Patience is a Publishing Virtue
By Jerry D. Simmons | June 29th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
The rush to publication is only warranted when (1) the timeliness meets an anticipated deadline, such as a court case or high profile event, (2) early release in advance of a competitive title with similarities, and (3) seasonal issues such as diet and exercise book in winter. Otherwise the rush to publish can be a problem.
Writers who have painstakingly worked for months or years on a manuscript and suddenly find themselves in a hurry to publish is not giving the process enough consideration. There is absolutely no need to rush a book out to the market unless it meets on the three criteria above. Rushing for the sake of getting a book on sale makes no sense and should be avoided.
Those writers with little patience for a publisher that takes their time is not giving production, sales or marketing the proper weight in the whole equation. Delays are sometimes necessary, the rule of thumb is get it right not get it in a hurry. The best recommendation is take your time and make certain all the pieces of the puzzle are in place before launching.
Remember—you only launch one time! Make it the right time.
True Value of Products and Services
By Jerry D. Simmons | June 18th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
My goal with every newsletter, article and blog is to inform my audience. Certainly I hope to educate writers about the business of publishing but invariably the wave of “scams, charlatans, snake oil salespeople and thieves” have become a tsunami and can sometimes drown out the honest voices simply because we refuse to take advantage or rip off our clients.
Having served my entire adult life in publishing it still amazes me to this day how many companies operate under such outright deception and distortion of facts. The sad fact in the “independent or self-publishing” business is that too many people make a living off promoting, marketing and selling products and services that simply do not work or have value in the real world of book publishing, marketing, distributing and selling of books. Writers MUST protect themselves and their writing.
Here are some key points to keep in mind when trying to determine whether a product or service has real value: (1) Never commit to a long term agreement with anyone! (2) Never pay for a product or service without knowing who is behind the product and service, what their background in publishing is and knowing whether they offer testimonials from satisfied customers that you can contact and objectively verify. (3) Web sites or email blasts that sell and promote without offering a legitimate telephone number that someone can call and ask questions should be avoided. (4) Companies that take days to respond to emails sent through their web sites are also to be avoided. (5) If it sounds too good to be true or offers promises and guarantees, consider them companies to be avoided.
There are never any guarantees in publishing, even for the biggest of the bestselling New York Times authors, there are no guarantees. Anyone making claims that sound too good, too easy, or too quick to possibly be true, run the other way, save your money and send me an email. I’ll be happy to offer you honest advice and feedback on whether or not the offer is legitimate.
Follow Your Dreams
By Jerry D. Simmons | June 17th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Merriam Webster defines publishing as: the business or profession of the commercial production and issuance of literature, information, etc. Writers who ask me for advice on the best way to publish their work get the same answer, follow your dreams. Obviously there are tricks to the trade and better ways of making an impression on agents, editors, publishers and even consumers. However the only thing that really matters is that writers follow their dream despite the difficulty.
There are no secrets, regardless of what the master marketers tell you and try to sell you; there are no short cuts to success as an author. If there were a set formula then the biggest publishers would have it figured it out and would be following it with every single title. Following your dream does not mean mortgaging your home or bank account for a chance to publish. Publishing is a business first and creative process second. The business and production side of publishing over shadows the art of creating content. Understanding this fact should be a guide as you decide which route to take.
The more you recognize the terminology and how the basic pieces of the business fit together the better informed you will be and of course the better informed the better chance to recognize the opportunities before you. The one size fits all in publishing does not exist and there are certainly advantages and disadvantages to each type of publishing, including being under contract to a major publisher. The more you read and stay on top of competitive titles in your category, learn the basics of the business, and continue to create content as the same time you are trying to figure it all out the better prepared and positioned you will be. The better prepared and positioned the better chance you have a becoming a successful author.
The Biggest Player in eBooks
By Jerry D. Simmons | June 14th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
Sony introduced eBooks many years ago when they brought the with the Amazon placed eBooks on the map and now Apple will help all authors realize how to maximize the potential. They are without a doubt the game changer for the digital marketplace. The fact that Apple is spending large sums of money to advertise and promote the new iPad means they are willing to bet on the viability of reading and digital content. I truly believe the audience for eBooks is just now waking up to the fact that eReaders are going to become an important component in the technology needs for everyone who owns a computer or cell phone.
