Dan poynter’s self-publishing manual
How to Write, Print and Sell Your Own Book
16th Edition
by
Dan Poynter
SMASHWORDS EDITION
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PUBLISHED BY:
Para Publishing on Smashwords
Para Publishing
P.O. Box 8206
Santa Barbara, CA 93118-8206
USA
Dan Poynter’s Self-Publishing Manual
Copyright © 1979 through 2010 by Dan Poynter
Unattributed quotations are by Dan Poynter.
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
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Dan Poynter’s Self-Publishing Manual
How to Write, Print and Sell Your Own Book
The Self-Publishing Manual
The guide that has launched thousands of books
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THE BOOK THAT STARTED THE SELF-PUBLISHING REVOLUTION…
…by the man the industry turns to for publishing advice.
You can be in print. You can have a book you will be proud of. You can make it a successful seller. Most importantly, you can afford it!
The Self-Publishing Manual, more effectively and successfully than any other book, has turned writers with an idea into successful authors with books. Real books. Books to be proud of.
How? By providing solid, usable information in clear, concise, readable language. By covering every stage of the process from putting ideas into words and words into print, and print into books and books into the hands of readers. This is not the stuff of theory; it is the product of hard-earned experience written by a man who walked, then ran the path to success. More than 120 times.
Dan Poynter is the acknowledged expert in the field of publishing. He didn’t get there by self-promotion. He got there by producing measurable results for countless authors who were turned down by or chose to turn away from established publishers.
From the very first edition through the 15th, The Self-Publishing Manual delivered insider secrets for creating a solid foundation in self-publishing. Each subsequent edition was updated to cover the latest development in the technology and realities of the publishing industry. However, unless you have the 16th edition, you don’t have all you need to know to keep you on the fast track to success in the rapidly evolving world of publishing.
This is your single most important resource; it will lead you to publishing success.
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I have never met an author who is sorry he or she wrote their book. They are only sorry they did not write it sooner.
—Sam Horn, Tongue Fu!
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CONTENTS
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Why you should consider self-publishing
Becoming a Celebrity Author
A Book Lasts Forever
Your Own Publishing Business
The Book Publishing Industry
Your Publishing Choices
Eight Good Reasons to Self-Publish
Should You Self-Publish?
The Future of Publishing
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Generating salable material
Picking a Subject
Fiction vs. Nonfiction
Writing It Yourself
Choosing a Title
Developing the Book’s Covers
Drafting Your Back-Cover Sales Copy
Research: Finding Material for Your Book
Copyright: What You Can Legally Use
Organize Your Material with the “Pilot System”
Input: Getting It into the Computer
Where to Start: Nonlinear Writing
Concentrated Writing
Using Stories
Lay Out the Binder
The Order Blank
Writing Style
Other Ways to Generate a Manuscript
Negotiating and Contracting with Authors
Advances, Royalties and Fees
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3 STARTING YOUR OWN PUBLISHING COMPANY
Basics for taking the plunge
Business Structures
Where to Look for Help
Setting Up Your Business
Licenses and Taxes
The Laws You Must Know
Keeping Records and Paying Taxes
Financing Your Business
How Much Does It Cost to Publish?
Equipment You’ll Need
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Designing books, typesetting, layout, book printing materials, the printing process
Information Packaging
Production and Printing Time
Book Design
Book Format
Color Printing
Printing Materials
Hardcover or Softcover
The Book Cover
The Binding
Printing Books
How Many Books to Print?
Estimating Sales
Reprints
Size of Inventory
Selecting a Book Printer
Other Editions
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Telling the book world you’re a publisher and an author
International Standard Book Number (ISBN)
Bar Codes
Other Important Filings
Directories to List Your Book In
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Prices, discounts, terms, collections and returns
The List Price
The Pricing Formula
Other Pricing Considerations
Discounts
Terms of Sale
Collections
Accounts Receivable
Returns
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Making the public aware of your book without spending for advertising
The Cost of Advertising
Advertising vs. Publicity
Editorial Copy vs. Advertising Copy
Beginning the Promotion
Keep Track of Corrections
Pattern of Sales
Best-sellers
Promotion Is Up to the Author
Key Media Contacts
Promotional Materials
Publication Date
Book Reviews
Selecting Review Periodicals
Review Package
More on Reviews
News Releases
Press Kits
Radio and Television Talk Shows
Author Promotion
Book Awards
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Markets, distribution channels
Wholesale vs. Retail Sales
Distributors and Wholesalers
Selecting a Distributor
Bookstore Chains
The Library Trade
School Market
Prepublication Sales
Nontraditional Markets
Target Your Markets
Seasons Affect Your Sales
Selling to the Government and Military
Premiums and Incentives
Fund-raisers
Catalogs
Subsidiary Rights
Opportunities with Other Publishers
Book Exhibits 335
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Using ads smarter & thinking beyond them
Your Web Site
Direct Marketing
Co-op Advertising
Point-of-Purchase Sales Aids
Online Advertising
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Moving your book out the door
Mail-Order Selling
Order Taking
Credit-Card Orders
Order Processing
Credit and Invoicing
Delayed Orders
Quality Control
Inventory and Storage
Picking and Packing
The Packing Process
Shipping Rates
Posting
Alternatives to Licking and Sticking
Returned Books
Order Fulfillment Alternatives
Remainders
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11 COPING WITH BEING PUBLISHED
Or what do I do now?
Your New Status
How to Autograph Books
Writing Articles
Consulting
Speaking Engagements
Author Promotion
Your Will
Stay in Your Field of Expertise
Local Stores
The Honor of Being Copied
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APPENDIX 1: YOUR BOOK’S CALENDAR
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APPENDIX 2: RESOURCES FOR PUBLISHERS
Recommended Reading/Bibliography
Book Production & Promotion Resources
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A common observation by those who use a highlighter to indicate important parts of The Self-Publishing Manual is that their copy winds up completely yellow.
