverage and story notes, as a former reader for the Chesterfield Screenwriting Fellowship.

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Doctoral Dissertation Publishing Capitalizing on Your Efforts

Doctoral Dissertation Publishing - Capitalizing on Your Efforts
By Anthony Obey

Publishing your doctoral dissertation can be very effective for the aspiring educator. When go through the blood, sweat, and tears of organizing your thoughts, research, and argument for your dissertation you are at your prime. This is a work that has been well thought out, sources double checked, and all Ts crossed. This is the kind of work that gives way to advancements in the world across the board.

It reminds me of the movie, A Beautiful Mind. Russell Crow and his friends in the movie thought long and hard about what they would develop as their theory. This theory that is developed many times, such as in the movie ends up becoming the driving force of a persons life. The work is many times the best possible work of the student that it becomes useful to the world at large such as in the case of this movie. We at our publishing company have been approached by doctoral students wanting to publish their work and I tell you these are the deepest and best books that we have seen.

If you have a work such as this that you have done or you are presently working on an important work such as this then you should definitely consider publishing your work and promoting it. Becoming an author to some people remains to be the mystical or far out thing. When you have a written work or an important message to deliver then you should consider ways to distribute that message to the market that it concerns. Publishing your message or work is an easy way to put your theory to work.

I encourage you to become an author because the world needs development in our thinking which influences development in our actions, systems, and organizations. The more powerful messages we can get out to the world, the more growth and development we will see in the world.

Anthony Obey is the owner of GMA Publishing providing book publishing and marketing services to Writers, Pastors, Leaders, and Speakers. At http://www.GMApublishing.com you can also sign up for Book Coaching and receive FREE E-Tips on Writing, Publishing, and Marketing your book.

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SelfPublishing Independent Publishing Traditional Publishing

Self-Publishing, Independent Publishing, Traditional Publishing
By Valerie Connelly

Each of these three forms of publishing is different and each is viable in todays publishing world. But there is so much confusion about what they provide to aspiring authors worldwide, that I decided to address this for you today. Take what you will and leave the rest, but this perspective comes from first-hand experience in the industry.

Self-publishing: Actually, this is the murkiest water in which to swim. TRUE Self-publishing means, you create a true publishing entity, buy your own ISBNs from RR Bowker, and take all the responsibility for layout and design of your book, you find a printer, you are responsible for all marketing andyou are alone in the publishing world. To people who are skilled in graphic design and thrilled with taking risks, this is an invigorating endeavor. Companies that use the come-on self-publish your book to attract authors do the authors a true disservice for one reason: the author never truly owns his ISBN, and therefore, the way his book is produced, marketed and how he receives royalties is out of his control. There are many large self-publishing mills that accept anyone and exploit the innocence of writers.

Here is what one author told me this week:
I self-published 24/7 or Dead through one of the large POD firms, not an experience I would wish on my worst enemy. 13 galleys later, I still have uncorrected mistakes in my text but finally gave up because my publicist had booked PR appearances and I needed the book. Ive visited your site and it appears to be a place where I could self-publish again, with your support. Am, I reading this correctly?

Here is how I replied to her:
Well, there is so much misinformation about self-published books, and large POD firms are among the loudest perpetrators of misinformation. Nightengale Press is a true publisher using print on demand technology to get the books printed.

INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING:

Nightengale Press and 55,000 others cant be all wrong. Some independents keep a very narrow focus and publish only one or two titles a year. They reject lots of authors, looking for the one or two they want for their years quota. They usually function very much like a traditional publisher, in that they take on all publishing costs, but often these are supported by grants with certain guidelines, and therefore stringent limitation. Some independents publish more titles, still within a clearly defined and often limited scope for one genre only. These publishers also function very much like a traditional publisher, however, they also reject lots of authors, looking for the numbers they want for their years quota.

Nightengale Press does charge a modest fee for our services, yet, we take no money from the book sales until our authors have re-paid their investment. And we have many support services for marketing, not the least of which is our great affiliate program --- our most successful authors use this to great advantage. There isn't a better deal in the industry, and it is all because I am an author and believe with every fiber of my being that the author should get paid FIRST and FAIRLY!

The decision to self-publish poses this dilemma:
ARE YOU AN AUTHOR OR A PUBLISHER? Author? Or Publisher? That is the question. Jan Nathan of Publishers Marketing Association said this after BEA in mid-May: On a somewhat discouraging note, we met with many, many authors on the floor who chose to print their titles with Print on Demand houses, and were told by these houses that they were the publisher of their title, when in fact they are only an author with the POD house.

SEE? CONFUSION EVEN AMONG INDUSTRY EXPERTS.

FIRST:
Print on Demand is a printing technology, NOT a publishing status. I find the misconception that because a publisher uses POD technology to produce books the books they produce are somehow inferior, or they are somehow scamming the authors they serve hugely problematic.

SECOND:
A publisher is a person/business which seeks good authors, produces their books, assists to some degree with the promotion of the book, and builds a reputation through the ethical management of those authors and their work.

THIRD:
An author is a person who writes and publishes his work --- one way or another. Once a writer, always a writer but not always an author. An author can be a publisher---thanks to POD technology and the self-publishing boom. However, generally, a publisher knows good writing when he sees it, but he may not be a writer, and he may not choose the best writers to publish.

How the work is produced has NOTHING to do with the quality of the writing. It has EVERYTHING to do with the marketing of the writing, and this is where the traditional publishing community is so threatened:
There is NO LIMITATION to good writers getting published. Every good writer can get published --- even if they self-publish as a first step. What good writers cannot get alone is GOOD MARKETING. There are pitfalls and scammers everywhere in the publishing industry, waiting to take advantage of the writer who is unaware, uninformed or unable to discern the value of his own writing.

THE BIG FIVE TRADITIONAL PUBLISHERS MISS THOUSANDS OF GOOD WRITERS. They have to. The must take only those they can reasonably bet on --- it is like a horse race --- there are the favorites (best-selling authors) who nearly always win the race. Then there are the yearlings, the writers who are new to the industry, and who know very little about the race, but they run like crazy in the pack. These are the writers who become self-publishers. Then there are the long-shots, and they are the ones even the big publishing houses can miss ---- the writers who have something very new to say, or a new way to say it that doesnt quite fit the mold. SOME PUBLISHERS --- apparently the POD houses Jan is referring to ---are not even clear on the subject themselves.

To tell an author that he is the publisher of his own book when he is not the owner of the ISBN on that book is a clear misrepresentation. But because a publisher uses POD technology doesnt make him a bad publisher --- in fact, most of the 55,000 or so small publishers in the USA couldnt do what they do without it. The costs of offset / traditional publishing are too great at the outset., tens of thousands of dollars, and even the big guys dont spend their money on the unknown author (who becomes more a number than a person in that realm, by the way).

