Publishing Format
By Jerry D. Simmons | August 29th, 2006 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)

With major trade publishers manuscripts are first published in hardcover because the major reviewers around the country will generally, not always, only review hardcover books. These folks seldom write a book review about any publication other than a hardcover. Of course not all books are published first as hardcovers, there are original trade paperbacks and original mass-market paperbacks, which means this is the first format in which they have been published as a book.

After a book is distributed in a hardcover edition, depending on the success or sales of that format, the next step is often as a trade paperback. This doesn’t mean all books go from hardcover to trade paper; some go straight to mass-market paper and skip the trade edition altogether. It depends on the category and whether the publisher feels a hardcover is better suited to trade or mass-market editions. It also depends on revenues and whether or not the company feels they can generate enough billing as a trade paper to delay the mass-market edition.

Fiction often lends itself to mass-market rather than trade paper. Of course, as is always the case in publishing, this is not a hard and fast rule. Many fiction titles go from hardcover to trade, but as a general rule, the market for a fiction title is much greater in a mass-market edition rather than a trade paper, or even hardcover, depending on the category. Some books will forever remain a hardcover and never manage to make it to trade or mass-market paper because sales indicated the book be put to rest. Unless the publisher is forced to recoup some investment in a title, if the hardcover edition fails miserably in the marketplace that usually spells the end. There will be no trade or mass-market paper for that book.

These are general rules and of course, as with all subjects relating to publishing, including book marketing, every book is different and that is why it’s important to know something about the marketplace and how it works.

 

Marketing is Not Always About the Book
By Jerry D. Simmons | August 29th, 2006 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

If you spent a few thousand dollars, many months of your time and in the end you have a few hundred copies of your book and no clear idea of where to turn next, you may realize that you made some mistakes. Questions may haunt you, your frustration level is high and you are looking for answers but really don’t want to admit or reveal that you made mistakes. Join the crowd, it happens to almost all authors whether they want to admit it or not.

If you are trying to make informed decisions about your publishing career the first step is to talk with a professional. Don’t spend more money or waste valuable time chasing bad ideas, cut your losses and get back on track. What you need is to redefine your goals as an author and refocus your attention on marketing. The world is full of readers and thousands of titles, the key is (re)establishing your goals as an author, finding your niche, outlining your story or message, identifying your market and then deciding how to reach your audience. Often times it helps to discuss your plan with someone who understands the marketplace and can help direct you without trying to sell more products or services.

For self-published authors this business is loaded with many so-called “experts” who want nothing more than to sell you solutions to your problems, while in fact, they don’t have answers, only more products and services to sell. Don’t be fooled by the hype, it may sound good but in all likelihood, their guidance won’t work simply because they don’t have the background or experience to offer sound advice. This is not rocket science and the sun will rise tomorrow, but failure to recognize that your book needs help will only result in more mistakes, lost time, and money wasted.

Have you ever stopped to think: Perhaps it’s not just the book you are marketing?

 

Write Your Own Story
By Jerry D. Simmons | August 22nd, 2006 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

Too many writers are asking if they should write more like a certain author or if they should switch to the hottest selling genre and my answer would be emphatically: NO. Writers need to write their own story, that which is yearning to come out and be read by their audience, not some attempt to copy the style of a bestselling author or hot category.

What makes your story unique is you the author. Your life experiences, education, background, and individual style of writing is what makes your story special. If you try and mimic another writer or shove your story into a category that doesn’t fit, you will fail as a writer. Be true to your writing and make sure it comes from the heart and soul, not the brain telling you to write another way to possibly improve your chances of being successful.

Every book is different, every writer is different, following the lead of your instructor or coach and abandoning what you feel as a writer is wrong. I’ve had many authors with whom I have toured over the years tell me that it is possible for writers to over-think their training. They reach a point where the mechanics of writing become second nature and that is when they need to let the words flow the way they want them to, not the way they think they have been taught or the way someone is telling them to write.

I post this blog not as an expert in writing, not do I profess to undertand all that is required of a writer to complete a novel or manuscript. I’m sharing with you what professional writers have told me time and time again. Write your own story, in your own words, in your own style, and worry about the category or marketing later. The book comes first, everything else will fall into place at the proper time.

 

For Serious Writers Only
By Jerry D. Simmons | August 18th, 2006 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

My upcoming seminar is for serious writers, those who are willing to take their success to another level. You will receive an intensive six hour course on what it takes to sell books in today’s competitive marketplace, as well as how to attract the attention of major publishers without the services of a literary agent. This is not a day listening to guest speakers from a variety of backgrounds tell interesting stories. This is a total emersion in the business of publishing, marketing and selling books.

