Writers Must Believe
By Jerry D. Simmons | January 29th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
The one characteristic that every writer needs to possess is a strong belief that their writing is good. You also have to believe in your ability to become a successful author. It’s important that you believe in yourself as a writer and the story or message you are writing. Publishing is an extremely competitive business and at times can be discouraging. Passionate writers who are excited about their writing are contagious. However, don’t be unrealistic. Set modest goals, be willing to take baby steps, believe in your success but understand that achieving your goals will not be an easy task.
The opportunities for a new writer to receive a huge advance and national book tour are unlikely. That doesn’t discount the fact that a strong belief in your writing and story are necessary for success. Anything in publishing is possible IF you (1) believe strongly in your writing, (2) believe strongly that you will become a successful author, (3) do all you can to distribute your work to as many readers in as many formats as possible, and (4) Learn to become a clever marketer. Don’t follow the pack, learn to blaze a new trail and you never know who might be watching and reading.
Authors Beware of Faulty Promises of Success
By Jerry D. Simmons | January 27th, 2010 | 2 Comments » (Click to add yours!)
I dislike the need to write these warning blogs but the Independent publishing market demands it. It is my intent to inform everyone about new products or services aimed at the Independent writer or author that just don’t work. I’ve recently discovered three such services.
The first has to do with international distribution. One of the so-called “experts” wants you to believe that you can sell thousands of books by using their distributors who just happen to be overseas. Don’t fall for it! The international market for books is very small, compared to the US market. Plus you have multiple issues to deal with one of the most important being copyright. Never, ever send your manuscript or book to an overseas distributor and never agree to anything via email solicitation!
The second deals with specialty sales, often described as non-bookstore sales. You should never pay an upfront fee for this kind of service. Instead you demand to pay only on success. If the so-called sales force is successful and your book is actually ordered in quantities of tens of thousands, then I’m sure you would be willing to pay a reasonable fee. This entire premise is a way to generate revenue up front with no promise or guarantee. In fact, the author may never know who was actually contacted and presented their book. This is a bad deal for the Independent author and you should avoid at all costs.
The third deals with the growth of the eBook and how to profit. Suddenly there are seminars, webinars and a variety of secret formulas for success. Most claim to have sold thousands of eBooks within a 24-hour period and will share their proven secret with everyone for only a few hundred dollars. PLEASE do not fall for this or any of these scams designed to separate you from your money. There is no secret, no special formula, it’s a marketing ploy. If there was such a thing as a secret to book publishing success don’t you think someone would have come up with it by now?
Kitty Chappell’s Trip to Poland by Kitty Chappell
By Jerry D. Simmons | January 27th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
In 2002, even as a first-time book author, I realized the day I signed the contact with New Hope Publishers there would come a time when my book—my baby that I’d given birth to, Sins of a Father, Forgiving the Unforgivable—would one day die. I knew it would go out of print and be deleted by the same wonderful publisher responsible for its birth, the very one who had covered all its “birthing” expenses, announced its entrance into the world, and who did everything to celebrate and promote its birth except pass out cigars.
As a former business owner having dealt in a business supplying products and services, I understood that a business simply cannot continue producing products without also dropping others—those that fall below a certain sales volume—unless you want to become a nonprofit business. Understanding that business reality, however, did not lessen the pain and grief I felt the day I received the written notice by mail informing me of the demise date of my “baby”.
I made all of the necessary arrangements, beginning with asking for and receiving the copyright to my book and purchasing as many of the remainders as I could. But what was my next step?
I knew I could self-publish, but as a new widow, faced with a myriad of new responsibilities, dealing with my late husband’s business partner regarding sales negotiations from our 50% share in the business, selling our house on the lake which I could no longer afford without my husband’s income, downsizing from a 5-bedroom home into a tiny house, while at the same time trying to keep up with my speaking responsibilities. And all without the physical support of my children who lived out of state while missing deeply the love of my life who had taken care of me for 47 years. I simply had no energy for self-publishing.
For months I coasted but as I saw my hoarded book supply dwindling, I realized I must take action. As a believer, I know God cares about each of us and is vitally interested in every aspect of our lives. So I prayed.
