Publishing Blog

Blog 4: Should You Take the Challenge to Self-Publish?

9/26/2014

If you haven't heard it by now, self-publishing is a viable publishing option today. Once thought of as a passing fad, this publishing method has solidified into a successful publication route for many authors. Even large publishers like Random House, Harper Collins, and others are embracing self-publishing by picking up great titles that have previously been independently published.

Recent statistics promise independent publishers an exciting future too. Analysis of 2007-2012 U.S. ISBN data by ProQuest affiliate Bowker reports that self-published titles in 2012 jumped to more than 391,000, up 422% from 2007. And e-books are gaining on print books, with 40% of ISBN usage coming from this electronic form of publishing, up from 11% in 2007 (See www.bowker.com/assets/downloads/products/selfpublishingpubcounts2007-2012.pdf).

I'm a big believer in independent publishing, because my own self-published Christian books have done alright. But not all self-publishers fare so well. I can tell you right now that it's not just about luck, but about doing the right things at the right time to get your book the attention it deserves, both before publication and after your book reaches the market.

Following are five things you will definitely need to do if you want to succeed at self-publishing.

(1) Recognizable Subject

You will need to focus on writing books that fall within a recognized category or niche. If your book is too broad or obscure, it might have a difficult time resonating with a target audience. You will need to fine tune your angle or focus for a particular group of the public. For instance, my self-help books are directed toward the needs of parents who are grieving the loss of a child.

(2) High Quality Material

Self-publishers sometimes take shortcuts when preparing to get their books into print. An independent author needs instead to plan for a high quality end product by taking the time and effort to make sure that the writing is tight and the editing, proofing, and layout are well done. If there are areas where you can't do a good job on your own, you will need to hand those off to an expert. It's vitally important that you produce a book that reads and looks professional.

(3) Professional Cover

The cover is an area where you will need to either hire a pro or train yourself to create print-ready files in Adobe Photoshop or another good brand of software. If you use a print-on-demand company (POD) such as LightningSource, you will be able to use one of their templates in your own software to design your cover. These templates contain the proper dimensions, layout, and bleed for the trim size and page count you select.

If you use a POD company such as CreateSpace, you will be able to use their cover creator which is an interactive online tool that allows you to easily create a professional cover for your book. You will need to choose one of their template designs and then customize it by adding cover images and details until you have created a nice cover image ready for submission. In addition, CreateSpace has an interior creator for use in creating your book interior formatting and design. So if your budget won't allow for expensive software, you can just use the creator features from CreateSpace to design not only your cover, but also your interior.

(4) Appropriate Price

You will need to price your book within the range of similar titles. You don't want your book priced too high because readers want a competitive price, yet you don't want your book priced too low either, since you will need to make a decent profit. Pricing a book can be a difficult task, but you will need to give your pricing considerable thought, especially if you are a new author. If you do make a pricing mistake though, you can always change the price later if you do POD. Just remember to leave the price off the book cover so you can change it if you need to in the future.

(5) Long-Term Commitment

At the outset of self-publishing a book, an author/publisher may throw him or herself into all aspects of production with lots of energy and enthusiasm and may aggressively promote the title for a time. But then suddently they may lose steam to the point where they either stall or completely stop their marketing efforts.

You will need to realize, however, that book marketing is an ongoing effort, a long-term commitment to creating awareness and interest in your book. So you won't be able to give in to your frustration if you're not meeting your expectations as quickly as hoped. Success doesn't happen overnight, so you will need to just stick with it and go forward.

Self-publishing is not for everyone, so if you feel you can't follow the above recommendations, you may not want to take on the self-publishing challenge. However, if you do feel up to the challenge and want to continue on the route toward independent publishing, you will be taking on a difficult but rewarding task that will most likely give you much fulfillment.

My four October blogs will focus on "Generating a Book on a Subject You Love."

Do you self-publish? Please tell us about your own experiences.

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Blog 3: Seven Good Reasons to Self-Publish

9/20/2014

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(1)You Can Keep control of Your Book

By self-publishing your own Christian book, you can keep control of all aspects of your writing. Trade publishers are notorious for denying authors involvement in factors such as: wording and editorial decisions, title and book cover selection, and promotional decisions.

