How To Get A Book Published

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moderntimes
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Re: How To Get A Book Published

Post by moderntimes »

Well, of course, for an e-book, you can download as many copies as you wish, but were I to do this, I'd simply create a PDF of the book totally, including cover, and the PDF would of course just be a file that could be copied.

My publisher did this for my 2 novels, and they sent me a PDF of the finished version so I could make a final proofread prior to the book being printed.

The books are themselves POD (most books are this way nowadays anyway) and this is pretty standard unless you're, say, Stevie King.

I of course get an author's discount should I order extra copies, and yes I was sent 20 free copies when the book was first released.

I know a poet friend who had a book of his poems published and received zero bucks, but was sent 50 copies he could put into local stores to sell. Faint praise, I think.

I made myself a promise. I will NEVER pay someone to print my books. That's the wrong direction for the money to flow. And no, I've not made a lot of money on my book sales but I did get paid for every sale, trade paperback or e-book, a fair percentage.
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Patricia Konarski UA
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Post by Patricia Konarski UA »

I have had plenty of experience in the book world, from the perspective of a writer, publisher, librarian and average reader, and, from such experience, I can tell you this: If you wrote your book/manuscript already, then it's worthwhile for you to go full throttle and have it published. Now, you ask, how do you go about publishing? The answer: In this day and age, have the book published through your own direct efforts, and not through a publisher. Before, book authors were at the mercy of publishers because there was just no ability to publish without a traditional publisher. That's not the case now, and so do not think of it that way. Think of it this blunt way: The perfect analogy of the decline in the need or, really, the value of a traditional publisher is the need for a travel agent to book a flight. So, let me ask you this: When is the last time you had a travel agent book your flight in consideration of the advent of online airfare sales? With that retort, the sky is the limit with you in the control of the publishing of your book.

Those are my thoughts based upon my varied and lengthy experience. Take them for what they are worth to you.

Cheers,
Patricia Konarski
Last edited by gali on 01 Jun 2014, 10:24, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Self promoting
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Post by anitakay »

There is a lot of good information here. Thank you. I have written several children's books and would love to have them published. I now have a place and information to help me get started.
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Post by moderntimes »

Problem, Patricia, with self-publishing is that you spend money and the publisher should be paying you, not the other way around. The travel agent analogy isn't valid. It would be if the airline paid you to fly. But you're buying a product (air fare) whereas with a book, the product is YOURS and people need to be paying YOU, not the reverse. It would be like opening a restaurant and paying people to eat there instead of charging them for the meal.

Lit agents charge their normal 15% but you cannot be paid an advance of any money at all if you self-publish. Nor are you likely to make your investment back. There's a reason it's called "vanity" publishing.
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Post by ttuso22 »

Thank you for this! I feel more motivated to publish a book and that it is possible despite rejections!
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Post by Romes123 »

It is said that acquiring an agent (literary) is the first important step toward getting one's book published. But the fact is so called agents can only consider you if you are already famous and even rich!
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Post by moderntimes »

Well, romes, I must correct you. First, you say "so called" agents. Do you mean by that fake agents or fee-charging agencies? REAL agencies do NOT charge any up front fees whatsoever. For literary agents, an AAR (Associated Authors' Representative) agent signatory will be a REAL agent.

I'm not famous nor rich but I had an AAR agent a few years back. Unfortunately she passed away, the agency closed, and now I'm looking for another AAR agent to represent me for my mystery novels.

Yes there are fake or shady agents, and there are genuine agents. You can check on them via the "Preditors and Editors" website. Or, go to the AAR site to find AAR-signatory agents.

You talk like someone who had a bad experience with a shady agency. If so, tell us your experience.
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Post by Romes123 »

Many years ago when I learned all about literary agents and what they can do for an author, I was thrilled and made it my priority to acquire an agent. After many rejections I got accepted by 'an agent' who, a few days latter wrote to tell me that my manuscript needed a serious editting. He said he knew an editor who would help me for a small fee. The name and contacts of the editor was on the letter. At that period I was a member of Mystery Writers of America, an online club. I consulted the club's admin and was told never to pay an agent.
I came across such agents several times after the above experience, but I was not discouraged. My discouragment about AAR agents is: they don't judge a writer by their manuscript but by their short bio. One cannot help concluding that the bio is to know how rich or famous the author is before agreeing to accept him/her. What can one do when one finds oneself in catch-22 situation? I have long decided to go indie after all that wad the way Amanda Hocking had gone.
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Post by moderntimes »

Ah, so you found yourself being referred to an editor "for a small fee" -- a kickback scam. Makes sense. Re your comment about AAR, that's not been my experience. Most don't even ask for a bio.

So have you found indy publishing lucrative? I understand that some bookstores won't stock books unless there's a return policy similar that larger publishers have. My previous publisher was too small for that so bookstore stocking was a problem. I was paid decently for the books however, except that they just didn't have the wide publicity.

