Publishing Trends:  Traditional vs. ePublishing

You’ve done what most people only talk about. You’ve written a book, spent countless hours agonizing for just the right words only to delete many of them in the painful editing process. After many months, or perhaps, many years, you have a manuscript ready for submission. You’ve heard all about the struggles for new authors: slush piles, solicited queries only, scam artists and cons, but you know luck or fate or sheer talent will eventually deliver your precious manuscript into the right hands at the right time. I can’t say that isn’t so. After all, JK Rowling, Stephen King, Danielle Steel, Nora Roberts, Tom Clancy and every other bestselling author were once unpublished and unknown. I can tell you that the odds of receiving a lucrative contract with a traditional publisher as an unpublished author are not in your favor.

According to Associations of American Publishers (Press Release, 2003) “ U.S. book sales totaled $26,874,100,000 in 2002, a 5.5 percent increase over 2001…” While these numbers are encouraging, it is important to note that 75% (Curtis, 1995, p. 5) of books on the bestsellers lists, were written by authors with proven bestselling titles. Why is this? Well, as a reader, you are more likely to invest $15, $20, or $30 if you have some familiarity with the author’s work. Not only are readers more likely to choose known authors, so are publishers, motivated by bottom line, dollars and cents. Considering a small publisher will receive 5000 unsolicited queries a month, a junior editor earning $25,000 a year may be able to read four or five a day. You can see that the cost to evaluate some 60,000 queries can be $125,000 a year. (Curtis, 1995) If only 1% of unsolicited queries are sent to senior editors, who in turn accept 1%, the publisher has invested nearly $50,000, before any contracts are signed, any printing is done, or any marketing undertaken.

What of eBook sales? According to Jim McClellan (2004), “Open eBook Forum (OeBF) estimated overall sales for the year (of eBooks) at around $10m.” This is a small but growing percentage of the total market. “In the third quarter of 2003, e-book sales were up 37% over the same quarter in 2002, according to a new sales report from the Open eBook Forum (OeBF)…In that quarter, 2,159 new titles were published by the 30 largest publishing houses, and sales added up to $2,591,465. It was good enough to spur sales of the millionth e-book for the year by September.” (Fluckinger, 2003). Because eBook publishers incur less expense (no printing, distribution costs) royalty payments to authors is usually 40% of wholesale price versus 15% of traditional publishing. Readers also benefit from reduced production costs, saving 30%-40% per title. Therefore, previously unknown authors are more likely to be noticed.

Regardless of which path you travel, ultimately quality will count. The competition is staggering and it will take exhaustive self promotion to draw readers, but if it isn’t well written, no amount of marketing fluff will capture their attention for long. If you offer a quality product and meet or exceed your reader’s expectation, word of mouth could set you apart from the pack.

Resources

Curtis, R. (1995).
How to be Your Own Literary Agent. Houghton Mifflin Company, NY.

Fluckinger, D. (2003). E-book sales hit the million mark for 2003. Retrieved March 10, 2004 from PDFzone.com

About the Author

Lisa Hood is the author of "Shades of Betrayal" and “Shades of Revenge”. She has been writing for over 10 years and is presently working on her third suspense novel, “Shades of Jealousy.” She is also the Talent Liaison @ BOOKJOBBER.com. Other articles by Lisa Hood can be downloaded from http://www.bookjobber.com/articles.asp or mailto:lisa_j@bookjobber.com
____________________________________________

http://www.newnovel.bravehost.com

http://www.newbookreview.blogspot.com

http://www.newbookrelease.blogspot.com

http://www.lookingforbooks.blogspot.com

http://www.advicewriter.blogspot.com

How to Avoid the 11 Biggest Mistakes of First-Time

“If you want to change your life,” Harry Beckwith wrote in The Invisible Touch,
“write a book.” But, writing a book can also be tremendously frustrating and
unrewarding.

Following are the 11 biggest reasons most first-time authors fail to receive the
rewards they are due.

1.Unrealistic expectations

Don’t expect to get rich off your book, even if it’s a success by publishing
standards. The vast majority of books fail to earn out their advance.

Instead, develop a personal marketing plan to leverage your career off your
book. Instead of trying to make money on the book itself, use your book to open
doors, promote your credibility, and build relationships with readers.

2.Writing without a contract

Never write a book without a signed contract. Instead, prepare a polished
proposal and two sample chapters.

