I met an author via email yesterday who I’d like to use as an example in this morning’s blog post. Like so many, many people, he signed a contract with a pay-to-publish company without doing important research and comparisons. Things didn’t go well and he managed to get out of the contract early (after four years, he says).
Most authors I met during the late 1990s and early 2000s who had bad publishing experiences did not get back on the horse. They cut their losses and bailed on their dream to publish. But this author went another direction. He began to do the research he wishes he had done before getting involved. Once he had more information, resources and knowledge, he began making new decisions for his book project—educated decisions. And he plans to bring his book out anew, now that he has a greater understanding of the industry and his responsibilities as a published author.
Few authors can afford to start over again once they’ve spent a large chunk of money with a pay-to-publish company. That’s why I do my best to catch the attention of hopeful authors before they enter into any agreements.
Here’s the drill:
1: Start your publishing journey by studying the publishing industry.
2: Make sure you are writing the right book for the right audience.
3: Save up money for a good book editor.
4: Write a book proposal.
5: Take your time when choosing the appropriate publishing option.
You’ve been reading my blog posts long enough to know that there’s way more to it than that. But these seem to be some of the main aspects that most new authors disregard. They go into publishing blindly, succumbing to the charms of friendly publishing representatives. They write the book they want to write without regard for their readers. They don’t want to pay for editing—sometimes know they need it, but don’t want to pay for it. They rush to get their book published like there is no tomorrow.
When tomorrow comes and they begin to educate themselves about the publishing industry, it is too late for some.
So my hat is off to the gentleman I met yesterday who admits to making some mistakes right out of the chute, but who is now taking it slow and doing a whole lot of studying before taking his next step.
Don’t forget, I’m teaching my online self-publishing course starting tomorrow (July 23, 2012). Sign up today at:
http://www.matilijapress.com/course_selfpub.htm
Get your FREE copy of my latest ebooklet, 50 Ways to Promote Your Ebook, here: http://www.patriciafry.com