When it comes to editorial decisions, a large trade publisher may delete large sections of the book or change the wording despite the author's disapproval. They may give the book a title they think will help sell the book, but that seems unsuitable to the author. They may use a stock photo for the cover of the book instead of an original photograph or artwork. They may do very little book promotion since books by new authors tend to get lost in the shuffle. Although they will probably get your book into bookstores, they may fail to approach other sales outlets. It is also a fact that large publishers will generally take little interest in your book. As the author, the person who really cares about your book, you can do a better job if you really set your mind to it.

(2) You May Be Unable to Get Your Manuscript Considered

It may be difficult for you to get a publisher to even consider your manuscript. Since most publishers receive huge quantities of unsolicited manuscripts for consideration each day, they are likely to either return your submission unopened or to simply throw it on their slush pile for disposal. Unless you are a television or movie celebrity, a big politician, or another easily recognizable person, you will most likely have little chance of attracting a publisher. Many publishers have an existing stable of authors and only accept new authors through agents.

(3) You Can Get Your Book Published More Quickly

If you feel your message is urgent or that you will miss your market, you may not want to wait for a big publisher to get your message into print. Most bigger publishers usually work on an 18-month production schedule which doesn't even begin until after contract negotiations and signing are complete. Actual publication of your work could actually be two to three years in the future. You may not want to waste valuable time and money submitting your manuscript around to see if a publication house is interested in publishing it. Consideration of manuscripts can take a long time and getting the book into actual print can take much longer.

Another factor is that bookstores are likely to carry the first book on a new or popular subject, but less likely to carry a later book on the same subject, even if the later book is better. This happens because the store buyer will probably take a pass on the newer book since the buyer already has the subject covered.

(4) You Will Find That Self-Publishing Is Good Business

Royalties you receive on your book from a trade publisher will probably amount to only 6% to 15% of net but you can earn 35% or more if you self-publish. Basically, a large publisher will get your books into bookstores, but brick and mortor stores aren't the only places to sell. In fact, some self-publishers aim directly for Amazon.com and other online retailers to get their books out before the public instead of relying on actual bookstores. See Aaron Shepard's book, Aiming for Amazon, to learn more. For updates and more resources, visit Aaron Shephard's publishing page at www.newselfpublishing.com. Of course, there are many other places to sell your books in accordance with your subject matter. There will also be more tax breaks for you if you go the author/independent publisher route rather than just the author
route.

(5) You Will Learn The Industry

By self-publishing you will gain a better understanding of independent publishing. You will not only begin to think and act like a publisher, but as you thrust yourself completely into your efforts to produce, market, and promote your work, you will learn a lot about the intricacies of the trade. You have a lot of knowedge to gain from becoming an independent publisher.

(6) You Will Gain More Confidence and Self-Esteem

By independent publishing, you will become proud that you have done more that just write a book, you have actually published it yourself. Instead of pleading with other publishers to consider your manuscript, and then if you do get a publisher, bending to their will in regard to a contract, to aspects of editorial changes, to the visual design of the interior and exterior, to marketing and promotion, and so forth, you can go forward using your own talents, but with the help of professionals if needed, to write, produce, and market your own Christian book. You will be glad you have taken the reins into your own hands and published a product of yourself, your book, according to your own expectations and wishes.

(7) You May Have to Self-Publish
Because there are more unsolicited manuscripts submitted for consideration than can be read by the big guys, you may be forced to independently publish your book. After my first manuscript had been submitted to every publisher I could think of and rejected, Dr. Terry Miethe, the author of the foreword to that book, advised me to self-publish. I took his advice and I'm glad I did. That book, A Personal Grief & A Reasonable Faith, was reviewed by Booklist, among others, and was the winner of a Midwest Book Achievement merit award in the category of Best Book Cover Design.

Next week my blog will be, "Should You Take the Challenge to Self-Publish?" Although there are many advantages to self-publishing, you need to be cautioned that independent publishing is not for everyone, so my next blog will focus on some of the reasons.

Are you a self-publisher? Share your story here!

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Blog 2: What Are Your Publishing Choices?

9/13/2014

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The author of a Christian book manuscript who wishes to get into print has many choices, such as: (1) You could submit your manuscript to a large general or religious book publisher for consideration for publication; (2) You could contact a medium sized book publisher to see if they would publish your work; (3) You could try to get a literary agent to send your manuscript to the right publisher and negotiate a contract; or (4) you could decide to become a self-publisher. Following is some basic information on each of the four choices.