Sometime later, I met Polish publisher Piotr Waclawik, CEO of Vocatio Publishers in Warsaw who had recently opened an office in Phoenix. We met at a mutual friend’s social function and at the suggestion of our host; I gave Piotr a copy of my out-of- print book. Piotr graciously accepted it but I could tell he wasn’t actually interested, nor did I expect him to be. (No other publisher was interested in an out-of-print book—I had already checked) To make conversation, Piotr politely asked about the book’s theme and when I mentioned forgiveness he suddenly came alive. “In Eastern Europe people are begging for anything in print pertaining to forgiveness that they can get their hands on!” After he read the book, I signed a contract with Vocatio and what happened next was amazing!
My book was updated, given a new cover and title of I Can Forgive if I Want to, translated into Polish and Danish, released in Poland in 2008 and then Denmark in 2009. Its translation into Nepali and Burmese are nearing completion and there are enquiries regarding possible translations into Arabic, Swahili, and Lithuanian.
In 2008 I was invited to speak in Poland for the entire month of October, 2009. While there I spoke 17 times in thirteen cities (four times in the Warsaw area alone) sharing my life story emphasizing not only forgiveness but also the great need for Poland to establish more shelters for abused women and children.
At my kickoff speaking event in Warsaw, a representative from The Prime Minister’s Office in the Capitol of Warsaw presented me with a long eloquent letter of welcome from Elizbieta Radziszewska, Government’s Plenipotentiary for Equal Rights. She commended me for my book (she had a copy) and my willingness to come to Poland and teach people with emotional wounds how they can be healed and overcome their past—while at the same time raise public awareness regarding domestic violence. She officially endorsed all of my scheduled public appearances throughout the 13 cites in Poland.
Jagoda Markiewicz, Women’s Forum Director for all of Poland was amazed at this endorsement by the government official, saying to her knowledge this was a first.
The level of Poland’s awareness of domestic violence is about the same as was America’s 50 to 60 years ago. Society there, as a whole, heretofore has denied the existence of abuse—relegating it to a few isolated incidents limited to the “lower class”—as did America at the time my family and I suffered abuse.
Wherever I spoke, I was overwhelmed by the love and gratitude shown to me as people hugged me and wept. My translators repeated their phrases over and over as people thanked me for bringing the message of forgiveness to Poland. One event leader in a large city greeted me with a strong embrace, and, through tears, said in her fluent English, “I have prayed six years for someone to come to Poland with a message of forgiveness. Thank you for traveling so far to answer my prayer.”
As I toured Auschwitz and relived the horrors of the holocaust, my heart broke for this great country. This brave nation has been beaten and brutalized by its neighbors during its entire existence. It has rebuilt its beautiful cities but the healing of its soul is a longer process. I felt humbled to be there at a time when the stirring of the nation’s heart is nudging them toward healing through forgiveness.
This reality was reflected by the media’s open interest regarding the subject of forgiveness as a whole. I was guest on seven radio broadcasts; two of them live radio talk shows where everyone was eager to discuss forgiveness, so much so that all of the calls couldn’t be taken—and they were one and a half hour long shows. I was also guest on one live talk show videoed for TV, and interviewed by a number of newspapers and magazines. So intense was their interest on the subject of forgiveness, domestic violence, and Poland’s need for shelters for abused women and children, that a number of those interviews were 3-1/2 hours long.
I will never understand how God works, for His ways truly are mysterious. But in looking back at the rebirth and evolvement of my book, I suspect these events and circumstances could only have been orchestrated by God. I am reminded of the statement made by Jesus in John 12:24 unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
As painful as it was for me at the time, had my “baby”, my Sins of a Father book not died and gone out of print, I Can Forgive if I Want to would never have been born and this timely European trip would have not taken place—and thousands of people in Poland would have missed the blessing of its message of forgiveness.
— Kitty Chappell
www.kittychappell.com
Note: This updated book is yet to be released in the U.S. but is available on my website in English.