So, what is a writer to do? Here is my motto, and it drives everything I do as a writer and as a publihsher:
Believe first in YOURSELF

You CAN achieve Excellence if you WORK harder than others think is necessary

EXPECT more of yourself than others think is possible

CARE more about your future than others think is wise

TAKE RISKS more than others think is safe

DREAM more than others think is practical

And
NEVER, EVER QUIT!

Valeries talk show on Global Talk Radio is a popular program which targets writers worldwide to provide them a place to promote their books, discuss their experiences as writers, and learn from experts who also appear on the program. When Valerie goes into the Publishers Corner, an informative segment that highlights book industry trends and reveals important issues affecting writers and their books, she gives her listeners the publishers perspective on vital information they need to keep up to date on a wide spectrum of topics. She also teaches the essentials to successful book development and promotion for aspiring and published authors alike.

Go to http://www.globaltalkradio.com/shows/callingallauthors to listen to archives.

Go to Valerie's Blog at http://www.valerieconnelly.com Learn about Publishing with Nightengale Press at http://www.nightengalepress.com

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Can Authors Really Earn A Living Writing Through Self Publishing?

Can Authors Really Earn A Living Writing Through Self Publishing?
By Kevin D Browne

The answer is YES. And I am living proof of that yes.

After graduating from college in beautiful downtown Worcester, MA, it was my single-minded goal to write and publish a book. My own book. It consumed me. I could imagine nothing less. (Looking back I wonder if me being so naive didn't actually help me in the long run.)

And like many, many others before me and since, I thought a great idea and superior writing would be all I needed to accomplish my goal.

Whoa. Was that flawed thinking.

Truth is that the big publishers play the 90/10 rule. Ninety percent of their effort goes into 10% of their authors. The PROVEN authors who make them money with every new book that comes along. If you think about it, it makes perfect sense from a business point of view.

I even knew those unflattering 90/10 odds going in. (It's well known that publishers aren't WAITING for you to arrive at their doors.) So I didn't even get into query letters or writing first chapters on spec or networking to see who knew who. These and other familiar routes are well-travelled and the horror stories about their usefulness literally pushed me to think differently.

You have to remember...I wanted to be published and I wasn't going to allow anything to stop me!

So I didn't. I spent several months waitering at some of New Yorks' finest eateries and writing and laying out pages, and sending in proofs, and making edits, and checking cover colors, and getting book deliveries and distributing press releases, and doing radio interviews...and, um, everything.

The result of me wanting to earn a living through self publishing: over 12,000 copies sold in 19 countries. Not New York Times worthy, but not too shabby.

This article is not a plug for that book which was actually a short story collection much like the old Twilight Zone television series. That's not my intention. I'm not trying to sell you anything.

Except hope.

If you truly feel that a book is inside you and that it has to come out, I am living proof that the answer to the question 'can authors really earn a living through self publishing?' was answered by me and many others like me.

But that it takes an amazing amount of work to do it.

Kevin Browne is the author and publisher of NIGHTALES(1990) and has worked as a Senior Copywriter for the past 20 hyears on Madison Avenue.

Mr. Browne now devotes all of his time to showing others how they can earn a living through self publishing and how they can break into the exciting world of writing at his new site: http://www.become-a-copywriter.com.

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Fear of Publishing and What to Do About It

Fear of Publishing and What to Do About It
By Gina J Hiatt

Youre almost done with the whole article. You should feel relieved. Instead you feel like youve written a bunch of junk.

Its funny, though. At other times youve felt that youve written something worthwhile.

Now, however, you feel the urge to read several more articles, add more footnotes, edit it some more, or check your email. Anything but wrap it up and send it in.

It doesnt matter if its a revise and resubmit article for a journal or a draft chapter to show to your dissertation advisor. Theres something anxiety-provoking about letting go of your work and putting it out there for the wider world to see.

One very brilliant client of mine told me how she had a similar feeling when she was 9 months pregnant. The babys room wasnt ready, and she had so much more to do. She tried to will herself not to give birth yet. Luckily, her body didnt cooperate. Now she tries to do the same with journal articles.

This reluctance to release ones work is so common in academia, that it may well be the norm. In some cases, though, it can become crippling.

Reasons for Reluctance to Release Writing
Here are the kinds of statements that I hear from academics in regards to this issue. Each statement is followed by an alternate way to look at the situation. If youve found yourself saying anything like this to yourself, try the alternate way of thinking on for size.

Who am I to make that definitive a statement?

If not you, then who? What makes someone else an authority and not you? Where and when did the current authorities start having the authority to make their statements?

I have an idea, but I cant find any references to cite that say what Im thinking.

Maybe thats because its an original idea! Sometimes new ideas really are leaps. Run it by some colleagues and see what they think.

Im intimidated by the fact that others have written about my subject for much longer than I have.

Sometimes people who are steeped in a subject cant think about that subject in as clear a light as a newcomer.

A new voice is always welcome (and if it isnt, too bad for them.)

My viewpoint doesnt fit the mental maps of academics in my field, so they will disagree with what I say.

Try to welcome disagreement! The best scholarly contributions often incite others to argue vociferously against the new ideas. By generating discussion youre advancing the field.

The critical nature of academia is paralyzing to some. Its important to realize that academics enjoy thinking and puzzling things out. The devils advocate approach that looks for holes in your logic is just part of the process. Try not to take that part personally.

Remember that some of the most famous theorists, even the ones with scads of data to back them up, invited the most invective. Charles Darwin comes to mind Im sure you can think of others.

What if I just dont know what Im talking about?

Then finish the piece, have others read it, and find out! Chances are youre not completely out of your mind.

Everything Ive written is junk. It doesnt make any sense to me any more.

Its time to finish the up the part youre writing, give it a rest, and let someone else look at it. Either fresher eyes or new eyes will help you see it in a new light.

If youre not totally burned out, push past that feeling. Trust the process. As one client said, dont flip out just when youre at the cusp of turning it from cream into butter. It seems like nothing is happening, but if you perservere, you will see that you have produced something worthwhile.

I can see that its not perfectly written. Im a sham and a charlatan and I dont deserve to be in this field.

It doesnt have to be perfect; it just has to be good enough.

You dont have to be perfect. If youve gotten this far, you ARE good enough. Besides, everyone in academia feels that way every once in a while.

Looking over already published papers will remind you that imperfect writing still gets published. And has some value!

Theres so much more I could say about this subject.

You can use this excuse never to complete a project about the subject.

Its OK to keep writing about the subject. In your next paper, chapter, or presentation, that is. Finish this one youve probably said enough for now.

So Give Birth To That Baby!
The world deserves to hear what you have to say. Dont deprive the universe of your ideas! Release them from your brain and get them out there!

Gina J Hiatt, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist, tenure coach and dissertation coach and enjoys helping faculty and graduate students complete research, writing projects, and publish, while maintaining high teaching standards and other commitments. In addition to dissertation coaching, she teaches workshops and teleclasses on time management, writing, career planning and grad student/advisor relationships. Sign up for my free newsletter at http://www.academicladder.com or call me at (703) 734-4945.