You will receive information that I have not shared in any of my speaking engagements thus far. You will receive a complete tutorial on how to generate publicity, develop a portfolio of news clippings, and make publishers take notice. You will know at the end of the day exactly what you need to do–step-by-step, to be as successful as you can possibly be. However, the information is only as good as the person receiving it and what they are willing to do with it to be successful.

This is hard work; there is nothing easy about selling books. Everything you will learn will require you to spend a large chunk of time, marketing yourself and your book. This is what it takes to become a successful author. The tools are worthless unless you are willing to put yourself on the line and promote your book. This is why I tell everyone to be perfectly clear on one very important point–this seminar is for serious writers who want the information on what it takes to sell books.

It will be exhausting, but fun, and the information will be worth far more than you can imagine. How many books do you have to sell to make up $85? What you get is 30 years of combined experience in the world of publishing. Hope to see you on September 23rd.

 

What You Get With a Personal Consultation
By Jerry D. Simmons | August 15th, 2006 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

This blog is intended to answer the many questions I receive about my Personal Consultation. Here is what you get:

It doesn’t matter where you are with your writing career, making the wrong choices based on input from family and friends may cost you thousands of dollars and months of frustration. Don’t cut corners, talk to me before you make critical decisions.

Being a successful author after years of writing is difficult, but you need information that you can trust to help in making decisions. You also need to ask yourself questions and think about the answers:

The more thought you give to these questions the better able you will be to maximize the time we spend together.

Considering the details and cost of self-publishing, compared to the cost of signing with a print-on-demand company, as well as the time involved with seeking out a small press, to the problems you might encounter with finding an agent. Do you know where to start? An hour on the phone with me will help you to decide what steps to take first.

I am not an advocate for any specific type of publishing, I will guide you in the direction that seems best for your book, that will give you the greatest opportunity to be successful, which means selling books.

I cannot help you if your book is:

Unfortunately no one can help. You have to be realistic in your expectations, not dreams. You can dream big but it doesn’t happen overnight and it’s not accidential. The expectations for your book are important but they must be realistic in today’s marketplace and the best way to discover that fact is with me in a Personal Consultation. It’s a bargain compared to lost time and thousands of dollars in wrong decisions about your future.

 

Hype or Hope?
By Jerry D. Simmons | August 12th, 2006 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

When I first started speaking to writing groups, my impression of the kind of information that would be valuable has changed. First I thought that knowing what goes on behind the scenes of a major New York publishing house would be interesting and helpful. Part of that is true; it’s interesting to most writers but not necessarily as valuable as I thought, unless you know how to use the information.

Second, I was surprised at the number of writers that are self-published, by a print-on-demand company, or small press. From my former position I knew my competition resided within a few blocks since all the major publishing companies are based in New York and as a group we represented an estimated, combined, 80% of the traditional retail market for book sales.

Third, I was absolutely shocked at the kind of information that was being marketed to writers, most of which, in my opinion based on my 25 years in New York, was not completely true. Not outwardly false, although much falls into that category. And my surprise continued at the price that was being charged for this, what I would call, misleading information.

Finally I realized that the information I possessed based on a lifetime of experience would and could be helpful if packaged in the right format and presented in a logical manner. Then I heard Mark speak at this Phoenix College writing class and knew that his experience and mine would blend perfectly for writers who are searching for practical information they can use. Not hype with a mixture of hope, but honest to goodness solid information about getting published, as well as marketing and selling books.

Let me encourage each of you who are serious about learning the steps it takes to be successful as an author, attend our seminar. It’s a bargain for a wealth of information and six hours of your time.

 

What is Your Current Frustration Level?
By Jerry D. Simmons | August 12th, 2006 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

If you’re feeling alone with your writing or book and frustrated over where to turn next? Let me help you! The reason my web site exists is to help writers work through the frustration of publishing and selling books by providing information. It all boils down to the kind of information you get and whether it is honest and dependable. You may not like what you read or hear, but understand, that’s the way it works.

The keys to success as an author are what you know about the marketplace and how it operates. As I’ve said before, information is like pieces of a puzzle, if you don’t have all the pieces or know what to do with them, you can feel frustrated and lost.

Selling books is difficult, if you follow the same old tired, worn out guidelines that you read from people who haven’t experienced the inner workings of the retail book selling market and understand how to maximize each books potential, you will become frustrated. Since leaving New York I’m amazed at how many people are selling advice and even more amazed at how many people are buying that advice, based on what? Hype? Hope? Or both?

