Boy, you asked a big question! Just about everything I’ve written on my blog and various websites are geared toward answering your question.  Many of my teleseminars also talk about what it takes to get published, especially the one I did with Terry Whalin at www.askaboutpublishing.com.

So I suggest you poke around my sites, especially this blog. Also, get the Author Success Plan. That 5-part minicourse is packed with insider’s tips on publishing and being a successful author gleaned from my 30+ years in publishing. It answers your question and shows you where to start: With the A-B-C’s of becoming a successful author.

Basically, it boils down to: Having a great idea, and building a following of people who like you and your idea. If you have enough of a following, a traditional publisher will take the risk of publishing you. Or, you need to publish it yourself, and glean a following through marketing.

Publishing has been undergoing a massive sea change, especially in the past 3 years. These days it’s very difficult to take the traditional publishing path, in which you get a publisher to take on all the costs of publishing and pay you a royalty (percentage of sales–usually 7.5% of what they get after they give the bookstores their 55% discount). Publishers just don’t want to take the financial risk of publishing an author unless the author can practically guarantee they can sell a lot of books, because the author already has a large following (called an author “platform”).

But while that old way of publishing is crumbling, a lot of alternative ways of getting published are springing up. More publishers are offering “publishing services” in a sort of partnership model of publishing whereby publisher and author share the costs.  That’s one of the things Terry and I talked about in the interview I mentioned, which you can listen to after signing up at www.askaboutpublishing.com. (I send you to the Ask page to sign up just so you’ll see how a cool way to market books works. It’s call the Virtual Book Tour, and I do these for publishers and authors.)

So I suggest you do a little more research on my sites, and if you still have questions, ask! I have a form on this blog (upper right corner) where you can ask questions any time. I periodically hold FAQ teleseminar to answer questions; asking a question on the form assures you’ll be notified.

Seventeen-year-old Katherine asks, “Exactly what does it take to get published?”

First-time author Kevin sends me his manuscript and wants me to edit it so it can be publishable.

My response to all three people is, “The best thing to do right now is to create a blog and see if anyone is interested in what you have to say and the way you say it.”

Listen carefully, please: Being an author is not what it used to be!

It doesn’t have to necessarily mean having a print book. Not anymore.

Now it means establishing your authority in a credible way and gathering a following.

You can best do that, these days, by having a blog. One that you write regularly for. One that you drive eyeballs to through other means, such as Twitter, Facebook, articles, teleseminars, the media, and a myriad of other kinds of online and offline connections.

With a blog, you can publish for free.  Sorry, Kelsey, there is no such thing as publishing a book for free. Even if you get a publisher to pay you to publish, as in traditional publishing where they pay the publishing costs and give you an advance against royalties, you will have to invest something sometime in marketing and promotion. And it’s extremely difficult for first-time authors to get published in this way–unless they have a platform, that is, a following. So now we’re back to, How do you get a following? Answer: Create a very successful blog.

You can figure out how to create a decent blog by watching how others do it, and a couple I recommend are Jimmy D. Brown, Seth Godin, Michael Hyatt and Alex Mandossian.  If you have no idea how to start a good blog and want expert help, then I highly suggest you take the Wordpress Workshop with Cathy Perkins, The Wordpress Wizard. It starts TODAY, but sessions will be recorded. Cathy will actually give you a student blog to work on during the course, so by the time you’re done, you will have the kind of blog that will establish your credibility.

When you sign up for the workshop, you’ll get two great bonuses from me: the “How to Choose Your Bestselling Title” Special Report (to help you title your blog and book), and a free 30-minute consultation at the end of the course to make sure your blog is also the most effective it can be for an author. Details and signup here.

Blogging is free, it’s a way to test your market and establish your authority. As I said in previous blog posts, it may be THE current way to become an author.

So get a blog, and get published! (Just remember, “author” is no longer limited to “publishing a print book.”)

Chris mentioned that her students add “all rights reserved” to their copyright notices. Is that necessary,  or redundant?

Well, both.

Any time you create a work, it is automatically protected under copyright law.  Here’s a relevant paragraph:

“Under U. S. law, copyright protection subsists from the time the work is fixed in any tangible medium of expression from which it can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device. Copyright registration is not mandatory, but it has important benefits.” (Here’s a link to great information about copyright from the US Copyright Office.)

