"Writing is easy, you just sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead." ~ David Murray
"It's not enough to write a great book. Authors are now expected to
play an active role in book marketing and promotion. In this brave new
world of always-on media, scribes are expected to either pursue or make
themselves available to every potential reader." ~Richard Pachter
"Writing is an end in itself, not just a means of becoming
famous." ~ Ira Nayman"
"All writers know writing is a stupid thing to do. The chances
of succeeding at it are ridiculous. But the question was not how to get
a book deal -- it was how to find [out] if people wanted to read me." ~
M. J. Rose
"I have a very simple philosophy about how to approach the
writing process. It's called the Butt to Chair Philosophy. Here's how
it works: you put your butt in the chair and you start writing. You
stay in the chair and keep writing until your butt hurts. You may get
out of the chair of short periods of time such as when you have to pee
or if it's been more than 24 hours since you've last eaten or slept.
Other wise, keep your butt in the chair and don't stop writing until
you are finished with whatever it is you set out to write." ~ Nan
McCarthy
"My first and foremost advice to people thinking about a
fiction writing career is: take two
aspirin, lie down and wait until the feeling passes.." ~
Dan Perez
"If we are having a talk about writing as a bad deal for the
writer, shouldn't that talk acknowledge that farming, running your own
deli, owner-operator truck driving, or self-employment of any kind is
often just as bad a deal, just as tragic, just as full of misplaced
hopes, and accidents that pitch a well-meaning and diligent person into
poverty?" ~Edward Sevcik
"In other words, your chances of making a living writing books
are perhaps better than are your chances of ever playing in the NBA.
But not all that much better." ~ Michael Blowhard
"Writing is an extraordinarily difficult career choice, although romantic myths about how easy it is are common. People learn to put sentences and paragraphs together in grade school and they mistakenly think they've already picked up all the skills it takes to be a writer. That's analogous to someone who knows how to make a sandwich thinking he's got all the skills necessary to become a professional chef." ~ Dan Perez
"Publishing first novels is the biggest crap shoot in the business, but it's also the most exciting thing: to find first fiction and make it work." ~ Ann Godoff
"How would you like to labor on something for a year or two or five or six and then be told it's rotten? It happens every day, and it happens eventually to every author, no matter how applauded: the howling wind of the bad review. Years of work, of lonely intellectual wandering, hit by the blast." ~ Martin Arnold
"If you want to write for publication, you have to treat it as a job. You would not go up to your boss and say: "Hey, I'm sorry, I'm just not motivated to make that sale today."
"The common denominator for any book--good or bad, best-seller or not--was that the writer finished what was started."
"Part of getting a yes from a publisher is having a product that fits a slot."
"Authors, as everybody knows, are difficult: they are unreliable, arrogant, and grasping. But publishers are impossible--grasping, arrogant, and unreliable." ~ Jacques Barzun
"The best way to get out of the slush pile is to write what you are passionate about, and then try to find an editor who shares your passion." ~ Harold Underdown
"Yes, writing can be complicated, exhausting, isolating, abstracting, boring, dulling, briefly exhilarating; it can be made to be grueling and demoralizing. And occasionally it can produce rewards. But it's never as hard as, say, piloting an Ll-1011 into O'Hare on a snowy night in January, or doing brain surgery when you have to stand up for 10 hours straight, and once you start you can't just stop. If you're a writer, you can stop anywhere, any time, and no one will care or ever know."
