Self-Publishing has Arrived
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 28th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Publishing circles in New York often proclaim, tongue in cheek “When it’s written about in the Times, it must be true!” This makes the fact that The New York Times has proclaimed that “self-publishing has arrived” a true statement. However, the fact still remains that to gain acceptance as an author you must have a professionally packaged, priced and produced book to get the attention of the media since that is the only way to truly sell books.
If a book looks self-published, the immediate reaction and perception is bad and that will not set the tone for what you hope to achieve as an author. On the other hand, if you produce your book to fit your category and look similar to other titles in a bookstore, you will have made the right production decisions. Readers and book buyers do judge a book by its cover, price, back cover blurb, book reviews and production quality. Mistakes will haunt you, utilize the skills of a professional publisher and you will not have to worry about making publishing mistakes.
Tags: Book Marketing, Book Publishing, Book Sales, Booksellers, Hybrid Publishing Model, Self-Published Author, Self-Publishing
Publishing Mistakes
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 26th, 2010 | 2 Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Some of the biggest publishers make mistakes. Trying to capitalize on a celebrity book when their star is rising is a possibility, launching a new title when their star is falling can cost a publisher his or her shirt. This is the problem with the Kate Gosselin book from yesterday’s TIPS for WRITERS, click here to read.
The most curious thing about her new book was the fact that selling a little more than 10,000 copies could make it all the way to the #11 spot on The New York Times bestseller list, #103 on the USA Today list and ranked #862 on Amazon. Just goes to show how much publishing is based on “perception.” The book was sold based on previous sales, there were tons of copies stacked high in stores and even though it had very poor sales the first two weeks, the bestselling “perception” was created before anyone knew the truth.
This simple principle holds for any book: IF you are successful at creating buzz around the launch of your new book, get enough copies stacked into stores, create a false impression that the book will be a bestseller, anything is possible. In the end it may come back to bite you and cost lots of money, but perception in publishing is still a very strong strategy for success.
Tags: Book Distribution, Book Marketing, Book Publishing, Book Sales, Booksellers, Hybrid Publishing Model, Self-Published Author, Self-Publishing
Anything is Possible
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 21st, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
There is no easy road to becoming a successful author. Successful is defined as the ability of one to make a living writing. Anything beyond that takes talent, a lot of luck, timing and following the proper steps to publishing success. Paying tens of thousands of dollars to have an aggressive promoter provide you with a special “success package” that includes seminars, workshops, personal coaching and messages from bestselling authors will only drain your pocketbook and not get you closer to publishing success.
There are no secrets and never any shortcuts! Having spent more than two decades in the New York publishing world I can honestly say that many great writers with terrific books never achieved publishing success even though their publisher spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and let out all the stops to try. It’s neither easy nor quick to become a successful author and sitting down in front of a large crowd of people who all paid a lot of money to listen to how anyone can become a bestselling author is totally bogus.
Anything is possible, if a writer will practice their craft by writing lots and lots of material. Hire a professional editor to help them become a better writer. Focus on becoming the best writer you can be. Don’t fall for get rich quick schemes and never let your dream die. Publishing is a highly competitive business and there are over one million new titles published each year. If you do the right things including reading and researching competitive titles and authors, you have as good a chance as any to be the one who becomes the next big bestselling author.
Tags: Book Marketing, Book Publishing, Book Sales, Editing, Hybrid Publishing Model, Self-Published Author, Self-Publishing, writing
Editorial Critique
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 20th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Once you have finished writing, the manuscript is not quite complete. Before you make decisions on the next step, it is very important to get an editorial critique. There are a variety of ways to publish and the best course is following your heart and make every attempt at achieving your goal. Don’t let friends or fellow writers discourage you from your dream. However, you should submit your writing to an objective professional who can give you honest feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of your manuscript.
Searching for an agent with a weak manuscript will be wasted time and energy. The manuscript is not complete until you have a professional editor read for feedback and critique your writing. Once the critique is complete you can self-edit to the best of your ability before attempting that next step in the publishing process. If your choice is to publish on your own, then spending money on production and marketing with a less than stellar manuscript will result in bad word of mouth which can be disastrous for sales.
Every publisher worries about content and whether they have packaged and priced the product correctly followed by a focused marketing campaign. But all is for naught if the writing is poor, the story doesn’t flow, dialogue is shoddy and the characters are not fully developed. Publishing companies cannot sell a poorly written book anymore than they can sell great literary writing; it has to be a good story or message written in a manner that is pleasing to the consumer. Who better to help make that decision that an objective professional editor. Consider a critique; it’s the next logical step after you have finished your writing.
Tags: Book Publishing, Book Sales, Editing, writing
New Formats, New Markets
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 17th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
Publishers actively promote various formats for publishing content simply because it creates a new audience and more sales. Hardcover readers sometimes purchase paperbacks but paperback readers rarely purchase hardcover books. Older consumers prefer trade paper as opposed to mass market size where the print is small. Audiobook lovers sometimes read books in print but prefer audio because of their travel or workout schedule. Readers of eBooks also purchase print books but seem to enjoy the convenience of the eReader.
If bestselling authors can sell on average—a million hardcover copies, two million trade paperbacks, two and a half million mass market paperbacks, one hundred and fifty-thousand audiobooks and another one hundred thousand eBooks, this clearly illustrates that each format for publication has a distinct market. That is why publishers make most of their titles available in as many formats as possible. This is also why independent print authors should have at a minimum an eBook for their writing.
Any author serious about their audience and creating additional sales must have a quality produced eBook available for sale at all major online retailers as well as the major online catalogs, schools and libraries. The market is growing, don’t miss your opportunity.