Publishers are increasingly selective the titles they accept. Often, less than 1
in 20 titles proposed are published. Writing a book that isn’t accepted is not a
good use of your time.

3.No agent

You must be represented by a literary agent. Publishers rarely accept
unsolicited book proposals. Unsolicited proposals are frequently returned unread
or are simply discarded.

The right agent will know exactly which publishers might be interested in your
book. Agents can also negotiate terms more effectively than you.

4.Weak titles

Titles sell books. The title of your book is like the headline of an
advertisement. The title represents your one and only chance to attract the
attention of acquisition editors or bookstore readers.

Successful titles stress the benefits readers will gain from your book.
Successful titles arouse curiosity and offer solutions. They often include
consonants and alliteration (repeated ”hard” sounds like G, K, P or T).

5.Title versus series

Focus on a series of books rather than an individual title. Publishers want
concepts that can be expanded into a series rather than individual titles.

6.Going it alone

Successful careers involve a nurturing support group of readers and peers.

Your quest should include the support of your friends, other authors, book
coaches, readers and others who will help you maintain your enthusiasm while
providing ideas, assistance, and feedback.

7.“Event” writing

Write a little each day rather than “going away” to write your book.

Stress is an author’s biggest enemy. When you attempt marathon writing, you’re
putting an unrealistic burden on yourself. “What happens if I come back and my
book isn’t written?”

Commit to write 45 minutes a day. This reduces stress and continuously reengages
your subconscious mind.

8.Self-editing

Avoid unnecessary self-editing. It’s far more important to complete the first
draft of your book than to agonize over the perfection of every word.

Editors will ensure that grammar is correct and ideas appear in the proper
order. But, they can’t do anything until you submit the final manuscript.

9.Failure to promote

Publishers are not promoters. Publishers are skilled at editing, manufacturing,
and distributing books. But, they are not set up to give your book the marketing
attention it deserves. A single publicist may represent over 100 books!

If you want your book to succeed, you have to promote it as well as write it.

10.Failure to backup and save

Save frequently when writing. Always save before printing. Never turn off your
computer without making a copy of your files for off-premises storage. Never end
a writing session without printing out a hard copy of the latest version of the
chapter you’re writing.

11.Failure to plan future profits

Before writing your book, create a book marketing plan. Book sales should be
just the first step in an ongoing relationship with your readers. Your plan
should identify opportunities from consulting, newsletters, audio/video
recordings, seminars, speeches, and yearly updates etc.

Conclusion

A book can, indeed, change your life. But, you must take charge take a proactive
role in promoting and leveraging its success.

To learn more
Visit www.PublishedAndProfitable.com. Subscribe to Published and Profitable and
download a free sample lesson from my four-week Profit From the Author Inside
You course.

About the Author

Roger C. Parker is the $32,000,000 author with over 1.6 million copies in print

______________________________________

http://www.newnovel.bravehost.com

http://www.newbookreview.blogspot.com

http://www.newbookrelease.blogspot.com

http://www.lookingforbooks.blogspot.com

http://www.advicewriter.blogspot.com

ABC's of Publishing -- About Agents

While there’s no Golden Rule to “Being Published”; it appears the only way to get your foot in the door is to have a respected literary agent hold it open. (I can’t count the number of times my toes, and my ego, have been smashed.) Most of the large NY publishing houses don’t accept unagented queries, and those that do will assign assistant editors to muck through the slush pile. A good literary agent has spent years in the publishing business, building relationships with editors, studying the market, knowing what editors are looking for and which publishers specialize in specific markets or genres. They will be your guide and your advocate to the publishing world.
The trick is finding a good literary agent. By now you have probably heard many horror stories about disreputable agents. If not, do yourself a favor and read the information at Writer Beware, http://www.sfwa.org/beware/agents.html. Be wary of any agent that charges an upfront fee, regardless of what they call it, or an agent that requires an author to use editing or marketing services as a condition of representation. Agents who make their money up front, as reading fees or marketing fees, or who receive a kickback from referrals, are not motivated to sell books. The anonymity of the Internet provides an ideal environment for these creative con artists but it also lets us warn others. According to Writer Beware, here are few methods employed by dishonest agents:

•Reading Fees – This practice, once seen with some reputable agents, has been abused to the point it is now prohibited Association of Authors' Representatives for members.
•Evaluation or Critique Fee - If you feel that you need a critique, why not hire the services of a reputable editor?
•Submission or Handling Fee – Good agents make money selling books, not selling contracts for representation.
•Submission Expenses - Reputable agents don't routinely bill their clients out-of-pocket. These expenses may include a large number of manuscript copies, color printing, photos, etc.
•Sliding scale of Fees - Good agents do as much work as is needed to sell a book, all for the same 15% commission.
•Selling "adjunct" services – Websites design, book cover design, illustrations, etc. etc. It's a conflict of interest for an agent to offer paid services.