"The great thing about the Web is that if you write a book about a breast-feeding truck driver who likes to scuba dive, you can market it to people devoted to each of those subjects." ~Melisse Shapiro
"In 2001, Nora Roberts placed 13 books on the mass market charts (three under her J.J. Robb nom de plume) and two hardcovers. That's more than her 2000 record of 12 mass markets and one hardcover; also five of her mass market titles landed in the #1 slot after just a week in the stores. If you add up all her time spent on the mass market charts last year, Roberts grabbed almost 10% of all available charts. ~ Publishers Weekly
"If you insist on rewriting this, get rid of all that Indian
stuff. (Rejection comment on The
Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman in 1970). ~ Rotten
Rejections
"People who want to get published think that publication will give them self-esteem,and peace of mind, make them feel whole and redeemed. But it's a fantasy, like thinking that marriage, or weight loss, or money will make you well." Anne Lamott
"Never a day without a line." ~ Emile Zola
"If it is harder to find a publishing house to acquire a serious book, then agents, who depend for their livelihood on selling books to these houses, should be more reluctant to spend their time on tomes that may never find their place next to a Frappuccino at a Barnes & Noble cafe." ~Gal Beckerman
"Writing is like childbirth. And then the editor says, 'oh, its a boy? I wanted a girl." Cherry Adair
"...acquiring the tools and aptitudes of creative self-publishing should be viewed as an investment of time, like a PhD program with a required dissertation. Becoming a successful self-publisher takes commitment, concentration, and dedication. It's a bold adventure." ~ Marshall Chamberlain
"Writing is like bricklaying, framing houses, or laying tile. It's often tedious, requires a lot of practice and patience, and frankly is a lot of hard work." ~ Terry Brooks as told to Jeff Wheeler
"Among the ironies of today's book industry is the fact that good writers struggle to get published, while celebrities who can't write get big book contracts." ~ Lynn Andriani
"As an unpublished writer, getting people to read your work and respond to it is the primary challenge. After all, you need to convince the editors or agents you contact that you really know your market, but how can you actually do that if your market has never heard of you? ... The main pay-offs of web publishing for the unknown writer are reader feedback and traffic (visitors to your site). ~ Morris Rosenthal
Internet Resources for Writers
One of several author web site directories.
Romance Writers of America. This is a good example of what organized genre authors can do.
Writer
Beware "discusses a variety of literary schemes and
deceptions, how to recognize and avoid them"
Writing Advice by Dan Perez contains much useful advice and is very well written besides.
The Publishing Process by Bykofsky Associates lists 65 steps involved in creating and eventually publishing a book. Clear and useful.
There are many how to do it books for authors and a good sized
public library should have a reasonable selection. One well-known
example is The Writer's Handbook [REF PN137.W73].
Another sometimes useful work is Career Opportunities for
Writers [PN151.G84]. Those interested in self-publishing will
benefit from the Publish-it-Yourself Handbook, Literary
Tradition and How-To by Bill Henderson and the Self-Publishing
Manual, How to Write, Print and Sell Your Own Book by Dan
Poynter. Telling Lies for Fun &
Profit: a Manual for Fiction Writers by Lawrence Block is
well regarded. For a more literary approach, consider Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and
Life by Anne Lamott. Although I am sometimes
suspicious of Writer's Digest,
the Writer's Digest Writing Clinic:
Expert Help for Improving Your Work contains much helpful
content. Publicize Your Book
by Jacqueline Deval is comprehensive and useful for any author. There are several books on marketing. 1001 Ways to Market Your Books is a good example.
Thinking Like Your Editor by
Susan Rabiner and Alfred Fortunato provides a helpful context. Living With A Writer
by Dale Salwak provides a rich perspective.
Most of the literature on authors and publishers focuses on
trade publishing. Other types of publishers
receive less notice and
author relationships may differ from those described below.
These authors are more likely to write and sell shorter selections for
a variety of outlets and are "writers" rather than "novelists" for
example.
In a recent survey, 81 percent of those in the U.S. said that
they had a book in them.
Increasingly, the most important part of the book preparation
and writing process is the marketing plan. Without a strong marketing
plan, publisher contacts are likely to be problematic. This plan must
answer three questions:
Over time, there have been three notable stages in the relationship between author and publisher. In the beginning, without copyright, the printer-publisher could take whatever intellectual property he could find and publish the book without author permission. Much later, when copyright gave authors control over their intellectual property, publishers were often reactive, waiting for authors to contact them with publishable manuscripts. Most books began as unsolicited manuscripts. Most of these were not suitable for publication and the term slush pile was used to describe the unsolicited items received. More recently, most major publishers no longer examine unsolicited manuscripts and are much more active in seeking marketable products from agents, as well as some in-house product development.
Until recently, many authors stayed with the house where they were originally published. The house author was an author with an established, continuing relationship with the house. Since the house knew that the author would stay with it and not jump to another house, it would invest in the author and stay with him or her until success was reached. Many now famous authors did poorly (critically or commercially) with their first book or two. In a sense, this was an implied multi-book contract. As authors became more mobile and publishers more bottom-line oriented, publishers tended to purchase books rather than a relationship with the author. Few publishers today will invest in an author and stay with him or her if the first work is not a success.
