Archive for self-publishing
“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.
“New Publishing Model”–Does It Help or Hurt Authors?
Posted by: | CommentsAn article at bookbusinessmag.com asks, “Is ‘Self-publish’ No Longer a Dirty Word?” There’s an interview with Author Solutions, Inc. CEO Kevin Weiss about this new “partnership model” that many publishers are embracing, such as Thomas Nelson and Harlequin.
Basically, what is happening is “publishers” (really they are publishing services companies) such as Author Solutions are offering traditional publishers a way to profit from the authors they don’t deem worthy of taking a risk on and publishing in the traditional way. Author Solutions is the parent company of self-publishing imprints AuthorHouse, iUniverse, Trafford Publishing and Xlibris. All of these are listed in the “Publishers to Avoid” chapter of Mark Levine’s excellent book, The Fine Print of Self-Publishing: The Contracts & Services of 45 Self-Publishing Companies–Analyzed, Ranked and Exposed.
I’m not necessarily against this new “partnership publishing” model. It’s probably inevitable, because 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→
The replay for today’s Publishing Coach Weekly call is ready!
(To get to the teleseminar replay, scroll past the article–which is related, so please read if you are considering publishing at all.)
Questions answered on this call:
- “What do you think of Virtual Book Tours? Do you have a recommendation as to whom to hire to help promote?” (Debbie)
- “I need a refresher on how to make outlines. Although I like the freedom of straying from the outline, to have something organized on paper helps me focus, yet I run into difficulty making that outline.” (Margaret)
(I revealed the mind-mapping technique that I use for virtually everything I plan. It will give you an outline for your book–or anything, even a vacation–in minutes! Also guaranteed to beat writer’s block.) - “I have sent submissions to 6 publishers, got turned down by 4 and accepted by 1- Tate Publishing. But they want $3,400 up front to do ‘everything.’ Is it normal for publishers to want money up front? I need understanding on the best route to take with publishers by knowing what is the norm and what is more of a scam.”–Cindy
The Tip covered 5 questions to ask yourself to determine whether self-publishing or mainstream publishing is the best publishing path for you. (Only you can decide!)
The call is just under 45 minutes. Make sure you print the Resource Guide to get the most out of the class, okay?
Invitation: Tomorrow Night’s Virtual Book Tour on Self-Publishing
Posted by: | CommentsA friendly reminder that if you have ever considered self-publishing, you will want to be on tomorrow night’s call as I grill Mark Levine on The Fine Print of Self-Publishing.
You can ask your question and sign up here.
One of the most-asked questions was, “What are the biggest mistakes authors make when self-publishing?”
I answered that in my recent article. (There are five to avoid.)
Some of the other questions we will answer tomorrow night include:
- What exactly is self-publishing, and what can I expect from a self-publishing company?
- How much does it cost to self-publish (and how can I be sure I won’t get ripped off)?
- What kind of distribution does a self-published book get? (I.e., will the book show up on a Barnes & Noble bookshelf?)
- How do you distinguish the best self publishing companies
If these are your questions, sign up for the call!
If you have another question you would like to see Mark Levine answer, now is the time to ask it.
You’ll get all the details, plus “The Author’s Bill of Rights” and Mark’s PowerPoint on “Why Self-Publish?” when you sign up.
If you can’t make the live call, you will get the replay link–if you sign up!