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DAN POYNTER is the author of more than 120 books and a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP). He has been a successful publisher since 1969.
Dan is an evangelist for books, an ombudsman for authors, an advocate for publishers and the godfather to thousands of successfully published books.
His seminars have been featured on CNN, his books have been pictured in The Wall Street Journal and his story has been told in U.S. News & World Report. The media come to Dan because he is a leading authority on publishing and the Father of Self-Publishing.
His books have been translated into Spanish, Japanese, British-English, Russian, German, and others. He has helped people all over the world to publish.
Dan shows people how to make a difference as he makes a living by coaching them on the writing, publishing and promoting of their books. He has turned thousands of people into successful authors. His mission is to see that people do not die with their books still inside of them.
He was prompted to write this book because so many other authors and publishers wanted to know his secret to selling so many books. Now Dan is revealing it to you—the good life of self-publishing.
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This is an exciting time to be in the book business. Book writing, publishing and promoting are changing—for the better!
You will encounter pivotal stories of my own experiences and some from people like you who wanted to write books and perhaps now play a part in influencing what others think and do—to possibly even change the course of a reader’s life. I hope you enjoy these stories. I have also included quotations from experts in the field of writing or publishing, related quotations from others and some of my own thoughts (they are the unattributed quotations).
There’s not enough room in one manual to include everything you should know about self-publishing. Consequently, Para Publishing has prepared many supplemental reports (called Documents, Special Reports or Instant Reports), which are referenced in relevant places throughout this manual. You may not want or need these supplements right now, but when you do you can find them on our Web site (by typing in the document number in the search box) or can contact us by email or telephone about getting copies. Appendix 2 gives a comprehensive listing of these resources.
Dan Poynter, Santa Barbara
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I have not attempted to cite in the text all the authorities and sources consulted in the preparation of this manual. To do so would require more space than is available. The list would include departments of the federal government, libraries, industrial institutions, periodicals and many individuals.
Scores of people contributed to the earlier editions of this manual. Information and illustrations have been contributed to this edition by Jay Abraham, Bill Alarid, David Amkraut, Judy Appelbaum, Walter Becker, James Scott Bell, Susan Bodendorfer, Chuck Broyles, Jerry Buchanan, Dan Buckley, Gordon Burgett, Judy Byers, Jack Canfield, John Culleton, Jack Dennon, Dave Dunn, Robbie Fanning, Elizabeth Felicetti, Scott Frush, Alan Gadney, Bud Gardner, Barbara Gaughen-Müller, Eric Gelb, Peggy Glenn, Scott Gross, Bill Harrison, Don Hausrath, Ken Hoffmann, Sam Horn, Lee Ann Knutson, John Kremer, Paul Krupin, Michael Larsen, Andrew Linick, Terri Lonier, Ted Maass, Tess Marcin, Maggie Mitchell, John McHugh, Susan Monbaron, Jan Nathan, Christine Nolt, Terry Paulson, Raleigh Pinskey, Tag Powell, Bob Richardson, Ed Rigsbee, Joel Roberts, Joe Sabah, Ellen Searby, Dan Snow, Ted Thomas, Doug Thorburn, George Thornally, Jan Venolia, Liz Wagner, Dottie Walters, Mary Westheimer, Liz Zelandais and Irwin Zucker.
Special thanks go to Robin Quinn for editing, Patricia Bacall for interior design, Ghislain Viau for typography, Alan Gadney for technical editing, Robert Howard for cover design, Brookes Nohlgren and Arlene Prunkl for proofing and proofreading, Laren Bright for marketing copywriting and Ellen Reid for guiding the process to excellence.
I sincerely thank all these fine people. I know that they’re as proud of the part they have played in the development of entrepreneurial publishing as they are of their contribution to this work.
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This book is designed to provide information on writing, publishing, marketing, promoting and distributing books. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher and author are not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If legal or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.
It is not the purpose of this manual to reprint all the information that is otherwise available to authors and/or publishers, but instead to complement, amplify and supplement other texts. You are urged to read all the available material, learn as much as possible about self-publishing and tailor the information to your individual needs. For more information, see the many resources in Appendix 2.
Self-publishing is not a get-rich-quick scheme. Anyone who decides to write and publish a book must expect to invest a lot of time and effort into it. For many people, self-publishing is more lucrative than selling manuscripts to another publisher, and many have built solid, growing, rewarding businesses.
Every effort has been made to make this manual as complete and accurate as possible. However, there may be mistakes, both typographical and in content. Therefore, this text should be used only as a general guide and not as the ultimate source of writing and publishing information. Furthermore, this manual contains information on writing and publishing that is current only up to the printing date.
The purpose of this manual is to educate and entertain. The author and Para Publishing shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused, or alleged to have been caused, directly or indirectly, by the information contained in this book.
If you do not wish to be bound by the above, you may return this book to the publisher for a full refund.
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Why you should consider self-publishing
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Books are the main source of our knowledge, our reservoir of first faith, memory, wisdom, morality, poetry, philosophy, history and science.
—Daniel J. Boorstein, Librarian of Congress Emeritus
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Nearly everyone wants to write a book. Most people have the ability, some have the drive, but few have the organization. Therefore, the greatest need is for a simple system, a road map. The basic plan in this book will not only provide you with direction, it will also pro-mote the needed drive and expose abilities in you that may never have been recognized.