Because your work is copyrighted when it’s created, you don’t absolutely have to even post the copyright notice.

The main reason, in my opinion, to put the © and a date is to remind people that this is copyrighted material.  You don’t need to add “All rights reserved” UNLESS it concerns valuable content that someone might want to copy to, say, create an information product with YOUR material.  So if you’re a copywriter like Chris’s students, it looks like of strange to add that to your own website, or to sales copy.

However, on a blog, say if you’re giving away content to show that you know what you’re talking about, it makes sense to add “All rights reserved” with the copyright notice. See www.rayedwards.com for an example. In fact, in such cases, it’s a slight hint that the info there IS valuable.

So–for straight sales copy, no. For valuable content, yes. And nowadays, I think content IS what sells, so the lines can blur.

For information products,  such as Special Reports and ebooks, minicourses like my Author Success Plan, etc.,  you definitely want to include “all rights reserved.” It’s not legally necessary, but it’s a reminder to other people that this is in fact copyrighted material and they do not have a right to copy it or distribute it.

I clearly spell out in the front pages my Author Success Plan, etc. what people can and cannot do with my material–whether they can pass it on or not, that they may not reproduce it, sell it, etc.

Many people seem to think that if something in on the Internet, it’s automatically free content that they can copy and redistribute at will. This is not the case, and posting copyright symbol, date, and “all rights reserved” is a reminder to readers that this is YOUR content.

To me, the more often more of us remind people of that, the better.

“Is it better for an unpublished author to publish with a small publisher not a ’self-publisher’?”

This is a great question, but it’s more complicated than it appears.

It really depends on several things:

• the kind of book you have
• your platform (i.e. current following)
• your goals for your book and getting published
• your resources
• how long you’re willing to wait to get published
• how important it is for you to keep all rights (standard publishing contracts often don’t allow you to “repurpose” your content into other media, which could mean a huge loss of income from your intellectual property)

First of all, the kind of book you’re writing is a big factor, as well as your goals for publishing.

If your book is geared toward business people, know that your book can be a great credibility booster and lead generator, and that’s what your goal should be. (If you haven’t gotten my free Special Report on “14 Ways a Book Will Boost Your Business,” get it now.)

If your book is connected to a business, you probably should not wait around for the time it takes to try to find a publisher. If your book is part of your overall business plan, then getting it out as quickly as possible is smart. Take the cost of self-publishing from your advertising budget, for that is what it is.

Then there’s the issue of rights. Many publishing contracts prohibit you from using the content in other forms of media that they don’t control. Since other media forms can be potentially much more profitable than a book, this can really be a big issue.

If you have the time and the patience–i.e., you’re in no particular hurry–and you don’t have the resources to pay for publishing services, and you don’t care about “repurposing” your content, then you can try the small publishers route first.

If that fails, you can then investigate the publishing service companies such as InterMedia (my top choice. You can listen to my interview with Terry Whalin about publishing and Intermedia here).

In either case, what you need to be doing, as you’re writing your stellar book, is at least thinking about how to create a following.

Preferably, you actually do things to build your following as you’re writing your book.

Check out the Publishing Coach Weekly articles and teleseminar replays, as well as other posts on this blog, for ideas on how to build your author platform. I write a lot about it!

And the event hadn’t even started!

The moment was over dinner, when Jay Aaron (brilliant guy, very nice too) was talking about Oprah Winfrey.

“There are two ways to be an expert,” Jay said.

“One is to be a guest on Oprah’s show.

“The other is to BE Oprah.”

He paused. Watch out, here comes the $64,000 insight.

“Who has the more influence? Who makes the more money–Oprah, or the guest?”

Every author I know wants to be on Oprah. But what if you can BE an Oprah, at least to a certain audience? Doesn’t Oprah make more money than any of her guests?

Jay’s insight is changing the way I’m going about my business. (Thank you Jay Aaron!) Have you noticed that more of my Publishing Coach Weekly teleseminars are not just me talking, but me interviewing other experts?

I love interviewing, and I love writing. I’m building my business around those two skills.

If you want to be “well heard and well paid,” consider becoming an expert by being the connecting point between your audience and other experts who possess knowledge your audience wants. You
can almost automatically expand your “sphere of influence” by interviewing other authors and thought leaders.