The other side of this issue is that an author who has been successfully published by a small publishing house is likely to jump to a big publisher for the next book. "Upon first reflection, the vigorous desertion of writers from the publishers who have propelled their career seems greedy and even nasty. But is this disloyalty, or does the getaway serve a very understandable self-interest [Martin Arnold]?"
The publisher needs a stream of successful products at particular times and at a reasonable price. Waiting for unsolicited manuscripts is not likely to provide what is needed. It is unreasonable for a business to wait and hope that others will engage in research and product development and then bring new products to it. As one wag said, "publishing is too important to be left to authors."
While publishers certainly want high quality content, they are very much concerned with potential sales and marketing. The lack of a realistic marketing plan and the failure of the author to develop one and then be able to implement it are continuing problems.
If a publisher is a content provider or a content manager, it is reasonable that it would want to insure that a continuing flow of appropriate content is available for purchase and use. This would involve market research to discover what is hot and what is not as well as a strong sense of what the competition is doing. Opportunities to relate to popular events, people, and the media would be examined. For example, NBC wove the publication of a book into the plot of the soap opera "Passions." HarperCollins then published the book Hidden Passions and it became a best seller.
Trend-watching and developing book ideas based upon trends is a reasonable strategy. Identifying famous people and encouraging them to write an autobiography would be another. Using literary agents to identify, evaluate, and forward publishable manuscripts is popular and seems to work well.
Book packagers, now often known as book producers,
provide the
publisher with a variety of titles "from concept to bound books." "Book
producers provide all the services necessary for publication except
sales and fulfillment. They work with authors, agents, editors,
designers, photographers, illustrators, typesetters, and printers to
deliver fully edited manuscripts with or without layouts; camera-ready
mechanicals; film for a printer; or finished books. Book producers also
assist publishers in developing marketing plans." Typically, however,
packagers are not involved in book manufacturing. Packagers function as
literary agents when they sell their concepts or products to the
publisher. Although associated with mass market paper series in the
early days, packagers are available to create a wide variety of books
in
both fiction and non-fiction categories. Many packagers specialize in a
particular type of book, health and fitness for example. Some book
producers create multi-media packages, including CD-ROM and ebooks. The
American Book
Producers Association is the trade association and was
established in 1980. Note especially "what is a book producer" and "why
publishers use packagers." There are also good examples of recently
produced books.
Historically, the best known examples are the Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books. The Stratemeyer Syndicate was established by Edward Stratemeyer in 1905 when he discovered that he had more ideas and concepts than he could write. He created plots and hired others to write the novel. Each author was paid a flat fee. Eventually, over 1200 series books were produced under 100 different names and pseudonyms. Current Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books are produced by MegaBooks, a book packager.
BEWARE. In a few cases, there is some confusion between the vanity press and the book packager. A genuine book producer does not solicit material from new authors or charge reading fees or engage in "book doctoring."
A packager may be approached by an author or literary agent about a concept or a product. The packager would then become the editor and perhaps the graphic designer for the work and would be responsible for selling it to a publisher. A publisher may approach the packager with a concept for a new work or series. The packager would then do everything needed to turn that into a publishable manuscript. The packager may have the concept or product and sell it to the publisher. Packagers are very market oriented and develop books that are likely to sell well.
Packagers have done best when the economy was lean and publishers were cutting back. The current restructuring of major publishers has created a situation where some houses no longer have adequate editorial staff. Using packagers allows publishers to reduce overhead, including staff and space. In effect, using packagers is a form of outsourcing new product development. It is likely that packagers will remain popular and continue to make a substantial contribution to new book publishing.
Book producers are relatively small firms. There are probably less than 200 in the U.S. today and most have only a few full-time employees. Nearly all of the work is outsourced to professionals who work out of their homes.
Lyle Engel's Book Creations and Richard Gallen were two leading pioneers, specializing in mass market paper series. Some of the Book Creation series are well-known:
Packagers provide new books quickly, economically, and they often sell well. This is an easy way for publishers to add new titles or series with minimal investment and no additional staff. Some of these books are ideal remainder books.
