Steps to Publishing Success

by: Zaak O'Conan
Even if your best friend owns a top publishing company, giving you an immediate "in," this does not guarantee publishing success.
First, you have to write a quality book that has a clear target audience. And your book must answer a common problem or need that audience shares. Then you have to develop a marketing plan, and stick to it for at least two years.
Let's begin with the process that should commence before you write your first word. Begin by reading A LOT. Read both books you passionately love and books you can't seem to make it past page five. Then figure out what the author did in the book you loved, and what was wrong with in the book you couldn't finish. Write down these points so they are crystal clear to you. Read other people's books for inspiration and to discover what you should avoid as a writer.
The next step is to plan out your book. Narrow down your subject, and then divide it into chapters. Each chapter should address a specific aspect of the problem your book is going to solve. In each chapter, break the specific aspect down into several parts. This will help your readers take in your information a bit at a time instead of overwhelming them with every bit of information clogging up the pages until they feel like they're about to go blind. It's not quite spoon-feeding the information to your readers, but it's close.
The next two steps are obvious. Write your book and then revise it. And then revise it again. And perhaps again. Of course, writing is extremely hard, and writing a book can seem like an impossible task. There are many books out there that give you guidelines to help you become familiar - and even love - the process of writing and revision. Find a number of books about writing. Better yet, find a number of books about writing the specific type of book you aspire to write. These can serve as roadmaps on your writing journey.
Once you've written your ebook and revised it at least twice, show it to someone else whose opinion you respect. If you're lucky enough to know a good editor, see if you have something to barter for him or her to go through your manuscript. Or join a writing group and let the other members critique your work.
Then take all these ideas from other people, and revise your manuscript one last time. And then stop! Put down that pen! Get your hands off the keyboard!
One of the most important steps to actually producing a book is to know when to stop writing and tinkering with it.
You've finally written your ebook! Pop open the bubbly! Give yourself a night out on the town!
Okay, now that this necessary celebration is out of your system, what do you do next?
How to turn your ebook into Profits
Ebooks are a revolutionary way to publish your book without incurring the costs of print production. All you need is a relevant and targeted subject and some inexpensive software, and you can transform your manuscript into a book.
The problem, in terms of actually seeing any profits from your ebook, is that the market is overwhelmed with ebooks, and many of them are not worth the time it takes to download them. Just because the ability exists to easily produce an ebook, doesn't make it good writing.
Make sure your book does not simply rehash old material. You will injure your credibility as an author by claiming to offer valuable new insights and disappointing your audience with material they've read a zillion times before. So spend enough time writing and revising your book to make sure it's of the highest quality and presents the most current information. A good book will eventually sell itself; false claims about your book will make it extremely difficult to sell any future books you may write.
Assuming you have determined that you do indeed have a quality product that answers some question or need of your target audience with NEW information, how do you know how much to charge for it? Rule number 1: Set a price for your book equal to its value. An under-priced book will only give the impression that your book isn't worth very much.
To figure out a fair price, estimate how much time you put into creating it and how difficult it was to transform the necessary information into understandable and engaging writing. Figure out how much your time and effort is worth, and then price it accordingly. The goal is for you to be adequately compensated for your talent, your time, and your effort.
Once you've figured out a price that is high enough to convey the value of the book, but not so high as to be out of the reach of your target audience's mean budget, then it's time to offer it for sale on your website. To attract sales, you will need to develop a promotional campaign, particularly if you are an unknown author.
There are multitudes of books about self-promotion that will guide you in your efforts. Choose a plan that is both creative and professional. Learn how to write a catchy yet informative press release, and send copies of your ebook to sites that specialize in ebook reviews.
Learn how to write powerful sales copy, or hire someone to write it for you. This is an essential. You absolutely need excellent sales copy to sell your book. Make sure the copy includes all the reasons your target audience needs your book, and the benefits they will derive from buying it.
Use graphics in your promotional materials. Beautiful graphics have the power to instantly convey the quality and value of your ebook. Graphics can also convey the amount of valuable information the book contains, and your careful attention to detail. Professional graphics sell professional books. They reassure the customer that the product is what it claims to be.
Consider excerpting chapters for articles. You can offer these tidbits for free on your website as a sort of demo of your book. Include an order form for your ebook at the end of the excerpted articles.
Finally, when you set-up your download link, make sure to simplify the process. It's a good idea to offer a few bonuses that make your book even more enticing to purchase, but make sure the bonuses are valuable and high quality. Too many bonuses that are basically a load of useless stuff will compromise the impression your audience has of your ebook. The goal is to convey to your audience that they are getting a quality product for a good deal. That means applying restraint, especially when it comes to adding bonus items. Too much free stuff offered diminishes your credibility.
Make sure your book is a quality product. Make sure it is relevant and current. Develop an effective marketing plan that includes excellent sales copy and excerpted articles. Then offer your book for sale, and wait for your audience to discover you!

Leia Mais

The Pros and Cons of Print on Demand Publishing

by: Victoria Ring
When I was five years old, my parents bought me a manual typewriter for a Christmas present. I practiced every day until I was able to type letters to my grandparents and other relatives. Although it is safe to say that I have been a writer since 1963, I didn’t start making money from my writing until I started Graphico Publishing in 1988.
Back in those days, Adobe Acrobat Reader (PDF) had never been thought of. In fact, the word “internet” was unknown to the majority of the general public. Therefore, I had only three options available to me if I was going to sell my articles and books:
Submit them to publishers, hoping they would be published “someday”;
Typeset my own books, print them on a copier and mail copies to customers ordering directly from me (this also meant that I had to market the books myself); or
Pay a printer to typeset and print my books, which meant I had to buy a minimum amount and pay for them upfront (which could cost $10,000 or more).
I chose to employ option Number 2. I figured that I would not have to spend any money using that option because as books were ordered, I could print them on my copy machine. Besides, my books were not full-length paperbacks. They were 20-page booklets that I could print on letter-size paper, fold in half and saddle stitch. Only until I started selling 100s of books would I invest into purchasing a minimum amount from a printer. Besides, the idea of not having to stock a product was of great importance to me since I was living in a small one-bedroom apartment at the time.
However, while choosing the Number 2 method above would save me a lot of money, I was going to have to learn how to market and typeset my books. Learning to typeset was pretty easy. I went to a printer’s supply store and picked up books showing me different styles of fonts and I looked at every display advertisement I could find. I purchased Roger Parker’s Book, “The Aldus Guide to Basic Design” (http://www.newentrepreneur.com/) and was soon able to start designing my own ads, using combinations of examples I learned from the professional designers. The entire learning experience was great fun and I acquired a skill that I now use on a daily basis.
Learning to market though, took longer compared to learning how to typeset. That is because there are so many variations to marketing. What works for one person may not work for another. However, with the vast amount of technology available at your fingertips today, learning to market your products and services is as simple as filling out forms and posting messages to bulletin boards utilized by your target market.
Little did I realize at the time that the procedure I utilized to sell my books by printing copies only when an order was received is the same thing as print-on-demand publishing. The only difference is that today, most of the marketing and typesetting is included in the publishers price. Since I already know how to typeset my books, the publisher normally gives me a discount of $100 to $150 for saving them time and expense.
I was first introduced to print-on-demand publishing when I wrote my book, “How to Start, Operate and Market a Freelance Notary Signing Agent Business” available online at http://www.50statenotary.com/book). Not knowing that print-on-demand publishing existed I sent my manuscript to several publishers for acceptance. To my surprise, two publishers accepted the book and one offered me an advance of $2,800.
At first I was elated. I called all my friends and we all yelled and screamed together in excitement. The excitement was short lived when I received an email from the publisher the next day with a list of demands they required before my book could be published. One of the demands was the name of my book needed to be changed and secondly, I was not permitted to publish my testimonial to Jesus Christ in the back of the book. I immediately said “no” and began seeking other alternatives for publishing.
To make a long story short, I found Gom Publishing (http://www.gompublishing.com) through my local Christian Blue Pages directory. It just so happened that their office was located within 10 miles of my house. I called them up, asked if I could come for a visit and received a personal tour of their operation. It was a great learning experience and I was sold on the idea of print-on-demand publishing.
Here are just some of the advantages to a writer who uses print-on-demand publishing:
You have total control over your book. No one is going to edit your work and take out your personal “style” or omit sections you know to be important. Gom Publishing includes copyediting with virtually all of their publishing plans, which is something I did not find with most other print-on-demand companies.
Your book is available for sale within 90 days or less if you assist with the design. Compared to the “old time” methods of publishing, even if a publisher accepts your book, it normally is not available for sale for almost a year or later. The whole world could change in that length of time and you would still have to wait a year or more before you got paid for your hard work.
You can make up to 50% for every book you sell. Compare this to a publisher who only pays the writer an 8% to 10% commission. This means that you can set up a web page to sell your book, take orders and purchase the amount of books your need to fill the orders at a 50% discount from the print-on-demand publisher. Gom Publishing offers a 55% discount, which increases your profits even more. This option is not possible with standard publishers who purchase the exclusive rights from a writer, thus not allowing the writer to sell their books on their own.
Print-on-demand publishers also build excellent marketing benefits into their basic prices. These marketing benefits include: (a) assignment of an ISBN number; (b) ISBN bar code printed on book cover; (c) Library of Congress cataloging and registration; and (d) automatic listing on the world’s largest bookstores: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Waldenbooks and Borders. I found with Gom Publishing that they even have programs to distribute your book through third party distributors, sales reps, and even offer publicist services. All you have to do is help in the promotion by directing people to you book on these websites. The credit card orders are processed for you, the books are shipped to your customers and you receive a monthly commission check.
Of course there are many more benefits to print-on-demand publishing than the four I listed above, but I am sure you can begin to see the benefits for yourself. However, even though print-on-demand publishing has many “pros,” there are some “cons” that you might want to consider. One of those “cons” is how the established publishing community views print-on-demand books. They view them as “vanity” publications and booksellers may be reluctant to deal with them. Trade journals like Publishers
Weekly and Kirkus also do not like to deal with print-on-demand published books and magazines and newspapers shy away from them also.
Why are publishers who are located in the high-traffic media biased against print-on-demand publishing? Because they know the author had total control over the book and it did not go through the standard editing process. So what? In my opinion, the media makes a great deal of money from writers and since print-on-demand technology does not provide them with this extra revenue print-on-demand publishing leaves a “bad taste” in their mouths. They tell their employees that print-on-demand publishing is not professional behavior, when the truth of the matter is that print-on-demand publishing is taking money out of their pockets. The “biggies” cannot reveal their true motive, so they do the “human” thing and create as much bad publicity for the print-on-demand industry that they can then use the leverage of other “biggies” like themselves to keep everyone’s pockets padded with the green stuff.
So unless you plan to write a book that you expect to be interviewed on BookTV or Larry King Live about, I suggest you check out print-on-demand publishing. Below are some print-on-demand publishers you may want to consider and compare prices:
Gom Publishing, http://www.gompublishing.com/
Graphico Publishing, http://www.graphicopublishing.com/
Author House, http://www.authorhouse.com/
BlitzPrint, http://www.blitzprint.com/
Instant Publisher, http://www.instantpublisher.com/
Or, go to any search engine and type in the search words “print-on-demand publishing” and start shopping. I chose Gom Publishing to publish my book. The total cost was less than $600 and I made this money back almost immediately.
If are a first time writer or even published, you need to check out the benefits for your work by utilizing print-on-demand publishing. At least you now have more options available to you and perhaps one day, writers will be less dependent on publishers and can take the control over their own products.

