Want to know more about writing opportunities on the Internet? Get this free report at http://www.internet4writers.com ! This article is by Jo Ann LeQuang who blogs at http://www.WorkingTexasWriter.com .
Archive for Self-publishing
Jan
05
The Vanity Press in the Electronic Era
Posted by: | CommentsNot so very long ago, those few writers who tried to produce their own work rather than rely on traditional (and clique-based) publishers were considered pitiful individuals of inferior skills who couldn’t break into print any other way. In fact, they even had a name for the industry that allowed writers to control their own products: the “vanity press.” Those days, happily, are gone forever.
Today we know that artists of other types (musicians, filmmakers) produce their own work. Why not writers?
Self-publishing has come out of the closet recently, particularly with digital and other print-on-demand services that make publishing a book affordable for most budgets.
There’s another twist on producing your own material. Writers today have the incredible (and not overly expensive) freedom of being able to publish what they write online. This allows them to write and publish their own products at low expense.
Now that also exposes the average writer to the vagaries and indignities of the publishing side of the writing business. Writers can publish their work, but unless the works find an audience, no one will read them. This means writers have to spread their wings a little to embrace marketing and distribution, as well as wordsmithing.
This is a mixed blessing. For writers who are willing to stretch themselves enough to become entrepreneurs, this is a great boon–but there are some drawbacks. For one thing, today’s writers are going to have to think a whole lot differently about the whole business of writing than writers in the time of Hemingway.
A writer must decide what work he or she wants to produce, for whom, and for what purpose.
Some writers want to share their viewpoint or to start to build a following. If that describes you and you don’t care about the money side of the business (yet), then a blog is a great way to start.
Blogs allow you to write a lot, possibly find an audience, perfect your message and craft, and possibly set the stage for a future book or product. Bloggers can even make money online, but it’s a kind of income trickle at first for the nouveau-blogger. However, major blogs can provide a generous full-time income. Major blogs take quite a while to build. So the advantages of blogging for the aspiring writer are numerous.
An even bigger field for writers-turned-publishers involves writing an information product and then selling that product online. Electronic production means the product can be produced economically.
Information can be anything that people are willing to pay for—cookbooks, do-it-yourself-guides, instructions, foreign language courses, information, devotionals, and how-to books. Not so long ago, all of this was published the traditional way of ink-on-paper. It was expensive for publishers and only top writers or information-providers got to play. Today, any writer can construct a course or product based on his or her own expertise—and produce and sell it online.
Writers have a huge advantage in this market because they write so easily and well. A writer can research, study, or work with experts to develop a product even outside his or her own narrow field of expertise. The products are then sold online as downloadable items. For writers who don’t care about the money, it can be free. For writers who are interested in publishing their own work as a business, it can be through services like ClickBank which helps writer/publishers market their online work.
Of course, publishing is a very demanding field and a writer has to learn a bit about the Internet and information publishing. But for those willing to learn and pay some dues, there is a real potential for huge rewards. In fact, this may be one of the most exciting times ever to be a writer!
Jan
01
Do it yourself Publication Ideas
Posted by: | CommentsPerhaps you have ideas about publications you would like to bring to life. Like most would-be publishers, you probably believe that fancy equipment and oversized production facilities are a must. You could not be further from the truth. Self-publishing is possible. Even better, self-publishing is simple and affordable. All you need is a tabletop and the right equipment. The specific type of equipment you will need will depend on the type of document you would like to publish.
For many self-publishers, FastBack binding provides superior results for hardback and paperback books. In just a few minutes, you can teach yourself to use this machine to make beautifully bound documents in a variety of colors. This style works on documents ranging from three to 350 pages. When bound, FastBack documents lie flat for easy use and reference. You can even purchase components to emboss foil designs and text onto the covers. This is a premium solution with a premium price tag.
Another option that also provides that perfect bound look is thermal binding. This style binds your publication using a one piece cover that is adhered to the book using a strip of heat-activated glue. These machines are a very affordable option ranging in price from $100-$150 for machines that can bind one book at a time. Not bad at all for perfect binding. With a price like that, you can pay for the machine with just a few sales of your self-published books.