Critics complain that packaged books are mediocre and too commercial. For example, a 100 page Girl Power! book "written" by the Spice Girls with 100 personal photographs (packaged by Cat Ledger). These are works written to specifications rather than from the heart. The "authors" of produced books just fill in the blanks. In addition, these authors receive little credit. Finally, packagers provide a rationale for the publisher to refuse to develop the in-house editorial staff needed for long-term success.
For authors, packagers represent another opportunity. Some packaged books are very successful (on various best seller lists) and the author can make real money. Success here can be leveraged into better reception by publishing houses for the author's own work later. The negatives are:
There seems to be a caste system so that the author of packaged books that appear in cloth or trade paper editions usually receives better terms than those whose work appears in mass market paper editions.
A few critics have suggested that in the future, book publishing will be like film where independent producers create the product and the publishers become distributors and promoters. This is an important trend to watch.
Given popular interest in books "written" by celebrities in
all walks of life, there is a need for ghostwriters. These are
accomplished, deadline oriented writers who can take transcripts,
outlines, interview data and the like and turn it into a publishable
manuscript while meeting a short deadline. Many ghost writers
specialize in a particular subject area. Earnings and credit vary with
the situation and the
reputation/visibility of the writer. However, the ghostwriter is paid
for their work and the client retains full ownership and copyright. In
some cases, "collaborator" is used instead of ghostwriter. The
ghostwriter must be able to assume the "voice" of the author. "You have
to be willing to set your own ego and style aside."
Ghost writing is not restricted to non-fiction. There are
cases in which novels appearing under the name of a well-known author
were written by another. More ethical is to add the name of the "ghost"
as the second author.
Although opportunities are limited, authors, especially brand-name ones, may need research assistance. This is usually a part-time job and involves directed research. A few real examples include authors who needed reliable information on:
The differences between established, brand name authors and other authors are substantial. The public often sees the author in the headlines. For example, Dan Brown made $88 million in 2005, Rowling $75 million, and Rick Warren received at least $25 million. The brand name author receives large advances, shares in subsidiary rights income, is guaranteed advertising and publicity, and may receive little editing. In contrast, most authors have little bargaining power, receive little money, their work is not advertised or promoted, they receive minimal publicity, and have little clout with the editor. While the lay person may feel that most authors write for money, that is not the case. The typical author writes because she has something to say and wants an audience and recognition.
Most authors are rejected when they submit a manuscript for publication. A good example, is Prisig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance which was rejected by 121 houses before Morrow accepted it. When published, it was both a critical and a commercial success. Spending so much time and effort to produce a work that you believe in and then facing rejection is a terrible situation. Second books are also often difficult because there is more pressure and unrealistic expectations. It can be heart-breaking to publish a successful first book and then have the second one flop.
Celebrity "authors" are a special case. President Clinton received from $10 to $12 million dollars for his memoirs from Knopf. Random House paid Robert Rubin, Clinton's Secretary of the Treasury, $3.3 million dollars for his memoirs. Warner paid $7 million dollars for the memoirs of John F. Welch, former CEO of General Electric. In both cases, the books were co-written. It seems unlikely that the publishers sold enough copies to pay off the advance. Perhaps the visibility associated with these books will benefit the publisher, but that seems doubtful unless the books sell very well and are also a critical success.
Authors often believe that their work is better and more likely to sell than the evidence supports. There are many stories of well-known popular authors whose work was rejected by publisher after publisher until one took a chance. Ursula K. Le Guin's Left Hand of Darkness received a terribly negative rejection letter from one publisher. It later became a SF classic.
Common reasons for rejection include:
While authors differ in the degree to which they want their work edited, there is growing agreement that many publishers no longer provide adequate, competent editing or nurturing. Some authors have had bad relationships with editors, but more simply do not received editorial attention and direction to improve their manuscript.
Editors and publishers seem to have a short attention span so that interest in a particular manuscript is short.
It is increasingly difficult for authors to get permissions to use previously published content snippets or images in their own work. This lessens the value of non-fiction content since examples are powerful ways of making an important point. Richard Stim's Getting Permission: how to license and clear copyrighted materials online and off, especially chapters one and two, is a useful first step.