As you can see from this list, dishonest agents are as imaginative and creative as the writers they swindle. Unfortunately, there are no licensing requirements, regulatory agency or competency standards for literary agents. One organization that self regulates literary agents is the Association of Authors' Representatives or AAR. To become a member of AAR, an agent must meet certain criteria, years in business, number of clients, no upfront fees, etc. While there are no guarantees, your odds of selecting a reputable agent will be greatly increased if they are a member of AAR or similar organization. According to AAR, http://www.aar-online.org/faq.html, “Literary agents are listed in many sources, including Literary Market Place, a directory of the publishing industry, which is available at most libraries. You may also ask for recommendations from editors, writing instructors, or fellow writers.”

According to Susan Rabiner and Alfred Fortunato, authors of Thinking Like Your Editor: How to Write Great Serious Nonfiction -- and Get It Published, you can also locate an agent a your favorite bookstore: “…check out all the book sections, to determine where your book would likely be shelved in that store. From that section, pick up a book similar to yours in content and presentation, one that you believe appeals to the same reader your book will appeal to. Turn to the "Acknowledgments" page, located either in the front of the book or the back. The author will often thank his or her literary agent. Put that agent’s name on your list of possible agents.” There are two online services that may be of use, for a small fee. “The first is www.publishersweekly.com, and the second is publisherslunch.com... they list each week’s new sales to the publishing industry and the name of the agent who sold the book.” The final suggestion offered by Rabiner and Fortunato is to attend writers’ conferences. Editors are usually in attendance and you can ask for their recommendation of a good agent. (This is also useful when you submit your query letter: “Mr. Editor suggested I contact you regarding my book…”)
To contact an agent, write a short introductory letter which should be informational, no more than one page in length, to the point and professional. Tell the agent if your work is fictional, non fictional, include a sentence or two summarizing the book and then a brief summary of your credentials. Do not make claims that your book will be the next best seller, or comparisons to other works. Include a SASE (self addressed stamped envelope) if you would like a reply.

It is acceptable to submit your work to more than one agent at a time, however, you should let them know your work has been sent to other agents.

Many agents will not accept queries by phone, fax or email, so you should use snail mail for all submissions. Upon request, you can submit additional information, such as writing sample and story synopsis.

Once you have retained the services of an agent, you can expect them to provide guidance regarding the quality and marketability of your work. According to AAR, your agent may:

•Offer editorial guidance.
•Establish contacts for you with firms and persons who are acquiring rights to literary and/or dramatic material.
•Advise you about current trends conditions, practices, and contractual terms.
•Market your literary material and rights therein. Negotiate and review licensing agreements.
•Review royalty statements.
•Monitor licensees' marketing of your work.

Agent representation is valuable when it comes to submitting works to publishers. Publishers depend on agents as a first screen to marketable work. Inept agents who submit marginal work to a plethora of publishers will develop a poor reputation and likely be ignored. Agents must exercise discretion, and the best agents will be highly selective when taking on new clients.

Holly Lisle, author of several published works including: Fire in the Mist, Diplomacy of Wolves, Vengeance of Dragons, and Courage of Falcons offers advise on finding the right agent @ http://hollylisle.com/fm/Articles/faqs3.html.
“The majority of queries any agent receives---probably around 99%---are rejected because they lack whatever spark that agent is looking for. This doesn't mean they're hopeless---what is wrong for one agent might be right for another. Remember that the agent you want will love the genre you work in and know the publishers and editors who publish it, and will love the work you do. Make sure the work you send out is your best, that it is professionally formatted, free of errors, and entirely yours.” She also recommends that you research the type of work an agent represents. "Read their descriptions of what they're looking for and believe them---an agent who doesn't like science fiction won't like your science fiction, and won't appreciate having his time wasted by yet another beginner who has proved by querying him that he is a beginner, and worse yet, can't follow instructions.”

