So what are you getting from this blog? I hope you are recognizing the value. Just in the past few days, you’ve had the opportunity to receive some resources for finding printing companies and writers’ groups. You’ve had a lesson that many writers miss—when to capitalize “mom,” “father,” “aunt,” etc. and when not to. You’ve learned about the concept of and how to test-market a book. You’ve had a lesson on public speaking for novelists and we’ve talked about the author’s platform. You’ve also received an invitation to take my new “Establish Your Author’s Platform Workshop” http://www.matilijapress.com/course_platform.htm and to participate in the gigantic Los Angeles Times Festival of Books: http://www.spawn.org/latfb2011.htm
We’ve given you the information and offered you the tools, so what is your next step? I’d like to know. Do you know?
Some of you are writing books. Your next step is hire an editor to fine tune it before you send it off to a publisher, agent or launch out to publish it yourself. Contact me: PLFry620@yahoo.com.
You should also be thinking about establishing your platform before you get too far down the road. A platform will help you to sell your book to an agent, a publisher and your potential readers. Publishing a book without having established a platform is like going out in the rain without an umbrella, boarding an airplane without a ticket. You’re not prepared for what’s ahead.
If you have a completed book and you are trying to find a way to get it published, you MUST read my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book (only $14.95 now). http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html
If you are contemplating hiring a pay-to-publish company, PLEASE read Mark Levine’s book, The Fine Print of Self-Publishing before signing any contract. He tells you which ones are best and worst. This step could save you a lot of money and heartache. Just because these companies exist, does not mean they are the right company for you and your project.
Join SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) and get the ebook version of this book FREE. SPAWN is also a good place to continue learning about the publishing industry and networking with other authors and publishers at all levels of success. http://www.spawn.org
If you have a published book and you are in the process of promoting it, your affiliation with SPAWN will help immensely and so will my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book.
I met writers the other day who hope to become published authors, but who did NOT want to think of publishing as a business. Sure, publishers run businesses, but they didn’t want to consider the publishing of their books to be a business venture, yet they want readers and sales and money to put in the bank. I hope the panel convinced them that they can’t have it both ways. It’s like a game of poker—either you are in or you’re out.
I apologize if this seems rambling. I hoped to make some points this morning, but I am rather distracted by clients, students and SPAWN members this week—thankfully. I love my students and clients and SPAWN members. They just sometimes keep me soooo busy. I complained about a slow week last week. When am I going to learn to appreciate the lulls—use this time to replenish so I am better prepared for the crazy times? I’ll bet this is something some of you are working on, as well. If not, you aren’t completely embedded into the world of writing and publishing, yet. And you certainly aren’t opening yourself up to help or advise others.