The best person I know to train you how to do that is Alex Mandossian.

With Alex’s Virtual Book Tour training under my belt, publishers have hired me to interview New York Times best-selling authors such as Dinesh D’Souza and George Barna, as well as lesser-known authors they wanted to launch.

Alex is offering his Virtual Book Tour training again.

I highly encourage you to sign up for the Preview Call this Thursday. (If you can’t make it, you will have access to the replay shortly after.)

For a training tip and bonus from Alex Mandossian, view this video:

This is just one sample of the kind of training you will get from Alex Mandossian when you sign up for the Virtual Book Tour Secrets course.

If your web site is ever hacked, it will feel like a huge bane. If not a curse.

I’ve had my blog hacked into twice now (and I’m wondering if my email was also hacked–if you get spam from me, IT’S NOT really from me. I’m looking into it.)

Listen, as authors, we need a blog. We absolutely do. (Read here for 9 reasons why .)

But if your site is ever hacked, and perhaps shut down or blocked by search engines–that is a BIG PROBLEM.

There are some simple steps to keep that from ever happening, and tomorrow you get a chance to listen to Cathy Perkins, the WordPress Wizard, talk about some of the things you have to know to keep your blog secure.

Since Cathy is “the WordPress Wizard,” we will be focusing on WordPress blogs, but much of what she says will cover blogs in general.

Here’s some of what we’ll cover:

• Why is security so important for your WordPress blog and on the internet in general?
• How to get started protecting your blog
• Why is hosting important?
• Is it important to do things in a particular order?
• Spyware? What is it and how can I prevent it?
• Her upcoming WordPress Security Strategies course

If you have a question, ask it here now. This is also the link with the call-in info and webcast to attend at 1pm Eastern, noon Central, 11am Mountain and 10am Pacific.

If you KNOW you need her course (only two classes, inexpensive)–as I do–and you want to find out more about it, go here.

However, you can easily get gouged by choosing the wrong self-publishing company. I’ve had people come to me saying they invested $5,000 to $40,000 in a self-publishing company, with little to show but a garage full of poorly produced books and a contract that precludes them ever making any money from their book.

I’m very passionate about helping authors to avoid getting ripped off. I hate when companies or individuals prey on the desire to become an author and share your wisdom with the world.

That’s why I was overjoyed when I discovered Mark Levine and his book, The Fine Print of Self-Publishing: The Contracts & Services of 45 Self-Publishing Companies–Analyzed, Ranked and Exposed!, now in its Third Edition.

I invite you to listen to an interview I did with Mark Levine recently on how to choose the right self-publishing company. Find out the most common mistakes authors make when choosing a self-publishing company, and how to avoid them–among other things.

You can also ask Mark Levine your question about self-publishing, and sign up for my upcoming Virtual Book Tour in which Mark Levine will answer your questions about self-publishing.

Please–don’t even consider self-publishing a book until you’ve listened to this interview and checked out Mark’s book and the resources he offers along with it

Helen asks:

“I am a teacher working with kindergarten children for 50 years. I would like to publish books relating to children and others. I have no knowledge how to start. Can XSite Pro help me who knows nothing about website or the internet? Please advise, Helen”

My answer:

One of the great things about XSite Pro web design software is that

there are ready-made templates you can use “right out of the box.” You get 200 choices of website templates (i.e. designs you can use as is), so if you like any of these, all you do is choose them, add the name of your site, add some copy, and publish your site. (You do have to have a domain name–the “web address” where people will find you online–and a web hosting company where your website “resides.”)

XSite Pro has very good instructions. If you’re in the middle of a task and you don’t know what to do, you just click the ? at the top of your screen and a screen pops up with detailed help.

And I mean HELP. They don’t only show you how to use their features, they educate you about how to create a website.

If you’re serious about creating a website, XSite Pro is a great way to start.

I just watched a webinar (which you would have access to if you get the program) that laid everything out very clearly. Two more to come. You can snag a brochure that tells a lot about what XSite Pro web design software can do, here.

I honestly have never been more impressed with any product or company than this one. Any product. Any company. Not only is the product top-notch, but the support to use it is phenomenal. They have a walk-through tutorial to get you started, 260-page Instruction Manual with the “essentials.” and a 100-page Reference Guide which you will dip into as you grow in your knowledge.