There are many author complaints about publishers and publishing. Most authors are critical of the trend to a few large publishers and a few large book sellers. In both cases, a focus on the bottom line creates a situation in which there is a sense that there is less interest in innovation and quality and more interest in marketing a lower common denominator product. Emphasis on the "big book" and the brand name author is seen as a major problem. "The market-driven focus of the houses means that resources, both editorial and promotional, get diverted to the safe bets." In particular, new authors or authors whose previous work was not successful in the market place find it difficult to be published. "If you've failed as a writer before, a publisher will view you as damaged goods." Mid list authors (books selling between 12,000 and 25,000 copies), even those who are critically successful and contribute to steady back list sales, have been abandoned by some larger publishers.
Brand name authors have more opportunities. One is to license their "name." For example, a Robert Ludlum novel written by Ludlum AND Gayle Lynds. Ludlum provides the ideas and Lynds creates the book. This is similar to the Star Wars novels except that there the intellectual property begins with a film maker and then writers, some of note, put the book together.
For non-fiction authors, licensing opportunities may be available. For example, Wolfgang Puck, author of four cookbooks has licensed cookware, food, and a line of soups. John Gray, author of Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, has licensed board games, aroma therapy, collectibles, and music.
As marketing departments gain more power in the house, they may have negative impacts on authors. For example:
Financial rewards for authorship, except for the brand name author, are modest and relatively few authors can quit their day job. Note that the author must pay for the costs associated with research, including securing illustrations, and indexing. While advance or other payments may seem large, they are less impressive when it takes several years to complete a book. Without the advance, many authors, especially of non-fiction works, are unable to complete necessary research involving travel. Unearned advances are a problem for publishers, especially since they are only paid back from books sold. This is particularly a problem for celebrity authors whose books are not as popular as expected.
Although unlikely, an appealing model is to
write part-time for several years while becoming more visible and more
successful until the income is enough to allow writing books to become
the full-time job. Obviously, life style and being able to live on less
can be an important asset.
Especially outside trade publishing, many writers do other
things besides write books. Writing articles is common. Public speaking
and consulting are also possibilities.
Contracts are not equitable and take advantage of the author (Thomas Hauser has written about this. See Book Contracts.) Digital rights in particular are a focus of contention although a Federal court ruled that "book" in a book contract does NOT automatically include digital books. Royalties are not always properly accounted for and payment may be slow. Authors grumble about having to pay for permissions, illustrations, and indexing.
With the advent of publishing on demand, "in print" status in contracts has become an essential issue. With POD, a book may remain "in print" forever but with little or not marketing to promote sales. Typically, a contract would include a minimum number of annual sales [150-250] for a book to remain in print. Publishers would prefer language that is more favorable to them. Roy Blount Jr. spoke for many authors when he said: "A publisher is meant to publish, to get out there and sell our books. ... A publishing house is not supposed to be a place where our books are permanently squirreled away."
Authors are increasingly concerned about digital rights. They see digital rights as similar to other subsidiary rights so that publishers should not use their intellectual property on line, in an ebook or other digital format without permission and payment of appropriate royalties. Authors are unhappy with publishers paying 4 percent royalties on an ebook rather than the usual 15 percent.
Subventions are fees that authors pay to the publisher AFTER their work has been accepted for publication. Such fees are fairly common in university press publishing and page fees are often requested by for-profit scholarly periodicals. At least in theory, the ability to assist the publisher financially should not influence the acceptance decision. Subventions are a form of cost-sharing.
Another financial opportunity might benefit some authors and
that is product placement. Fay Weldon wrote a novel (The
Bulgari Connection) that features Bulgari, a jewelry
company, throughout the work. Product placement -- paying to have your
product seen on film or TV has been done for years -- has now entered
the world of publishing. This revenue might be shared with the author.
Obviously, this is controversial and raises a variety of interesting
problems. A new word reflects this opportunity. "Fictomercial is a work
of fiction in which a company pays the writer to incorporate the
company's products into the story." Just like the movies!
Except for the titles most likely to succeed, authors find
that their new book receives little marketing, advertising, or
publicity. Likely markets outside the trade may be ignored. Too,
marketing and promotional efforts are often abandoned before they can
make a difference. Ironically, the most visible and well-connected
authors receive the most attention [building on success].
