Book Publishing is More Art Than Science
By Jerry D. Simmons | August 18th, 2009 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Turning an edited manuscript into a published book necessitates years of experience, a keen eye, and a clear understanding of the marketplace for selling books. Those who subscribe to the production line mentality of “get ‘em in and get ‘em out” as quickly as possible are not in tune to the market for book sales. The profit motives of these so-called publishers are the services they provide the writer and not whether or not the finished product has a viable chance of selling copies.
Why else would any self proclaimed publisher set cover prices according to page count? The reasoning is from a production standpoint, not what the price should be according to the category in which the book is being published. When was the last time a major publisher sold a trade paperback novel for $28.95? When was the last time a consumer paid that kind of money for an unknown author? The answer to both is never!
Every day thousands of unsuspecting writers sign on to have their manuscript published by one of the large, heavily advertised POD printers (not publishers). The end result is often disappointing and far short of what is required to have any opportunity to sell books in the marketplace. There are options, and yet most writers fail to fully understand what they are. If you want to separate yourself and your writing from all the other authors in the “publishing mills” then decide to make a change. Don’t follow the leader, it will not be worthy of your writing.
Tags: Book Publishing, Book Sales, Self-Publishing
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