Tags: Book Marketing, Book Publishing, Book Sales, eBook, Hybrid Publishing Model, Self-Published Author, Self-Publishing
Bestseller Lists
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 13th, 2010 | 2 Comments » (Click to add yours!)
At this early stage in the development of the eBook market, sales do not in any way reflect or have any impact on bestseller lists for the print edition. Take into account the fact that eBooks of major titles are not released until several months after the hardcover and you can see why. The release of a trade paperback several months after a hardcover will not have any impact on bestseller lists for the hardcover edition. Bestseller lists for print formats do not include sales from corresponding formats. Trade paper sales do not impact hardcover sales and so on.
The question will be, if a trade paperback and eBook are released simultaneously will both editions count toward bestseller placement and my guess is they will not. Simply because the players in creating bestseller lists are slow to change and since they’ve been putting lists together for ages, it is doubtful they will change anything in the near future. I suspect that sales by format will continue to reflect only that particular format and none other. At some point there will be a recognized bestseller list for eBooks at it will probably come from one of the leading newspapers.
Tags: Book Marketing, Book Publishing, Book Sales, Booksellers, eBook, Hybrid Publishing Model, Self-Published Author, Self-Publishing
Utilize the Strengths of Amazon
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 12th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
No one enjoys bashing Amazon any more than I do. But frankly they are now and will continue to be a major player in online sales of print titles and eBooks for the foreseeable future. Love them or hate them we cannot ignore their potential to sell product. Even though we don’t appreciate their attitude and feel they are taking advantage with unreasonable discounts, we need to work with them and use their web site to our advantage.
If your print book is not listed on Amazon it should be! If you have an eBook and it’s not available for the Kindle, it should be! Do not cut off your nose to spite your face by refusing to do business with them. We have little choice, they are the biggest online retailers for printed books and they are not going away. So let’s all learn to play nice…..we can still enjoy bashing them once in awhile.
Tags: Book Marketing, Book Sales, Booksellers, eBook
Enhanced Applications for eBooks
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 11th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
The big questions for everyone in New York publishing houses regarding eBooks have been: How to improve the value of an eBook over print? How to make the eBook special and worth the price? Apparently they have found answers with enhanced applications for eReading devices.
Enhanced applications will include such things as video, audio, author interviews, insights into the writing and publication of the eBook, much the same as you see when you purchase a DVD and get the director’s cuts. The jury is still out but in the end if the quality and presentation of the material added to the eBook gives it an added value and enhance the reading experience, then consumers should be willing to pay the price.
The potential for a thoughtful and value added presentation of additional content that truly enhances the eBook is exciting and provides a unique opportunity for the independent author. The big publishers are hampered in many ways and never make quick decisions. The INDI author has a real chance of creating a market for their writing in the eBook format that is price aggressive, content rich and capable of creating buzz in a digital market. The eBook marketplace is only going to grow and provide a new market for reaching an audience.
Tags: Book Marketing, Book Publishing, Book Sales, eBook, Hybrid Publishing Model, Self-Published Author, Self-Publishing
Hopes, Dreams & Reality
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 10th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
Anything is possible in publishing, dream big but follow a few simple rules. First: write your own story and never worry about a potentially hot category or bestselling style of another writer. Second: seek professional editorial help, someone you are comfortable with who can challenge you to be a better writer. Third: follow your publishing dreams and find a way to make it happen. There are no secrets, it takes hard work, lots of time and don’t give up attitude.
If you dream of being a bestselling author then recognize the fact that talent is required. Believe in yourself and your writing but don’t spend foolishly, you cannot buy your way to a bestseller list, there are entirely too many people that will take advantage of you if you let them. There are never any guarantees in publishing so don’t listen to the sales pitch and never invest money in marketing unless you completely and totally understand how what you are getting makes a positive difference in the market. If all else fails seek professional guidance from someone with experience that can answer your questions.
Publishing is an extremely competitive business and selling books successfully is difficult. If you follow the rules, make smart decisions about how you publish and spend on marketing then you have as much a chance of realizing your dreams as anyone. Mistakes could ruin your chances as well as cause you to spend money unnecessarily. Consider investing in a publishing expert for guidance. You are only a first time author once and you only launch a new title one time. Make the most of your opportunity and who knows what might happen?
Tags: Book Marketing, Book Publishing, Book Sales, eBook, Editing, Hybrid Publishing Model, Self-Published Author, Self-Publishing, writing
Non-traditional or Specialty Publishing
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 6th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
There is a market for books outside the mainstream mass market and bookstore chains and that is called specialty publishing often referred to as non-traditional book sales. Although this market exists, penetration in large quantities is difficult. Most niche publishers target this market and aggressively pursue sales by developing relationships with customers and creating product specifically for that market. That is the most established form of specialty book sales.
Unfortunately there are programs available to independent authors that charge fees for presentation of a book by a thousand plus sales force which in reality means nothing. This form of direct sales rarely results in actual copies being sold and is only successful at separating the author from their money. If you are interested in pursuing this form of direct sales for your title please email with questions and I’ll gladly assist you. Specialty publishing is not the answer to poor book sales and in the end, it may very well be another disappointment.
Publishing is easy, selling books is difficult. For authors who understand the market and the business behind the book, they have a much better chance at being successful by utilizing the power of the information they possess to their full advantage. This web site was created as a free information resource for unpublished writers and authors. The key is understanding how the pieces fit and where you and your writing can make an impact. It’s not rocket science.
Tags: Book Distribution, Book Marketing, Book Publishing, Book Sales, Booksellers, eBook, Hybrid Publishing Model, Self-Published Author, Self-Publishing