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Self Publishing 101 Don't Sell Your Book in a Bookstore!

Self Publishing 101 - Don't Sell Your Book in a Bookstore!
By Ray Robinson

How many times when you dreamed of readers finding your book did your dreams center around them finding it in a brick-and-mortar bookstore? Chances are, most of the time This is the fantasy the leads too many authors to the endless pain of the author-agent-publisher rejection cycle. And, it rarely sells any significant amount of books.

The realities of bookstore sales are frightening far more books fail courtesy of bookstores than succeed. Consider these facts:Returns rates exceed 70% in many categories that means bookstores send back 7 out of every 10 books they buy. YOU the author bear the biggest brunt of the pain of returns. The publisher has other books they can rely on you, however, have seen your dream destroyed.

Bookstores buy very few copies on a story-by-store basis, and they typically only merchandise the books that have big marketing dollars behind them. Unless you can afford a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign, it is highly unlikely that your book will be stacked anywhere a potential buyer can find it (let alone in the front of the store.)

Author signing events typically sell only about 7 books all your scheduling, time, calling stores to set up events results in selling 7 books

Bookstores take up to 90 days to pay for your books and to mitigate what they owe you they will quite often return your remaining stock WITHIN the 90 days.

Retail outlets typically command very large discounts (but then so do online retailers in many cases)

The typical retail buyer is not a destination purchaser, but a browser (most readers who know what they want go to the online retail sites). A reader in search of a book can be a GREAT customer. But when you are shelved next to all the other books in your particular category, your competition stands as good a chance at getting bought as you do and if you are stocked near a well-known author, most buyers will bypass your book to pick up the well-known name.

Now that youve had all the good news here is an interesting fact:

Over half the books sold in the publishing industry are sold through NON-bookstore vehicles.

That means that more books are sold in other places than bookstores- and your book is likely to be most successful through these outlets. And online sales driven by a targeted, effective, and comprehensive marketing plan will be the cornerstone of your books success.

Authors spend a lot of time and money chasing the improbable, when the golden egg of self-publishing and self-promotion is right in front of them. In my opinion, I'd sell my books everywhere except the brick and mortar bookstore!

Utilizing the tools that made the internet the powerhouse it is today will build sales that you never dreamed were possible. Search Marketing, blogs, newsletters, email campaigns, web sites, and your personal appearances (yes, the human touch still has meaning in book sales) are the new tools for building great book sales.

Let us know if we can answer any questions, and thanks for reading

As always - if you like this information (and found it helpful) please feel free to post it on your site, put it in a blog, toss it in your newsletter, or in general spread it around. Please just give us credit here at www.dogearpublishing.net

May you have success in your creative efforts!

Ray

Ray Robinson is a partner in Dog Ear Publishing http://www.dogearpublishing.net a self publishing services company specializing in delivering high touch services to the author community. His company provides a full range of services to authors, from editorial to page layout to marketing and fulfillment. Visit the web site for a complete discussion on marketing your book.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Self-Publishing-101---Dont-Sell-Your-Book-in-a-Bookstore!&id=133404

Publishing or Self Publishing

Publishing or Self - Publishing
By Olga Kellen

It will probably come as no surprise to you that these days it is very hard to publish a book. For those of you, new authors, who havent learned the reasons for this, consider the following facts

Under incessant attack from TV, film, CD, video, and of course the Internet, the market for serious printed books has shrunk a good deal from what it was in prior decades. While all of these, especially the last, may not seem like direct competitors in kind, they are all direct competitors for the potential readers time.

One might be tempted to place significant blame on the declining quality of education as well. Insofar as this is true, it also operates synergistically with a decline in the quality of popular culture, particularly of the young who would otherwise be consumers of future literature.

As a result, conventional print book publishers have had to concern themselves more and more with the bottom line, tending away from the effort and concern they previously expended in consciously supporting the quality of literary output. They no longer can maintain armies of in-house editors whose job it is to screen manuscripts sent to the publishing house by authors. The recognized freelance literary agent is now typically used to pre-screen such manuscripts.

For newly written fiction, well over 95% of manuscripts by unknown / first time authors are rejected by agents. Of those manuscripts which are accepted by agents, over 95% are rejected by conventional publishing houses, believing they represent a serious risk to their bottom line. There is thus currently almost no market in conventional book publishing for fiction by new authors in the U.S.

Authors of authoritative or otherwise interesting non-fiction generally have an easier (but not always easy) time with conventional book publishing. This may be particularly true of scholarly works written by recognized experts (of course, new fiction by well-known authors in general also gets an easy path to conventional publication.)

How can we authors publish a book in the face of this current unsatisfactory condition? Fortunately, there are three relatively recent developments in book publishing, book printing, book marketing and promotion that, if used wisely, can be used to overcome the publishing brick wall and get our books out to the public:

Web-based publishing and similar state-of-the-art printing technology allows us to print relatively few high-quality books at a time at remarkably low cost. Though that cost is typically borne by the author, the process allows him to retain all rights to his literary creation something that conventional book publishers never permit.

Internet-published books, or e-books, are a very good way for small manuscripts to be created with virtually no printing costs, since the e-book exists only in electronic form.

The Internet is an excellent way for the author or his allies to promote and even to sell his book directly to the reading public. It is not usually recommended that it be the only way to promote your book, but it provides an excellent start.

This route to publish a book has a number of advantages for you, the author. You may not have even thought of some of them, or if you did, gave them much merit. Still, consider, if you will, some of these:

Your publication plans do not have to depend on a publishers opinion of your work, which is at least as likely to be based on his estimate of the likelihood of making money from it as of its literary worth.

The fact that you do not have to wait for anyones opinions or views, nor do you have to surrender any of your rights to the publication, can act as a powerful energizer to you while you actually carry out your planned publication.

You can save a great deal of time to publish a book typically the many months that it takes to find an agent; and if you finally do, for the agent to find a conventional book publisher.

Olga Kellen,
LinkedIn member
linkedin.com

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Publishing-or-Self---Publishing&id=580788

The 7 Levels of Publishing Part Three

The 7 Levels of Publishing, Part Three
By Mike Scantlebury

The First Level of Publishing is to receive a single copy of a book. The Second Level of Publishing is when you receive five copies. The Third Level of Publishing is when you want 50 copies. The Fourth Level of publishing is when you aim for sales of 500 copies. Level Five is where a single book's sales amount to five thousand copies.

Traditional Publishers want Level Six, at least, that is, sales of fifty thousand. Even then, the author isn't a 'success'. They won't be on the Bestsellers list, (they need the next level for that) and will be on the cusp of being 'profitable'. Still, with an author at this level, the Publisher would probably be willing to risk the next book and may even put some effort into it, perhaps even providing an Advertising Budget, at last.