Depending on your needs, color coil binding may be what you are looking for. You have seen this binding type on church cookbooks, workbooks, and school directories. Equipment associated with this type of binding is available in a huge range of prices and capabilities. One of the advantages of this type of binding is that the publications created can be turned 360 degrees. A nice feature of color coil binding is the degree of customization. You can choose custom covers and colored spines. You can even get the coils printed.
Plastic comb binding is similar to color coil binding in appearance, but it looks more like a comb (hence the name). This makes for easy photocopying and reading. This method also allows your publication to lie flat when opened. You can bind publications ranging from half an inch to two inches. Like spiral coil binding, plastic comb binding is very economical and easy.
With so many affordable self-publication options now available, you can get started on your project now. Some documents people frequently choose to self-publish include:
Collections of essays and poems
Family histories
Biographies
Novels
Scrapbooks
Portfolios
Cookbooks
Graphic novel and comic books
Chapbooks
User guides
Think about the powerful impression your book can make by virtue of its professional binding. The greater the visual impact your publication has, the higher the price tag you can set for it. Consider starting your own press today using one of the binding methods outlined in this article.
Jeff McRitchie is the director of marketing for MyBinding.com. He writes extensively on topics related to Binding Machines, Report Covers, Binding Supplies, Binders, Index Tabs, Laminators, Laminating Pouches and more.
Dec
03
How to Make your Book Title a âpromiseâ
Posted by: | CommentsGot a Non-Fiction Book? Tell Your Reader Whatâs In It for Them!
(Adapted from The Well-Fed Self-Publisher: How to Turn One Book into a Full-Time Living, by Peter Bowerman. Fanove, 2007. www.wellfedsp.com).
NOTE: the following suggestions apply to non-fiction works.
Some time back, I got an email from an ebook author who wanted a blurb for his upcoming book on writing. I couldnât help but notice that his title seemed a bit weak. The book was about getting past the obstacles that most fiction writers encounter on the way to finishing their books. The original title was:
Writing Your Novel: A Quick and Easy Guide to Getting It Done
Yawn. It needed to be more dynamic. Hereâs what I came up with:
UNSTUCK! Kick Down Those Roadblocks and Finish Your Novel Now!
Now, someone can look at the title and know instantly what the book is about and the benefits theyâll get from reading it.
If youâre writing non-fiction, your title and subtitle are as crucially important as a great-looking cover. And in many respects, a title is similar to a corporate tagline, something I have a good bit of experience through my commercial writing career. Letâs look at some famous taglines:
GE. We bring good things to life.
Delta. Weâre ready when you are.
Avis. We try harder.
Burger King. Have it your way.
Virginia is for lovers.
What do they all have in common? Theyâre promises. They tell you what you can count on. Same with a brand. Think Dove soap. Tiffanyâs. Volvo. IBM. Any doubt as to the promise in those brands? Keep this in mind as you create your book title.
Promise, Then Elaborate
When I created my title, I kept in mind the promise, and I say I could have done a lot worse than The Well-Fed Writer (a detailed how-to guide on starting a âcommercialâ writing business â writing for corporations, where the income potential money was FAR greater than typical âfreelance writingâ).
I then used the subtitle to reinforce, clarify, elaborate on the promise of the title. I went with: Financial Self-Sufficiency as a Freelance Writer in Six Months or Less â an additional promise in its own right. Donât make readers wonder what your book is about; have them âget itâ right away from the title and subtitle. A good rule of thumb on titles vs. subtitles? If the title you come up with sounds more explanatory than catchy (and is more than 4-5 words, max), itâs probably a better subtitle.
It all comes down to benefits. Good title/subtitle combos tell readers whatâs in it for them, why they should bother picking up the book in the first place.