Increasingly, authors, and publishers, use author web sites to make the author visible, develop a community of enthusiasts, and promote books in print as well as forthcoming ones. Random House, for example, has partnered with PreviewPort.com to create web sites for 3,000 of its authors. HarperCollins made a similar arrangement with another provider. It will be interesting to see if this will become a substitute for traditional promotional efforts or a supplement. It does seem that the author will need to do more since the publishing houses are doing less. There are three kinds of author focused web sites:
Books may be allowed to go OP before there has been an opportunity for word of mouth to be generated. Books may not be declared to be OP even though the publisher is no longer actively marketed them. This prevents the author from receiving rights and being able to place the book with another publisher or self-publish it.
At the moment, authors are concerned that publishing on demand will allow publishers to keep a book in print for years even though they are not marketing the book. Authors want contracts that spell out what "in print" should mean. Rights should revert to the author when publishers have lost interest in a book.
Throughout, authors complain that communication with the
editor and others in the publishing house is often poor. Decisions may
be
made without author participation or informing the author. The author
may not receive current information about the status of the book. The
high turnover rate among editors in large trade houses compounds the
problem.
In some cases, an author's book has been abandoned in mid-process when there has been a change in the house such as an editor's departure or a reorganization.
This is a problem with book sellers and not with publishers. The Author's Guild has been very concerned with Amazon's listing of used books next to that of the new ones believing that this will reduce the sale of new books. Authors receive no royalty or other payment when used books are sold. Amazon argues that used books expand the market and encourage readers to try new authors and titles. The fear is that trade publishing could become like the text book business where many purchase used books instead of new ones. There is already a considerable market for used cloth and paper books, especially the latter.
While the literature contains fewer publisher complaints, publishers do express them. A common theme is that most authors have unrealistic expectations and have little concrete knowledge about what really happens in book publishing. Unrealistic expectations may relate to financial rewards, the physical book, or the nature and length of the publishing process. Publishers want authors who write well, write more than one book, and are dependable. Too many authors fail to deliver the right book at the right time. Although infrequent, publishers are unhappy when authors plagiarize. Finally, the auction phenomenon and the fact that authors go from house to house seeking greater financial rewards receives attention.
As the old model based on the unsolicited manuscript has been abandoned by the major publishers, the author needs to consider alternatives.
Smaller publishers, especially those that specialize in particular topics, often accept the unsolicited manuscript. Small publishers are more likely to be interested in content that push or crosses boundaries or that might be hard to place in an established category. They are also more likely to spend more time with the author and the book. Generally, authors have more influence with small presses on editorial and design matters. On the negative side, these publishers are less likely to receive reviewer and wholesaler attention. If possible, attempt to contact one or more published authors and ask them about the press.
Thoughtful examination of publisher catalogs, both front list and
back list, should prove a reasonably good sense of what they publish
and what they don't publish as well as the attributes of the published
books.
Nearly all publishers and many literary agents accept hard copy query letters. A query letter is usually one page long. It includes a brief overview of the work, likely market/competition, and brief mention of your publishing history. The query letter is a sales pitch and it needs a hook. The letter should give the flavor of your work and what is unique about it. For those interested, there are whole books devoted to query letters. Here are a few errors to avoid:
Here are a few positive suggestions:
Ordinarily, a proposal follows publisher interest rather than being sent unsolicited. Elizabeth Ranking, in The Work of Writing: Insights and Strategies for Academics and Professionals lists these elements as essential. Her list has been modified here:
A positive response to your query letter may result in a
request for sample chapters, outlines and synopses. The outline
gives a brief summary of the book and is usually limited to just a few
pages.
The synopsis reviews the organization
and approach of the book on a chapter by chapter basis. The synopsis is
usually between two and ten pages. It summarizes and "tells rather than
shows." Ideally, the synopsis [at least a draft version] was created
before the work was written. For fiction, show motivation,
goal,
conflict, and resolution. Time, place,
and setting should also appear at the beginning. The tone or mood of
the story would also receive attention. One page of synopsis per 100
MSS pages is a popular formula.
Sample chapters show your style and writing ability. Some experts suggest that three chapters should be sent with the first chapter, one from the middle, and the concluding chapter. Others suggest the first three chapters. Mark envelope with "Requested Material Enclosed."