The irony is that we are now at the level of the 'Midlist'. A generation ago, Traditional Publishers were happy to have a range of authors, perhaps with many at this level. They were balanced, and ultimately paid for, by a clutch of Bestsellers, but the Midlist made a publisher respectable, admired in literary circles, showing that they had a stable of professional writers, skilled and able to produce a regular stream of novels that might produce steady sales, be well received by critics, (even if ignored by the vast mass of the population, who weren't enthused enough to make any of these people a runaway success). But some of them did. The investment in the Midlist meant that publishers had a string of people producing solid work, and who knows, each next book might be the one, the 'breakthrough' novel that would take them up to the level of 'household name', fame and, ultimately, fortune. If there is one thing that characterises the collapse of the confidence in Traditional Publishers in recent years it is that they have given up on the Midlist. Now, all they want is Bestsellers. They will tolerate a few near misses, but if the author is stuck at Level 6, they won't last long. They might survive for a novel or two, but then it's goodbye. (Sadly, this means there are a new clutch of 'might-have-beens' out there, writers who achieved the Holy Grail, the Publishing Contract, only to lose it in a few short years. Their fate? To be reviled and shunned by other Publishers. 'You didn't make it then? We don't want to know you now'.)

What of the Internet Publisher? If you've put a book together, loaded it up on the web and seen it sell this kind of numbers, then you are swimming in money. Unfortunately, this is the time to be most wary. It's when Traditional Publishers will come swarming over the horizon, clutching their chequebooks. They will offer all kinds of silly money, hoping to woo you. Beware! Their enthusiasm, as we've seen, can be short lived. You're at Level 6, great, but if your next book doesn't hit the next level up, you will die, as surely as all their other signings. There is no sentiment in the world of Traditional Publishing.

Level Seven is the top. It indicates sales of five hundred thousand, which makes you an international bestseller. In fact, anything over one hundred thousand will probably get you into the top sales charts, at least for a short time, which means publicity, interviews on TV, and journalists willing to hear your life story. It's all gravy, as they say, or more accurately, champagne, for a while. Beware, again. You have to be interesting! The mistake most authors make is that they spend so much time sitting at a desk, staring at sheets of paper, they don't have time to go out and do silly things. They don't put enough energy into affairs, or divorces, or scandals. They don't go out enough, to Opening Nights, to art galleries, to nightclubs and swanky restaurants. In fact, some writers see the public life as something of a distraction, and avoid it. Big mistake! Is it any wonder that one of the all-time and current bestselling authors in England is an ex-politician called Jeffrey Archer. He's spent the last few years assiduously building his career. He's been in prison. Now that is interesting! Sadly, most authors don't have his flair for publicity, (and don't last as long as he will).

Where are Internet Authors? They're probably nowhere near this level. If they could achieve it, they would have been signed up, tempted by pieces of silver and seduced away from the internet years before. That's fine, because Internet Authors know one thing. The best reward for an author is not glory, but to be given the time and money to sit at home and write books, which is something you can achieve at Level Five (on the internet). You don't need anything else. Levels 6 and 7 lead to a life in the spotlight, dragging you away from writing and taking up your precious time with fripperies. It's sometimes seen as a necessary evil by successful writers, but you can live without it. More important, you can exist as an author without it, which is more important.

Let's learn the lessons of the Seven Levels. Authors, people who want to see their work in print, can achieve most of their ends through the internet, at minimum cost in terms of both time and effort, (and money). Traditional Publishing only comes into its own for the top 2 levels, and then, it comes at a price, (in terms of mind-boggling banality and triviality). Why bother? If you write and want to share your work, find out about the opportunities on the internet. Don't be tricked by online Vanity Publishers of course, but see what print-on-demand can give you and work with the kind of Internet Publishers that other authors will recommend, (through chat rooms and discussion forums).

The bottom line is this. 99% of people who have written a book will never see it in print, especially if they pursue the fruitless and time-consuming task of trying to interest a Traditional Publisher in their work. If you take up Internet Publishing, you get the most important part of what you want at Level One! Anything after that is a bonus.

Mike Scantlebury is an Internet Author, currently based in Manchester, England, home to a famous soccer club and home town of that iconic LA-based singer, Morrisey. Mike has written many novels, some of which are available as books on Lulu dot com, as well as stories and songs. Links to these, (as well as his hilarious video efforts), can be found at his download site.

Try http://www.mikescantlebury.biz

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http://EzineArticles.com/?The-7-Levels-of-Publishing,-Part-Three&id=605828

The 7 Levels of Publishing Part Two

The 7 Levels of Publishing - Part Two
By Mike Scantlebury

Previously in Part One.

The First Level of Publishing is to print one copy. The Second Level of Publishing is when you receive five copies. The Third Level of Publishing is when you want 50 copies.

Now - Part Two.

The Fourth Level of publishing is next. For the Self-Publisher or Internet Publisher, this is when they aim for sales of 500 copies. This means they have exhausted friends and family, all of them, including long-lost aunts, uncles, and people you used to work with years ago. It also means people you meet in Libraries and cafes, at Book signings and at Writers' Workshops. As one Literary Festival organiser told me a few years ago, it probably means you're a 'regional writer', quite well known in your own particular area, your neck of the woods.

You will have been featured in your local newspaper and on local radio, maybe even TV. It's quite a high target and a place that some Internet Publishers never reach. Strangely, this is a level not even noticed by Traditional Publishers. If one of their signed authors stops at this level, Level Four, they would be viewed as a complete disaster, a huge loss of finanical investment and someone not worth bothering about in the future.

Similary for Level Five. This is where a single book's sale amount to five thousand copies. This would be laughable for a Traditional Publisher. Sure, some hardbacks launched in the UK never sell more than a few thousand copies, but this is mainly to get the critics interested and establish some kind of presence.

The hardback that gets noticed through this initial launch would be followed by a paperback edition that would be expected to sell in the tens of thousands. Anything less, and the author would be quietly dropped, (even if a long-term contract had been agreed) and swiftly replaced by a new hopeful. For the Internet Publisher, this is a far more significant level. It means that the Self-Publisher will start to see an important contribution to their income. It starts to look as though they can really think about planning to give up the day job. It seems that they might finally make it into the realms of the 'full-time, professional author'. Why the big difference? Because an Internet Author doesn't have to make a huge profit for the publisher who signed them up.

Those publishers need big sales to pay for all their glossy offices and expense account lunches, all the Conventions and Festivals they have to attend, plus the hangers-on, the Literary Agents, the publicity people, the photographers and layout artists, the book jacket designers. An author who has followed through on publishing their own book (with the help of an online publisher like Lulu) will be pleased to reach Level Five and will start to feel their careers are finally taking off. For a Traditional Publisher, looking at one of their authors at Level Five, means that if the person has peaked at this level, then they have completely failed.

Traditional Publishers want Level Six, at least, that is, sales of fifty thousand. Even then, the author isn't a 'success'. They won't be on the Bestsellers list, (they need the next level for that) and will be on the cusp of being 'profitable'. Still, with an author at this level, the Publisher would probably be willing to risk the next book and may even put some effort into it, perhaps even providing an Advertising Budget, at least.