Magazines devoted to businesspeople, sales reps and opportunity seekers are littered with full-page advertisements featuring people with fabulous offers. Usually, these people discovered a successful system of business in sales, real estate or mail order, and for a price they are willing to let the reader in on their “secret.” To distribute this information, they have written a book. Upon close inspection, one often finds that the author is making more money from the book than from the original enterprise. The irony is that purchasers get the wrong information; what they need is a book on how to write, produce and sell a book!
Writing a book is probably easier than you think. If you can voice an opinion and think logically, you can write a book. If you can say it, you can write it. Most people have to work for a living and therefore can spend only a few minutes of each day on their book. Consequently, they can’t keep the whole manuscript in their head. They become overwhelmed and confused, and find it easy to quit the project. The solution is to break up the manuscript into many small, easy-to-attack chunks (and never start at page one, where the hill looks steepest). Then concentrate on one section at a time and do a thorough job on each part.
People want to know “how to” and “where to,” and they will pay well to find out. The information industry—the production and distribution of ideas and knowledge as opposed to goods and services—now amounts to more than one-half of the U.S. gross national product. There is money in information. To see how books are tapping this market, check the best-seller lists in Publishers Weekly, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal or The New York Times.
Your best sources for this salable information are your own experiences, plus research. Write what you know. Whether you already have a completed manuscript, have a great idea for one or need help in locating a suitable subject, this book will point the way.
Since poetry and fiction are very difficult to sell, we will concern ourselves with nonfiction. Writing nonfiction doesn’t require any great literary style; it is simply a matter of producing well-researched, reorganized, updated and, most important, repackaged information. Some of the recommendations here can be applied to fiction, just as the chapters on promotion and advertising might be taken separately and used for other products and businesses. However, all the recommendations are written toward, and for, the reader who wishes to become an author or an author–publisher of useful information.
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Writing ranks among the top 10 percent of professions in terms of prestige
—Jean Strouse, as quoted in Newsweek.
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BECOMING A CELEBRITY AUTHOR
The prestige enjoyed by the published author is unparalleled in our society. A book can bring recognition, wealth and acceleration in one’s career. People have always held books in high regard, possibly because in past centuries books were expensive and were, therefore, purchased only by the rich. Just 250 years ago, many people could not read or write. To be an author then was to be an educated person.
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Books through the ages have earned humanity’s high regard as semi-sacred objects.
—Richard Kluger, author and editor
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Many enterprising people are using books to establish themselves in the ultimate business of being a celebrity information provider. Usually starting with a series of non-paying magazine articles, they develop a name and make themselves visible. Then they expand the series of articles into a book. Now with their credibility established, they operate seminars in their field of expertise, command high speaking fees and issue a high-priced newsletter. From there, they teach a course at the local college and become a consultant, advising individuals, businesses and/or others. They find they are in great demand. People want their information or simply want them around. Clubs and corporations fly them in to consult, because it is more economical than sending all their people to the expert.
Achieving this dream begins with the packaging and marketing of information. Starting with a field you know, then researching it further and putting it on paper will establish you as an expert. Then your expert standing can be pyramided with interviews, articles, TV appearances, talks at local clubs, etc. Of course, most of this activity will promote your book sales.
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Recognition is everything you write for: it’s much more than money. You want your books to be valued. It’s the basic aspiration of a serious writer.
—William Kennedy
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In turn, all this publicity not only sells books, but also opens more doors and produces more invitations, leading to more opportunities to prove your expert status and make even more money for yourself. People seek experts whose opinions, advice and ideas are quoted in the media. Becoming an expert doesn’t require a great education or a college degree. You can become an expert in one small area if you’re willing to search the Internet (the world’s largest library), read up on your subject elsewhere too and write down the important information.
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Sample expert bio
Dan Poynter is a parachute expert who advises attorneys, judges and juries about what happened or what should have happened in skydiving accidents. He is not a lawyer or even an engineer, but has written seven books on related subjects. His technical books on parachutes and popular books on skydiving give him the expertise to be hired and the credibility to be believed.
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A BOOK LASTS FOREVER
A book is similar to a new product design or an invention, but is usually much, much better. A patent on a device or process runs only 17 years, whereas a copyright runs for the author’s life plus 70 years. Patents cost thousands of dollars to secure and normally require a lot of legal help. By contrast, an author with a simple two-page form and $30 can file a copyright. Once you write a book, it’s yours. You have a monopoly on your book and there is often little direct competition.
Many people work hard at a job for 40 years and have nothing to show for it but memories and pay stubs. However, others take their knowledge and write a book; the result is a tangible product for all to see. A book lasts forever, like a painting or a sculpture, but there are many copies of the book—not just one. While a sculpture can only be admired by a limited number of persons at any one time in the place where it is displayed, books come in multiple copies for the entire world to use and admire simultaneously.
Another success secret is to cut out the intermediaries who are the commercial publishers and produce and sell the book yourself. You can take the author’s royalty and the publisher’s profit. You get all the rewards because you are both the author and the publisher. Now, in addition to achieving the wealth and prestige of a published author, you have propelled yourself into your own lucrative business—a publishing house. This shortcut not only makes you more money (why share it?), it also saves you the frustration, trouble and time required to sell your manuscript to a publisher. You know the subject and market better than some distant corporation anyway.
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It circulated for five years, through the halls of 15 publishers, and finally ended up with Vanguard Press, which you can see is rather deep in the alphabet.
—Patrick Dennis
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To clarify for those readers who might misunderstand, publishing doesn’t mean purchasing a printing press and actually putting the ink on the paper yourself. Nearly all publishers leave the production to an experienced book printer.