Another Case Study
In another case, I was hired to mentor a new self-publishing author, an ad industry veteran whoâd written book on creativity. While he wanted to tap my expertise on a variety of nuts and bolts issues, in his mind, his cover artwork (and photography) was paid for and nailed down, along with, of course, his title, too:
The Field Guide to Creativity:
One Path And 101 Pointers For Discovering Fresh Ideas
Well, when I told him his title needed work, he wasnât exactly overjoyed. I must confess, I felt a bit like the parent telling his daughter that, despite the fact that the wedding is two weeks away, invitations sent, and caterer, florist, photographer and band paid for, I thought her intended betrothed is a loser and itâs not too late to call it off. Here was a book â a really good, interesting, valuable and yes, creative book â purporting to help people be more creative, and its title simply wasnât.
He took my advice, revisited the idea, he and I and a bunch of his friends (via email) brainstormed a bunch of jazzier titles, and hereâs what he ended up with:
ZING! Five Steps & 101 Tips for Creativity on Command
Not a promise in a strict sense, but in way, the feeling it evoked was.
Speaking of Creativityâ¦
I had a client recently, a long-time elementary school art teacher, whoâd hired me for general consult on her unfolding self-publishing process. Sheâd created a wonderful book â an artistic resource (âidea bookâ) for young people designed to spur their unique creative expression through a host of fun, unusual artistic techniques as well as all the necessary supply lists and âhow-to.â Early on, sheâd named this seven-year labor of love:
The Color Book: A Book of Ideas to Inspire Young Artists
Her rationale: color and choice of color were fundamental to a childâs artistic development (and the book was so colorful). I questioned the main title, even though she hadnât asked me to critique it, and in fact, considered it set in stone.
My thinking? For starters, her title made sense to her, given what she knew about the concept, none of which was self-evident to a buyer. Just as importantly, it was potentially confusing; it could mean a lot of things (i.e. color swatches, history of color, etc.). Finally, it didnât explain what the book was and didnât begin to really do justice to the bookâs mission. I suggested something I felt was more descriptive of that mission:
Art Sparks! A Creative Adventure to Inspire Young Artists
Again, a promise. And while she liked it, she initially resisted it, more out of attachment and inertia. But, she quickly realized that she needed to think of her buyer, and came to love it as she saw that it truly captured her heartfelt mission for the book.
Know what the #1 best-selling trade paperback of 2002 was, according to Publishers Weekly? A cookbook! And one that sold 1.8 million copies. Title: The Fix-It and Forget-It? Cookbook: Feasting With Your Slow Cooker. (Authors: Dawn J. Ranck and Phyllis Pellman Good). Now is that a promise or what?
*************
Canât land a publisher? Do it yourself, and make a living from it! Check out a free report on self-publishing at www.wellfedsp.com, home of author Peter Bowermanâs award-winning 2007 release, The Well-Fed Self-Publisher: How to Turn One Book into a Full-Time Living.
Bowerman is the self-published author of The Well-Fed Writer titles (www.wellfedwriter.com), multiple-award winning selections of Book-of-the-Month Club. Over 50,000 copies of his first two books in print have earned him a full-time living for over five years.
Dec
01
Book Marketing Tips
Posted by: | CommentsYou want to write a book – a very exciting and challenging undertaking. Good for you. You have a great book idea – an idea that you believe needs to be in print. You believe that other people have an interest in what you have to say. You believe that many people will buy your book, and if you do the job of writing correctly, many people WILL buy your book.
It is your dream to have your book in every bookstore in the country, perhaps even in several countries. But wait, have you planned beyond bookstore sales? Many authors are unaware that there are many markets for books beyond the bookstores. The bookstores may be your first market, but there are many other “hidden” markets, and here are some key book marketing tips to help you tap into those markets.
Let’s begin with the job of writing the book. When you put “pen to paper”, it is important that you focus on one audience but write for many markets. Let’s begin by identifying why you are writing a book. Some people merely want to be a published author, giving them claim to a copyright and their name on a book. That is satisfaction enough. They don’t care about the financial return or the development of writing or publishing as a career. Other people just want to write a family history and sell it to their extended family. Some people are interested only in selling to the attendees of their seminars. Many others, however, want to sell thousands of books in as many markets as possible. Decide at the beginning of the writing process why you are writing so that you can determine whether or not you are creating a business venture.