Leia Mais

7 Steps to Successful Publishing

by: Ink Tree Ltd.
The decision to publish a book is very exciting! It causes the creative juices to flow and the eyes to light up. But wait – before you begin the publishing process, know about the seven most important steps you need to know before publishing your book. Make sure that you take every step into careful consideration so that your road to success is an easy one:
1. Know why you are writing a book. Are you writing your memoirs for the family, are you writing a community cookbook, are you writing a book of regional interest or are you writing a national bestseller? All of these goals are valid, but each goal has different implications for your business plan. Know why you are writing and know that you can create that bestseller if that is your goal.
2. Treat publishing as a business. You are passing beyond the realm of author into the exciting world of publishing. You are not just a writer, you are about to become a publisher who wants to produce a profitable book, and you want to keep the profits for yourself.
3. Write a business plan. Being aware of the business aspect of publishing is not an end in itself – you need to formally write your plan. It does not need to be a fifty page document with every accounting possibility recorded, but it should outline all of the costs that you will encounter from obtaining the necessary funds to knowing the price of mailing a book. The business plan needs to account for future expenses as well as pre-publication expenses.
4. Plan for publicity and marketing. You must plan for the publicity and marketing of your book. You can have the best book in the world, but if no one knows about it, no one will buy it. You don’t want to print books that sit in your garage. You want to print books that will sell, sell, sell!
5. Write about a subject that you know well. Don’t write about something that you can’t talk about without effort. Write about a subject with which you are very familiar and that excites you. Writing the book will establish you as an expert in your field, so choose the topic that causes everyone you know to come to you for advice. The publicity will then be so easy that you will love being the “star”.
6. Know who will buy your book. So many authors think that “everyone” needs and should buy their books. Not so. Perhaps “everyone” needs their books, but not “everyone” will want to buy. Research and know WHO will actually WANT your book and market, market to them. They will buy!
7. Look for non-bookstore markets and do not be afraid of the large discounts. Bookstores are a hugely important market for most authors, but they are far from being the only place to sell books. There are many non-traditional markets that buy books in large quantities with no returns. This is a great market – sales made are guaranteed sales not consignment sales. Do not be afraid of the larger discounts when you make those large volume sales. The books you sell are actually SOLD.
Think how much more pleasant a journey is if you know which fork in the road will lead you to smooth driving and which fork in the road will lead you through potholes. Knowing the most effective publishing steps before you print will make your publishing career fun and profitable.
Copyright © 2003 Ink Tree Ltd. Ink Tree Ltd. Helping writers publish, market and sell books! If there is a book inside you – profit from it. Learn everything you need to guide you from Idea to Book… to Success – the fast, easy, simple way. Publish your own book with one-on-one expert help from publishing professionals who have created numerous bestsellers and sold hundreds of thousands of books.

Leia Mais

Why Self-Publish Your Book?

by: Ceci Miller
When I meet an author with a great book concept, one who’s definitely the right person to write that book, right away I’ll often encourage him or her to self-publish. This is because I know that, if an author is thoroughly invested in what they have to say, and if they’re determined to create a buzz about their message, they’ll discover . . .
5 Fantastic Benefits of Self-publishing
1. Control. When you enter into a contract with a major publishing house, you’re signing an exclusive agreement that prevents your having input into most of the important decisions that will affect your book’s perception by the public, and its sales. You’ll have very little say about the look and feel of your book cover, the endorsements that appear on the back of your book, or the wording of your press release, for example. And since all of the above elements are critical to giving your book its best chance for bestseller status, such loss of control can pose significant problems. “But don’t publishers know better than I what to do to sell a book?” you may ask. Not necessarily. Authors usually know more about their book’s subject—and hence, about their target audience (market)—than anyone else. Hey, they wrote the book!
More food for thought about signing with a major publishing house: If for some reason your book doesn’t sell quickly and the publisher lets it go out of print, there’s often a “waiting period” before the author is allowed to self-publish the book to get it back on the shelves. In the meantime, the reading public sees that your book is “out of print” and a great deal of word-of-mouth damage is done. Self-publishing means that you are at the helm of your book project. Of course, it also means that the responsibility for its success rests in your hands. But when you believe in your message and know that you’re going to do everything in your power to get that message out to your target audience, isn’t it a good feeling to know that you’re the one driving its success in the marketplace?
I suggest a balance of control and delegation. The right publishing ally can coach you through the process of writing and editing your book, and will also advise you to design and market your message in a way that gets optimum results. Your publishing ally may be a book editor, a publishing consultant, a published author, or all three. If she’s worth her salt, though, she’ll know what it will take to get your book published, and she’ll know how to help you make it happen.
2. Money. Why does it make good business sense to self-publish? Consider the following: a contract with the book publisher doesn't give you an ironclad guarantee that your book will ever and upon the shelves. If you’re a new author, your publisher will allocate zero marketing dollars to promote your book. It's sink or swim! If your book does sell well, it will be due to your own hard work and ingenuity—and your reward will be a tiny fraction of the book’s total profits. Self-publishing admittedly involves more capital risk, but it also means that the extensive footwork you do to market your book will go to producing income for the person who most deserves it. After all, you’re the one who’s doing all the work to ignite word-of-mouth about your book. Not only that, you wrote it! Don’t you deserve to reap 100% of the profit?
3. No Waiting, No Rejection. The Cinderella story of the little book that gets discovered by a publisher and becomes an overnight bestseller is mostly just that—a fairytale. Yes , it happens. But it hasn't been happening a whole lot lately. In the current publishing climate, with major houses paying gigantic advances to celebrity authors—their “cash cows”—not much is left to spend on developing new talent. Let's be honest: a publisher isn't going to spend a dime marketing a book by an as yet unknown author. To get your book considered for publication in the first place, you'll need to have an extremely convincing marketing strategy in place which you intend to implement on your own, at your own expense! Such as the case in every genre from children's books to alternative health to historical novels. First-time authors are being turned away en masse. And since many nonfiction book projects are time-sensitive—well-placed offerings intended to respond to a specific market trend —their authors often while way their precious window of opportunity waiting for agents or publishers to respond to a proposal. It isn't impossible to get a major publishing house interested in a book by a first-time author, but it’s getting more difficult all the time. Self-publishing removes the wait (and the accompanying weight from your shoulders) and the discomfort of rejection from the process of getting your book into print.
4. Independence. Self-published authors are usually people with confidence in their message. Many have already developed a following by giving talks and seminars in areas where they live and work. Experts know when they have a powerful personal message—they don’t need a publisher’s approval to pump themselves up. Such authors, many of whom are already seasoned professionals, self-publish their books because they love being in the driver’s seat of their book project. Rather than gamble that a big corporation will treat their book with the respect it deserves, such an author takes the publishing reins to ensure that her message reaches the widest possible audience. No one cares more about your book than you do.
5. Power of Belief. The power of belief in our words is what makes promises good and turns dreams into reality. Authors who self-publish their books believe deeply that others will benefit from reading what they have to say. They have unshakable conviction. Such authors often tell me, “I had to write this book. I just have to get it out there!” Deep belief is the selfless power that drives all true service and makes a difference in the world. Authors with a strong sense of purpose know that they can make their books succeed. They don't want to wait around for a publishing house to “accept” their work. Aware that time is precious, such authors create their own publishing opportunities. They get behind their own message. They launch a campaign fueled with belief in the creative power of intention.
Every good editor or publishing consultant knows that the best way to make your book a true success is to create and market a message that you will both be proud of for years to come. Creating uplifting books is a passion. Make it yours, and every one of your books sold will be a vote of confidence in yourself and the rest of humanity!