YOUR OWN PUBLISHING BUSINESS
A business of your own is the great American dream, and it is still attainable. In your own business, you make the decisions to meet only those challenges you find interesting. This is not goofing off; it is making more effective use of your time by working smarter, not harder. After all, there are only 24 hours in a day. If you are to prosper, you have to concentrate on what will bring the most return.
Running your own enterprise will provide you with many satisfying advantages. You should earn more money because you are working for yourself rather than splitting your efforts with someone else. You never have to worry about a surprise pink slip. If you keep your regular job and moonlight in your own enterprise as recreation, it will always be there to fall back on should you need it. In your own company you start at the top, not the bottom, and you work at your own pace and schedule.
In your own small business, you may work when and where you wish; you don’t have to go where the job is. You can work till dawn, sleep till noon, rush off to Hawaii without asking permission. This is flexibility not available to the time-clock punchers.
Before you charge into literary battle and attack your keyboard, review Chapter 11 of this book. It describes how your life will change once you become a published author. Being an author–publisher will sound like a good life, and it can be. However, working for yourself requires organization and discipline. Yet work won’t seem so hard when you are counting your own money.
THE BOOK PUBLISHING INDUSTRY
To help you understand what’s ahead, here are some definitions and background on the book publishing industry:
* To Publish means to prepare and issue material for public distribution or sale or “to place before the public.” The book doesn’t have to be beautiful; it doesn’t even have to sell; it needs only to be issued. Salability will depend upon the content, the packaging and the book’s promotion.
* A Publisher is the one who puts up the money, the one who takes the risk. He or she has the book assembled for the printer, printed and then marketed, hoping to make back more money than has been spent to produce it. The publisher might be a big New York firm or a first-time author, but he or she is almost always the investor.
* A Book by International Standards is a publication with at least 49 pages, not counting the covers. Books should not be confused with “pamphlets,” which have less than 49 pages, or “periodicals,” such as magazines and newspapers. Periodicals are published regularly and usually carry advertising.
THE BOOK PUBLISHING INDUSTRY in the U.S. consists of some 82,000 firms (up from 3,000 in 1970), according to the R.R. Bowker Co., but there are many more thousands of publishers. Altogether, they publish more than 200,000 titles every year. The large publishers, based in New York, are consolidating, downsizing and going out of business; there are just six left. There are perhaps 300 medium-sized publishers and more than 81,000 small/self-publishers. Some 8,000 to 11,000 new publishing companies are established each year. Currently, 2.8 million titles are available or “in print” in the U.S.
YOUR PUBLISHING CHOICES
An author who wishes to get into print has many choices. You can approach a large (New York) general publisher or a medium-sized niche publisher. You can work with an agent, deal with a vanity press (a bad choice) or publish yourself. And there are also choices when it comes to printing (see Chapter 4).
If you publish other authors as you expand your list of titles, you may graduate to the ranks of the medium-sized publisher. You could one day even become a large general publisher. Here are the choices.
1. LARGE PUBLISHING FIRMS are like department stores; they have something for everyone. They publish in many different fields and concentrate on books that anticipate audiences in the millions. A look at the numbers in big publishing will help us to better understand their challenges.
It has been estimated that more than 2 million book-length manuscripts are circulated to publishers each year, and many of the large publishers receive 3,000–5,000 unsolicited manuscripts each week. Reading all these manuscripts would take an enormous amount of time, and a high percentage of the submissions do not even fit the publisher’s line. They are a waste of editorial time. Consequently, many of the publishers refuse delivery of unsolicited manuscripts by rubber-stamping the packages “Return to Sender”; writers are being rejected without being read!
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Authors do detailed research on the subject matter but seldom do any on which publishing house is appropriate for their work.
—Walter W. Powell, Getting Into Print
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The 12,000 bookstores in the U.S. don’t have enough space to display all the 200,000 titles published each year, so they concentrate on the books that move the best in their neighborhoods. Consequently, most publishers figure that even after selecting the best manuscripts and pouring in the promotion money, only three books out of ten will sell well, four will break even and three will be losers. Only 10% of the New York-published books sell enough copies to pay off the author advance before royalties are paid.
Have you ever wondered why books in bookstores tend to have very recent copyright dates? They are seldom more than a year old because the store replaces them very quickly. Shelf space is expensive and in short supply. The books either sell in a couple of months or they go back to the publisher as “returns.”
Large publishers have three selling seasons per year. They keep books in bookstores for four months and then replace them. Most initial print runs are for 5,000 books. Then the title remains in print (available for sale) for about a year. If the book sells out quickly, it is reprinted and the publisher dumps in more promotion money. If the book does not catch on, it is pulled off the market and remaindered (sold off very cheaply) to make room for new titles.
The financial demands cause publishers to be terribly objective about the bottom line. To many publishers, in fact, a book is just a “product.” They are not interested in whether it is a good book; all they want to know is whether it will sell. Therefore, they concentrate on well-known authors with good track records, or Hollywood and political personalities who can move a book with their name. Only occasionally will they accept a well-written manuscript by an unknown, and then it must be on a topic with a ready and massive audience. A published writer has a much better chance of selling than an unpublished one, regardless of the quality of the work.
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Few of the major trade publishers will take a chance on a manuscript from someone whose name is not known.
—Walter W. Powell, Getting Into Print
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Publishers, like most businesspeople, seem to follow the 80/20 principle: they spend 80% of their effort on the top 20% of their books. The remaining 20% of their effort goes to the bottom 80% of their line. Most books have to sell themselves to induce the publisher to allocate more promotion money.
Many publishers today suggest that their authors hire their own PR firm (at the author’s expense) to promote the book.
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A SAVVY SUCCESS STORY
There is a story about one author who sent her relatives around to bookstores to buy up every copy of her new book. The sudden spurt in sales excited the publisher, who increased the ad budget. The increase in promotion produced greater sales and her book became a success.
