Yesterday, I told you that I would explain myself when I suggest that you study the publishing industry before getting involved. Those of you who published a book without learning something about the industry, your options, the possible consequences of your various choices and your responsibilities as a published author know what I am talking about here. You understand the dangers of barreling into this field with little or no knowledge about the way things work. You have had your “ah ha,” moment where you either wish you had listened to the professionals’ recommendations or you wish you had thought of learning more about the industry on your own.
I mean it is kind of a no-brainer, right? What other business would you enter without first checking into the ins and outs of the industry, learning something about your customers, distributors, competitors, suppliers, etc? The problem is that most authors do not view publishing as a business.
Let me tell you loud and clear—while writing might be considered a craft, publishing is a highly competitive business. It is imperative that you know something about the way this business works and how to navigate within it.
Study books on publishing. My Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book is an excellent choice. Also read books by Poynter, Ross, Levine, Jud. And subscribe to industry publications: Publishers Weekly (there is a daily email version you can subscribe to for free), Publishing Basics, Marketing Matters (Brian Jud’s newsletter), A Marketing Expert Newsletter (Penny Sansevieri’s newsletter) and others.
Join organizations such as SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) http://www.spawn.org and IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Association) http://www.ibpa-online.org
Once you join these organizations, participate! Read their newsletters. Participate in their discussion groups. Study their pages and pages of resources. When you have a question, pose it to the group or the leaders.
Once you understand more about the publishing industry, you will be able to make better choices because you will know what your choices are, what the possible consequences of your those choices are and you’ll understand more about how you can (must) take charge in order to make your book a success.
Can you see that without some knowledge of the industry you could travel down the wrong road with your project? Many, many authors do.
• Do you want to make the best choices on behalf of your book?
• Do you understand the value of knowing the potential dangers for authors?
• Do you want to be clear about your role as a published author?
In order to succeed as a published author, you really must go into publishing with your eyes and your mind wide open. Leave your emotions (attachment to your project) on the doorstep and proceed into the fiercely competitive business of publishing armed with knowledge.
If you get to the door, peer inside and realize that you do not wish to be an author under these terms, then back out of the way of the author stampede. If you choose to publish without an adequate understanding of the industry—with no desire to promote your book and with a frivolous attitude about choosing a publishing option—you cannot expect to experience a level of success beyond selling a mere handful of books. If, on the other hand, you want to reach a large audience with your book, you hope to sell thousands of copies and become widely recognized as an expert in your field or an author in your genre, it is going to take extreme measures. And, believe me, the place to start is by studying the publishing industry and writing a book proposal.
Tomorrow we’ll talk about why a book proposal is important—in fact, crucial to the success of your book project.
Visit Patricia Fry’s websites:
http://www.patriciafry.com
http://www.matilijapress.com