Leia Mais

Times Change – And So Should Our Publishing Strategies

by: Seth Mullins
When I talk to new writers who are trying to interest an agent and/or publisher in their work, I can’t help thinking that their ambition is a little misguided.True, agents remain the gatekeepers of the major publishing houses, most of whom no longer look at manuscripts submitted directly from authors. And yes, those big publishers have major distribution and clout. They will see that your book is stocked on the bookstore shelves, and they will pay you an advance (sometimes a very healthy one) against future royalties.I won’t make the argument that, for writers pursuing that route, the odds are slim to none. First, because I think such statements are made too often and do nothing but add to the general angst of an aspiring artist. Secondly, because I don’t think any art form is a game of odds.I will say, though, that writers who sign those fat contracts have, in most cases, already discovered their audience – or at least a sizable part of it. Look at the bigger-name authors and do a little research on their backgrounds.Most fall into one of three categories: (1) They built name recognition for themselves by writing and publishing short fiction and/or articles, (2) They self-published their first novel(s) and sold enough copies through their own promotional efforts and word of mouth to attract an agent or editor, or (3) They were highly visible in another career – i.e., they were rock stars, sports figures, T.V. personalities, etc.Basically what I’m arguing is that writers should devote their time and energy to attracting READERS, not agents or editors. The powers that be in the publishing world want a sure and safe sell anyway. Forget about them for the time being and think about who your potential audience might be. Then build up a strategy for reaching those readers.The internet is your friend here. For every subject and interest you can name, there is a place on the web where people congregate to discuss it. Boil your book down to its most essential themes and then do some keyword searching. You’ll find discussion groups, ezines, weblogs, interview and review sites, special interest newsletters, etc.What’s next? Once you’ve isolated those sites, consider the most time-effective strategy for interesting those people in your work. Get a feel for a particular ezine’s preferences and then write and submit some short stories or articles. You should consider offering the articles for free. The increased likelihood of publication – and resultant exposure – is worth the sacrifice.Once you have increased web presence you can consider either approaching those agents again or else self-publishing. Remember this: even if you DO sign a contract with a publisher, you’ll still be responsible for doing most of your own promotion. The time you spent exposing you writing to other enthusiasts of your subject will put you in good stead and give you many more options than you would’ve had otherwise.No longer will you be at the mercy of those gatekeepers of the publishing industry.Seth Mullins is the author of “Song of an Untamed Land”. For more advice aimed at aspiring writers and newcomers to the publishing world, visit his blog at http://authorsden.com/sethtmullins.

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Write A Better Newsletter!

by: BB Lee
You've decided to write your very own Newsletter to promote your business, communicate with your customers, or just for FUN.
You've read hundreds of newsletters.
You've also noticed many of these newsletters lack original material.
They are identical in format and/or article content!
Don't Fall Into That Easy Trap!
The following tips will help the new newsletter writer/ publisher create a better newsletter.
Know Who You Are Writing For.
This sounds simple enough, you must know your readers. What are their demographics. Are they male, female, young, old, middle income, high income, getting by, just starting out, looking for business opportunities, looking for work at home jobs, stay at home moms, business women or men. Learn to select the articles that reflect your readers interest.
Establish A Publishing Schedule.
Professionals publish on a regular basis.
Make that your goal!
A regular publishing schedule will also assist you when you accept articles from writers. The contributors will have an idea when to submit articles. And this will also assist in scheduling your ads. You will know how to schedule ads, knowing what issue they will appear in, according to your publishing schedule.
Stick To Your Plan Like Glue.
If you plan your issues the 1'st of every month stick to it. Don't publish erratically. You will lose readers or they may forget they subscribed to your newsletter because of your irregular publishing schedule.
Proofread.
Proofreading is very critical to the publishing process. Every publisher must proofread the newsletter before it is sent out. Take the time to correct any spelling or grammar errors. This will improve the quality of your publication. Run your spell check program and then go over the text with your own eyes looking for common errors the program may have ignored like substituting two for too, or their for they're.
Experiment With Style.
Change your format. Add different types of articles. Ask readers to send in their questions or opinions. Have surveys. Trivia bits, breaking news, quotes, even your favorite jokes. The change in format will keep readers interested while improving your writing skills in various formats.
Research
Research your articles online. Add interesting links to more relevant information. Links to another free resource, software, interesting downloads, are always welcomed.
Invite New Writers
Writing a newsletter is overwhelming to most new publishers. Seek help from writers online. Ask your readers or writers to contribute to the newsletter. Offer a resource box in your newsletter to all contributors as compensation.
This will prompt queries from many writers. And of course you can easily download articles from many article directories online.
Here are a few popular article directories:
http://www.allnetarticles.com/
http://www.goarticles.com/
http://www.ideamarketers.com/
http://www.articlecentral.com/
http://www.certificate.net/
http://www.authorconnection.com/
Follow the tips in this article to make your newsletter stand out above all the rest!.
Visit SmallBizBits for your free newsletter template!
http://www.geocities.com/smallbizbits/free.html
Article May Be Freely Reproduced In Your Online Newsletter Or Website. Include All Links And Resource Box.

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Publishing and Promoting of Poetry anthologies and chapbooks

by: Rose DesRochers
So you have always dreamed of having your poetry published? Why not self-publish it or go with a pod publisher? Poetry is something perfect for self-publishing or pod publishing. Now you are asking yourself how you get started.
Start by choosing up to 100 of your best poems, think of who your market will be. Who will be purchasing your book? You also might want to go to your local book store or library and have a look at other anthologies and chapbooks. Then start by putting your poems together in a manuscript. You might want to have someone go over your manuscript. You can have a professional manuscript reader go over it or maybe a friend. You are going to want someone who will be honest with you and help you edit it.
Then develop a budget of how much you want to spend on printing your book. You are going to want to shop around and look at the different prices of pod publishers or printing companies. If you are going to go the self-publishing route you are going to need your own ISBN number and cover designer. In Canada you can get an ISBN number through http://www.collectionscanada.ca/isbn/s11-202-e.html. I found WRITERSWORLD http://www.writersworld.co.uk/ offers the most complete and professional service for pod publishing. Be sure to tell him Rose DesRochers referred you. You can also check out http://www.instantpublisher.com/ if you want to start on a small budget. A Quick and easy bookbinding for writers and others who want to see their words in print is http://www.gigabooks.net/. Now that you have your poetry book published you will need to look at promoting it.
Website
Create a website to showcase your book. Did you know that blogging is a great way to advertise your book? Google spider’s blogs more often than other web sites. If you would like a professional website and know little about creating a website I recommend hiring a web designer. http://www.invision-graphics.com/ offers writing templates and book covering design. Poetry Readings Set up a poetry reading at your local public library, coffee shop, card shop or book store. You can get the word out about your reading via your local radio station, news paper and the Internet.
Reviews
Reviews are a great way to see if your poetry anthology has any merit once published and reviews will help increase your book sales. Joining an online writing forum like Todays-Woman.net is a great way to get reviews, offer to review other poet’s books in exchange for them reviewing yours. I recommend Shirley Roe founder of http://www.allbooksreviews.com/. Shirley is a regular reviewer for Foreword Magazine, Midwest Reviews and several other prestigious review publications and sites.
Distribution
Visit your local book stores and try to set up a meeting with the manger. Most book stores will take your book on a consignment bases and while you are there you can discuss having a poetry reading.
Press Releases
Write a review of your book and see if your local paper won't run the review. You can also submit a free press release to http://www.prweb.com/
Self-publishing or pod publishing your Poetry book is a great way to break into the market.

Leia Mais

The Great, Okay and the Ugly of E-Publishing

by: Shalla de Guzman
SHALLA CHATS with author Tina Gerow about: “The Great, Okay and the Ugly of E-Publishing”
Who’s Tina? Tina Gerow has great passion for romance and anything paranormal. She writes “the weird stuff” with sarcasm. Her debut novel, Into a Dangerous Mind, published by Triskelion, comes out this May.
Shalla: Hi Tina.
Tina: Hi. It’s great to be able to talk with you.
Shalla: So you’re getting e-published. That’s interesting. We’ve heard the great, the okay and the ugly about e-publishing and we like to ask you about your experiences with it.
First of all, what made you decide to go the e-publishing route?
Tina: I heard all of the bad stories too, so as a fresh newbie, I only queried print publishers. I got lots of ‘good’ rejections – the ones that say send more! – the same with agents, but no one offered a contract.
In the meanwhile, I was getting to know authors in my local chapters who are published with Ellora’s Cave and Triskelion and who are all big advocates for e-publishing.
So, since my book wasn’t erotica, I submitted it to Triskelion just to see what would happen. (That’s before Cerridwen Press was well-known.) And within a few weeks, they requested the full.
A month later, they sent me an email offering a contract. I accepted and have had nothing but wonderful, positive experiences with them. My book comes out in May and they have been extremely supportive and helpful in every aspect.
Triskelion is also actively seeking RWA recognition and I’ll be surprised if they don’t make it by the end of 2005. I still tell people to check out e-pubs thoroughly, because I have some friends who are with some e-pubs who are NOT giving them very positive experiences. I keep telling them to come on over to Triskelion.
I’m still going to actively pursue print publishing as well as future e-published books. If you get with the right e-publisher, then the differences are just semantics – especially since some e-pubs now offer your books in print when they sell well in e format.
Shalla: I have lots of respect for e-pubbed authors. It’s still quite a new format. By the way, how are books formatted? Is it a Word File? A PDF?
Tina: It really depends on the individual e-publisher. Triskelion offers PDF, MobiPocket, HTML and LIT. Ellora’s Cave offers Adobe PDF, HTML, MS Reader, Palm PDF, MobiPocket and RocketBook, which is the .rb files that Rocket reader’s accept. So, they really are quite versatile.
Shalla: Since, e-publishing's only electronic, if they publish your novel, can you still sell that manuscript to print publishers? And/or audio downloads?
Tina: Most of the e-publishing contracts I’ve seen cover e rights as well as print rights because if your ebook sells well, some of the houses will print it. Again, it depends on the house.
Shalla: Since the cost of e-publishing is significantly lower than print, do you get higher royalties?
Tina: Yes, most of the e-publishers I know of offer 37% on e-downloads and slightly lower on print, although still better than the single digit percentage offered by most print pubs.
There is no advance for e-pubs, but you get paid monthly. It’s a bit of a trade off, because for e-pubs, you do a lot of your own publicity. Some people think that puts them at a disadvantage, but I’ve found that many people overseas really like the e-books because they are cheaper for them to get than US print books because of shipping etc.
I’ve had emails from people in China, Taiwan, Russia and Germany asking when my book is coming out because they saw me on the Triskelion book loops and liked my excerpt. There is definitely a market for e-publishing out there.
Shalla: When e-querying, what’s the response time like?
Tina: Pretty quick compared to what I’ve experienced with print pubs and even agents. I sent an email query letter and two weeks later got a request for a full. Then a month later, I received an email offering me a contract.
Shalla: How are negotiations conducted? In person? By phone? By email?
Tina: Everything I’ve done with them has been through email.
Shalla: What’s the time line like from sending that manuscript to getting an acceptance then a contract? Then from signing that contract to getting the book out?
Tina: I received an email offering a contract a month after I sent in the full. Then from the time I accepted, it took another three weeks before I received the contract. I took a week to look it over, sign it and get it back to them.
The edits and when the book comes out after that depends on when your book is slated. My book comes out in May, so my edits will start in April. But I know some other authors in other lines whose books came out two months after their contract was signed – it all depends on when it’s slated to come out.
Shalla: Who’s responsible for promotions? You or your e-publisher? Are you doing promotions? Like what?
Tina: My contract states that I’m responsible for promotions, but Triskelion actually helps.
One of our editors sends out our books to a list of review sites and they helped coordinate a group ad in RT magazine for authors writing in the same line – we all chipped in to split the cost.
So, other than the RT ad, I’ve printed up bookmarks to take to RT and RWA Nationals, I’ve signed up for a radio interview on Jewel’s Way weekly radio show, and I signed partials of my book that I had printed up at the Glendale Chocolate Affair.
Shalla: So how long is your book staying on inventory? And where do we find it? Where do we get it?
Tina: I have a two year contract with Triskelion and as long as one sells now and then off the site, it will stay on for the full two years.
I’ve also agreed to let my book be listed on Fictionwise.com if they offer, which would be for five years. Once my book is released in May, it will be available on http://www.triskelionpublishing.com/ and I’ll have a link to the Triskelion page from my website.
Shalla: Thanks! For more on Tina Gerow, visit her website http://www.tinagerow.com/ Congrats and cyber champagne Tina, we all love that time our work gets out to the world.
We at Shalla Chats send our highest wishes for success and blessings to you and your writing career. Thanks so much for taking this time to talk with us. We look forward to your future books.