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Royalties: The author will get a royalty from the large publisher of 6% to 10% of the net receipts (what the publisher receives), usually on a sliding scale, and the economics here are not encouraging. For example, a print run of 5,000 copies of a book selling for $20 could gross $100,000 if all were sold by the publisher at the full retail list price, but an 8% royalty on the net (most books are sold at a discount) may come to just $4,000. That isn’t enough money to pay for all the time you spent at the computer. The chances of selling more than 5,000 copies are highly remote, because after a few months the publisher takes the book out of print. In fact, the publisher will probably sell fewer than the number of copies printed, because some books will be used for promotion and unsold books will be returned by bookstores.
Your publisher will put up the money, have the book produced and use sales reps to get it into bookstores. However, they will not extensively promote the book— contrary to what most first-time authors think. Authors must do the bulk of the promotion. Once authors figure out that very little promotion is being done, it is often too late; the book is no longer new (it has a quickly ticking copyright date in it) and is about to be remaindered. They also can discover, to their dismay, that their contract dictates that they must submit their next two manuscripts to this same publisher.
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Whether you sell to a publisher or publish yourself, the author must do the promotion.
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Big publishing houses provide a needed service; however, for many first-time authors, they are unapproachable. And once in, an author doesn’t get the best deal, and getting out may be difficult. In addition, these publishers often chop the book up editorially, change the title and take a year and a half to publish it. Authors lose artistic control of their delayed book.
Their publishing approach might be more acceptable if the big commercial publishers were great financial successes. They aren’t, or at least they haven’t been so far. One publishing house even admits that it would have made more money last year if it had vacated its New York office and rented out the floor space!
But there is a brighter side for the small publisher who understands who his or her readers are and where they can be found. Since the old-line, big department store-like publishers only know how to sell through bookstores, there’s a lot of room left for the smaller boutique-like publishing house and self-publisher.
Be careful if you hang around with people from the traditional book industry. Learn, but don’t let their ways rub off. Study the big New York publishing firms, but don’t copy them. You can do a lot better.
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To the smaller publisher, there is no front list or back list; it is an “only” list.
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2. MEDIUM-SIZED (NICHE/SPECIALIZED) PUBLISHERS are the smaller and newer firms that serve specific technical fields, geographic regions, categories of people or other specialized markets (business, hiking, boating, etc.). Some of these publishers are very small, some are fairly large, but the most successful ones concentrate on a single genre or subject area.
The owners and staff are usually participants in their books’ subject matter. For example, I publish parachute books with a sense of mission—because I like to jump out of airplanes. Participants at these firms know their subject matter and where to find their reader/buyer because they join the same associations, read the same magazines and attend the same conventions the readers and buyers do.
The secret to effective book distribution is to make the title available in places with a high concentration of your potential buyers. When a niche publisher takes on your book, they can plug it right into their existing distribution system. For example, while some parachute books are sold in bookstores, more than 90% are sold through parachute stores, skydiving catalogs, jump schools and the U.S. Parachute Association for resale to its members. Usually three or four calls to major dealers can sell enough books to pay the printing bill—before the book is even printed!
Some writers may think a large New York publisher is more prestigious (good for impressing people at cocktail parties), but a small to medium-sized publisher will usually sell more books because they sell to nonbook trade accounts as well as to bookstores. Remember, most book buyers are interested in the subject matter of the book and want to know if the author is credible. Rarely does anyone ask who the publisher is.
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Professionals sell then write, while amateurs write then try to sell.
—Gordon Burgett
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Contacting a niche publisher: If you decide you want your book published by someone else, the secret is to match the manuscript to the publisher. To find the right publisher, check your own bookshelf or go to your nearby bookstore and consult the shelves where your book will be. Check the listings at an online bookstore such as Amazon.com. Look for smaller publishers who do good work. When you contact a niche publisher, you will often get through to the top person. They know and like the subject, and they are usually very helpful. They will be able to tell you instantly whether the proposed book will fit into their line.
Niche book publishers tend to be helpful and friendly. No two niche books are exactly alike; it is rare that two books on the same niche subject are published in the same year. Consequently, these publishers do not feel threatened by other publishers. In fact, publishers often promote other books and each other. This is why when you contact a publisher and they decide that your manuscript is not for them, they are eager to recommend another publisher. They know of lots of other publishing companies, and most relish being able to help you and the other publisher get together.
3. VANITY OR SUBSIDY PUBLISHERS produce around 6,000 titles each year; roughly 20 firms produce about 70% of the subsidized books. Subsidy publishers offer regular publishing services, but the author invests all the money. Under a typical arrangement, the author pays the full publishing costs (more than just the printing bill) and receives 40% of the retail price of the books sold and 80% of the subsidiary rights, if sold. (See a fuller explanation of subsidiary rights in Chapter 8.) Many vanity publishers charge $10,000 to $30,000 to publish a book, depending on its length.
Vanity publishers claim that they will furnish all the regular publishing services including promotion and distribution. All this might not be so bad if they had a good track record for delivery. But according to Writer’s Digest, vanity publishers usually do not deliver the promotion they promise, and the books rarely return one-quarter of the author’s investment.
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A CAUTIONARY TALE
Soma Vira, Ph.D., paid $44,000 to have three of her books produced by a well-known subsidy publisher. She received 250 books but could not verify how many were printed and suspects they made very few for stock. The books were not properly edited, typeset, proofed or manufactured. Distributors, bookstores and reviewers refuse to consider books from this and other vanity presses. The books she received cost her $176 each and she had to start over.
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Legitimate publishers don’t have to look for manuscripts.