Once you have established your reason for writing, move on to what you are writing about. Don’t try to be all things to all people or the encyclopedic source of all information on a subject. Choose an area of a subject with which you are very familiar and develop your topic well so that you don’t overwhelm or bore your readers. For instance, if you are writing a cookbook, don’t try to be The Joy of Cooking – that’s already been done. Instead, write about a category of recipes, such as heritage recipes, or recipes of a region or culture, or recipes from famous restaurants, etc. Your goal is to make your book different, and better, than other cookbooks.
Having now decided on the why and the what, focus on the who, meaning who will buy your book. You believe that many people will be interested in your book, but let’s define “many”. Do you mean all of the people in your interest group, your church or your workplace, or do you mean everyone? A word of caution, though – there is NO book that is for everyone. Sure, everyone may need your book but not everyone will want it. If your book is a healthy lifestyle cookbook, everyone might need it, but only people who actually want to be healthy will buy it. Do some research on who those people are and where they are likely to actually buy your book. Understand their demographics: age group, income level, shopping habits, activities, etc. Now write for them. What information are your target readers looking for? Is their a gap in the information about a subject that is very familiar to you or in which you have the credentials to fill the gap? Make sure that your book solves a problem or problems for the reader, or make sure that your book will increase the well being of the reader. Avoid falling into the trap of writing to make yourself feel better – you are not the one who will buy your book. Or if you are, you are the only buyer that you will have!
The why, what and who now being defined, you can turn your attention to the where you can sell your book. Because there are many markets for books, decide early in the writing process just what those markets are and write to sell your book in those markets.
It is likely that the first market that will come to mind is traditional book stores, and of course they can be a vital part of your sales. Do your research in getting to know your competition on the book store shelves, i.e., look at the other books that have been written in your genre. What writing style is most appealing to a wide audience? Is there a gap in the information provided in the other books? Are there problems that have not been addressed? Find the needs and fill them. When you are satisfied with the information that you are providing, think about what will attract the book store buyers. They will want to know about your planned publicity campaign. If you want people to buy your book in book stores, you are responsible for letting people know that your book is available, thereby driving buyers to the stores.
Besides book stores, books are purchased in the nontraditional book market by display retailers, book clubs, catalogs, gift retailers, volume buyers (think Costco and Price Club), corporations, foundations and foreign markets. These markets are considered “hidden” because they exist outside the usual bookstore market, yet they account for many millions of dollars each year in book sales. In fact, we sell thousands of books to buyers like these every year (for more about our Book Marketing tips and secrets click here: Book Marketing Tips). These markets, however, do not buy any and every book. They are looking for books that appeal to their customers.
For instance, if you are writing a book about spiritual experiences, think about which of those markets will likely buy your book. Will you approach book clubs? If yes, which book clubs – those that specialize in spiritual books only, or those that market to the general public? Will you approach the gift market or catalogs? Each market evaluates its purchases for its own clientele. Book clubs that target the religious book reader have a greater interest in spiritual books than do general interest book clubs. Volume buyers, catalogs and gift buyers (unless they target a religious market), display retailers and corporations will very seldom buy a spiritual book. Foreign markets, however, are often very interested.
Even if your book is written for the general book trade, you can still think of corporations that might be able to use your book as a promotional item. Make a list of corporations that could be interested in your book and make sure that your writing supports their products or philosophy, and that what you are writing about will solve some problems for the corporate clients. For instance, one cookbook was targeted at busy people who want to follow a healthy lifestyle. It became a bestseller very quickly in the traditional book trade, but sales exploded when it was sold to pharmaceutical companies who used the book as support information for clients who needed to achieve a healthy weight. The book also sold successfully in foreign markets, to catalogs, as fund raisers and to shopping malls as a customer reward.