Although it seems doubtful, there is the possibility that an author website with samples of an author's work could be seen by an agent or an editor. Another possibility would be a website devoted to the book itself with the book title being the key part of the URL. While commercial sites provide a "showcase" for the work of new authors, be careful with these, especially if fees are charged.
Morris Rosenthal hosts a blog on self-publishing with much excellent, experience-based advice and comment. It's an essential visit for anyone considering self-publishing.
Self-publishing has quite a history. Stephen Crane, Mary Baker Eddy, James Joyce, Ken Keyes, Rudyard Kipling, D.H. Lawrence, John Muir, Anaiis Nin, Ezra Pound, Carl Sandburg, George Bernard Shaw, Upton Sinclair, Henry David Thoreau, Mark Twain, and Walt Whitman were all self-published. However, only a few self-published works achieve critical and financial success. Self-publishing works better with specialized books for niche audiences. Self-published books are more likely to be sold outside the book trade. Self-publishing does require business skills, especially in marketing and sales. Distribution is the most important barrier to success.
Self-publishing is increasingly common. In most cases, this
uses
publication on demand [POD]. Thus, there is no inventory for sales.
Rather books are manufactured or produced in response to orders. The
process could be as simple as a PDF file or be printed on a high speed
photo duplication machine with adhesive binding. Books can be
manufactured very quickly.
Relatively inexpensive and easy to use software allows the
author to create camera-ready copy that can be taken to a quick copy
shop and transformed into a paper edition or given to a self-publishing
firm. Books can
be marketed via the WWW, discussion lists, news groups, advertisements
in specialty periodicals, and at special interest conventions.
Curiously, being self-published is not as well received as establishing
a publishing house and then issuing your own work. Self-publishing
requires discipline, energy, and patience to be successful.
Self-published books are not likely to be financially successful so be
prepared for that. Self-published books are rarely reviewed or handled
by wholesalers, reviewers outside of specialty periodicals, and retail
booksellers. POD books are normally not returnable -- a problem for
most retail outlets.
Self-publishing works best when you have a non-fiction topic likely to interest a known audience, you are willing to spend considerable time and effort in promotion, and you have considerable "ho ho." Benjamin Kaplan has been quite successful with his How to Go to College Almost for Free: The Secrets of Winning Scholarship Money. A college friend did the illustrations, he formatted the book on his computer, his mother and father edited, and a local printer manufactured 5,000 copies which were stored in his parent's garage. Amazon sold the book and Ingram and Baker & Taylor distributed it.
Several websites make it relatively easy for an author to publish a short or unconventional work. For example, Arthur C. Clarke published a 6 page essay on Fatbrain.com as a digital download for $2.00. Xlibris [owned by Random] has promoted its "publish for free" services which sound like digital vanity publishing. If micropayments become more common, this could be an opportunity.
The Author's Guild (representing about 7500 writers and their estates) has a program to provide authors with publishing opportunities for authors whose work has reverted after being out of print and also for authors who wish to publish on demand. or from New York independent book store Shakespeare and Company. More than 900 authors have signed up included Roger Angell and Judy Blume.
The dream of many authors is to eliminate the publisher and deal directly with the audience. Digital technology, the WWW, and inexpensive, but good quality print on demand could do that, but many problems remain. Stephen King's "The Plant" was the first attempt by a major author at this disintermediation. There is some question about its success since payment was on the honor system. M.J Rose states that only about five percent of the writers in the United States have been published. That provides quite an opportunity for vanity publishers.
A growing number of firms cater to the author who would like to self-publish. Research carefully and be certain that you understand the options and costs. Examples [certainly not endorsements] include:
Book doctors are individuals or firms who take book manuscripts and make them well. Often, their primary function is editorial, but they can also be involved in marketing. They may be hired by the agent or the publisher to "fix" a manuscript. More likely, the author will have the book doctor work on a manuscript that has been rejected. There are reputable and not so reputable book doctors. Be very careful. A good one will charge a reasonable fee, perhaps $2,000 or up. All details need to be written out before an agreement is signed.
Traditional publishers, royalty publishers, purchase the book and pay a royalty on sales. The author pays no fees except those associated with index preparation, securing illustrations, and permissions.
