Three Important Publishing Points
By Jerry D. Simmons | November 3rd, 2005 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
For any writer with hopes of becoming an author, there are three very important points that need to be seriously considered and embraced. The competition in the marketplace is fierce and these points are crucial for anyone wanting to improve their chances at a successful career as a writer and author.
(1) Know your market.Regardless of the type of book being written, it is imperative that the names of the authors are recognized and many of their books as possible are read. The publishers of those books should be noted since they would have the editorial expertise in that particular category of publishing. Attention should be paid to how the titles are packaged, priced, promoted, and advertised. No author can speak intelligently about any area of writing without knowing what is successful in the marketplace.
(2) Understand the business of publishing. Here is where readers begin to glaze over, at the mention of the word “business.” I’m not suggesting anyone take a course in publishing, but I am suggesting writers familiarize themselves with the basics of the business. It is important to know what happens from the moment of acquisition to the day their book goes on sale. They need to be able to participate in key decisions surrounding the publication of their book. I cannot stress enough the importance of this point.
(3) Learn numbers and distribution. Any writer who wants to be successful as an author must sell more copies than booksellers return. If a book does not have a good sell-through, subsequent books will not be ordered and a career may end before it starts. The numbers, how they are developed and why, will give any writer a distinct advantage. The key to distribution is knowing how many copies of a book are being sent to which customer and in what quantity. This does not mean there is a need to know the complete breakdown of sales by customer; it illustrates the need for an overall understanding of the types of booksellers that exist, their function in the market, and their ability to distribute or sell individual copies.
The absolute bottom line in determining the future of an author is whether their book sells more copies compared to the total number that is printed and distributed. It doesn’t matter how good their skills are as a writer, what matters is how many copies their book sells. The author’s future rests against the benchmark where all books are measured.
Tags: Book Distribution, Book Marketing, Book Publishing, Self-Published Author
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