The point is: you need to know how to slant your writing for your markets. You can sometimes get around the road blocks by giving your book the look and feel of a gift book rather than one that is a “serious read”. Don’t give your book the look and feel of a thesis. Many volume buyers are looking for broad interest books that people buy on impulse as gifts. This approach to writing increases your market tremendously, so if you want to appeal to a very large audience, approach your subject from a much “lighter” angle.
However, if you are a professional speaker who knows that you have a very good chance of selling your book to your seminar attendees, and perhaps to the corporations who hire you, writing for a very broad market is not necessary. You are not even trying to sell to the impulse buyer. Your buyer is already looking for a source of expertise such as yours.
If you are planning to sell your book primarily from a website to a specific type of buyer, someone who is searching the internet for answers to a concern or problem, you can be as specific as you like. The general public, again in this instance, is not your market – you already have enough buyers to make you very successful.
So, before you begin the writing process, make an outline of your book. Then, look at your list of potential buyers. Have you filled their needs? If not, can you add information or chapters to your book that will increase the likelihood of sales to those buyers? If you want to sell thousands of books, think about the end user of your book and write for them, not for yourself. That is the ultimate book marketing tip. See you on the bestseller list!
© Copyright 2004 Ink Tree Ltd.
Ink Tree Ltd.
http://www.inktreemarketing.com
Nov
15
New York Chef Whips Up the Worldâs Best Fine Dining Recipes in Self Published Book
Posted by: | CommentsWhen in New York City, you can never run out of places to dine because of its highly diversified food culture. Each area has its own flavor to tell â from Chinatown, Brooklyn, East and Greenwich Village; Harlem, Gramercy Park, Lower and Upper East Side; Lincoln, Center, Little Italy, Meat Packing and Theater Districts; The Bronx, Tribeca, Queens, historic Chelsea to upscale Soho.When it comes to food, the Big Apple lives up to its name as the city that never sleeps, never failing to surprise people from different walks of life of its plethora of cuisines. The Xlibris book, New York Chefs Cooking for Life, is a collection of recipes from some of New Yorkâs world-class restaurants. In this self-published book, author Vikas Khanna compiles the best-tasting recipes from New Yorkâs best and finest dining spots. Among those fine dining restaurants are Acappella, Alain Ducasse, August, Asia de Cuba, Bouley, Brasserio, Caviar and Banana; Café Boulud, Café Gray, Capsouto Freres, City Hall Restaurant, Chanterelle, Cru, Devi, Dos Caminos, Jewel of India, Montrachet, Nobu, Payard, Roc, Salaam Bombay, Tamarind, Tribeca Grill and Vong. New York Chefs Cooking for Life promises a gastronomical burst of cuisines for food lovers and cooking enthusiasts alike; a salute to New York Cityâs quintessential definition of food as a celebration of life. About the AuthorVikas Khanna is a world-renowned Indian chef, caterer and cooking instructor. He earned his training by some of some of Indiaâs top chefs and was executive chef in New Yorkâs Salaam Bombay Restaurant. He is the founder of Lawrence Garden Banquets in India and Sanskrit Culinary Arts in New York. He also holds culinary affiliations with several major universities in the USA and regularly lectures on Indian cuisine as well. New York Chefâs Cooking for Life is Khannaâs third and latest book. His other two books are The Cuisine of Gandhi and the Spice Story of India, which he also self-published with Xlibris.About XlibrisXlibris was founded in 1997 and, as the leading publishing services provider for authors, has helped to publish more than 20,000 titles. Xlibris is based in Bloomington, IN and provides authors with direct and personal access to quality publication in hardcover, trade paperback, custom leather-bound, and full-color formats.For more information, please visit the book publisher’s website, e-mail pressrelease@xlibris.com or call at 1-888-795-4247, to receive a free publishing guide.
Xlibris is a book publisher founded in 1997 and, as the leading publishing services provider for authors, has helped to publish more than 20,000 titles. Xlibris is based in Bloomington, IN and provides authors with direct and personal access to quality publication in hardcover, trade paperback, custom leather-bound, and full-color formats.
