Writing and Publishing News

It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a committee to create an okapi, or so they say. How many people does it take to produce a successful book? Quite a few, actually.

The first-time author generally believes that it takes two people&#8212the author and the publisher. It all sounds simple and straight-forward, doesn’t it? In reality, producing a good book and selling it takes many, many people. But the author should be involved in every phase of the process.

What does the process entail?

First there is the idea. As the author, you will perceive of a story or see a need for a nonfiction book. Your next step should be to write a book proposal. You may take a class or hire an expert to assist with this. Why do you need a book proposal? This effort will tell you whether you actually have a book at all. It is also your introduction to a publishing contract.

After completing the book proposal, you’ll spend months or years writing the book and fine-tuning it. Again, you may consult with writing experts along the way and take a few classes.

Other people come in throughout the writing process when you solicit illustrators, during the research process or when you seek expert testimonials, for example. And then the book needs an editor and maybe a proofreader. Often, authors ask friends to read their books, as well.

Next comes the publishing staff. If you self-publish, you need to hire a cover designer. If you aren’t Pagemaker savvy (for example), you’ll hire a page setup expert. And then there’s the printer and all of those holding the key to obtaining your ISBN, barcode, copyright, PCIP and so forth. If you go with a fee-based POD “self-publishing” company, you’ll be turning your manuscript over to their staff to handle all of these tasks. And if you land a traditional publisher, he will use his workforce to accomplish these details.

After publication you will need to get the word out about your book. At this point, you’ll most likely involve book reviewers, newspaper columnists, magazine and newsletter editors, appropriate website hosts, appropriate bloggers, distributors, wholesalers, bookstore managers, PR people from civic organizations, book festival coordinators and so forth. You might consult with an expert with regard to publicity or hire a publicist.

If you do it up right, you may have as many as 300 people involved in your book by the time you sell your first 1,000 copies. In fact, without them, you may never sell that first 1,000.

Sure, writing is a solitary activity. But if you plan to make your book public and if you want to see it succeed in the marketplace, it’s going to require a community.

Read more about all aspects of writing, publishing and promoting your book in my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

Sign up today for my 8-week online book proposal course starting September 15 and complete your book proposal by Thanksgiving. http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookproposal.htm

One of my book proposal course students landed a contract with Houghton Mifflin!!!

We all make mistakes. Just this weekend, when Virginia Lawrence and I were proofing SPAWNews, she found where I had inadvertently used it’s in place of its. Yes, even when we know better, our fingers will sometimes slip or our minds will experience a glitch. This is why those extra sets of eyes are so important. I recommend hiring an editor AND a proofreader for your book manuscript.

Here are some mistakes I’ve seen recently while working with clients, in emails and in the course of Internet research.

“greatings” instead of “greetings.”
“80’s” instead of “’80s.”
“past” when the author meant “passed.”
“out cast” instead of “outcast.”
“Rogers’ vase” instead of “Roger’s vase.”
“He was to fat,” instead of “He was too fat.”

Quotes versus Italics
I often see instances of dialog or quotes in Italics AND within quotation marks. Choose one or the other. Generally, it is quotation marks for dialog or expert quotes, for example, and Italics for thoughts. Quotes from other works, song titles or lyrics, etc. can be noted in Italics, as well. Do NOT underline words or phrases. Generally, you will use Italics, instead.

Clichés
Publishers (and readers) like to see fresh writing&#8212fresh phrases. So avoid using clichés such as: “Luxury he couldn’t afford.” “In a New York minute.” “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” “Left out to dry.” “Like getting blood from a turnip.”

Punctuation
You all know that it is one-space between all sentences now, right? The two-space rule we were taught when we learned to type is as passé as the typewriter is.

Also, the em dash no longer dangles between the two words it separates. To create an em dash, type the first word. Without spacing, type two dashes and then type the next word. When you hit the spacer bar after the second word, the em dash is formed.

Numbers
Age is represented in numerals&#82125 years old or he’s 35. Write out numbers under 100&#8212twenty-five mules, seventeen doves. I had one client who took my instructions to heart. Just before his cookbook went to press, he went through and wrote out all of the numerals in each recipe. In case you are wondering&#8212NO, you do not spell out the numbers in recipes. Use numerals.

Overuse of Words
You don’t need to say, “In the year, 1987.” “In 1987,” will suffice. Do not say, “He spoke saying…” Simply say, “He spoke.” Or “He said.” Or “According to Ben,” etc.

Avoid repeating words. How would you rewrite these sentences? “The hawk appeared as it flew above his dwelling before the sun had risen above the trees.” “The burly man sat right down on the ground to the right of the dog and asked the dog why he was staring at the ground, right there.”

Watch Your Tense
It doesn’t matter if your story is written in the present, past or future; what is important is that you stay in the correct tense. Don’t write, “I see that Maggie is climbing out of bed and was going in to start washing her face.” Or this, “He was on his way to the bakery and now the truck breaks down. He will spend the next 30 minutes sitting on the freeway and wait for a tow truck.”

Singular/Plural
I think these errors are probably due to pure negligence. The writer just isn’t paying attention. Who would purposely write this? “The remnants of history is what makes the story so interesting.” Or “Woman are able to vote now.” Or “When birds fly, his wings catch the wind.”

The written word makes for a fascinating study, doesn’t it? If you recognize your manuscript above or even if you think it is pristine, before sending it to a publisher or before self-publishing, conduct your own self-edit. Then hire a good editor and maybe even a proofreader.

For help with self-editing, read Chapter Nine in my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. (2007 edition)
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

Here’s a site with tips for catching and correcting errors. Check it out.
http://www.sellingbooks.com/five-top-tips-for-catching-and-correcting-errors-in-your-business-writing

Read this article, especially if you are writing fiction.
http://www.eclectics.com/articles/selfediting.html

Contact me if you’d like a $20 manuscript evaluation. PLFry620@yahoo.com

Don’t forget to sign up for my online book proposal course starting September 15. http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookproposal.htm