Also, their help desk is prompt in answering questions (they work 24/7), and there’s a forum that’s comprehensive.

Having said all that, Helen, if you truly are not at all familiar with the Internet or web sites, I suggest you take some time to get a little more comfortable with the Web. (You did find this blog and fill out a form, so you’re not that much of a newbie!)

Go to google.com and type in some words on topics that interest you. Look at the sites that pop up. Take a few notes on what you like, what you don’t like about web sites you visit.

This will be very helpful when you are ready to create your own site.

You have to use the Web to communicate on it. So don’t try to build your own site until you feel comfortable with the Web, and develop a sense for the kind of site you might want to create.

Then when you , you might want to get XSite Pro.

Having a web site is a great way to start testing ideas for your books. Start with articles and information that you think is needed, see what the response is. Another great thing about XSite Pro is that there are easy, built-in tools that show how to make your site both reader-friendly and search-engine friendly. So people will be able to find you much easier than a site you tried to build without these tools.

One more thing. A friend recently told me, “I don’t want to be a webmaster.” MY answer to her was, “I don’t either. With XSite Pro, I don’t feel I need one.” A lot of people are intimidated by the idea of “creating a web site,” because it has been complicated in the past and web masters who make a living at it have a vested interest in making you think you can’t do it.

If you can create Word documents, if you can write emails, I believe you can create and manage web sites with XSite Pro. I don’t think you ever do anything more complicated that point, click, cut and paste. Ever.

Lynette talked about the security issues with WordPress blogs and what to do about it. (Lynette says “regular web sites” such as  sites created with XSite Pro web design software are not necessarily any more secure, but I’m going to check on that with XSP.  So far I’ve NEVER had a problem with my XSite Pro sites, only my blogs.)

Here’s what Lynette wrote, and the helpful info she shared:

“If you haven’t heard already, there has been a bunch of attacks to
WordPress blogs lately. If you go to WordPress forums and search for
security or hacking you’ll see it has gone on since before version
2.5.1. The most vulnerable sites are those running version 2.3.x but
there has been some report from people using 2.5.1

“It is not clear that those running the newer version were infiltrated
before upgrading. The official WordPress word on this is, version
2.5.1 is secure.

“But you know, this is more about what we as site owners should do to
make sure our sites are not so easily hacked. Look, every software
has their weak points. The trick to surviving a web site hacking is
to take steps so you don’t go through it in the first place.
Prevention is better than cure.

“Also, having regular *web site* backups are super important.

“I talked about this to my friend Elizabeth lately on her podcast.
You are advised to listen to it. Here’s the link.

“Some of the things discussed in the podcast are:

“1. What can happen if a hacking occurs (even if it is not a
Wordpress powered site – so if you don’t run WP, don’t sit back and
relax yet)

“2. Some suggestions how to lock down your WP and sites.

“In addition, here’s a blog post I made earlier with resources how to
secure your site.

“Finally… what do you do to find out if you’ve been hacked and how
to fix it? Here’s a resource that will be super helpful.

“Till the next time, stay safe and don’t forget to backup, backup,
backup.”

Thanks, Lynette!

I will be answering questions AND going over some of the best resources for starting your book, getting published by a traditional book publisher, and starting up a website and/or blog so that you can sell stuff.

For the teleseminar, you will have your choice of listening on the phone, or via the Web. You may also ask more questions right online, during the
call, via a form you fill out. (Cool, huh?)

Here’s the call-in information:

DATE: Tuesday, May 27, 2008
TIME: 5 p.m. Pacific, 8 p.m. Eastern
CALL-IN NUMBER: 218-486-3696
Use Conference ID: 821610#

TO ATTEND THIS EVENT ON THE WEB, CLICK THIS LINK.

Make sure you get the Resource Guide. You’ll want that as a handy reference. Even if you don’t need all the resources at this moment, chances are you will at some point.

Call in a few minutes early to introduce yourself! (Free publicity for your site or book.)

The call will be for approximately 60 minutes, and then if there’s time I will answer questions from those submitted on the live call.

If you can’t make the live teleseminar, this link will still get you to the (unedited) replay.

(But I hope you can make it on the live call!)

“See” you on the call!