(To be continued in Part Three)

Mike Scantlebury is an Internet Author. He is offering novels for sale at Lulu dot com and has several web sites, listing books and stories he has written in different genres. He also enjoys a good argument and has set up the highly controversial Discussion Forum http://www.PublishingisDead.com where the debate can be faced and fought over (and the title speaks for itself).

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http://EzineArticles.com/?The-7-Levels-of-Publishing---Part-Two&id=574519

I Have My Manuscript Now What? A Look at the World of Publishing

I Have My Manuscript, Now What? A Look at the World of Publishing
By John Neyman, Jr.

Youve spent endless nights hammering away at your book. Youve rewritten it, youve edited it, and you had it professionally proofed. Your baby is finally done and youre ready to send your precious manuscript off to a publisher, thinking that writing it was the hardest part. Wrong!

Actually, getting your blood, sweat and tears published may be the hardest part of the whole process. Youll need to determine if a publisher will be required, or if youd rather self-publish your book. There are pros and cons to both sides, some of which are discussed below.

To work with a publisher, youll need to send out query letters and/or a book proposal. This is a letter or a few pages briefly describing your text, why it is unique, characteristics of your target market and how you can help market the book. Most publishers dont accept unsolicited manuscripts, so youll need to convince them to read yours. If they request that you forward your entire manuscript, you have one foot in the door. Be prepared to send more than one query and dont expect a response next week.

There are writer's guides that serve as excellent resources to find publishers who specialize in your particular genre. These guides list the percentage of new authors published as well as the percentage of sales they pay. You may find pay rates ranging from 5-10% of sales. Some pay on wholesale sales and others on the retail amount. Do the math. Perhaps your book will retail for $14.95 and the publisher will pay 6% on retail. This means you will earn 90 cents per book sold. Of course dont forget that the publisher is doing all the printing, distributing, and marketing of your text.

Another route you may want to consider is self-publishing. You will be responsible for all the printing, distributing and marketing costs involved, but you will also get to retain all the profits. There are book printing companies as well as companies that specialize in assisting the self-publisher through every step along the way.

Finally, theres age old debate about which method is better; using a publishing company or self publishing your own book. You know your situation and you know what will work best for you. Youll want to consider how much time or money you have to invest in the project. That should give you an idea which route to take. Using a publisher takes less time on your part, but youll forfeit some of the royalties by using this method. If you self publish, youll have to pay up front and do the initial work to get the ball rolling on sales of your book.

Either way, publishing is your call. With a little persistance and hard work you CAN get your book to Market. So, go for it!!

Dr. John E. Neyman, Jr is an Author, Speaker, and President of http://UniversityofAuthors.com you may contact Dr. John at info@UniversityofAuthors.com

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http://EzineArticles.com/?I-Have-My-Manuscript,-Now-What?-A-Look-at-the-World-of-Publishing&id=100069

SelfPublishing: How Important is an ISBN Number?

Self-Publishing: How Important is an ISBN Number?
By Scott Lindsay

You've weighed all your options and have determined that self-publishing makes the most sense for your foray into publishing. You understand that there is an increase in the need to self-market your title, but there is also a correlating increase in profit margin. Other risks have been assessed and youre comfortable moving forward in the direction you've chosen.

Have you applied for an ISBN number?

What's that? You might be asking yourself. Well, an ISBN (International Standard BookNumber) is a specific number that helps identify your book and has provided the standard of book identification since 1970.

Some brick and mortar stores as well as online retailers have policies that disqualify the sale of a book that does not contain an ISBN.

The cost to purchase an ISBN may seem prohibitive for many. Heres the basic cost structure...

Registration Fee: $24.95

Service Fee for 10 ISBN's: $225.00

Annual Fee: $25

Manual Processing Fee (if you file a print application): $50

Express Service (if required): $125

If you needed an ISBN number quickly you would spend close to $450 to get one. The truth is, you receive up to ten ISBNs for the price listed above, but the acquisition of an ISBN doe note provide a distinction between the need for one or ten separate numbers, ultimately you pay the same price. This can be a benefit I you have additional titles planned, but can be a hefty expense for a single book

The online web address for ISBN acquisition is http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/isbn/us/secureapp.asp

You should know that there are resellers of International Standard BookNumbers and you can purchase a single ISBN for around $50 through these services. Another alternate avenue for the purchase of an ISBN is through your book printer. These printing firms often provide this as a service to their printing customers simply because they realize that you may not need 10 ISBN numbers and you may not wish to pay $300-400 for the use of a single ISBN.

The task of self-publishing may seem daunting, but it can be successfully done. Just as you spent time researching the subject matter for your book, so too is the process for the publication process. Beyond the need for an ISBN you will also need to manage copyright issues as well as filing your work with the Library of Congress. Again in many cases a qualified book printer can address these issues although you may find a less expensive alternative with a little online comparison-shopping.

Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of FaithWriters (http://www.faithwriters.com) and many other web projects. FaithWriters has grown to become one of the largest online destinations for Christian writers. Members include writers from all around the world. Please visit the website at: http://www.faithwriters.com

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Self-Publishing:-How-Important-is-an-ISBN-Number?&id=297219

Book Publishing Services

Book Publishing Services
By Jason Gluckman

Book publishing services are usually just self-publishing companies that do the legwork for a fee. But in a nutshell, the publishing industry includes the development, marketing, production and distribution of news and non-fiction magazines and books, literary works and other works dealing with dissemination of information. Although newspaper and magazine companies often own printing presses and binderies, most of the book publishing companies outsource the production and development work to smaller companies and only control the advertising and marketing tasks. Some of the publishing companies sub-contract the editorial work as well. These companies offering specialized book publishing services are also an integral part of the ever-growing publishing industry in the US.

Some of the book publishing services companies like Cader Books, Benchmark Productions, iUniverse Inc. and Xlibris offer specialized services at every stage of book publishing like researching topics and assisting authors. They also offer editing services, designing the layout, artwork and photography, cover layout, bar coding and the final printing and distribution of books. Each service has a fee and can be customized according to the clients need.

A number of publishing service companies offer counseling services to help self-publishers. They include theme planning, book formatting, business plan advice and copyright information. Other specialized services include manuscript evaluation and critiquing, as well as suggestions as to how to develop the manuscript and make it saleable in the market. The publishing services also include ISBN acquisition and CIP data acquisition that are mainly used to assign a unique number to the published books and to help catalog the books.

Book Publishing provides detailed information on Book Publishing, Book Publishing Companies, Online Book Publishing, Book Publishing Services and more. Book Publishing is affiliated with Book Binding Equipment.

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SelfPublishing 101

Self-Publishing 101
By Chris Tolamalu

Typically, authors write their books, send them to agents or publishers, and then hope for the best. However, some authors opt to not leave anything to chance; they take matters into their own hands and make sure that the book is published. Welcome to the world of self-publishing, wherein books or other media are published by those who have written them.