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How To Publish Your Way To Success

by: BB Lee
Did you know, self-publishing is one of the easiest ways to make money on the web. Of course, it requires talent, but it's easier to learn than you might think.
Getting Started:
Choose a subject that interest you. Select a subject you enjoy or want to learn about. As an example for this article, we will use "Computer Tips."
Okay, next collect the information to put in the book about "Computer Tips". A good idea to collect tips would be to use your own knowledge, contacts, friends, online associates, family members, even neighbors.
Contact everyone you know who owns a computer, ask them to share their favorite computer tips with you. Tell them if you use their tip you will include their name in the book. After several contacts you should have acquired a stack of solid information.
Now, it's time to start sorting the information and separating it into categories. For example beginner tips, hardware tips, software tips, online tips, troubleshooting tips. Place each category into it's own file. Each of these categories will be the chapters in your book.
Next, begin composing your book on the computer. Don't panic! It's not that hard. Write a brief intro. Write your name and contact information, any copyright information, a brief disclaimer. Publishing date, origin of publishing.
Remember all those tips you collected. Select the best tips of the lot. Now break that down into brief chapters.
Now end the book with a pertinent ending sentence or paragraph. Your name, contact information and a link back to your website.
Now the book is ready to publish.. You've read everything and checked for misspelled words or obvious grammar mistakes. You are now ready to see the final result of your hard work.
If you publish online you will need an ebook creator, which could cost anywhere from $29 and up. Or you might decide to search online with Google or Yahoo for "free ebook creation software" and download.
Download the software and take it for a test drive. Follow the instructions on setting up your files and publishing.
If your ebook is less than 10 pages you might decide to call it a report. More than 10 pages would classify as a ebook.
Well, alright now. Let's sell that book and make a profit! One good idea is to call all the people who offered you tips for your book. Price the book around $20.00 Sounds like a deal! Especially for people hungry for helpful tips from a savvy computer expert like you.
Offer all the contributors a discount on your new book. Maybe a 50 percent discount. Everyone who contributes would certainly love to have a copy with their byline (name) included. This is called ego stroking sales tactics(works for me!)
Have a website? Offer the ebook to all your website visitors. Set up a sales page advertising your book along with ordering instructions. You will want to set up a shopping cart to handle sales. Or alternatively use a service like pay pal or clickbank to handle sales without the hassle of needing a merchant account. Note: Although clickbank cost money to host your book you will attract affiliates who will eagerly sell your book. This translates to more profits.
Also, consider contacting ezine owners online. Offer them a free copy of your book in exchange for advertising space in their publication. Visit online ezine directories and search for ezines in a similar category as your book. Contact the editor with pertinent details.
It's amazingly easy to create your very own book online. There's no hidden secret to publishing. So called publishing guru's want you to think they have the answers or insider secrets. For most of those on the Internet the so called secret is just a good idea and a way to reach targeted customers.
Every person reading this article has a book inside of them! Think about it. Everybody knows something about a topic that other people would pay good money to learn about. You can be sure!
So, what are you waiting for. Get Busy! Pick a topic, gather the information, process it. You'll be a published writer online. Others will think of you as their writer friend. You'll be able to strut your stuff with a certain pride. Yup, I'm a writer! And place that on all your emails, letters, stationary, and business cards.

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Consider Self Publishing in Ebook Format

by: John R
Today, more than every before authors are presented with publishing opportunities that have never existed before. This is not to understate the hard work that authors have to go through to get recognition, write great books, and make a full time living from their passion of expression. However, it is to say that today, due to advances in communications technology, authors can now get their books distributed much easier than they could a decade ago. One very popular way that authors are distributing their work is digitally through ebooks. Digital books are gaining so much popularity that even some of the most popular authors in the world have used it to distribute their books. Stephen King for example published “Riding the Bullet” exclusively in ebook format. When this ebook began distribution over Barns and Nobel and Amazon.com there was so much demand for the download that the servers of these two book giants slowed down almost to a halt. People that wanted to download the ebook were put in a large queue with the hundreds of thousands of other who downloaded the ebook as well.
It’s not only big name authors that are finding success in ebooks. We at Ebook Architect have been helping authors create, market and sell their ebooks online for years now with great success. Many of these people are first time authors and are often amazed with the success of their ebook sales. Below are some of their ebook writing tips.
Don’t underestimate the power of the Ebook
Ebooks are still looked upon as unpopular by many authors who have not yet taken the time to learn about the success within this industry. For example, while the traditional publishing industry growing at the sluggish rate of 5% a year the digital publishing industry is growing at rates between 30% -50%. This means that the opportunities within the publishing industry are growing at a fraction of the rate that opportunities within the digital publishing industry are growing.
To set up an ebook you don’t need to be a tech wizard
Setting up your ebook from the idea conceptualization stage to the selling stage can’t be completed overnight but it is definitely something that can be done by anyone regardless of your technological background. If you can use a word processor then you can create and sell an ebook online. While it is recommended you set up your own website, it is not necessary. There are outlets such as amazon.com, EBay and Lulu.com to name only a few sites that allow you to post your ebook on their servers.
Setting up an Ebook site is virtually costless and you keep 100% of the profits
With traditional publishers you’ll be lucky to see 10% of the profits from your book. With ebooks however, you keep 100% of the profits minus the fees required to set up the site which are minimal. Here is the fee breakdown for ebooks vs traditional books: Ebook vs Book cost Ebook = Free to create an unlimited number of copies Book = Approximately $1500 for 200 copies of a 200 page soft cover book
Rights and profit Ebook = You keep 100% of the profits and rights to your ebooks Book = You get 10-40% royalty (usually about $2-$5/ book)
With the above examples it is easy to see that for first time authors ebooks make a lot of sense. The risk associated with publishing an ebook is much lower than it is with distributing a soft or hard cover book. Likewise, as an ebook author you’ll keep virtually all of your own profits.
If nothing else, it is something worth consideration. Ebooks may not replace traditional paperback books, but they certainly are gaining popularity at a rate that should make all authors stop to think about how they could use ebooks to their advantage.

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How to Get Your Book Reviewed

