It’s tempting to just push on through and write that book without coming up for air until it is finished. Then, while your book is with your choice of POD “self-publishing” companies, you relax a little and decide to take this time to learn something about the publishing industry. You purchase a good book on the subject, such as The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. And you start listing all of the things you maybe could have done better, smarter, wiser… Your confidence drops and you wish you could start all over.
If you are thinking about writing a book or you are currently in the process of writing a book, STOP! Study the publishing industry, first. Read my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book.
• Learn how the modern-day publishing industry works.
• Discover your publishing options, the possible consequences of your choices and your responsibilities as a published author.
• Learn some writing techniques.
• Find out how to self-edit.
• Discover the value of hiring a good editor for your manuscript no matter what your publishing choices.
• Find out why it is important to write a book proposal and receive guidance in producing one.
• Learn about distributors and wholesalers, and library and bookstore sales.
• Learn how to locate, approach and work with an agent or publisher.
• Discover what the big world of book promotion entails.
Folks, this is all stuff you MUST know if you want to successfully navigate the publishing industry, and the best time to start your study is before you decide to write a book.
Read books like mine, of course. But also join publishing organizations such as SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network), SPAN and IBPA (formerly PMA). Read their newsletters. Subscribe to additional newsletters and magazines within the industry. Did you know that you can get the highlights from Publisher’s Weekly, for example, sent to your email box FREE. Sign up for Google Alerts using keywords related to your topic, genre and publishing, in general. Every morning, you’ll receive lists of appropriate articles, sites and blogs you can check out. Here are some links for the above-mentioned organizations and services:
Order The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book at http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html
SPAWN. http://www.spawn.org
SPAN. http://www.spannet.org
IBPA. http://www.pma-online.org
Google Alerts. http://www.google.com/alerts
Publishers Weekly FREE daily news. http://www.publishersweekly.com
And don’t forget to sign up for my online book proposal course which starts September 15, 2008. For $200, you’ll have the opportunity to complete your book proposal within this 8-week period with professional assistance and feedback. If you want to work with me outside of the course, the fee, from start to finish, could be more like $500 to $1,500.
Sign up today at http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookproposal.htm