How do you feel about being interviewed? Does it make you nervous—seem invasive? What about conducting surveys—do you cringe at the thought of answering survey questions? Many people dislike being put on the spot like this. Some just don’t like taking the time to fill out questionnaires or respond to personal questions.
I, on the other hand, belong to the group of people who love being interviewed and who eagerly approach survey forms, if it is on a subject of interest to me.
This morning, I wrote a survey questionnaire for SPAWN members. I believe this is a good way to find out what they love and dislike about SPAWN, what aspects of the newsletters they appreciate most and which they avoid and, of course, what they would like to see us add to their SPAWN benefits. It’s definitely a survey to help members get more of what they want and need from SPAWN. Unfortunately, there will be some members who won’t fill it out and who will decide not to renew their membership, when it’s time, because SPAWN isn’t quite fulfilling their current needs.
These are the same members who don’t participate in SPAWNDiscuss, never read the SPAWN Market Update, rarely even take a look at SPAWNews. Of course, we can’t meet the needs of someone who isn’t even aware of what we offer.
I sometimes wonder how many author members could have revived their faltering book sales, if only they had read the article in the SPAWN Market Update about how to get book reviews and if they’d used the large list of magazines that review books. What about those hopeful authors with manuscripts—some of them might have landed a publishing contract by now, had they read the issues of the SPAWN Market Update that list little known publishers. I wonder, if the illustrator or graphic artist member had read my article on promotion for artists, would their career path have become more lucrative? And what about that member who wants to earn a living as a freelance writer or as a photographer. I wonder if they would have walked away from SPAWN feeling a bit disgruntled and disillusioned, if they had taken the initiative to read the many issues of the SPAWN Market Update wherein I list opportunities for freelance writers and photographers. Some months I provide directories listing thousands of jobs.
I know firsthand that some people choose NOT to join SPAWN because we can’t promise to find them a publisher or sell their books for them. When they understand that we are here to provide them with the information and resources they need in order to make the best decisions for their particular publishing project, these people will walk away. What they hope to get for their $45 membership fee is $1,000 or more in personal services. Unfortunately, they can’t see that they are getting way more than that. What better, more valuable benefit can an organization provide than an education and the tools to help you succeed.
I liken it to the fish story—give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach him to fish and he will eat for many days to come. I guess we could do as some outfits do and steer authors in specific directions related to our conflicts of interest—those companies that give kickbacks of some sort. But we firmly believe in fostering and supporting author-power.
We believe that, if you want to produce a book, YOU need to be in charge. You will succeed as a published author only if you know what you’re doing—you understand the industry and the process and you make educated, informed decisions on behalf of your project. SPAWN is here to provide the information you need, present you with your options, make you aware of the possible consequences of your choices and help you to understand your responsibility as a published author. If you want more personalized guidance through the publishing maze, it is going to cost you. This is when you need to hire a publishing or book coach or publishing consultant. And this could cost you anywhere from around $500 to a few thousand, depending on what you need from this professional.
You can tell that I am pretty focused on SPAWN, lately. For those of you who are just tuning in, SPAWN is Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network. Visit our newly designed website:
http://www.spawn.org
In the meantime, if you want to connect with someone who can personally guide you through the publishing maze, contact me at: PLFry620@yahoo.com. Learn more about me and my work at: http://www.matilijapress.com/consulting.html