Self-publishing enables the author to not only ensure that the book is published, but also gives the author complete control over content (traditionally, the publisher does maintain some editorial control over the matter). Other aspects that the publisher traditionally controls - design of the book, the layout of the text, the appearance of the cover, the bookbinding, the quality of the paper, and so on can also be controlled by the writer when self-publishing.

How is self-publishing different from traditional publishing? Besides the fact that the author is also the publisher, self-publishing means that the author pays for the publication out of his/her own pocket, and also has to handle marketing on his/her own.

When self-publishing, the author does not get the printer to print the typical 7,000 copies that the publisher orders. In the self-publishing model, the author pays for the initial press run, which is usually small. Unlike the publisher, the author does not warehouse the books, but stores them maybe in a home or studio. The author may sell the book directly to readers and other end customers. Alternately, the writer may consider retailing by offering it on consignment through retail stores. There are also those writers who print the book themselves, using either a xerographic process or a computer printer. Sometimes writers print on demand, and keep absolutely no inventory.

Cost issues may also mean that the showy full-color cover used by traditional publishers is absent. Bindings suitable for short press runs, like staples, comb bindings, or wire-bindings may be selected over the perfect binding that is used for larger press runs.

Besides fiction and non-fiction books, other reasons for self-publishing include: Sales brochures, catalogs and price lists, annual reports, prospectus, flyers, posters, pamphlets, niche market books, invitations to events, and religious materials.

Remember that though routing your book through a publisher has its own advantages, self-publishing means that your work can reach your audience very fast, you can set your own prices, and you don't have to share a cent of your earnings with agents and publishers.

Chris Tolamalu is interested in self publishing. See http://www.selfpublishingblog.com for more information.

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The Benefits of Publishing Articles to Build Big Ticket Marketing Relationships

The Benefits of Publishing Articles to Build Big Ticket Marketing Relationships
By Chuck Daniel

Ok, today we are going to talk about one of my favorite Big Ticket Marketing tools writing articles!

You are probably thinking, what does writing articles have to do with Big Ticket Marketing?

Well, it turns out, it has plenty to do with it and I'm going to tell you why.

It's about the relationship!

As a Big Ticket Marketer you have an even tougher job of convincing your potential customers to become actual customers. Thats because Big Ticket items have a much higher price tag then other products. And the higher price tag means that you have more skepticism to overcome than someone who is just selling a $37 e-book.

Also, you may be in an industry where there is a lot of competition with products that have very similar capabilities or features. So how do you differentiate yourself and your Big Ticket product from the others?

In my opinion, the key factor that should make you different from the others is not price. Although that is an important consideration it is not the only one when people are spending more to purchase a product. The key factor, I believe, is the relationship that you create between yourself and your prospective and existing customers.

Prospective and Existing Customers Need to Know You, Like You and Trust You before They Will Buy From You

In order to sell to anyone, they have to know you, like you and trust you. This is especially true for Big Ticket items. Obviously there are lots of ways to help your prospective and existing customers to get to know you like you and trust you. One way is to make sure you always provide them with value on an ongoing basis.

That means giving them great, highly relevant content for free. Also, supplying free products relevant to their interests. Obviously, the quality of your product and your service must be high or you will quickly lose any customers you have!

For Big Ticket item purchasers, it will take them a lot longer to evaluate you and your product. Let's look at a couple of examples:

Let's say you you sell real estate. No one is going to jump and buy the first property they are presented with, unless it just happens to completely meet their needs. Instead, they are going to rely on you to provide them with a bunch of choices based on what you tell them you want. That process could take as little as a month or as long as several years depending on how demanding the buyer is.

Or say you are in the high tech industry where you sell computer solutions including all the hardware, software and support. In some cases these deals could be worth 1/2 a million dollars or more. Again, no one is going to just write you a check without very seriously evaluating your product and services and YOU!

One of the best ways to keep you and your products in the minds of your potential and existing customers is to consistently be in touch with them. And this is where articles are a super Big Ticket Marketing strategy.

Why are Articles A Great Big Ticket Marketing Strategy?

Articles that are interesting, relevant, on target and useful to your target market are a great way to stay in touch (and in the mind) of your potential and existing customers.

Great articles do take some time to write but like anything else, the more you write the easier it becomes. And heck, if you really hate writing articles, there are lots of people on elance.com or other free-lance websites who will be happy to do it for you.

All you have to do is publish or email the articles to your prospective and existing customers on a regular basis. You give them value, maintain contact with them and stay in their mind. You never know when the prospective or existing customer will decide that its time to make that purchase.

And if you are the person most recently in their mind who do you think they will think of first for the product or service?

Here are the benefits of using articles as a Big Ticket Marketing strategy:

• Articles provide great content for your e-zine or blog. By keeping in touch with customers and giving them valuable, relevant content you are helping build your relationship with them.
• Articles help establish you as the expert in your area. You build a relationship by informing your readers about your area and about the benefits your product or service can provide. This can be as subtle as just providing links in your resource box after the article or by writing advertorial content.

  Note: advertorial is just a funny word that describes an article written to look like a newspaper or magazine column but is really an advertisement for your product or service.

• Articles are generally followed by a resource box which may contain the author of the article, a short biography of the author, the authors websites and sales pages. Readers who find your article interesting often click on the links in the resource box to learn more. This is another source of traffic for you!
• So the more e-zines and article directories you can publish articles means you get more exposure. It also means more readers who may click through to your sites. It will also help you get a higher ranking in the search engines for your other sites.
• Many search engines and especially Google, give higher ranking to websites that have other sites that link back to them. The search engines consider sites with lots of other sites that link to them more relevant than sites with only a few links back to them. So the more, different places you can get your articles published means that many more places that have your resource box and your links pointing back to your site there will be.

  And that means that when people search using keywords related to the product or service that you sell, your sites will be returned higher up in the search results giving you a better chance that potential customers will check out your sites.

  And the nice thing about this method for obtaining a higher ranking is that it is unlikely to change even if search engines change their algorithms which is something they do on a constant basis.

• Writing articles forces you to really know your area and communicate to your prospective and existing customers in an easy to understand way. Your writing and communication skills improve and your readers appreciate the information you provide in a clear, easy to read fashion. Again, helping you build a relationship with them.

If you haven't realized it by now, I am a huge fan of using articles for my marketing. I hope I have convinced you of the benefits and that you will start using articles in your own Big Ticket marketing efforts.

For more information on a package that can help you really take your article marketing to the next level including software that helps automate the process check out the Article Announcer Link on the Big Ticket Blog resource page below.

Copyright (C) 2005 Chuck Daniel, Like Magic Marketing, LLC -- All Rights Reserved.

Chuck is a former Microsoft software designer and program manager who spent more than a decade happily working on Email and CRM. Admittedly a seminar, workshop and information addict, Chuck left Microsoft to pursue his interests in personal development, Internet, direct and information marketing and to promote and work for charitable causes.