—L.M. Hasselstrom
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Since binding is expensive, the subsidy publisher often binds just a few hundred copies; the rest of the printed sheets remain unbound unless needed. The “advertising” promised in the contract normally turns out to be only a tombstone ad that lists many titles in The New York Times. Sales from this feeble promotion are extremely rare.
POD publishers also provide a subsidy service; the author pays. Most of them make more money selling books to the author than to the public. Most of their marketing efforts are aimed toward the author. (See discussion of printing options in Chapter 4.)
The ads reading, “To the author…” or “Manuscripts wanted by…” easily catch the eye of the writer with a book-length manuscript. Vanity presses almost always accept a manuscript for publication and usually do so with a glowing review letter. They don’t make any promises regarding sales, and usually the book sells fewer than 100 copies. Vanity publishers don’t have to sell any books because the author has already paid them for their work. Therefore, subsidy publishers are interested in manufacturing the book (as few copies as possible), not in editing, high-quality cover design and typesetting, promotion, sales or distribution. Since they are paid to publish, they are really selling printing con-tracts, not books. They are simply taking a large fee to print unedited and poorly reproduced manuscripts.
Review copies of the book sent to columnists by a subsidy publisher usually go straight into the circular file (trash can). The reviewer’s time is valuable, and they do not like vanity presses because they know that very little editing has been done to the book. They also realize that there will be little promotional effort, that the book has not been distributed to bookstores and that the title will not be available to their readers. The name of a subsidy publisher on the spine of the book is a kiss of death.
One major vanity press lost a large class-action suit a few years ago, but they are still advertising in the Yellow Pages; they are still in business.
4. LITERARY AGENTS match manuscripts with the right publisher and negotiate the contract; 80% of the new material comes to the larger publishers through them. The agent has to serve the publisher well; for if he or she submits an inappropriate or poor manuscript, the publisher will be reluctant to consider anything more from that agent in the future. Therefore, agents like “sure bets” too, and many are disinclined to even consider an unpublished writer. Their normal commission is 15%.
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Agents are 85% hope and 15% commission.
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According to Literary Market Place, about 40% of the literary agents will not read manuscripts by unpublished authors, and a good 15% will not even answer query letters from them. Of those agents who will read the manuscript of an unpublished author, 80% will charge for the service. Eighty percent of the agents will not represent professional books; 93% will not touch reference works; 99% will not handle technical books; 98% will not represent regional books, satire, musicals and other specialized manuscripts. Although most agents will handle novel-length fiction, only 20% are willing to take on either novellas or short stories, and only 2% have a special interest in literature or quality fiction.
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It’s harder for a new writer to get an agent than a publisher.
—Roger Straus, president Farrar, Straus & Giroux
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On the fringe, there are people who call themselves agents who charge a reading fee and then pay students to read and critique the manuscript. They make their money on these fees, not from placing the manuscripts. For a list of literary agents, see Writer’s Market, Literary Agents of North America and Literary Market Place. Also see the directory of agents on the Writers Net Web site at http:// www.writers.net and the Association of Authors’ Representatives, Inc., an organization of independent literary and dramatic agents, at http://www.publishersweekly.com.
5. SELF-PUBLISHING is where the author bypasses all the intermediaries, deals directly with the editor, cover artist, book designer and printer, and then handles the distribution and promotion. If you publish yourself, you’ll make more money, get to press sooner and keep control of your book. You’ll invest your time as well as your money, but the reward will be greater.
Self-publishing is not new. In fact, it has solid early American roots; it is almost a tradition. Well-known self-publishers include Mark Twain, Zane Grey, Upton Sinclair, Carl Sandburg, James Joyce, D.H. Lawrence, Ezra Pound, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Stephen Crane, Mary Baker Eddy, George Bernard Shaw, Edgar Allen Poe, Rudyard Kipling, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, Robert Ringer, Spencer Johnson, Richard Nixon, John Grisham, Tom Peters, Stephen King, Ken Blanchard, L. Ron Hubbard and many, many more.
These people were self-publishers, though today the vanity presses claim their books were “subsidy” published.
Years ago, authors might have elected to go their own way and self-publish after being turned down by regular publishers. However, today, most self-publishers make an educated decision to take control of their book—usually after reading this manual.
Do self-publishers ever sell many books? Here are some numbers (at last count): What Color Is Your Parachute?,22 revised editions and 5 million copies; 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth, 4.5 million copies; How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive, 2.2 million copies; Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun, over 0.5 million copies; and Final Exit, over 0.5 million copies. These authors took control and made it big. For an expanded self-publishing success list, see Document 155 at http://parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/allproducts.cfm.
Self-publishing is not difficult. In fact, it may even be easier than dealing with a publisher. The job of the self-publisher is not to perform every task, but to see that every task gets done. Self-publishers deal directly with the printer and handle as many of the editing, proofing, cover and page production, promotion and distribution jobs as they can. What they can’t do, they farm out. Therefore, self-publishing may take on many forms, depending on the author–publisher’s interests, assets and abilities. It allows them to concentrate on those areas they find most appealing and use outside services for the rest.
Properly planned, there is little monetary risk in self-publishing. If you follow the plan, the only variable is the subject of the book. Unlike poetry and fiction, most nonfiction topics sell relatively easily, especially to their target markets.
Because the big publisher tests a book only for a few months and then lets sales dictate its fate (reprint or remainder), the first four months are the most important to them. The self-publisher, on the other hand, uses the first year to build a solid market base for a future of sustained sales. While a big publisher may sell only 5,000 copies in total, the self-publisher can often count on 5,000 or more each year—year after year.