My Interview with CNN.com
By Jerry D. Simmons | January 26th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
Several months ago, a wonderful writer by the name of Todd Leopold from CNN.com called to ask questions about the past surge in memoirs, published both Independently and by the big houses. The article recently popped up somewhere on the web and I decided to mention it again, here is the link to the story.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/books/04/15/memoirs/index.html
The most important thing to remember about memoirs is that the writing must be a “recollection” of facts. You cannot fabricate people, places or things and call it a memoir. Memoirs are different from biographies or autobiographies since the facts are not “vetted” for the truth. Biographies and autobiographies are supposed to be scrutinized by their publisher to insure the writing is accurate and truthful.
If you are writing a memoir, keep in mind, it needs to be as factual as possible. Don’t make the mistake of creating people, places or things that never existed.
The Fallacy of Some Book Publishing Experts
By Jerry D. Simmons | January 25th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
It’s important that writers and authors understand that all indications are that Amazon has a long term plan with regard to the printing company–BookSurge and it is not in the best interest of the Independent publishing community. There are “so-called” publishing experts who have written that it’s okay for Amazon to force all self-published, and print-on-demand authors to print with their own company if they want to sell books on their site. I’m sorry but this illustrates the problem with these “experts,” they misinterpret the facts and lack an understanding of the market.
Forcing anyone, let alone authors to succumb to the wishes of a big corporation is not only wrong, it should be a violation of anti-trust law. How anyone especially those who are supposedly an expert in book publishing can write that this is okay clearly explains those “experts” are completely out of touch with the reality of the marketplace and have no idea how the industry operates. This move signals that the Independent publishing community is not welcome at the largest online bookseller in the world.
Marketing Budgets
By Jerry D. Simmons | January 21st, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
Books will not sell without marketing. When you evaluate your overall spending limit consider budgeting less on a personal web site. The trend in publishing is away from individual author sites and toward newer larger sites where consumers will find the bio and personal profiles of thousands of writers and authors. As this trend continues it would be wise to spend marketing dollars in places other than your own personal site. The web site www.NothingBinding.com is an example of a free marketing platform for writers and authors.
As a group, independent authors have strength in numbers, since they are the largest group of writers and authors on the planet. The best way to leverage that strength is to congregate in one place and drive traffic to your web “link” as opposed to your own “site” where readers can find your biography and personal profile as well as book reviews, video and audio. Driving readers to a common site is better overall for the growth and respectability of the independently published title. This is one of the latest trends in publishing.
The missing link in the independent author’s ability to become a factor in the marketplace for book sales is the lack of a central online gathering place. In order to gain the attention of consumers they need to describe who they are and what they offer as authors. Gathering in a central location to promote themselves and their books is a great starting point for gaining traction in the traditional world of bookselling.
At NothingBinding.com the site is free and the message is that the community of independent authors is changing the face of publishing. It’s about marketing books, and getting the recognition and respect the independent author deserves.
Time for the Independent Author
By Jerry D. Simmons | January 20th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
If you are a writer and have been unable to attract an agent or editor for your work then take solace in the fact that your time on center stage is rapidly approaching. The independent or self-publishing marketplace is slowly becoming respectful. The advantage an independent writer who is not under contract has over everyone else is they own their content and all rights associated with that work. This is the single biggest advantage of publishing on your own.
Writers have more publishing options today than ever before, the problem is that these large POD companies that advertise and promote heavily are not the perception you want for your book. Publish under the wrong imprint and you are forever labeled with the worst of the worst simply because those companies publish anything. Don’t make this mistake. You are only a first time author once and you cannot re-launch a book as new. When a writer makes publishing mistakes with their book, it can spell disaster for your future as an author.
The single best form of independent publishing is the Hybrid Model of which there is only one company operating today, the INDI Publishing Group. Authors have the advantage of New York experience followed with professional production plus sales and distribution for their books. The key is that all manuscripts are vetted for excellence and only the very best independently titles are published. Perception is everything in book publishing, if you choose to go it alone, team up with experienced publishers and avoid the mass produced publishing mills. For a career as a writer, don’t make publishing mistakes.