Chuck Daniel
Would You Like to Make BIG Bucks
With BIG Ticket Items Online?
http://www.bigtickethomestudy.com
http://www.bigticketblog.com

This article may be reprinted in its entirety in your E-zine or on your site as long as the content is not modified, all links are left in place and you include the resource box as listed above.

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SelfPublishing Ten Great Tips to Make Your Book Shine

Self-Publishing - Ten Great Tips to Make Your Book Shine
By Bob Sanchez

We self-publishers fight a lonely battle, finding readers for our wit and wisdom. We write alone, and now we sell alone and search for ways to market our work. How do we entice readers to open their wallets?

Those questions are often premature. Before asking how youre going to cope with all those book orders, you need to make sure you have a quality product. So here are ten tips to make your book, fiction or non-fiction, the best it can be.

#1 Use a spell-checker, but only as a first line of defense. Then you look for misspellings the spell-checker wont catch, such as then/than, to/too/two, tail/tale, or its/its.

#2 Read your manuscript critically, as though you werent the author. Some things to check include complete chapters, well-organized paragraphs, complete sentences, and accurate punctuation.

#3 Be consistent. If you capitalize a word once in the text, chances are you always want to capitalize it. Decide whether you want one space or two at the end of a sentence, and stick with it. Never change your font or type size without good reason. If your work consists of more than one file, be sure that every file is formatted identically.

#4 Get honest, competent critiques. Leave your mother and spouse alone; your family has better things to do than fawn over your work. Avoid critiques from anyone who has an emotional stake in making you happy, because that isnt what you need. The Internet Writing Workshop (http://internetwritingworkshop.org) is an excellent source of constructive, informed criticism.

#5 Use your judgment. Even good critiquers may give you conflicting advice. Remember that its your project, so the final decision is always yours.

#6 Refer to a style manual such as the Chicago Manual of Style, which is the most widely accepted guide for standard writing.

#7 Make a style sheet. A novel or other large manuscript can involve lots of small stylistic decisions by the author. Keep a pad of paper with a running list things you dont want to have to keep looking up. For example, a cartoon I liked showed a bank robber writing a note and asking the teller, Is holdup one word or two? Think of words you often misspell or dont know how to capitalize, and write them correctly on the list.

#8 Follow your publishers guidelines religiously even if they dont insist.

#9 Repeat tip #2.

#10 Review the publishers proof carefully. When you receive the publishers proof isnt the time to look for typos; you should have done that already. At this stage, the publisher may even charge you if you fix many of your own mistakes at this stage. Instead, look for their errors. Are illustrations in their proper places? Are pages and chapters numbered properly? Look at every pages overall appearance. Is each one properly aligned? Is any text missing?

If you follow these simple (but not always easy) tips, I cant guarantee best-sellerdom for your book, but I can promise you this: Your book will be far superior to the vast majority of self-published books. You will have a quality product.

Bob Sanchez is a retired senior technical writer who recently self-published his comic novel When Pigs Fly (iUniverse, 2006). Kirkus Discoveries declares that Sanchez's breakneck narrative never lets up, while Midwest Book Review states, Bob Sanchez writes like Carl Hiaasen on speed. He is working on his next novel and plans to self-publish again.

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Book Publishing Companies

Book Publishing Companies
By Jason Gluckman

Book publishing has accelerated as an industry in the last few decades with the steady growth of computer technology and new publishing techniques like digital information systems and the Internet. According to figures released by the Association of American Publishers (AAP), net sales for the entire United States publishing industry are estimated to have increased by 1.3 percent from 2003 to 2004 to a grand total of $23.72 billion. This clearly indicates the publishers or the book publishing companies are reaping the benefits of the trade.

Most of the publishers or the book publishing companies usually control the advertising and marketing tasks and sub-contract the editorial and production process to small businesses, as book publishers rarely own printing presses and binderies. This trend, known as book packaging, is gaining momentum as retail book chains and supermarkets have centralized their buying.

Although, the publishing industry is teeming with many book publishers, some of the well-known names in the industry are: McGraw Hills Companies, HarperCollins Publishers, Penguin Group, Reed Elsevier, W.W. Norton & Company Inc., Macmillan Publishers Ltd., Longman Publishers USA, Pearson to name a few. These companies publish material on diverse topics ranging from entertainment, fiction, non-fiction, management, art, architecture, photography to day to day issues like cooking, pet care, gardening, etc.

Recently, Western publishing industry has been shrouded with controversy as large business houses have bought or merged a significant number of key publishing houses and bookstores to create a monopoly in the market. This has resulted in an increased concentration of well-known authors to augment the market share of bestsellers. The growing commercialization in the publishing industry has become a matter of concern not only for critics but also for writers in general.

Book Publishing provides detailed information on Book Publishing, Book Publishing Companies, Online Book Publishing, Book Publishing Services and more. Book Publishing is affiliated with Book Binding Equipment.

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Self Publishing: Is this the Way to Publish Your Book?

Self Publishing: Is this the Way to Publish Your Book?
By Deanna Mascle

Self publishing might be the best way to publish your book. There are several advantages to self publishing that you might not have considered.

First, and most important, self publishing places you firmly in control of your book. When someone else is paying you to publish your book then they make many decisions regarding the editing of the manuscript, the cover, the title and the marketing that can impact not only how well your book will sell but also how it will be received by the reading public. For example, my second book ended up with the title Kentucky Kisses simply because my publisher's marketing department reported that books with the word kisses in the title sold well. I felt the title was rather frivolous for the content but my wishes were ignored.

Self publishing is also faster than traditional publishing. With my novel, Kentucky Kisses, it took me over a year to find a publisher interested in buying and several months before we went to contract. Then after the contract was signed it was another 18 months before my book was released to the public. That is a long time to wait.

Self publishing also allows you to retain all the profits from your endeavor. While you may have to put some money up front (depending on the method you use to self publish your book) you will not have to wait for months or years to see income as a result. Most publishers only pay royalties once or twice a year and then those royalties are only a small percentage of the book price. When you self publish your book then once you have covered any publications costs everything you earn is pure profit.

Finally, it cannot be overlooked that self publishing offers you an opportunity to break into print that might not be otherwise available. The simple fact is that traditional publishing is highly competitive and many worthwhile manuscripts (and authors) cannot find a publishing home although there may well be an eager and receptive audience for that book.

It should be noted that self publishing may not be for everyone. If you are still struggling with your writing and voice, or your manuscript still needs polishing, then you should continue to work on your book and perhaps bring in the assistance of a critique group or professional editor. Self publishing a book that is not yet ready for publication could be a costly mistake. If your manuscript has been polished and well received by several critical readers then you should at least consider self publishing your book.

Not only does self publishing offer you the advantages of complete control, faster publication, and higher profits, it is easier and less expensive than it has ever been before thanks to modern technology. Self publishing could be your big break as a writer.