You Could Submit Your Manuscript to a Large General or Christian Book Publisher

Big Publishing firms have something for everyone, because they publish in many different fields and concentrate on books they think will sell in the millions. If you are a famous celebrity, politician, or other well known figure, you may have a better chance of getting your book published by a large publishing company. It has been estimated that many of the big publishers receive from 3,000 to 5,000 unsolicitated book manuscripts each week. Since reading manuscripts takes up a lot of editorial time and energy, large publishers are often wary of considering a manuscript by an unknown author. Many large general publishers, in fact, are not interested so much in whether a manuscript is good but in whether it will sell, so they concentrate on well known authors and Hollywood or political personalities who can move a book with their name. Very seldom will they accept a well written manuscript by an unknown, but if they do, it must be on a topic with the potential of a mass audience. As Walter Powell, author of Getting Into Print writes: "Few of the major trade publishers will take a chance on a manuscript from someone whose name is not known."

Large Christian publishing companies, on the other hand, may be more likely to take a look at your manuscript, but again, they also tend to concentrate on well known figures like television personalities and evangelists, Christian music performers, or others with well known names. Of course, if you desire your Christian book to be published by a large publisher, you most likely will stand a better chance by submitting your writing to a Christian publishing firm.

If you do get a contract with a general or Christian publisher of any size, you need to know that you will probably only get a royalty of from 6% to 15% of net receipts of what the publisher receives. For instance, a print run of 5,000 copies of a book selling for $20.00 would gross $100,000 at retail, but the net profit would be much less after all expenses are taken out. Royalties are paid from the net rather than the gross, so the royalty you receive would amount to only a few thousand dollars, not enough to pay for all the time you spent working on your manuscript. In addition, if the book doesn't sell very well, the chances of selling more than 5,000 books are slim, because after a few months the publisher will most likely take your book out of print. This happens because even though your publisher will
put up the money to have your book produced and will work to get it into book stores, in most cases they will not promote a book for a new author. Usually first-time authors must do their own promotion work, so you need to know in advance that you will need to begin promoting your book right away.

To sum up, the outlook isn't very good for getting a large general or Christian publishing company to publish your book. However, you will probably want to at least try, because it might be in God's will for you to be published by one of the large publishers.

You Could Contact a Medium Sized Publisher to See if They Would Publish Your Work

Medium sized publishers of either the general or the Christian book variety are more likely to take a look at your manuscript. These publishers have usually begun as self-publishers and have a long list of their own self-published titles, but somewhere along the way they have expanded out to publish work of other authors.

Although a large New York publisher may seem more prestigious, a medium sized independent publisher will probably sell more books. The secret is to match your manuscript to the publisher. To find the right publisher, go to your nearest bookstore or check the listings in your category at an online bookstore such as Amazon.com to find a medium size publisher who does a good job at publishing. Contact them to see if they accept unsolicited manuscripts in your field of writing. Medium sized publishers are usually very approachable and will probably know right away if they would consider publishing your type of book.

As I mentioned in my first blog, one of my books, 50 Ways to Cope with Your Child's Death, was published by a medium sized secular publisher in the category of self-help. The book was later revised and reissued with a new cover as 50 Ways to Cope with the Loss of Your Child. All of this happened because I had prayed that if God wanted me to continue writing, He would send me a publisher. He did, but I came to somewhat regret it , because like the Israelites when they asked for a king and afterward suffered for doing so, I anguished later because the secular publisher drastically revised my book with editorial deletions of practically every Christian aspect of the book.

I was told by the publisher that libraries generally do not accept a self-help book written from a purely Christian viewpoint because presently they are looking for books that include all religious outlooks. Hence my Christian book was basically turned into a secular book. Nevertheless, I'm sure there are grieving parents who have been helped by the secular versions. In addition, I learned a lot from the experience, and the rights have reverted back to me, so I have recently revised the book and self-published it myself as The Grieving Parent's Book of Hope with Christian aspects included again. All things are possible with God, so my hope is that some librarians will want to have the Christian version of my book in their collection.