by: Caterina Christakos
Imagine your book at the top of the Best Sellers List of the New York Times. Most authors do. The question is, "How do I get it there and sell millions of copies?"
When planing your book, there is one critical thing that most authors forget - marketing. In the case of book reviewers this means pre-marketing.
Most reviewers require a copy of your book at least three months before publication. This is because most book reviewers need time to read it and review it plus publish all the reviews on books that they have reviewed for those who came before you. Also many publications come out on a weekly or monthly basis instead of daily. This means that book reviewers have a huge backlog.
So the best way to get a book reviewers to review your book, is to get them a quality copy of your manuscript or a galley, as soon as possible.
What if my book your already been published?
Is it too late to get a book reviewer to review your book? In some cases yes and in some no. There is an easy way to get your book reviewed without calling it a review.
Send out a press release.
Create a press release about your book and submit it to your local newspapers, magazines and radio stations. Make it interesting. Don't just say Mary Joe Piper has just published her newest book Babes on Parade. Think about your story and what it can teach people. Does it have a theme about love or friendship or settling disputes?
Use the issue in your press release. Teach people how to solve their problems and then have the person interviewing you mention your credits, as a published author. At that point your book will be mentioned, you will have done them a service, and you will have saved thousands of dollars on marketing and query letters to editors.
Here are just a few sites that you can go to to submit your pre - publication book:
Book Reviewers:
Terrie Bittner Bellaonline.com: Children's Books childrenbooks@bellaonline.com http://www.bellaonline.com/entertainment/children.html Categories: Children, Children’s Religion, Young Adult - Children Query first.
Sandy Cummins Writers Exchange Book Reviews PO Box 372 Atherton, QLD 4883 writers@writers-exchange.com http://www.ozemail.com.au/~pjcsjc/book-review.htm Categories: Computer/Internet/Technology, Children, Christian, Fiction, How-To, Non-Fiction, Religion, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, eBooks, Writing, promotion & publishing
Anne Douglas http://www.bookideas.com/ emailanned@yahoo.com http://www.bookideas.com/ Categories: Art, Books From Small Presses, Children, Cookbook, Fiction, Literature, Mystery, Pop Culture, Women, Young Adult - Children, Biography, Parenting. Particularly interested in American art and children's books.
Apryl Duncan FictionAddiction.NET Box 876 Chattanooga, TN 37343 ReviewRequest@FictionAddiction.NET http://www.fictionaddiction.net/ Categories: Books From Small Presses, Children, Fiction, Literature, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Young Adult - Children, Thriller/Suspense, Writing, promotion & publishing, Adventure, Horror
Melanie C. Duncan Bookdragaon Review (ISSN 1527-0157) 444 Forest Hill Road, #813 Macon, GA 31210 MCDuncan@bookdragonreview.com http://www.bookdragonreview.com/ Categories: Fiction, Young Adult - Children Comments: All genres fiction only. Please query before sending an e-book. Attachments are deleted if not specifically requested. Traditional galleys may be sent without a query, however please read the FAQs at the website before sending.
Linda Eberharter Fiction Forest 7042 Cohasset Ct. Indianapolis, IN 46226 Phone: 317-549-3038 linda@atlanticbridge.net http://www.atlanticbridge.net/ Categories: Children, Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller/Suspense, eBooks
Detra Fitch Huntress Book Reviews 205 Dana Drive Easley, SC 29642 huntress@huntressreviews.com http://www.huntressreviews.com/ Categories: Children, Fiction, General, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Young Adult - Children, Thriller/Suspense, Adventure, Horror
Denise Fleischer Gotta Write Online 515 E. Thacker Hoffman Estates, IL 60194 Phone: 847 882-8054 Netera@aol.com http://members.aol.com/gwnlitmag/ Categories: Mystery, Romance, Young Adult - Children, eBooks, Writing, promotion & publishing. Authors can also make guest appearances on the AOL chat she co-hosts on Tuesdays from 10-11 PM ET. Writers: keyword, chatrooms, Writer's Grill.
Jessica Holmes Romance At Its Best, Midnight Reviews owner@romanceatitsbest.com http://www.romanceatitsbest.com/ Categories: Books From Small Presses, Fiction, General, How-To, Literature, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Women, Young Adult - Children, Biography, Thriller/Suspense, eBooks, Self-help, Writing, promotion & publishing, Inspirational/Motivational, History/Political, Adventure, Horror
Dave Jenkinson CM/Canadian Review Materials Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Phone: 204-474-8780 e-Mail: jenkinson@ms.umanitoba.ca http://www.umanitoba.ca/cm/ Categories: Audiobooks; General, Children, Young Adults
Jeanne Kelly 1928 Mid Road Colorado Springs, CO 80906 Phone: 719-291-2309 e-Mail: whitebison@mail.com Categories: Audiobooks; Children, Health, Metaphysical, Spiritual, Women, Self-help, Writing, Inspirational, Motivational
Jeanette Lambert Tennessee Tribune 6940 Sunderland Circle Nashville, TN 37221-4621 Phone: 615-321-3268 jbl96@aol.com Categories: Children, Cookbook, Fiction, General, How-To, Library, Lifestyle, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Reference, Sociology, Travel/Hospitality, Women, Young Adult - Children, Biography, Thriller/Suspense, African-American Fiction and Nonfiction , Self-help, Writing, promotion & publishing, Education
Jennifer L. B. Leese AStoryWeaver's Book Reviews 311 Frederick Street Hagerstown, MD 21740 AStoryWeaver@aol.com http://www.geocities.com/ladyjiraff/aswbr.html Categories: Children, Young Adult - Children. Ebooks should be sent to home address on disc or in printed format. Please supply all information needed to properly review your book and where to send the review when done. For faster responses, the review can be sent to you via email.
Cathi Dunn MacRae, Editor VOYA Scarecrow Press 4720 Boston Way Lanham, MD 20706 voya@voya.com http://www.voya.com/ Categories: Young Adult & Children
Sandra J. Morgan Cloudy Mountain Books/The Fiction Forest 2 Bow Mills Road Center Barnstead, NH 03225 Phone: 603 776 0123 sandi@fictionforest.com http://www.fictionforest.com/ Categories: Audiobooks, Australian Books, Books From Small Presses, Children, Christian, Cookbook, Features, Fiction, Food, General, Health, How-To, Humanities, Library, Lifestyle, Literature, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Pop Culture, Reference, Religion, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Serials, Travel/Hospitality, Video, Women, Psychology/Mental Health, Biography, Parenting, Thriller/Suspense, eBooks, Theater, Politics, Film History, African-American Fiction and Nonfiction , Financial
Christian Perring, Ph.D. Metapsychology Online Review c/o Philosophy Dept Dowling College Oakdale , NY 11769 Phone: 631-244-3349 metapsychology@mentalhelp.net http://mentalhelp.net/books/ Categories: Art, Audiobooks, Books From Small Presses, Fiction, Gay/Lesbian Fiction, Gay/Lesbian Non-Fiction, General, Health, Humanities, Literature, Metaphysical, Mystery, Pop Culture, Sociology, Women, Young Adult - Children, Psychology/Mental Health, Biography, Parenting, Comics, Science
Puala Rohrlick KLIATT Young Adult Paperback Book Guide 33 Bay State Rd., Welesley, MA 02481 Phone: 781-237-7577 kliatt@aol.com http://www.hometown.aol.com/kliatt Categories: Young Adult - Children
Geoff Rotunno the boox review PO Box 211 Santa Ynez, CA 93460 geoff@thebooxreview.com http://www.thebooxreview.com/ Categories: Art, Audiobooks, Australian Books, Computer/Internet/Technology, Junior College Books, Books From Small Presses, Children, Children’s Religion, Christian, Cookbook, Features, Fiction, Gay/Lesbian Fiction, Gay/Lesbian Non-Fiction, Food, General, Health, How-To, Humanities, Library, Lifestyle, Literature, Marketing, Metaphysical, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Pop Culture, Reference, Religion, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Serials, Sociology, Spiritual, Travel/Hospitality, Video, Women, Young Adult/Children's, Psychology/Mental Health, Biography, Parenting, Thriller/Suspense, Theater, Politics, Film History, African-American Fiction and Nonfiction , Financial, Self-help, Writing, promotion & publishing, Inspirational/Motivational, Business, Comics, Gardening, Science, Education, History/Political Comments: Seeking review copies of all genres except romance.
Beverly J. Rowe myshelf.com 102 Copper Lane Kenai, AK 99611 Phone: (907) 283-2840 bevbooks@aol.com Categories: Children, Cookbook, Fiction, Food, Literature, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Young Adult - Children, Biography, Thriller/Suspense, Writing, promotion & publishing, Education, History/Political. Prefers hard copies.
J.B. Scott Sydney, NSW 2148 ctf_editor@iprimus.com.au http://www.geocities.com/ebook_review Categories: Australian Books, Computer/Internet/Technology, Books From Small Presses, Children, Fiction, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller/Suspense, eBooks E-mail all review requests to ctf_editor@iprimus.com.au with "REVIEW REQUEST" in the subject header.
Sandra Simmons-Maike Freelance Rt. 2 Box 152 Alma, KS 66401 Phone: 785-765-3861 sandcogroup@aol.com Categories: Audiobooks, Books From Small Presses, Children, Cookbook, Fiction, Food, General, Library, Lifestyle, Marketing, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Serials, Young Adult - Children, Thriller/Suspense, eBooks, Self-help. Include time deadline.
Roger Sutton, Editor Horn Book Magazine 56 Roland Street, Suite 200 Boston, MA 02129 Phone: 617-628-0225 Categories: Children, Young Adult - Children
Niki Taylor Freelance nat0607@hotmail.com http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/book_reviews Categories: Books From Small Presses, Children, Christian, Gay/Lesbian Non-Fiction, Health, Non-Fiction, Pop Culture, Sociology, Spiritual, Travel/Hospitality, Women, Young Adult - Children, Psychology/Mental Health, Biography, eBooks, Theater, Film History, Self-help, Writing, promotion & publishing, Inspirational/Motivational, History/Political
Anna Serra i Vidal Aledaños. Boletín electronico y crítico de literatura Eiximenis, 6 Sant Pere de Ribes, Barcelona 08810 Phone: + 34 93 896 25 04 aserra@ctv.es Categories: Children, Cookbook, Fiction, Literature, Mystery, Women, Young Adult - Children, Thriller/Suspense, eBooks, Writing, promotion & publishing, Education
Christopher Warner EFP - Spratt Publishing 4924 Balboa Blvd Suite 304 Los Angeles, CA 91316 Phone: 818-881-7053 efp@dslextreme.com Categories: Art, Audiobooks, Australian Books, Computer/Internet/Technology, Junior College Books, Books From Small Presses, Children's Book, Cookbook, Features, Fiction, Gay/Lesbian Fiction, Gay/Lesbian Non-Fiction, Food, General, Health, How-To, Humanities, Library, Lifestyle, Literature, Marketing, Metaphysical, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Pop Culture, Reference, Religion, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Serials, Sociology, Spiritual, Travel/Hospitality, Video, Women, Young Adult/Children's, Psychology/Mental Health, Biography, Parenting, Thriller/Suspense, eBooks, Theater, Politics, Film History, African-American Fiction and Nonfiction , Financial, Self-help, Writing, promotion & publishing, Inspirational/Motivational, Business, Comics, Gardening, Science, Education, Scholarly, History/Political, Adventure, Nature, Horror, Photography
Brenda Weeaks MyShelf.Com reviews@myshelf.com http://www.myshelf.com/ Categories: Audiobooks, Books From Small Presses, Children, Christian, Cookbook, Fiction, Food, General, Health, How-To, Literature, Mystery, Non-Fiction, Reference, Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Serials, Women, Young Adult - Children, Thriller/Suspense, Self-help, Writing, promotion & publishing, Inspirational/Motivational, Gardening
Stephanie Zvirin Booklist/American Library Association 50 E. Huron Chicago, IL 60611 http://www.ala.org/booklist/ Categories: Young Adult
Once a few book reviewers write about your book, other book reviewers will follow. Be prepared for these subsequent book reviewers. Have copies of your book ready to send out with your author packet.