Deanna Mascle shares tips about writing and publishing with her newsletter Word Craft. You can find out more about Self Publishing A Book at http://wordcraftonline.com/selfpublishing.php

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Query: Opening the Lock on Magazine Publishing

Query: Opening the Lock on Magazine Publishing
By Scott Lindsay

Every time you pick up your favorite magazine you pour over it, looking through every article. By the time you are finished many of the pages are dog-eared and youve discovered that so many of the articles are in line with your own personal interests and writing style.

As a writer you find yourself considering the possibility of submitting something for the magazine to consider. You have even written an article or two, but never had the courage to send them on. You have dozens of ideas, but they never go any further than the dream you have every time you look at the publisher information and see the word Submission.

Most magazines have a certain amount of freelance material they accept for publishing. These freelance positions can be a one-time shot at publishing; however there have been many instances where a dependable freelance writer may be called upon to write for the magazine on a regular basis. Should this happen you will likely receive greater compensation for your articles.

Typically magazines pay either by the word or by the article. Predictably, publishers do not generally accept fully written articles unless they ask you for them.

The method most magazine publishers use to select freelance work is to read through queries provided by freelance writers. In its simplest form a query is an outline of the article you are interested in writing. A query actually serves a duel purposes, the first is to allow the publisher the opportunity to consider many different article possibilities and, secondly you are not required to actually write the article unless the publisher specifically asks you to follow-up your query with an actual manuscript.

A query for magazine publishing should include the following:

A brief introduction.

An outline of the subject you with to write about and the angle you wish to take with the story.

A succinct list of writing credentials that may relate to your interest to write for the publication.

A sense of appreciation to the publisher for taking time to review your query.

Your query letter should take no more than two pages and should convey the idea that your story would be unique and compelling.

Because magazine writing is most often speculative (no guarantee the work will be published) a query is a timesaving and door-opening method in gaining the attention of a publisher.

Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of FaithWriters (http://www.faithwriters.com) and many other web projects. FaithWriters has grown to become one of the largest online destinations for Christian writers. Members include writers from all around the world. Please visit the website at: http://www.faithwriters.com

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The Business of Publishing

The Business of Publishing
By Penny C. Sansevieri

Congratulations, you're published! But what exactly does it mean to be published? Besides the fact that your work is finally in print and your college alumni has asked to interview you for their newsletter it also means fame and fortune, right? Well, ok, maybe not on the level of J. K. Rowling, but at the very least you can expect a call from Oprah, right? I hate to be the one to break it to you but you're probably not even on her radar screen. The truth about publishing is really stranger than fiction and the truth is: getting published is only half the battle. The other half is to keep your reality check in balance so it doesn't bounce.

While publishing is all about creative expression, it's also about business and it's those business savvy authors who will succeed in the end. Now you don't have to be an MBA to be a keen business person, you simply have to understand that the choices you make relative to your books future should be based on strategies that will enhance sales not just drain your pocketbook. So, how do you do this? First, take a long, hard look at your reader.

At Author Marketing Experts, we always create a reader profile for each book we promote. This reader profile will tell us where to find buyers for the books we represent. Taking this first step helps us sort through our choices when it comes to book promotion and make decisions on behalf of our authors that are sound and will help leverage sales. There are times when it's a waste of resources to do a nationwide radio or TV promotion. In fact, some of our programs don't include any outreach to broadcast media. Why? Because as alluring as it might seem to appear on the Today Show, what's the point if your audience doesn't watch morning TV? And, if your audience isn't watching this show, the chances are slim they'll even consider you anyway. What? More rejection? Who needs it!

As you embark on or continue your campaign, ask yourself a few tough questions. First, what's your ultimate goal for this book? If it's just to give away at family reunions, that's great! But then you'll probably want to nix any marketing. If your book is an arm of your business and you have speaking engagements lined up through the end of the year. You probably don't need to spend a lot on marketing since most of your sales will come from your speaking engagements (i.e. back of the room sales). On the other hand, if you wrote this book to grow your business or to leverage your credibility then you will probably want to dial yourself into your industry through enhanced media exposure.

For fiction authors this area becomes a little tricky. First, you need to determine your long term goals. By long term we mean: do you want to stay in this business or was this book just something you wanted to do. If it's a hobby, then treat it as such but if this is going to be your career, then you need to keep your message out there on a continual basis, through venues such as author events, talks, signings, print and broadcast media.

Make sure the choices you make, make sense for your book and aren't just made because you've always dreamt of being on Oprah. I've known authors lured into inappropriate marketing plans by big, flashy names and promises of stardom, wasting thousands of valuable marketing dollars and heading in a direction that wasn't right for them. If you're serious about your work, ready to let go of your muse and face the task at hand with some business savvy, then you're really ready to get published. Below are some guidelines that will help further your success!

1) Reader profile: create one of these at the beginning of your marketing campaign and keep refining it as you move through the process. Refine and redefine who and where your audience is and how to get to them.

2) Time commitment: determine what you can and can't reasonably do. If you have a full time job it probably doesn't make a lot of sense to commit yourself to forty hours of marketing a week unless your boss is on vacation.

3) Investment: how much are you willing to invest in your future? Are you willing to invest money without seeing much in return knowing that you are building a foundation or do you want to see immediate monetary results? Most authors don't see a return on their investment for a year or more. Are you committed enough to yourself or your project to keep this investment going?

4) Reality check: what's realistic for the industry you're in? Are you latching onto a fad or something with more longevity? Are you getting into a brand new market that will require lots of reader education? Or are you trying to go mainstream with a non-mainstream topic? While this is an admirable goal, it can be like swimming upstream.

5) Budget: while we encourage authors to invest in their future, we've also seen a number of people go into heavy debt, quit their jobs and even sell their homes just to promote their book. While that kind of dedication is certainly admirable, remember that although you have the potential to make a great deal of money it's not going to be overnight. The lure here is of course that If I stick with it, this next sale will make me famous. Well, maybe or maybe not. If you've been plugging away for a while without any significant success get a professional to give you some honest, constructive feedback about your plan, your market, and your book. It might be that a poorly designed cover is the reason you're not making sales, or a topic that's fallen off of the public's radar screen. In the meantime as you're waiting to hit the big time you'll still need a place to sleep and Uncle Vinnie's couch will get old real quick.

6) Burnout: we hear this term often, even to the point of being overused. What we're really talking about here is author burnout. We've found that the average author only markets their book for ninety days. That means ninety days of day and night marketing, radio interviews at 3am and a book signing every weekend. On day ninety-one they are so tired, so discouraged and so broke they quit. You can avoid this by giving yourself realistic goals and a realistic timeframe in which to complete them. There's nothing in the world like seeing your book in print. If approached realistically, objectively and with sound business sense, it can be one of the most exciting times in your life.

Penny C. Sansevieri:The Cliffhanger was published 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: From Book to Bestseller was released in 2005 to rave reviews and is being called the oadmap to publishing success. Penny is a book marketing and media relations specialist. She also coaches authors on projects, manuscripts and marketing plans and instructs a variety of courses on publishing and promotion. To learn more about her books or her promotional services, you can visit her web site at Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

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