| Agents and publishing houses have their best | | | | The reality is that people today want concise |
| interests at heart, not the author's. Save | | | | and useful information. You don't have to |
| yourself from headaches, disappointments, and | | | | write a 200-page book to be a real author. |
| money down the drain. Become your own | | | | Remember The One-Minute Manager and the One- |
| independent publisher and produce your book | | | | Minute Salesperson? Around one hundred pages. |
| faster and cheaper. All you need is a little | | | | People want information fast and convenient. |
| help from professionals. | | | | Create short information products that are |
| | | | between 20 and 99 pages you can sell online, |
| | | | even if you don't have your own Web site. |
| | | | |
| Myth: You need an agent or big publishing | | | | |
| house to market your book and make big money. | | | | |
| | | | If you choose to print your book with Print |
| | | | Quantity Needed (PQN), your perfect bound |
| | | | books will look as good as any book on the |
| Since big publishers don't look at unknown | | | | bookstore shelves. |
| authors, now is the time to look at what they | | | | |
| can do for you. Dan Poynter, self-publishing | | | | |
| guru, says that if a publisher can't sell | | | | |
| four times as many books as you can, you're | | | | Myth: Authors must spend a lot of money to |
| better off selling it yourself. Self-publish | | | | publish themselves. |
| first because it acts as a test market for | | | | |
| your book. If it sells well (over 10,000 in a | | | | |
| year), publishers may be interested in your | | | | |
| book. | | | | The printing costs for 1500 copies of a |
| | | | 160-page book might cost $3000, about $2 a |
| | | | unit. Small runs cost even more per unit. |
| | | | That's a lot of cash for anyone to put out |
| Traditional publishers and agents accept only | | | | all at once, and it's not worth it to many of |
| 1-2% of authors' submissions, and even if you | | | | us to use our home equity or life savings to |
| are one of the "chosen" you may not make much | | | | finance our book. The answer is a small run |
| money after printing, bookstore, distributor, | | | | with Print on Demand (POD) where you can |
| wholesaler and other expenses--probably $2 on | | | | print from 100 to 500 for around $2.40 for |
| a $14 book. Yes, you get an advance, but your | | | | 160 pages. Without the high inventory, you |
| sales must meet that and more. And after the | | | | can maintain a comfortable cash flow to spend |
| initial book tour, the trainee marketing | | | | on promotion, the most important part of your |
| person is onto the next new author. Then, | | | | book adventure. |
| your books disappear from the bookstore shelf | | | | |
| unless you, personally, devote a lot of time | | | | |
| to marketing them. | | | | |
| | | | You save even more money if you don't print |
| | | | your book. Book publishing is going Internet. |
| | | | You can write small books in less time, |
| Book Publishing is a new game today. Think | | | | market them easily and inexpensively on the |
| self-publishing where the profits are all | | | | Web and reap profits sooner. Try an e-book. |
| yours. Thanks to Dan Poynter of the Self | | | | It can be downloaded, it takes no printing |
| Pulsing Manual for giving us permission to do | | | | costs because your buyer prints or downloads |
| part of the task ourselves. If you | | | | it. You don't even have to have the whole |
| self-publish and decide to print, you need to | | | | book finished to sell it. Just include your |
| print only the copies you need (5-500) with | | | | table of contents at the end of each chapter |
| the new technology Print on Demand (POD). | | | | and present it as an e-serial book. |
| Even better is Print Quantity Needed (PQN) | | | | |
| such as No more unsold cartons of books in | | | | |
| your closets or garage. You print as you go | | | | |
| leaving enough cash flow to market your book | | | | As a book coach, I am an authors' advocate |
| splendidly. | | | | and want you to make money. Going traditional |
| | | | doesn't work. Give ePublishing a chance.Judy |
| | | | Cullins, 20-year book and Internet Marketing |
| | | | Coach, Author of 10 eBooks including "Write |
| Myth: To be a respected author, you must | | | | your eBook Fast," and "How to Market your |
| invest thousands of hours of time on your | | | | Business on the Internet," she offers free |
| full-length book. | | | | help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book |
| | | | Coach Says...and Business Tip of the Month at |
| | | | and over 140 free articles. |
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