Archive for self-publish
If an Agent Wants Your Self-Published Book, Is That a Good Thing?
Posted by: | CommentsIt would seem almost a dream come true: You publish with a good ‘publishing services” (self-publishing or print on demand) company. They produce a beautiful book. You give it a great launch and it gets on the bestseller list.
The success attracts a top-notch literary agent.
Now the big question is: Should you go with the agent, who may be promising you a huge contract with a Big Six publisher?
Surprisingly, the answer is NOT a no-brainer.
It may not be in your best interest as an author to let the agent take your book and shop it around.
Why not?
Here are the considerations from someone who’s been in publishing for a long time and has seen all sorts of things happen (few people will tell you what you’re about to learn). Read more
“What’s Your Opinion on Self-Publishing?”
Posted by: | Comments“What’s your professional opinion of self-publishing?” was a question someone recently asked. (Ask your questions any time–just use the box on your right here on the blog.)
Having been through this route “up close and personal” recently with several clients’ books, I have a real good idea of what’s involved with self-publishing–the positives and negatives.
So I wrote a new article for you, and it’s here on the Publishing Coach Weekly site. (Like my new look?)
As usual, there are suggested action steps and resources to check out.
Book Covers: Make Sure Yours Gets the Right Attention
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My favorite cover for Abundant Gifts
Trying to design your own book covers is one of the biggest mistakes I see new authors making, especially if they self publish.
One of the advantages of self-publishing is that you are in control of the whole process. When you work with a company like Intermedia, for instance, you own the rights, and you get to pick the cover, the interior design, everything.
However, there’s a downside to this. Just because you have the final say, that should not mean that you are the best one to judge the cover design, or even the title, for that matter. Having the final say should not mean having the only say–especially when it comes to areas you’re not trained in, such as the interior and exterior design.
Unless you’re an experienced designer yourself, Read More→
Is Self-Publishing the Future of Publishing?
Posted by: | CommentsI find it very interesting that a traditional publisher, Thomas Nelson, just announced a new division–one that is basically providing self-publishing services.
I hinted that this might happen months ago on this blog, because I had heard of another publisher considering this very option. More than a year ago I predicted that publishers would eventually move toward more of a self-publishing model.
It’s really inevitable. The other day someone revealed to me something a traditional publisher told a prospective author: the author needed to guarantee they could sell 10,000 books from speaking in order to be published by them. That author would have to buy 10,000 of his own book (usually at a 50-60% discount only), in order to get published!
(I couldn’t help but wonder how the author advance, if any, would stack up against the investment the author would have to make.)
Increasingly, author platform (i.e. a large, loyal following) is a necessary prerequisite for being published by a traditional publisher.
So what’s an author to do who doesn’t yet have that following? Read More→
Self-Publisher Vs. Mainstream–Which Is Better for You? (New Article)
Posted by: | CommentsWondering how to decide which type of publishing is best for your situation?
This week’s Publishing Coach Weekly article will help you decide. Read it here.
Best Self-Publishing Company–Does It Exist?
Posted by: | Comments“Who do you generally consider the best self-publishing company across the board?”
“How do you find a publishing company you can trust?”
“How do I choose the right publishing company to professionally edit, print and market my novel? There are many scams out there and I don’t know who to choose. Who is legit?”
These are a few of the questions submitted for the recent Virtual Book Tour I did with Mark Levine on self-publishing and how to choose a good self-publishing company. (Ask your question or listen to the replay.)
Happily, I have an answer!
Self-Publishing Questions Answered–Replay Ready!
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The replay is ready from the Virtual Book Tour with Mark Levine.
We had a lot of great questions and Mark shared a lot of important information.
Here are just a few of the questions he answered:
- “What exactly do we mean by self-publishing and self-publishing companies?”
- “How is a self-publishing company such as you analyze in your book different from a ‘vanity publisher’-or