Para Publishing’s Is There a Book Inside You? has a self-paced quiz to help you decide between a large publisher, a medium-sized niche publisher, an agent, a book producer, a vanity press and self-publishing.
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Do you realize what would happen if Moses were alive today? He’d go up to Mount Sinai, come back with the Ten Commandments, and spend the next eight years trying to get them published.
—Robert Orben, humorist
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EIGHT GOOD REASONS TO SELF-PUBLISH
1. To make more money. Why accept 6% to 10% in royalties from a publisher when you can have 35% from your bookstore distributor (or 100% if you sell direct to the reader)? You know your subject and you know the people in your field. Certainly you know more than some distant publisher who might buy your book.
Although trade publishers can get your book into bookstores, they don’t know the nonbookstore possibilities as well as you do, and they aren’t going to expend as much focused promotional effort. Ask yourself this question: Will the trade publisher be able to sell four times as many books as I can?
2. Speed. Most publishers work on an 18-month production cycle. Can you wait that long to get into print? Will you miss your market? The 18 months don’t even begin until after the contract negotiations and contract signing. Publication could be three years away! Why waste time shipping your manuscript around to see if there is an agent or publisher out there who likes it?
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NIXON & THE SPEED OF SELF-PUBLISHING
Richard Nixon self-published Real Peace in 1983 because he felt his message was urgent; he couldn’t wait for a publisher’s slow machinery to grind out the book.
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Typically, bookstores buy the first book published on a popular subject. Later books may be better, but the store buyer may pass on them since the store already has the subject covered.
3. To keep control of your book. According to Writer’s Digest, 60% of the big publishers do not give the author final approval on copyediting; 23% never give the author the right to select the title; 20% do not consult the author on the jacket design; and 36% rarely involve the author in the book’s promotion.
The big New York trade publishers probably have more promotional connections than you do. But with a huge stable of books to push, your book will most likely get lost in the shuffle. The big publishers are good at getting books into bookstores, yet fail miserably at approaching other outlets or doing specialized promotion. Give the book to someone who has a personal interest in it—you, as the author.
4. No one will read your manuscript. Many publishers receive hundreds of unsolicited manuscripts for consideration each day. They do not have time to unwrap, review, rewrap and ship all those submissions, so they return them unopened. Unless you are a movie star, noted politician or have a recognizable name, it is nearly impossible to attract a publisher. Many publishers work with their existing stable of authors and accept new authors only through agents.
5. Self-publishing is good business. There are many more tax advantages for an author–publisher than there are for just authors. Self-publishers can deduct their lifestyle.
6. Self-publishing will help you think like a publisher. A book is a product that comes from you, somewhat like your own child. You are very protective of your book and naturally feel that it’s terrific. When someone else publishes you, you think the book would sell better if only the publisher would pump in more promotion money. The publisher will respond that they are not anxious to dump more money into a book that isn’t selling. So if you self-publish, you gain a better understanding of the arguments on both sides. It is your money and your choice.
7. You’ll gain self-confidence and self-esteem. You will be proud to be the author of a published book. Compare this to pleading with people to read your manuscript.
8. Finally, you may have no other choice. There are more manuscripts than can be read. Most publishers don’t have time to even look at your manuscript.
The greatest challenge facing the smaller and newer publisher today is finding a system for managing the excitement. Nonfiction book publishers in their how-to books provide valuable information that readers willingly buy because it is going to save them time and money. We send out review copies, draft articles, make email solicitations and circulate news releases on our books—and customers respond. That is exciting! Publishing is an easy business, a profitable business and a fun business. The publishing business is truly excitement-driven.
SHOULD YOU SELF-PUBLISH?
Would-be author–publishers should be cautioned that self-publishing is not for everyone. Writing is an art, whereas publishing is a business, and some people are unable to do both well. If you are a lovely, creative flower who is repelled by the crass commercialism of selling your own product, you should stick to the creative side and let someone else handle the business end.
On the other hand, some people are terribly independent. They will not be happy with the performance of any publisher, no matter how much time and effort is spent creating and promoting the book. These people should save the publisher from all this grief by becoming their own publisher and making their own decisions. Fortunately, most of us fall somewhere in between and can handle both the creative and promotion sides of publishing.
SELLING OUT TO A BIG PUBLISHER: Many self-publishers find that once they have proven their books with good sales, they’re approached by larger publishing houses with offers to print a new edition. If you’re considering selling to a large publisher, see the related discussion in Chapter 8 along with my noted precautions and recommendations.
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$4.2 MILLION PAID!
Richard Paul Evans took six weeks to write the 87-page Christmas Box. He did so well selling it for two holiday seasons that Simon & Schuster paid him $4.2 million for it. Now it is in 13 languages. Sometimes authors begin as self-publishers, get attention and then sell to a larger publisher.
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THE FUTURE OF PUBLISHING
Packaged information is becoming increasingly specialized. More and more books are being printed in smaller quantities. The information in books is going out-of-date faster. Books are being produced more rapidly. Computerized equipment allows people to rapidly write, edit, lay out, print and deliver books. The customer wants more condensed and targeted information, faster.
The chapters that follow describe in detail an alternative to traditional publishing. This self-publishing route will enable you to get your book into print at minimum cost. This book could be your second chance. It will show you the way to publication, fame and extra income—a new life.
Obviously, your success cannot be guaranteed, but many people are doing very well in the writing/publishing business. This isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme; there is work involved. Even though you are working for yourself, at your own pace, it is still work. You won’t get rich overnight. Building a sound business venture takes several years.
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Make effective use of your most valuable asset—your time.
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The secret is to invest your labor. Your time is precious. Like gold, there is a finite quantity. You have only 24 hours of time each day. You can use your time in several ways: you can throw it away, sell it or invest it. For instance, you can waste your valuable time in front of the television set; time is easy to lose that way.