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Book Marketing 101

by: Jeremy M. Hoover
Francine Silverman. Book Marketing from A-Z (InfinityPublishing.com, 2005). Trade paperback. 400 pages. $18.95 US.
For beginning authors, book promotion is the key to success. Whether an author self-publishes or is published by a major house, most often that author needs to market her book herself if she wants there to be any chance at all of it being successful. Large publishing houses are too concerned with promoting the next blockbuster to focus even on mid-list titles, and smaller publishing houses usually don’t have the resources to commit to marketing their titles. Even worse off are those who self-publish, because when they receive their books, they are on their own. Any marketing that happens, happens because of their efforts, and their efforts alone.
What is a new author to do? He can sit back and hope that his book sells somehow, or he can put money into a marketing plan and hope that plan is successful. But without a marketing background, that money can be wasted quickly. As a result, many authors don’t market out of fear of loss and uncertainty, and sell far fewer books than they should.
Into this void comes a wonderful book – Book Marketing from A-Z by Francine Silverman. The sub-title explains it all: “More than 300 authors share the peaks and pitfalls in promoting their books.”
Silverman hasn’t so much written this book as she has edited it. She is the successful author of two books, as well as the owner of a very influential book promotion newsletter (http://bookpromotionnewsletter.com/). Over a couple years of publishing her newsletter, she has collected marketing success stories from many authors, and, combined with her own expertise, has put it all together into an excellent resource.
This book contains everything a new (or even experienced) author needs to begin marketing. Authors might be surprised to learn that there are many free things they can do to market their books! For example, I was surprised at how many authors related that something as simple as handing out bookmarks or pens stamped with their website and book name resulted in much publicity and many sales.
The book is comprehensive—arranged alphabetically, Silverman covers such topics as the importance of good reviews, what to do (or not do) at book signings, how to brand yourself, how to tie-in with holidays or movies, how speaking engagements can help a career blossom, and how to send out press kits. There are two huge sections on using Internet technology (web sites, ezines, e-groups, etc.) and newsletters to build a following. In my view, these two sections are the most informative sections of the book.
Silverman has produced a timely, comprehensive, and very helpful book that new and expert authors will return to time and again as they build their writing careers.

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The Indie Author Revolution

by: Seth Mullins
I remember well the night I first heard Nirvana. I was sunk in wretched and ugly despondency, not wanting to talk to anyone and hating myself. I couldn't discern or articulate my inner state, even to myself. There was no separating cause and effect. Then Kurt Cobain wove his uncanny spell. Suddenly I experienced my apathy, my sense of loneliness and alienation - even my depression itself - all these emotions as EMPOWERING.Talk about waving your freak flag.Nirvana's success paved the road to recognition for a lot of other great underground bands like the Screaming Trees, the Meat Puppets, the Melvins; bands that provided a welcome alternative to the bland and condescending music that was being force-fed to the masses by the industry. The "grunge" movement of the early '90's was the closest my generation ever came to spiritual union. A community took root and grew, gathering misfits from every far-flung corner until it was massive enough to shake up the status-quo. This uprising snatched music from the hands of the corporate world and delivered it back to the people. It was fueled not only by hard work on the part of the bands, but also by word of mouth - and the invaluable support of independent labels, magazines and record stores.The media generally didn't know what to make of it. Record companies were rethinking their strategies and scrambling to hop on the bandwagon. Oftentimes they latched onto the surface trappings - unkempt long hair, flannel shirts and stage-diving - and missed the spirit of the happening entirely. There was no Institute of the Arts where one could go to learn how to translate the frustrations of the twenty-somethings into timeless music.I miss the excitement of that time, the feeling that the ball was in our hands and we were finally going to see some movement and change.There is an upheaval occuring now within the publishing industry that will make it possible for a similar grass-roots movement to flourish through the medium of books and literature. Frustrated by the major publishing houses and their worship of the bottom line - and the elitist milieu wherein a handful of people in New York deign to decide what the rest of us will read this year - ambitious authors are exploring alternatives like self- or print-on-demand publishing. They seek greater creative control (i.e., no editors or agents demanding drastic alterations to authors' manuscripts based upon their knowledge of "what sells"), higher royalties, and the means to skirt around the powers that have hitherto been acting as the gatekeepers of the publishing world.Getting hip to underground music required not only soul-searching and discrimination but also a fair amount of leg-work. The records were hard to find, and because they went largely ignored by radio and MTV one often didn't know which ones were worth laying down one's hard-earned money for. An independently-thinking fantasy enthusiast faces a similar dilemma today when searching for something other than Harry Potter or recycled Tolkien to read.Here the internet proves a valuable resource. Discussion groups, forums and chat-rooms have created cyber-tribes that congregate around every conceivable subject and interest. Word of mouth travels fast these days - and between millions of people who've never even met. Amazon.com has turned readers into reviewers. Authors have their own websites where they post excerpts and sample chapters from their works. The internet is the ideal launching pad for the indie-book revolution, because it's taken tools previously monopolized by corporate publishing and made them available to us common folks. Books that, once upon a time, would've been rejected because they didn't fit into any cookie-cutter genres can now find a community to embrace them.Ultimately, when we as authors take our creative destiny into our own hands we're giving ourselves permission to BE OURSELVES - and allowing others a glimpse of our true nature.A cultural climate where new ideas proliferate - and are exchanged - is an environment wherein the soul can expand and breathe. Art is meant to open the windows and air out the closets. It should not be bound, like Prometheus, to the rock of publisher shareholder interests, chain bookstore monopolies and Oprah's selections of the month.Seth Mullins is the author of "Song of an Untamed Land", a novel of frontier drama, musical prohibition and the spiritual quest. To browse or download excerpts from his work, visit Seth at http://authorsden.com/sethtmullins.This article is free for republishing
Seth Mullins is the author of "Song of an Untamed Land", a novel of speculative fantasy in lawless frontier territory. His nonfiction includes dissertations on the craft of writing, as well as the inner meanings of mythic and fantasy stories.

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Your Spellchecker Can Catch Punctuation Mistakes

by: Jan Kovarik
Even though you should never only rely on your spellchecker to find mistakes in your document, you can make the most of your spellchecker by changing the settings. It isn't as scary as it sounds and once you learn where these settings are, you can change them as often as you need to for whatever guidelines you have to use for a particular document that you are writing.
These punctuation settings are consistent with the American publishing industry. If you are writing for Great Britain (the United Kingdom) or writing in English for any other country, be sure to learn what punctuation rules are used in that country's publishing industry. You can reset the spellchecker options at any time so that when you run spellcheck, it will automatically check for the right punctuation placement.
Here’s the easy 1-2-3 instructions for changing and checking your spellchecker settings:
1. Open Word.
2. On the toolbar, click on Tools. In the drop-down window, click on Options.
3. Click on the Spelling & Grammar tab, hit the Settings button. A new window will appear. Set the first three requirements:
Comma required before last list item (always) Punctuation required with quotes (inside) Spaces required between sentences (1)
Click OK.
Now, close all the windows that are open. Your spellchecker has now been re-set and these option settings will be in place for all Word documents that you create from now on. You only need to go through this procedure again is if you need to change these settings to comply with a specific publishing requirement. If you do change the settings, remember to change them back to these settings once you have finished that document.
Be sure to always run a final spellcheck of your document, after you have made your final corrections!

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How to Find a Publisher for Your First Book

by: Gary R. Hess
Finding a publisher can be very strenuous. In fact, it may even be harder than actually writing the book itself.
There are three things to remember when finding a publisher for your book:
1) These things take time, even Stephen King was not signed the first night. Be patient, book publishers are quite busy and may take a while to get back to you. Just keep positive, if your book is good a publisher will sign you.
2) Start big and work down. Submit your book to the largest publisher first, then work yourself downward. Chances are, if a large publisher signs you the more money you will see in return. However, don't get too stressed when the first notice comes and says you are not signed, there are many other publishers who would love to see a new book come their way.
3) An easy way to get started yourself, if you do not wish to mess with publishers, is to find a publishing company who will do it for free without the advertising. A great place to start looking is at cafepress.com. They have a great selection of book styles and offer a great pricing for self publishing.
The most important thing to remember while looking for a publisher is to stay positive and keep trying. There are many publishers in this world and at least one is bound to sign you.