Marketing at a Minimum
By Jerry D. Simmons | June 11th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
Selling books without a minimum marketing effort will result in poor sales. Here are the basics every author should follow when marketing their book: (1) seek book reviews prior to launch, (2) write a press release announcing the publication and availability of your book for sale distributed to all online outlets, and (3) pitch yourself and your book to local print, radio, television and online for publicity.
Remember the local media is not interested in the fact that you wrote a book, they are interested in one of the following: (1) the story, (2) the author, or (3) the message. They must have an interesting angle in which to promote you as a guest. Figuring out the proper angle can be difficult; however this is the only way to give you the best opportunity for publicity which is what sells books. That angle may be the facts surrounding the writing of your book, or your background as a writer, or even the unique message from your book. The key is figuring out how to find and focus on that angle.
If you want to go beyond the basics and aim a bit higher then consider: (1) sending a free sample of your writing in an email promotion, (2) alert genre specific web site to your book, or (3) create a social networking campaign. The best marketing approach is a combination of all of these parts taking into consideration the category, price, title, format and a variety of other components that go into creating a targeted marketing program.
Marketing is the most difficult part of successful book publishing. A publisher can get everything right and fail due to a poor marketing campaign. It’s so easy to publish in today’s marketplace but extremely difficult to sell books. If you find yourself struggling then consider a professional marketer, someone with experience and publishing knowledge to give you the best chance at becoming a successful author.
New Formats, New Markets
By Jerry D. Simmons | June 10th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
Expect to see more authors from the big New York houses offer most of their books in as many formats as possible. The more formats, the bigger the sales. Books published in hardcover do not take away sales from a trade paperback. The reason is the market is separate and the consumers are different. That’s why you see a trade paperback and months later a mass market paperback; again, each format has a unique market.
Digital publication in eBook format opens up new opportunities for independent authors and in virtually every case, the potential for widespread distribution is one thousand times greater than for a print title. For those independent authors the cost of creating an eBook is a fraction of the cost of a print edition.
At this point in time the market is wide open and available for authors of all genres, however that may not be the case in six months, or even three. Once the big publishers realize the desire for eBook content is being filled by the small publishers and independent authors, their attitude and position will change. The best part of offering a digital version of your book is that eBook sales do not deter from print sales, they will only add to existing sales and support your dual marketing efforts for print and eBook.
The eBook Market is NOW!
By Jerry D. Simmons | June 3rd, 2010 | 2 Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Digital publishing is emerging at an accelerated rate. The major companies are reluctant to publish in eBook format for many of their bestselling backlist (older titles) and the bulk of their catalogs for the simple fact they are concerned about taking away sales from the most established and successful print titles.
Yet this hesitation will not last long because it is well known and understood in publishing that different formats (hardcover, trade paper, mass market paper, audio and eBook) do not take away sales from other formats because the market is different and separate and readers who prefer a specific format seldom stray.
The primary reason for the reluctance on the part of the New York publishers to fully embrace the eBook is because digital is new and confusing to them and they are always slow to embrace change. At this time there is a massive desire for digital content in the form of eBooks and yet the biggest companies are not supplying what the market demands. Strange but this is exactly why print publishing has been in decline for years.
This is exactly why the time for the independent author to get into the digital market is now, today! The longer you wait the less likely you are to find a fan base and grow your audience. This market is not going away and it will only get bigger and better especially as the price for eReaders decline, the demand for product will grow. Do not hesitate!
E-publish or Perish
By Jerry D. Simmons | June 1st, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
Excerpts from an article in the Economist Magazine…
Price Waterhouse Coopers a consultancy reckons that eBooks will represent about 6% of consumer books sales in North America by 2013, up from 1.5% in 2009. Carolyn Reidy, the boss of Simon & Schuster, a major New York publisher, thinks they could account for 25% of the industry’s sales in America within three to five years. She may well be right if the prices of dedicated eReaders such as the iPad and Kindle keep falling and more consumers start reading on Smart Phones. The number of Apps for books on the iPhone recently surpassed that for games, previously the largest category.
Could it be any simplier? The time to publish your eBook is today!