Most people spend their lives punching a clock, going to work and getting a check. They trade their labor for money on a one-to-one basis. If you don’t punch in, you don’t get paid. But isn’t it better to invest your time in a book that will sell and generate income while you are away doing something else? Your labor becomes an investment that pays dividends for years while you are playing or working on another investment. Don’t throw away your time; invest it. It is up to you.
You have all the ingredients it takes to be a successful published author. This book is your recipe.
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Generating salable material
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Write on a subject you love. Your profit center should also be your passion center.
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What are your talents and what do you want to do? Do you enjoy writing, or do you want to become a published author but find writing painful? Analyze your abilities, motivations and overall agenda. Do you want to write, publish or sell books, to pursue any combination of these activities or even do all three?
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I love being a writer. What I hate is the paperwork.
—Peter de Vries
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In this chapter, I’ll cover areas to help you make an educated, personal choice about who will do the writing part of the equation. First, I will discuss how to get your thoughts on paper yourself. Then I will look at avenues for obtaining writing from others. The second part of this discussion will also take us into areas of publishing.
PICKING A SUBJECT
This is the first step. Consider the elements necessary for selling nonfiction:
* The subject is interesting to you. What topic do you want to be talking about two years from now?
* You have the expertise (education) or experience (you have been there, done that).
* The subject interests others; it must be salable. If you build it, will they come?
* The subject matter is tightly focused. Readers want specific, narrowly targeted information today.
* The market is easy to reach. You will be able to determine who your potential customers are and where your customers are. You’ll know what stores they visit, what associations they join, what magazines they read and what events they attend.
* The market of potential buyers is large enough.
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There are three rules to successful writing: (1) have something to say, (2) know how to say it, and (3) be able to sell it.
—David Hellyer
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The book should be on a subject that you’re interested in and on which you are an expert—or on which you would like to become an expert soon. Perhaps you’ve spent years working at, specializing in and learning about something, and there are thousands of people out there willing to pay good money to get the inside information from you. Or if you select your hobby, there are a number of advantages— (1) you know what has been written in the past, (2) you have the contacts for gathering more information and (3) your further participation in that hobby will become tax deductible.
If you need help evaluating your project, contact author–publisher Gordon Burgett at Gordon@sops.com. He will read your manuscript and make recommendations on market targeting, manuscript rework (if necessary), publishing and marketing; he will report on readability and salability.
FICTION VS. NONFICTION
Nonfiction is information that people buy because it will save them time or money. It is much easier to convince people to buy nonfiction than fiction. Unfortunately, the unknown fiction writer or poet is at the same point as the unknown painter or musician.
Nonfiction. Most often, the subject of a book—not the name of the publisher or the comments of a reviewer— is what sells nonfiction. Every new national craze requires how-to books. Don’t be discouraged if your subject has already been covered. That just proves someone else thought it was important. Using your own experience and the latest information, you can do it better. The how-to subjects with the best sales potential are money, health, self-improvement, hobbies, sex and psychological well-being. Find a need and fill it. Remember, most people buy nonfiction to learn some-thing or to solve a problem. You can help them.
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130,000 SOLD!
One specialized book that sold for years was my title Hang Gliding. It went through the press 10 times for 130,000 copies in print. And the printings sold out.
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Fiction is related to all other books of fiction in its category. A reader who buys one mystery is a prime candidate for another mystery. Fiction must compete for a person’s leisure time too. He or she must choose not only between reading this book of fiction and reading other books, but also between reading this book and engaging in other forms of entertainment, such as going to a movie, renting a video or walking on the beach.
Poetry is even more difficult to sell than fiction. But since we receive so many requests for this information, we have assembled the Instant Report 606, Publishing Fiction and Poetry; find it at http://parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/allproducts.cfm.
At Para Publishing, we specialize in coaching nonfiction book publishers to sell more books. We do not claim to have any expertise in magazine or newsletter publishing, fiction or poetry. There are many kinds of publishing. Some of our programs, ideas, leads and resources will work for creative literature, but that is not our specialty.
There may be more money in publishing your information in short monographs than in longer books. Timely mono-graphs usually command a higher price, can be published in shorter runs and take less time to produce. You can even sell them on the Web as downloadable information. Don’t overlook well-researched short reports.
WRITING IT YOURSELF
Creating your own material is easy if you have a system; all it really takes is organization and discipline. When you follow my system, creating copy becomes challenging fun, and you see the progress you’re making—which is encouraging.
Although writing a book is not difficult, it’s not for the lazy. As with joining Alcoholics Anonymous or going on a diet, you’ll have to change your lifestyle. This means waking up one morning and making a decision to do it now. Getting into the system and developing good habits will provide you with a sense of purpose and a feeling of accomplishment. Once you have selected a topic, only the decision to start stands between you and the finished book.
For more detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to write your book, see my book Writing Nonfiction at http://parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/allproducts.cfm.
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Writing has to come first.
—Sue Grafton
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Time,—that is,—a lack of it, is the most frequently heard excuse for not completing a book. But somehow we always find time for those things that are important to us. We just naturally put them first. Often we can fit in an hour of writing time each day by completing our other chores faster. Another way is to get up one hour earlier. This is perfect scheduling, because the house tends to be quiet, the tele-phone doesn’t ring and you are refreshed; most writers find the early morning to be their most creative and productive time. But you must put this daybreak hour first and not let anything interfere with it. Once you gather momentum in your project, you’ll find that rising early will be easy; you won’t even miss that hour of sleep. Or, like some other writers, you may prefer to write at night after work, in the wee hours after other people in your household have gone to bed or on the weekends.