Writing in Rochester

If you write articles for Ezines you might think publishing a full-length book is not in your future. Think again. Your knowledge and enthusiasm about a subject of interest to a host of readers might be just what a book publisher is looking for. A financial expert for example, has a niche audience. A racing car aficionado has a niche audience. Horticulture professionals and wine connoisseurs have loyal insatiable readers. If you write in one or two genres, you might be a candidate for publishing a collection of your articles. Experience has taught us: (1) proficient writers do not always write successful books; (2) inexperienced writers often create best sellers.

If you’re considering publishing a book, you’ll have to be knowledgeable about how to do it. In the area of self-publishing, subsidy, print-on-demand or vanity publishers are no longer “the new kids on the block,” although they continue to butt heads with the traditional big house publishing trade. It’s important to understand the fundamental differences between the two, and within the various self-publishers. If you want to maintain complete control of your book including copyrights, you’re probably a candidate for self-publishing, though some subsidy publishers do differ on copyrights. You might recognize the following authors who began their careers self-publishing, flying solo by the seats of their pants.

Robert James Waller, The Bridges of Madison County, – James Redfield – The Celestine Prophecy, Dr. Wayne Dyer, – Your Erroneous Zone, Richard Paul Evans, – The Christmas Box, – John Grisham, – A Time To Kill

Kind of like the old door-to-door salesmen who pitched everything from vacuum cleaners to the Bible, some of these authors drove around the country with boxes of books in the back of the car. If you’ve ever listened to Wayne Dyer speak, you know that convincing speakers sell themselves. Starting out small with book signings, talks, local media and through word of mouth, these authors eventually sold thousands of copies. When books started flying off the shelves, the big houses took notice. They offered attractive contracts to the authors for reprint rights and republished the books under their own trade names.

Today there are many more subsidy publishers vying for your attention. Some have good reputations; others have been cited for shady practices. For a hefty price, some will do all kinds of stuff for you: supply an editor, design book jackets and printed marketing products like bookmarks, business cards and post cards (most of which you don’t need); print news releases, provide electronic media contacts. Others are bare bones for less money. For certain, you must be willing to bust your chops by spending your own time and money to market your book. Considering the price of a tank of gas or airline ticket today, the travel alone can bust your budget with no guaranteed results.

Ask yourself these pertinent questions:

-If you think your writing is good “enough,” would you pay for an experienced editor before printing your book?

-Are you comfortable speaking to an audience of strangers?

-Are you prepared to spend thousands of dollars for a professional looking product?

-Did you thoroughly research the publisher for possible fraudulent practices?

-When your book reaches bookstore shelves, will your POD/subsidy publisher allow it to be returned if unsold? Some publishers charge exorbitant fees up front for their return policy.

-Can you get your book reviewed? Most media will not review self-published books. Of the zillions of books traditionally published each year, the odds of a self-published book being reviewed by a notable reviewer are small.


Publishers Weekly columnist Paul Nathan disagrees. Reading his Web page will encourage the novice. But in general, prominent reviewers simply do not have time for self-published books because they are rarely professionally edited.

The big three subsidy publishers are iUniverse, AuthorHouse, Xlibris. You will find them and others on the Web. A good place to start gathering information about them and what they do differently is to read Morris Rosenthal’s “Subsidy Press Questions” on line. If you do your research carefully you should know exactly what you are getting for your money. Keep in mind that you become the marketer and you do the legwork. If you are not able to sell several thousand copies of your book, no traditional publisher will offer you a contract. If all you want from the process is to see your book in print for family and friends, none of the above matters. When going for the gold, consider the following alternative.

Traditional Publishing. Once a traditional publishing house accepts your manuscript, they will not charge you a penny for their services. Besides providing you with a professional editor, printing, and artwork etc., they will get you reviewed and interviewed, book signings and media appearances. If your editor is gung-ho about your book, he or she will open doors where there were none. Nevertheless, even with the full weight and prestige of the publisher, the author must work hard to sell the book.

“Simplicity-Courage-Humor-Soul”®

A writer/editor, I work with one client at a time, beginner or pro, for a cost effective solution to your writing and editing needs. Visit me at susanscharfman.com susanscharfman.com.

A recent survey showed that more than eighty percent of Americans want to write a book. This extraordinary statistic is somewhat puzzling considering that the National Endowment for the Arts estimates that only fifty-seven percent of Americans have read even 1 book in the last twelve months!

What is it that makes people — even non-readers — want to put pen to paper?

Perhaps it’s the desire for fame and fortune, the need to earn the respect of others, or maybe it’s just the wish to leave some mark on the future, a permanent record of a life lived.

Whatever the reason, for those who actually complete a manuscript, the odds of seeing it published by a reputable firm are slim.

For the estimated 2 million manuscripts currently completed, there are only 64,000 publishers of record, and only a fraction of those are actively seeking new manuscripts.

So what are the millions of hopeful authors to do?

Well, the first step would be to ensure their manuscripts are the best they can be. This can be done by re-writing, editing, proofreading by an outside firm or even by a well-read and literate friend.

Even then, most of those two million books stand no chance of being accepted by a traditional publisher. Those authors that do make the cut are not necessarily the best writers, but rather are those who can sell themselves and their stories most convincingly.

Some authors, after rejections from the trade, will find themselves victims of vanity publishers, who take advantage of the hopes and aspirations of writers to extract an exorbitant fee to ‘publish’ their book.

Luckier will be the writers who publish through firms like iUniverse and Lulu, for although their books will likely never see wide distribution, at least their losses will be minimal.

And finally there are the select few who decide to become publishers themselves, even if it is only to self-publish their own book.

These publishers will find great obstacles, and a great deal of work in this route, but the challenge and reward of having one’s success or failure entirely in one’s own hands is a powerful feeling.

Whether they choose to publish electronically, or use short run printing service like Lightning Print, or even to go full boar with a print run of 1,000 or more, their success depends on how well they sell themselves and their story to others.

And so, if you are about to embark on a new manuscript, educate yourself thoroughly about the industry, its scams, and potential pitfalls. And more importantly, learn to market yourself well, for this, more than any other skill, is the determining factor in your success or failure.

Dr. John E. Neyman, Jr.is a Pastor, Author
Internet Marketing Coach and Relationship
Coach. You may visit Dr. John’s website at
LeadersExcel.com LeadersExcel.com Or e-mail him
at mailto:drjohnneyman@gmail.com drjohnneyman@gmail.com