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Getting A Publisher & Getting What You Want

by: Sophfronia Scott
In the basic scenario of book publishing, a writer finishes a book and then finds an agent who helps sell the book to a publisher. When someone asks, "How do I find a publisher?" they're often looking for the details of this scenario. But let's backtrack a little. The answer to this question has to do with what you as a writer want out of the publishing process as well as what the publisher wants. It's best to be as clear as possible on both counts. Here are a few things to consider.
What You Want
What exactly do you want for your book? It's possible that your answer can save you a lot of time and heartache. Here's an example. A writer recently emailed me about wanting to find a publisher for his book on dealing with sickle cell anemia. He said he felt it was a really important book and that people would be interested in the information. That's great, but if his main goal is getting his book into the hands of those coping with the disease, he doesn't have to go with a big traditional publishing house in order to do that. He can self publish and take the book directly to doctor's offices, support groups and sickle cell organizations.
Do you want a book that tells a family story that will be a legacy for your children? Do you want a book that will establish your expertise and help you get started on the speaking circuit? You can accomplish these things by self publishing. A prominent ghostwriter recently published a book about his trade and landed a television interview where he discussed how politicians get their books written. The author was introduced as a "ghostwriting guru" and his book was prominently displayed at the end of the story. There was nothing that would have told you the book was self published. It didn't make a difference that it was. He still got the notice, was still seen as an expert.
Do you want to go for the whole enchilada--traditional publishing house, book tour, the status of having the validation of a publisher? That's fine too. Which brings us to...
What Publishers Want
Publishers are reviewing tons of manuscripts daily. How do you get your submission package to stand out from the others? By giving what they're looking for.
They want good writing. That's a given, but how do you deliver? First of all, be in a mode of constantly learning about your craft. Take classes, workshops, join a writer's group. Next, hire someone to help you. There are many editors who assist writers in getting a manuscript ready for submission. Some agencies even provide editing as part of their services.
The next part is harder. It has to do with that magical term "platform". Everyone these days talks about how publishers buy on the basis of your platform. In fact your submission package, fiction or non-fiction, will be all about showcasing your platform. Here's what they're looking for and how to demonstrate it.
Who you know and who knows you: Have testimonials and blurbs from known and noted people featured in your package. If you have a few big names behind you, that's more power for your marketing machine.
Do you have a following? If you put out a newsletter or other regular media you'll want to show how many subscribers you have. If you have a killer website, tell the number of hits you draw each month. If you sell a product, give sales figures to show you know how to produce what your customers want.
Are you in front of people all the time? Tell what media you already have under your belt. When and where were your last speaking engagements? Describe any radio, television, newspaper or magazine interviews you've done recently.
If you're lacking in any of these areas, it's never too late to change your situation. Polishing your prose and your persona are the best steps you can take to attract a publisher. They'll also help ensure your success if you decide to go it on your own. Remember, any improvement on your writing or marketing fronts will never go to waste!

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You Can Be An Author

by: Crystal Paine
“You should write a book.” For years, I had been hearing this comment. Writing an entire book seemed completely overwhelming, and so, for a long time, I contented myself with writing short articles. One day, inspiration for an article hit me and, as I started writing, paragraphs began flowing out at an enormous rate. Before I knew it, a rather lengthy piece was developing. It was too long to be an article, so, I decided it would not hurt to try self-publishing a little booklet. Was I ever surprised! The first printing of this 32-page black and white booklet sold out within a week.
All of us have an area which we have more knowledge and experience than the person next to us. What many do not realize is that there is often a hungry market out there ready and willing to pay for the information we have to offer. Yes, it takes a tremendous amount of effort to see a book to completion and printing, but it is well worth it.
Some things I have learned through the experience:
1. Start small. Don’t attempt to tackle a 400-page work for your first publication. You will also save yourself a bundle on printing if you keep it small. I recommend a booklet under 50-pages to launch your career as an author.
2. Enlist the help of others who are more experienced. If you know someone who has published anything, ask their advice and help. You will gain invaluable information from them and save yourself many headaches. In addition, request assistance from others for editing and proofreading. No matter how meticulous you are, it is always good to have other eyes review the final draft before it goes to the printer.
3. Be prepared to deal with disappointment. When you put your heart into something only to hear, "We're not interested," it is easy to take it personally. But, you must continually remind yourself that this is part of the package deal in self-publishing. For every "yes" you receive at least five "no's" (or so it seems). Learning to humbly and graciously accept rejection, not let it get you down, and keep pressing forward is an absolute must in self-publishing, especially at the beginning.
4. The more you market, the more you sell. You can publish an excellent book, but unless people know it is available, you cannot expect many buyers. The possibilities for marketing are endless. Check out all the books on marketing your local library offers. These will give you some great starter ideas. Send out an e-mail to friends, family, and business associates announcing your book’s publication date and offer a limited-time pre-publication special. Join self-publishing groups and let them know about your book. Ask others to promote your book. Be pro-active and do not be afraid to try novel ideas!

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Why Write an eBook?

by: Karen Martin
It's not true that everything that has been said has already been written. Since that unfortunate axiom came into use, the whole universe has changed. Technology has changed, ideas have changed, and the mindsets of entire nations have changed.
The fact is that this is the perfect time to write an ebook. What the publishing industry needs are people who can tap into the world as it is today - innovative thinkers who can make the leap into the new millennium and figure out how to solve old problems in a new way. Ebooks are a new and powerful tool for original thinkers with fresh ideas to disseminate information to the millions of people who are struggling to figure out how to do a plethora of different things.
Let's say you already have a brilliant idea, and the knowledge to back it up that will enable you to write an exceptional ebook. You may be sitting at your computer staring at a blank screen wondering, "Why? Why should I go through all the trouble of writing my ebook when it's so impossible to get anything published these days?
Well, let me assure you that publishing an ebook is entirely different than publishing a book in print. Let's look at the specifics of how the print and cyber publishing industry differ, and the many reasons why you should take the plunge and get your fingers tapping across those keyboards!
Submitting a print book to conventional publishing houses or to agents is similar to wearing a hair shirt 24/7. No matter how good your book actually is, or how many critique services and mentor writers have told you that "you've got what it takes," your submitted manuscript keeps coming back to you as if it is a boomerang instead of a valuable mine of information.
Perhaps, in desperation, you've checked out self-publishing and found out just how expensive a venture it can be. Most "vanity presses" require minimal print runs of at least 500 copies, and even that amount will cost you thousands of dollars. Some presses' minimal run starts at 1,000 to 2,000 copies. And that's just for the printing and binding. Add in distribution, shipping, and promotional costs and - well, you do the math. Even if you wanted to go this route, you may not have that kind of money to risk.
Let's say you already have an Internet business with a quality website and a quality product. An ebook is one of the most powerful ways to promote your business while educating people with the knowledge you already possess as a business owner of a specific product or service.
For example, let's say that you've spent the last twenty-five years growing and training bonsai trees, and now you're ready to share your knowledge and experience. An ebook is the perfect way to reach the largest audience of bonsai enthusiasts.
Ebooks will not only promote your business - they will help you make a name for yourself and your company, and establish you as an expert in your field. You may even find that you have enough to say to warrant a series of ebooks. Specific businesses are complicated and often require the different aspects to be divided in order for the reader to get the full story.
Perhaps your goals are more finely tuned in terms of the ebook scene. You may want to build a whole business around writing and publishing ebooks. Essentially, you want to start an e-business. You are thinking of setting up a website to promote and market your ebooks. Maybe you're even thinking of producing an ezine.
One of the most prevalent reasons people read ebooks is to find information about how to turn their Internet businesses into a profit-making machine. And these people are looking to the writers of ebooks to provide them with new ideas and strategies because writers of ebooks are usually people who understand the new cyberspace world we now live in. Ebook writers are experts in Internet marketing campaigns and the strategies of promoting and distributing ebooks. The cyberspace community needs its ebooks to be successful so that more and more ebooks will be written.
You may want to create affiliate programs that will also market your ebook. Affiliates can be people or businesses worldwide that will all be working to sell your ebooks. Think about this? Do you see a formula for success here?
Figure out what your subject matter is, and then narrow it down. Your goal is to aim for specificity. Research what's out there already, and try to find a void that your ebook might fill.
What about an ebook about a wedding cake business? Or an ebook about caring for elderly pets? How about the fine points of collecting ancient pottery?
You don't have to have three masters degrees to write about your subject. People need advice that is easy to read and easily understood. Parents need advice for dealing with their teenagers. College students need to learn good study skills - quickly. The possibilities are endless.
After you've writtten your ebook
Getting your ebook out is going to be your focus once you've finished writing it, just as it is with print books. People will hesitate to buy any book from an author they've never heard of. Wouldn't you?
The answer is simple: give it away! You will see profits in the form of promoting your own business and getting your name out. You will find affiliates who will ask you to place their links within your ebook, and these affiliates will in turn go out and make your name known. Almost every single famous ebook author has started out this way.
Another powerful tool to attract people to your ebook is to make it interactive. Invent something for them to do within the book rather than just producing pages that contain static text. Let your readers fill out questionnaires, forms, even crossword puzzles geared to testing their knowledge on a particular subject. Have your readers hit a link that will allow them to recommend your book to their friends and associates. Or include an actual order form so at the end of their reading journey, they can eagerly buy your product.
When people interact with books, they become a part of the world of that book. The fact is just as true for books in print as it is for ebooks.
That's why ebooks are so essential. Not only do they provide a forum for people to learn and make sense of their own thoughts, but they can also serve to promote your business at the same time.

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Platform Development Tip #1: Switch Writing Hats!