You Could Try to Get a Literary Agent to Send Your Manuscript to the Right Publisher

Literary agents are another route to getting a book published. They will match manuscripts with publishers and negotiate contracts for you. Most new material comes to large publishers through them. However, agents are disinclined to even consider an unpublished author and their commissions range around 15%. According to Roger Straus, president of Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, "It's harder for a new writer to get an agent than a publisher." However, if you want to give it a try, see the lists of literary agents in Literary Market Place, Writer's Market, or Literary Agents of North America.

You could decide to become a self-publisher

To self- publish, an author bypasses the intermediaries, deals directly with a printer, and handles the other aspects of publishing such as marketing and promotion themselves. Self-publishing or, as its often referred to as independent publishing (indie publishing), means you produce your book by doing a print run by a printer or by doing your book print-on-demand with a POD company. A POD firm will print one book at a time according to demand and as needed. LightningSource is one of the older POD companies. They are affiliated with Ingram Book Company and Spring Arbor, the leader in distribution, print-on-demand, and digital solutions for both physical and online Christian retailers. A fairly new POD company is CreateSpace, affiliated with Amazon.com. A print-on-demand book produced by them will go directly on sale at the Amazon website.

Please remember that there is a big difference between self-publishing and vanity or subsidy publishing. Do not let yourself get tricked into using a vanity or subsidy company that offers regular publishing services, including marketing, distribution, and promotion, but the author invests all the money. In almost all cases the subsidy/vanity company will not deliver on the services they promise. If you see an ad reading, "Manuscripts wanted by..." or "To the author..." you are probably reading the ad of a vanity or subsidy company. These companies don't have to sell any books, because the author has already paid them in advance. However, as noted, the vanity or subsidy company will not deliver on editing, promotion, sales, distribution, and so forth. Don't be taken in by a subsidy or vanity publisher.

On the other hand, you are well advised to self-publish your own Christian book. The job of the self-publisher or indie publisher is not to perform every aspect of book manufacturing and sales, but to perform as many aspects of the editing, proofing, distributing, and other publishing tasks as they can and to farm out tasks they can't do themselves by contacting actual professionals. Therefore, depending on the author's assets and abilities, indie publishing can take on many forms.

Of course, self-publishing does not mean buying a printing press and putting the ink on paper yourself. Almost all indie publishers leave the book printing to an experienced regular or POD printer. Nowadays, if a self-publisher plans properly, there is little monetary risk in independent publishing. Whereas a large publisher will only try a book for a few months and then let sales dictate its fate, an indie publisher can use the first year to build up a market for sustained future sales.

Obviously, there are many good reasons to self-publish. And that brings us to the topic of the upcoming September 20th blog: "Seven Good Reasons to Self-Publish"

I sure hope that if you want me to continue this blog that you will click on like or will leave a comment or question. Thanks!

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Blog 1: Why You Should Consider Self-Publishing Your Christian Book

9/6/2014

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If you want to write and self-publish a Christian book, your greatest need is for a road map, for a basic system to provide you with direction on how to write, produce, and sell a book. I certainly don't claim to be an authority, but over a period of twenty-some years, I have had some success with writing and publishing my own Christian books. I know there are probably others out there who may have better information than I do for this series of blogs, so I hope they will take the time to provide some of that info here so we can all benefit from it.

Please understand that the publishing landscape has changed dramatically over the years, so even though it is easier now than in the past to get a book published and out for sale, the full process is now more complex in many ways than ever before. Over the course of time, I will try to detail some of the
things you need to learn about self-publishing in regard to the old print-run method I used for my first books and the new print-on-demand (POD) method I am presently using. I actually used both methods for two of my books; I did a print-run by a regular printer for the hardcover versions, but later used the POD method for the softcovers. Obviously, either option can be used to self-publish your book, but you will need information about both before you decide what to do. In regard to self-publishing the POD method, please remember that I am still in the process of learning myself.

If you feel called to write a Christian book, you need to remember that it really isn't that difficult. If you possess some basic English skills, can write a good story or opinion, can think logically, and can organized your tasks into small chunks, you can write a book! All you have to do is concentrate on one chunk at a time and compose that part to the best of your ability. Whether you are writing fiction or non-fiction, you will need to stay on task as you compose your outline and then follow through on one small section at a time. If you spend time on your book each day or at least each week, before you know it you will have one individual part done, then as you complete more parts, you will eventually have a chapter done, and before you know it you will have your entire book composed. The secret is to just stick with it through thick and thin! Of course, after you complete your first draft, you will probably need input from others about your writing. Another Christian writer read my first manuscript and advised me to "just keep revising until you get it right." Revise, revise and revise!