A vanity publisher manufactures the book (or the digital equivalent). The author pays all costs associated with manufacture. Editing, marketing, and promotional services are minimal. Because of the negatives associated with "vanity," some vanity publishers now call themselves subsidy publishers or co-publishers Co-publishing may also be legitimate as when the author and a legitimate publisher cooperate so that the self-published work is distributed by the co-publisher.
Self-publishing requires the author to be responsible for all aspects of publishing. It is usually more cost-effective and results in a better book than vanity publishing.
In this case, "publisher" is inaccurate. Vanity publishers are really book manufacturers. They do not select manuscripts, but normally will take any manuscript without legal problems. The decision to "publish" is based on the author's ability to pay rather than merit or market. The vanity publisher profits if not a single copy of the book is sold. Minimal efforts are made to market or sell the book. Contracts and promises made to authors are often misleading. The manufactured book is overly expensive and is often of poor quality. It is difficult to find anything positive to say about the vanity publisher, especially with so many unethical and fraudulent practices. It is not a reasonable alternative for the author.
Be wary of any publisher that solicits authors or advertises for authors. Reputable publishers do not advertise for manuscripts. Reputable publishers do not charge reading fees. Reputable publishers do not refer authors to "book doctors."
However, firms that provide assistance to authors who wish to self-publish and do not pretend to be "real publishers" are a different matter unless they mislead with predictions of sales and such.
There is little current information about the financial situation of the U.S. book author. Authorship is a diverse one. According to some polls, authorship is one of the top ten professions in prestige. However, fewauthors live on their writing income. At least half, and probably much more, of those who write books hold regular, full-time jobs and write on the side. While some brand name authors earn substantial sums, most authors earn only modest amounts from their writing. In fact, supporting themselves while they write is a major problem. While money is important to authors, most write because it is something that they need to do and not because of the financial rewards.
Authorship is a disconnected profession. Writing itself is solitary work and although authors may come together at conferences and talk shop, most do not see themselves as part of an organized group. The Author's Guild is the largest author organization in the U.S. The National Writer's Union is much smaller. Both are concerned with model contracts, grievance handling, and insuring that royalties are properly and promptly paid. Unlike screen writers who do organize and bargain and can shut down film and television production, book authors are not likely to organize and take unified action against publishers.
European governments have a long tradition of providing funding for authors and others involved in creating intellectual property that is part of a nation's culture. The notion that the government is responsible for preserving and maintaining culture is much less popular in the United States. The Federal government and some state governments have provided money for some publishers and authors. Some foundations have also made notable contributions, especially to university presses and some small specialty publishers.
Public Lending Right has been popular abroad. Denmark, in 1946, was the first country to adopt PLR. Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Netherlands, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, and Great Britain, among others, followed. Payments come from the national government. There has been a focus on support of the national literature. It has been assumed that library circulation lowered book sales, harming authors, publishers, and inhibiting growth and preservation of language-based culture.. PLR provides authors with small monetary payments based on the degree to which their work is held in public libraries. Another model bases payment on public library circulation. Caps on payments insure that popular author payments are limited. Typically, the payments are modest enough so that they provide little help for the average author. In Great Britain, 2003-04, author payments were about 5.3 pence per circulation. For this period, about 6.6 million pounds were distributed to 18,686 authors. If all authors received the same amount, each would receive about 350 pounds. In order to receive any money, circulations must equal five pounds.There is little interest in PLR in the U.S.
While predictions are risky, the literature suggests that more authors will establish publishing houses and issue their own work. Some critics suggest that as writing involves more media, including hypertext, audio, and video, that the author will become more of a producer. There seems to be agreement that writing and publishing will become more digital and will involve the WWW to a greater extent.
Discuss the assets and liabilities of the patronage system of supporting authors. Do patrons exist today?
As a publisher, how rational is it to rely on authors to supply the content needed for your business? What would you do to insure a steady supply of market-oriented products?
As an author, what are the assets and liabilities of self-publishing compared to seeking publication by an established publisher?
As an author, discuss the assets and liabilities of publishing digital books rather than hard copy ones? What about selling your books from your website?
Some have suggested that authors, in the future, will be more like producers as they create multi-media, hypertext books. Does this seem likely? Will it change the nature of authorship?
Last major revision: June 2007 .