Bestselling authors do not have the answers and professional speakers don’t have the answers, no one has all the answers because the market is dynamic. What works today may not work tomorrow. Why? Because that is the way the marketplace works and whether you like it or not, you are not going to change it so you must learn to adapt. Part of being successful is understanding the market and how it all fits together. If you don’t understand the rules you shouldn’t be playing the game. Trying to sell books without a basic undertanding could mean you are spending money foolishly and wasting valuable time.

Don’t get cuaght up in the hype, be smarter than your competition, and seek out information that is honest and dependable so you can make informed decisions. Know the background of your source and their credentials, before you spend a dime. It’s not rocket science, so don’t allow yourself to get frustrated or feel alone, refocus and seek out the resources you can count on.

 

Don’t Cut Corners
By Jerry D. Simmons | August 9th, 2006 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

The worse thing you can do when publishing your book is attempt to get away cheaply, my suggestion is that you not cut corners. We all understand the need for saving money, but doing a cover, interior production, paper quality, and especially editing as inexpensively as possible will more than likely result in poor sales.

Let’s forget the writing for a moment and stick with the look or package of your book. Just as the way you dress and present yourself in public makes impressions on people, the look of your book can reflect on the content. If an impression is made that this is a cheap book, regardless of how good the writing, your sales will reflect that fact. Perception is reality in publishing.

Publishers spend enormous amounts of time getting the look right, that means the cover and interior layout need to look like a major New York publisher did it. Trust me, the look of a book can make or break sales. I’m not ignoring price, but for this discussion let’s stick to the package.

Retail bookstores should be your laboratory, if you want to know what a book should look like, visit your local store and browse. Open up a book and study how the pages are laid out, where chapters begin and end, what kind of paper is being used, even so far as which side of the pages are even and odd numbered (think about it).

Check the binding on a book, open flat and close again and again to see if you feel loosening or excessive cracking. If so, this could spell trouble. If you are considering a printer, ask for samples of their books and che

 

Invest in Yourself and Your Book
By Jerry D. Simmons | August 8th, 2006 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

Since the announcement of my seminar with Mark Crockett I have received tons of emails asking me how I would differentiate Mark’s and mine with others being offered around the country. The answer is “Publishing Outside of the Box, Empowering Writers One Person at a Time,” is about what should happen after your writing is completed. When you have a finished manuscript or published book in your hand and you begin to wonder, what next?

There are plenty of workshops that cover every conceivable aspect of writing, but this seminar is much different. You will get a step-by-step approach to:

Of course many of you will see this blog as nothing more than a shameless ploy to sell my seminar and you will be partly right. Certainly I am trying to promote my seminar but it is important to realize that selling books is much more than having media contacts and knowing how to write a press release. It’s one piece to a puzzle that can be meaningless if you don’t have all the pieces. This seminar is the total package.

Invest in yourself and your book; if you don’t understand the market for selling books and how to use the weaknesses of major publishers to your advantage, you will struggle trying to sell books. Every publisher and author is searching for readers and regardless of how you decide to publish; you must understand how the market reacts to your efforts or else you will waste money and time.

Mark and I have over 30 years of experience between us and have both traveled a different road, but we are passionate about sharing our knowledge with you, the writer. If you are trying to decide which workshop or seminar to attend, simply take a close look at the credentials and topics of those presenting, then make your decision. Whichever one you choose, I wish you nothing but success and hope you sell lots of books.

 

Your Starting Point
By Jerry D. Simmons | August 2nd, 2006 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

One of the most asked questions from writers about getting a manuscript published or marketing and selling a book is–where do I start? The answers depend on where you are with your writing and are different for each level.

If you are a beginning writer and just starting to write, my suggestion is that you begin visiting an independent bookstore (if possible) if not then a chain bookstore, and become a regular visitor. Observe what is going on in the marketplace and particularly with your category of writing. In addition, read the competition in your genre, get to know the work of not only the best selling authors but the backlist ones as well. These would be the books by authors you might never have heard of but who have multiple copies of several titles on store shelves.

If you have a book published and are looking for help marketing and selling, you must know what you want to do with your book. Be realistic, not every book is destined for Oprah regardless of who is telling you that. Selling books is difficult, so you need to know who would want to read your book? Who is your audience? How would you reach them? Where would they go to find out about and buy books? You need to give these questions serious consideration and try your best to come up with some specific answers.

If you are under contract and on a schedule to deliver manuscripts on a regular basis, you face an entirely different starting point. My first question to you would be: Do you have relationships with anyone inside your publisher besides your editor? If not, then that is your starting point, developing in-house relationships. If you have some relationships then you need to know the questions to ask and the responses you should expect. This is critical if you are a published author under contract to deliver more books.

As I’ve said many times, it’s easy to get published but difficult to sell books. Be smart and seek out as much information as possible so you can make informed decisions about your book and career.

 

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