In this blog I will concentrate on facets of writing/publishing Christian non-fiction since that is what my own writing is about. However, some of the recommendations provided in my blogs can be applied to fiction as well. To begin writing non-fiction, I recommend starting with a field you know well, doing further research on the subject, taking notes on the most important elements, and organizing the material. It is best to write your book about something you know or have experienced yourself because your own personal experience on the subject will make your book much more credible to readers.

In my own case, I went through the terrible experience of losing my teenage daughter Karen in a tragic motorcycle/truck accident. I was devastated by the loss and struggled not only with my grief, but also with life/faith questions I faced because of her death. After my ordeal, I felt driven to help other parents who have also suffered the loss of a child, so I wrote my first book and then three others after that. I have poured my heart into the writing of my books, because I really care about
those who have gone through similar suffering. In the same way, you will need to write on a subject are passionate about or that you have experienced. A book on something you care about will be much, much better than a book on a subject for which you have no interest.

You may also need to begin a study on writing/publishing or get additional education, but it will be well worth it. If you use your knowledge to write and publish a Christian book you will have a result that can prove timeless, because hopefully the lives of others can be affected and enriched by what you write. To provide myself with more authority for writing my Christian books, I took courses and received a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies. I'm glad I did because my studies not only prepared me for my future writing, but also gave me a better understanding of the reasons for my faith, so I am better able to share my faith with others.

One benefit of publishing your own book is saving yourself the frustration of working with a commercial publisher who will probably have a different outlook on your writing from yours. One of my books was published by a medium sized secular publisher who only let me include minimal references to my faith. The book rights came back to me, so in July of this year, I revised and self-published the book with a new cover and with a different Bible quotation beginning each chapter and some references to my faith. Remember, you probably know what is better for your book than a distant publishing company would.

This takes us to the subject of next weeks blog which will be posted on September 13, "What Are Your Publishing Choices?" The blog will take a look at the choices you have for publishing your book and the pros and cons of each. You have the choice of being published by a big commercial publisher, medium sized publisher, niche publisher, subsidy publisher (a bad choice), or by publishing yourself. We will take a look at some of the many factors involved when it comes to deciding how you will
publish your Christian book. This is my first blog on this subject, or any subject, so I would certainly appreciate hearing from you with any insights or questions. Please add comments, good or bad, because I need encouragement to keep this blog going. Thank you!

So, what has your own experience been in regard to getting a book published?

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Information on upcoming "Blog on Self-Publishing" scheduled to begin on 9/6/14.

8/30/2014

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For those who want to self-publish, you need to know it's never been easier to get into print or to offer your book for sale. But that certainly doesn't mean that book publishing has become less complicated, because it's actually more complex now than ever before. But that doesn't have to stop you, because my new "Blog on Self-Publishing" will help get you on your way to learning the most important things you need to know to self-publish successfully. It will cover subjects like the following: considering your publishing options, writing your book, forming your publishing company, producing your book, and so forth.

The posts for September will be on the subject of "Considering Your Publishing Options" and will consist of weekly posts on the 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th. I look forward to hearing from you!

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First post for "Blog on Self-Publishing" will be on 9/6/14

8/30/2014

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Blog on self-publishing

7/27/2014

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Hi, I'm Norma. I write and publish self-help books for those suffering from loss. Are there any Christian authors out there who would like to learn how to become an independent publisher of your own book? If so, I am planning to do a weekly series of blogs with insights on self-publishing beginning in September. I hope you will join me. In the meantime, does anyone have questions or suggestions for the upcoming blog?

Norma Sawyers-Kurz - Dogwood Publishing http://www.dogwoodpublishingusa.com

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Blog 4: Should You Take the Challenge to Self-Publish?

Blog 3: Seven Good Reasons to Self-Publish

Blog 2: What Are Your Publishing Choices?

Blog 1: Why You Should Consider Self-Publishing Your Christian Book

Information on upcoming "Blog on Self-Publishing" scheduled to begin on 9/6/14.

First post for "Blog on Self-Publishing" will be on 9/6/14

Blog on self-publishing

Insights on Self-Publishing

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