Do you still wonder whether or not you need an agent? I guess the question to you would be: “Do you want to be a writer, or do you want to be an agent?” Lisle offers the final bit of advice on the subject: “Good agents do much more than find homes for manuscripts. If he (or she) did nothing more for you than remove bad clauses from contracts, the agent would be worth his ten or fifteen percent.”

© Copyright 2004 Lisa Hood. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Lisa Hood is the author of "Shades of Betrayal" and “Shades of Revenge”. She has been writing for over 10 years and is presently working on her third suspense novel, “Shades of Jealousy.” Other articles by Lisa Hood can be found at http://www.bookjobber.com/articles.asp .
http://www.BOOKJOBBER.com is an Internet based company, which publishes and sells fiction and non fiction e-books.
______________________________________________________

http://www.newnovel.bravehost.com

http://www.newbookreview.blogspot.com

http://www.lookingforbooks.blogspot.com

http://www.newbookrelease.blogspot.com

http://www.advicewriter.blogspot.com

How To Sign With A Literary Agent

If you're interested in publishing a book and gaining a market presence and income from it, you'll need a literary agent. They are the grease that keeps the oft-rusty wheels of publishing moving. Every day, they eat lunch or talk to editors and acquisition people in publishing houses all over the world, all the while pitching them on the new hot 'properties', as your manuscript will be called.

Generally speaking, you need an agent (though there are literary lawyers and others out there who would disagree with me.) I've had four agents, some fine, one useless, and one downright criminal (though eminently likeable.)

Here are some tips I can pass along that will help your search for this important part of your team.

*Make sure you're selling something marketable. It could be you're the only person out there who wants to read about your Aunt Tillie's days as a pickle packer. Before you approach an agent, find out what problem your book solves and who it will appeal to. Research similar titles on Amazon.com and look for gaps in the marketplace. Go to bookstores and see what's hot (and what's not.) What's not is on the remainder shelf; what's hot is placed up front and center, with massive piles of the book in sight. Give an agent a good reason UP FRONT to get excited (before they even read your mss)

*Make sure your book idea or manuscript is in top shape. There is no substitute for excellence… it helps! You've got to have an awesome concept, and an even better title.

*Make your book proposal as professional possible. (Book proposals are only for non-fiction books, those other than novels.) You'll want to include a lot more than just what the book's about. You'll need to include any market research you've done on who'd buy the book, ideas for unusual places the books could be sold, or ways to tie it in with 'special sales' (that's pub-speak for big wholesale orders) to certain industries, or connections with your workshops, speaking gigs, web site, etc.. You'll also want to include an impressive bio, merchandising ideas, a sketch of the competitive marketplace and publicity ideas. (If this sounds daunting, worry not. See my blurb at the bottom.)

*Establish your credibility. If you're writing fiction, let them know you've either had unique life experiences that will make your book especially interesting to the media. (If you're writing about your white water rafting exploits, did you have a great experience related to this you could spin on air?) If you're writing non-fiction, are you a PhD or do you have a masters, or lots of great professional experience? It's tougher to sell a great book written by someone who's got no credentials in the field to back them up … but it can be done.

*Hook up with a star. Can you get a celebrity endorsement, or a testimonial or foreword from a highly placed industry star? This will help an agent feel they can sell your work.

*Find the niche no one has explored. They're out there, even in your chosen field. This is especially true for non-fiction, though niches apply to both genres. The best niche comes from your own passions and interests… what's really You?

*Do not send your manuscript! Send a one page letter describing your project and why you are the person to write it, plus your proposal (non-fiction only) or a few sample chapters of your manuscript (fiction.) Offer to send the rest right away if they are interested. Make sure everything is spell-checked, double spaced, with correct margins, etc..

*Hand pick the agents you submit to. DO NOT SEND MASS MAILINGS TO AGENTS. It won't work, and is a waste of time and money. Instead, research who to approach and pick the 5, 10, 20 or so who actually sell your type of work. Agents stick to niches themselves, and one way to find that niche is in various resource guides like Writer's Market, the LMP (Literary Market Place … in all big libraries), or the Writer's Digest 2002 Guide to Literary Agents. (I have several other techniques I share in my Self Help Author's Crash Course, which is on sale at the moment. See below.)