When you say "indy" you don't mean self-publishing, right?
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Post by Romes123 »

Indie: I meant independent publishing. I haven't yet done a print publishing. My book is only available on ereaders (Amazon kindle, nook, apple, kobo, etc.). And whether indie publishing is recreative, what an indie author needed is serious promotion. Indie author Amanda Hocking is a good example. She sold more books than many traditionally published authors.
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Post by moderntimes »

Ah, all e-book. Let us know when a publisher takes your books to print.

Incidentally, it's unlikely that all the AAR agents survive JUST on authors who are rich and famous. There aren't that many to keep those many offices open. And I had an AAR agent and as I said, I'm neither rich nor famous.

I think you're working from a slightly skewed perspective, as your early contact with a sham agent was a bad experience.

The principle test, I think, is to check the direction of the money flow. If it goes into your pocket as the author, good. If it goes the other way, "investing" in self-publishing or subsidy ("vanity") publishing, not so good.
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Post by KacyJones »

I went through five or six "Self publishers" until I decided on one, because they use a well known global distributor (paperback, hard back, book on tape, ebook, etc.), and have great marketing options . I know that I found the right one for me, although an advance would have been nice! Lol.

At the end of the day, in today's climate, I think that the self publishing route is the way to go. The commission
percentages are fair, and the author has the ultimate control.
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Post by moderntimes »

So, and let me ask this the straight way.... Which way did the money flow? Did you pay someone to publish your books or did they pay you? If the former, it was a "vanity" publisher. If the latter, the next question is, was your advance adequate?
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Post by torchwilde »

Self Publishing has been increasing over the last few years. I can see why. When you send out your query letter, and samples when asked and then receive a letter that gives no details above, sorry not interested at this time it becomes very frustrating. But you have to have a strategy for marketing your book. If you are going to go this route you have to be the one to light the fire, talk to the library about accepting your book as a donation, and possible connections through social networking. The truth is that there are so many books out there, it is hard to have anyone notice yours.
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Post by moderntimes »

Well, self publishing? Heck, I can just create a pdf file of my novel and send it to friends. At least that way I'm not paying anything.

Bottom line: If you (and when I say "you" I don't mean you personally, torch, but the "group you") are paying money to get your book published, the cash flow is the wrong direction. Do you pay a company to work there? Nope. They pay you for your efforts, whether those efforts be physical, mental, or a mixture. Paying someone to print (or e-publish) your book is too expensive, even if it only costs $1 total.

Paying to have a book published is an indication of low self-esteem or the simple fact that your book just isn't good enough. If your book is good, you WILL find an agent or publisher, believe me. If I can do it, that's proof positive that you don't have to be an established author to do so.

The concept (touted by vanity publishers,who want you to be vain enough to pay THEM money -- exactly the opposite direction from the correct money flow direction) that you maintain control of the book as "your" property is bogus. ANY publisher contract does only one thing: releases your copyright material to that publisher for the terms and duration of that contract. Which makes sense -- you can't expect a publisher to pay you good bucks for the rights, then print a bunch of copies, and you go behind their backs to another publisher and undercut the first. But at all times, you the author retain copyright of your material. You're just "renting" the material out for a while (usually 5 years subject to mutual renewal).

True, publishers also retain certain rights, such as the physical format of the printed book, the cover art, price, and so on, but all these are in the contract and subject to the author's approval or you can simply opt out if the cover art isn't what you want, etc.

Naturally, the publisher also has the right to ask you to alter certain things in your book beyond just the typos. But always subject to your approval and usually never the true content.

I'll tell you about my first 2 mystery novels, coming from a totally unknown author. Yes I'd had a few short stories & magazine articles published, newspaper articles, book & movie reviews, but no novels. So I was essentially unknown.

The publisher paid me a small advance, sent my book through 2 separate proofreads and two separate edits. Besides mechanical corrections and typos fixed, the editor made some stylistic suggestions, but NONE of these were required! I did find the suggestions helpful and made a few revisions just because I thought the editor was right, maybe 1/3 of the suggestions, the rest I said "no thanks". Now my book, being a modern action thriller, had some pretty graphic violence and crime scenes, and one very graphic sex scene. There were NO alterations made for "content" or "adult" stuff. Not one.

The cover art was at the publisher's discretion but I was to recommend what I wanted, would have 2 artist covers to pick from, but if I wanted further work I'd have to pay. I didn't want a photo-style cover or obvious images (a gun or a knife or something) but instead something abstract and noir. The first artist's work was perfect and I gave it the green light.

The book was published in trade paperback & Kindle and since a small publishing house has a low budget, advertising was limited and my book sales were modest. But I was paid every cent of royalties owed, absolutely. My 2nd novel the same.

For my 3rd novel I'm looking elsewhere, major AAR agents and larger publishers, because I now have a publishing history and I also think that my new book is better -- we learn by doing.

Point being: If your book is good enough, you WILL find a publisher / agent and you WILL be paid. Not the other way around, you having to pay. To do that is vanity publishing, pure and simple.
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