by: Jill Nagle
Platform-Building Tip #1: Switch Writing Hats!
Around eighty percent of nonfiction books today are written by “experts,” that is people who have a) earned credentials in the field they’re writing about, b) germinated information via articles, live presentations or other media, or c) had extraordinary, unique or memorably told life experiences relevant to their topic.
For an autobiographical work, such as a memoir, an author needn’t have any special expertise—she is the foremost authority on her own life. For a how-to or self-help book, however, the first thing mainstream publishers want to know is, “Does the author have a platform?”
Among the multiple definitions of “platform” in Merriam Webster’s 10th edition are 1) a place from which to speak, 2) a set of principles, and 3) a vehicle for carrying things. All these are important to an author’s platform. The good news is, in the six to eighteen months it will take most authors to write either their book proposal or their entire book, they can develop a platform.
Here are some things editors look for in a platform:
publications in the field demonstrating your expertise
a mailing list
pamphlets, tapes or other media carrying messages related to those in your book
teaching or leading experience on the topic of your book
a column
a unique point of view with demonstrable appeal
regular speaking engagements
courses taught at a local venue
a well-designed website
The section of the nonfiction proposal entitled Author’s Bio or Author’s Credentials details the information about the author’s platform. Many aspiring authors I work with, at least initially, grossly underrepresent themselves in this section.
SOLUTION 1: WORK WITH WHAT YOU HAVE—THEN SWITCH HATS!
Assume that you probably already have more of a platform than you know. Instead of beginning by writing your bio in paragraph form, put on your Scribe hat and make a list—yes, that’s right, a long, tedious, unsexy list—of everything you’ve done that seems even remotely related to your book.
Once you’ve made your boring list, switch hats. You’re now a Publishing Consultant looking over your client’s resume. How are you going to make her shine? Simple—you’re going to take everything even remotely relevant to the book and change into a language that will make publishers perk up their ears. How do you know what will make publishers perk up their ears?
Switch hats again. You’re an Acquisitions Editor at a major publishing house sitting behind a desk, asking yourself, which of these 163 proposals that arrived this week is worth risking my reputation, bank account and job to publish? Then put your Publishing Consultant hat back on, and do your translation—but don’t forget about that anxious editor.
Here’s an example:
Bob Jones, who’s writing a book on personal accounting and finance for the masses, picks a phrase from his Scribe list, “Instructor at Coleridge Community College for twelve years.” With his Publishing Consultant hat on, he rewrites this phrase to read “translated high-level accounting concepts into laypeople’s language to over 3,000 adults of various backgrounds over twelve years.”
Moving right along, Bob changes “facilitated students home accounting practices, enabling them to pay bills and prepare taxes with greater efficiency” to “Over these twelve years, the author developed a series of steps, called the Number Crunch Shuffle. Students consistently report that the Number Crunch Shuffle helps them overcome their fear of numbers, streamlines their home accounting process and cuts their bill and tax preparation time in half.
guerilla tip: Bob didn’t really call these steps the “Number Crunch Shuffle” at the time he taught them at Coleridge Community College. He got help developing this tag for the technique around which his book is built. However, he did develop the method itself while teaching those 3,000 students.
guerilla insight: There’s plenty of reality to work with. Take what’s there and describe it in new and exciting ways. Find a gem that makes your book special and give it an attention-grabbing name.

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Cookbook Publishing - The Basic Ingredients and the Secrets to Success

by: Denise Hamilton
You are about to embark on the most exciting enterprise of your life -- publishing a cook book! You will soon learn that writing a cook book is truly a fun, exciting and challenging project – more than you can imagine. Like me, you can publish your own wildly successful cook book. And if you ask me if I think publishing a cook book is worth the time and effort? You bet I do!
My cook book, Fit to Cook – Why ‘Waist’ Time in the Kitchen? sold over 250,000 copies (with, I might add, less than 10% of those sales coming from book stores). However, I wasted a great deal of time, back-tracking and scrambling in order to sell all those books because in the beginning I did not have a complete grasp of the publishing industry and the process of marketing a cook book.
Before you rack your brain figuring out how to write a cook book, and more importantly, how to publish a cook book, take some time to thoroughly research the why and what you are writing about, who you are writing for and when is the best time to launch your book.
Whether you want to get published or whether you want to self publish your cook book, the same basics apply – you need a good understanding of the publishing industry. Without the basics, will you know if your contracts are in order, that your book is the best it can be and that your cook book marketing plan is actually an effective strategy? No – but, knowledge is power. It is crucial that you take enough time to educate yourself about the entire publishing industry.
Understanding publishing, and the marketing of books, will clearly help you to identify why you are writing a cook book. Perhaps you are writing a cook book just to record secret family recipes or to have all of your own favorite recipes in a book format; maybe you are writing a cook book for a community or church fundraiser; or best of all, your goal is to create a bestseller. Cook books that are written for a very small group do not require business and marketing plans because you already know how many books will be purchased and who the buyers are. However, if you are planning to publish your own cook book for the mass markets, you need to understand that you have moved beyond author to publisher. That means that you are now a business person whose primary goal is the creation of a product to sell. There is no point in printing a book that no one will want to buy.
When I began writing my own cook book, I naively thought that it would be a two or three month process, and that in no time I would have a book on every book store shelf in the country. Ha, ha, ha, chuckle chuckle… Experience is a great educator, but who says that you have to learn the hard way? Obviously I had no idea how to publish a cook book in the beginning! However, through this article and via the publishing course that I and my partners have created, I intend to help you avoid losing time and money.
How did I create such a successful cook book? The short answer is research, research, research, and then more research. Thankfully I had the wisdom to do the research before going to print. But research can, and did, take years.
In my experience, after I learned how to write a cook book I had to learn all about cook book publishing:
copyright
trademarks
ISBN numbers
cataloging in publication data
printing terms like cover stock, bindings, signatures and bluelines
learning how to obtain printing quotes, (crucial in knowing how many books you can afford to print)
barcodes
graphic design (makes the difference between great sales and no sales)
editing (cannot, and I mean cannot, be done by yourself, friends or family)
titles and subtitles (they can make or break a book)
title search (avoid duplicating someone else’s title)
distribution
Next, I had to learn about how to start a business:
business plan
incorporation
toll free numbers
corporate logos and identity
websites
shipping arrangements
accounting principles
Most importantly I had to become wise about marketing:
writing a plan
researching competition
understanding target markets
going through the difficult but crucial process of choosing a book title
discovering the importance of a book’s cover – both the front cover and the back cover – and how to design the cover
looking outside book stores for buyers
learning the importance of publicity
discovering the essential need for a stellar media kit and how to create one
approaching the media and the importance of a good publicist
I learned, and I will share with you, a key point to consider when you are discovering how to write a cook book. Before you even begin to write your cook book, you must identify your target market. Who will actually buy your cook book? It is amazing that so many authors think that “everyone” will want their book, but that is not so. Not “everyone” is a target for anything! – not even the Bible.
Know who will actually buy your book. Interviewing the owners of cook book stores and specialty cooking stores can help you to identify cook book trends so that you know what people are actually buying. It is also a good idea to think of corporations and organizations that might benefit by using your book as a promotional item. Approach them even before you go to print, offering them special discounts, opportunities to place their information in a special printing of the book, advertising chances to offer your cook book as a “freebie” with the purchase of their product – just to name a few cook book marketing ideas.
If your cook book is targeted to busy families, the recipes must be easy to prepare in a short time period; if it is targeted to gourmet cooks, the recipes must be of the quality that you would expect to find in a four or five star restaurant; if it is targeted to a specific ethnic group, the recipes must be authentic; but if it is targeted to the mass market, your cook book must have a very wide scope with recipes that make any mouth water, and the ingredients must be readily available in grocery stores.
Once you have identified who will buy your book, you can target your marketing plan and your book design with your customers in mind, such as:
Where do they shop?
Where do they play?
What style of book appeals to them? - (research your competition closely).
What price are they willing to pay?
How many pictures do they want in a cook book? (a lack of photos can kill book sales)
What colors attract them? (spend time in book stores and libraries, learning which books have the most appealing appearance)
What size of book is currently popular?
What type of book binding increases sales?
Are they concerned about health or other issues?
Do they appreciate little stories, jokes, cooking tips or other information in the book?
Sometimes I took two steps forward then had to take one step back, but at other times I took one step forward and two back. Don’t waste time the way that I did – use my experiences to your advantage. Once you have a grasp of the basics, you can actually begin to put your cook book publishing and marketing plans into action.
Of course, a cook book has special challenges that other books may not have. Your primary goal is to give people unique, delicious recipes that they can create successfully in their own homes. That means that you have to measure exactly and your instructions must be clear and simple. You will have to test each recipe over and over until it turns out perfectly every time, then you will have to enlist other people to prepare those recipes independently of you. No matter what their comments, you must take the critiques of your testers seriously because if they do not achieve great results the chances are very good that your customers will be unhappy with their “flops”. Finally, it is a good idea to have the recipes tested by a professional home economist or other food expert.
Depending on the focus of your cook book, you might want to include nutrition information such as calories and fat content. Fortunately, there is now computer software that will do the calculations for you. You must also provide an index at the back of the book, and thankfully, software is available for this chore also.
Food photography is a special challenge of its own, requiring many tricks to make good look appealing. A good food photographer is a vital part of your cook book publishing team. Great attention must be paid to every minute detail, down to the grains of pepper in a dish and to the bubbles on top of a cup of coffee. Each photograph can require four hours of shooting time, if not more, so plan adequate time for the photo shoot.
The services of a food stylist are very helpful, but with research you can do a great deal of the food styling yourself. Find as many books as you can on the subject and practice in advance of the photo shoot. I learned simple tricks like:
sticking sandpaper to the plate to prevent food from slipping
using whipped icing or shaving cream in place of ice cream or whipped cream
placing a shot glass under a very thickly cut slice of lemon to prevent the lemon from absorbing the liquid underneath
using beef bouillon in place of “coffee”
using dish detergent to create bubbles in the “coffee”
using a blow torch to make meat appear cooked
and the list goes on…
Food styling is such fun, but it requires a great deal of time, even in advance of the photo shoot. You will need all of your “props” in place, such as dishes, cutlery, flowers, table linens, food items and backgrounds. Many companies will happily lend these items to you in exchange for a credit in the book – this can appear on the Cataloging in Publication data page at the beginning of your book.
When your book is ready to go to print, it is time to put your cook book marketing and publicity campaign into gear:
Decide on the best time of year to launch your book. September is usually the best month for Christmas sales, but you also face steep competition. Try to think of a time that is appropriate for your book, such as January for a healthy eating book, late Spring for a barbecue book, Valentine’s Day for a romantic book, Heart and Stroke month for a heart-healthy book, etc.
Produce galley copies.
Send galleys to appropriate book clubs (look at their websites to learn their submission requirements).
Research appropriate catalogs and send galleys to them.
Have your publicist approach magazines that review cook books (magazines have long lead times).
Stay in contact with any corporations and organizations that might use your book for promotions.
Find a reputable distributor to have your book accepted by the book store trade, as well as other retailers.
Contact non-book store book sellers.
When your book is ready to roll off the press, get your publicity campaign into high gear. You can have the best book in the world, but if no one knows about it, no one will buy it. The easy part is over – publicity and marketing now become your life. This part is the most fun, as you now reap the rewards of all of your efforts. Your goal now is to turn your cook book title into a household word. Go for it -- publish your own cook book!

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