*Make your letter great. Your pitch will be placed in a pile with the other cold submissions that arrived that day (maybe 25 -50) and an assistant will thumb through them, spending about 10 seconds on each one. This means if you have a personal contact, you mention it in the first sentence. Trim your description of your book into a meaty, mouth-watering paragraph. Add a bit on why you are the person to write it. And BE SURE to let them know you hand picked them, out of all the agents out there, because of the great work they've done for authors X, Y and Z. In fact, you predict they will have similar success with your property, as they did with Book X they just sold to Q Publisher, etc. In other words, make it personal, a little witty, and smart

*Don't use old contact info … and call to see that the agent you're contacting is still at the address you have before you send anything

*Don't ever pay an agent to evaluate your book. This is not how standard agents work, and is illegal.

*Give the agent one month to evaluate your work. Then follow up by phone or email. Many will tell you how they like to be contacted in guides such as The Writer's Market and those listed above. Continue to follow up, until such actions are ridiculous. You'll probably get some kind of response, especially if you're letter is great

*Follow up and ask for referrals. If you're lucky, you'll get the intended agent on the phone. They may seem interested, but just won't commit. (A standard line is "I'm not taking on any new clients right now.") So ask if they know any agents they might recommend, or someone who is expanding their operation. Then send a thank you note if their info has been helpful. Agenting is a small world, and many people stay in it for life. They'll remember when you reappear at their door years later. And this time it may open

*Be persistent. You may have to go through several lists of hand-picked agents, before you get the bite you need.

*Work your personal connections. Be exhaustive, thinking of anyone you know who might connect you with other agents, or even authors. Most authors will want to see the project you're pitching, and may not feel comfortable sharing their contact with you… but many may.

About the Author

For information on how to create your own publisher-ready book proposal that agents will sit up and pay attention to, drop by Suzanne's site, http://www.getknownnow and get her free listing of 25 Top Self Help Literary Agents.
 ©2005 Suzanne Falter-Barns LLC

_________________________________________________

http://www.newnovel.bravehost.com

http://www.newbookreview.blogspot.com

http://www.newbookrelease.blogspot.com

http://www.lookingforbooks.blogspot.com

http://www.advicewriter.blogspot.com.

The Laid Daughter -- Book Review

There has been a lot of publicity lately centered on the issue of child molestation. Child molestation is a horrific form of child abuse that leaves its victims with a deep loss of self and the inability to cope with life's challenges.

Another form of child abuse, that leaves its victims powerless and confused, is incest. Incest is a topic that most families refuse to discuss and sometimes deny that it ever existed. The Laid Daughter, by Helen Bonner is such an example.

In this riveting novel, the author discusses her own issues with incest. What is so unique about the novel itself is that the author has been journaling her strange feelings and dreams for over 20 years before she realizes that her journal entries depict her true life experiences.

The author takes us on her journey through self discovery and healing by allowing us to see her daily struggles in life. She is plagued with failed marriages and her inability to have honest and open relationships with others. She cuts herself off from her family and friends. There is however, something very striking about Ms. Bonner's character. She is able to hold down a job and build herself a lucrative career while dealing with the incest issue.

Going through the healing process was not an easy road for Ms. Bonner. Early on, she was given erroneous advice from some early therapist. She found herself dropping out of therapy with the belief that somehow she could conquer her demons on her own. She then seeks therapy through a wonderful therapist by the name of Glenda Parkinson who discovers that Helen was not just a survivor of incest, but she also suffered from a Multiple Personality Disorder.

Glenda Parkinson also expresses how quickly Helen was able to work through her demons as shown by the following excerpt:

"Helen spent only a year in intense psychotherapy with me. The average length of treatment time is somewhere between five and ten years. She was highly motivated and followed her gut instincts in making therapeutic decisions for herself. She read. She wrote. She practiced suggestive directives. She attended a national conference for adult survivors. Her art work was another vehicle for self-understanding. She used relaxation techniques when feeling panicky. She begin to fill her new "house" by acknowledging and fulfilling the needs of her integrating selves. Decisions Helen made for herself rather than against herself were the catalyst toward wholeness."

As you can see by the above excerpt, healing from incest or any other form of childhood abuse can be done with hard work and determination. I would recommend this fine piece of work to anyone who has suffered the pain and anguish of child abuse or to anyone who wants to discover how they can make changes in their own life that can help them move forward to living life to its fullest.

ISBN: 1884178235
Author: Helen Bonner
Publisher: Kairos Center

Faye Brown, Author of the upcoming novel, Strange Fruit In A Small Town. (http://www.lookingforbooks.blogspot.com)

Copyrighted 2005: Faye Brown: All Rights Reserved.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/