Book Publishing Needs New Thinking
By Jerry D. Simmons | January 19th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
My career in publishing started in the late 1970’s with Random House. In the more than thirty years since, the method in which books are presented, sold, discounted and distributed has not changed! Certainly there have been slight variations that mirror the times but the basic structure for selling books has not changed. What other industry can say the same? Maybe this is part of the reason single copy sales have been in decline since the early 90’s. The book business at the highest level is mired in the old school way of doing business, with one great big exception–they stopped publishing great books and nurturing great writers.
Redirecting Traffic to Your Web Link – Not Site
By Jerry D. Simmons | January 18th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Amazon is a recognizable brand around the world. They have become the destination for consumers to shop almost anything. In the beginning they welcomed all book titles from every source. Now they have the strength of brand and vertical integration to force small and self publishers to pay their price for placement. If you don’t publish with them they will charge you a fee to be placed on their site. Is this a good strategy?
The genius is that Amazon has positioned itself as a company that can get away with this policy but the weakness is to believe that small and self publishers will tolerate such a blatant attempt to skew their market toward Amazon alone. Has Amazon underestimated the strength in the number of small and self-published titles? Or do they feel that our highly fragmented market will support this strategy? The answer lies with the creation of a community where authors can find alternate methods of selling books. May I suggest you check out www.NothingBinding.com.
Trends in publishing indicate that individual author web sites are becoming less and less important based on the sheer numbers of such sites. When evaluating an overall marketing plan for you and your writing consider spending less on your web site, instead taking advantage of other sites that host a large number of writers and their work. Instead of your own stand alone web site, direct traffic to your link at those free sites where consumers can get a basic bio and information about your writing. Spend wisely and maximize the potential for creating an audience for your work.
How Publishing Has Changed
By Jerry D. Simmons | January 14th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Traditional publishing has always centered on print, with audio and foreign rights secondary revenue streams. The focus of the biggest publishing companies was on the printed book. Lists of titles were sold seasonally to an established distribution channel of booksellers via wholesalers, jobbers, retailers and eventually online stores. Manuscripts were scrutinized and only the very best were placed under contract. Discounts were standard, the rules of the game established, and everyone was making money.
Once print-on-demand technology was introduced as a way for publishers to reduce waste and streamline distribution everything begin to change. Publishers who feared losing the bookstore experience rejected the single copy print to customer demand and continued along their merry way, business as usual. Not to be deterred, the POD folks opened up their own publishing shops, accepting the written word of anyone willing to pay their price for services such as cover design and printing. The market exploded and suddenly everyone had a book.
However the marketplace that was nurtured and developed by the big six in New York decided to solidify their strangle hold on booksellers by subsidizing shelf space and retail placement. Through an assortment of discounts, fees and incentives, publishers and booksellers agreed to prevent the wide scale penetration of the “POD publishers” by labeling everything rolling off those presses as substandard and of poor production quality. The strategy has worked.
Consumers today have a strong negative opinion of a self-published book, especially those that look and feel inferior to what they find in bookstores. POD printers understood their business model had to revolve around the upfront pricing instead of actual copy sales since they lacked direct sales and distribution, a result of the rejection by the traditional marketplace. This decision strengthened the notion of inferior quality writing and played into the hands of the big New York publishers, eventually the marketplace was protected.
Today the self-published book is making a debut in a completely new format completely hidden behind the reputable imprint of experienced professional publishers. Booksellers are openly accepting these titles due to the fact that each one is vetted and proven to be of high quality in both the written word and production. Now through the advance of the digital delivery system, self-published books utilizing this exciting new concept is finding their work can be competitive on bookstore shelves with any published title.
As the book publishing business continues to evolve the key component for all authors in the future is control, ownership and rights over their content. Big traditionally publishers are resistant simply because their investment in each book must mean the forfeiture of an author’s right to that content. Otherwise, they will go out of business. Nowhere is this fact more dramatic than the contracts that bind all authors to the large POD printers.
It is unbelievable to me that the mass produced, low production standards of some companies include retention of all files created for a paying customer, forever. Why would any writer who has invested heavily in their written word be willing to agree to such terms of publication? Unless the answer is price! The Wal-Mart mentality may work wonders for household products, groceries and paper goods, but not for books.
If you are shopping for a publisher for your manuscript, I strongly recommend you submit to the INDI Publishing Group. It’s the model of publishing that will be the future of the written word.
