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Getting published

    We all know we are facing hard times, and we have been told that this year will get worse before it gets better. I figured that most people will trim their book-buying budget if more than 2 million jobs disappeared in 2008. And with so many businesses, including banks, auto makers, and  retailers in trouble, I now assume that publishers will be vulnerable, not only to reduced sales, but investment and financing woes. My guess is that it will include magazine publishers as well. Magazines will continue to get smaller, or go out of print.

    I had already heard in a seminar that you can no longer deal directly with a publisher, a change of only the last ten years. You now need to find an agent, who deals with publishing houses regularly and can network for a book or author he believes worthwhile. So I wouldn't give up. (Probably the same is true for TV scripts or plays; find an agent.)

    Small-publishers are coming to the rescue somewhat, if you want to self-publish, but they are not all the same quality. If you go that route, you need to check out whether they do formatting, fonts, title pages, page numbers, etc., things that you don't have to worry about with the big houses. Most small publishers don't do their own printing, so you need to see some samples before making any commitments. With the small publisher, you will need to attend to all the details yourself, like the cover, before signing the dotted line. Don't assume they'll handle it to your satisfaction. And you will need to pay in full up front, so why shouldn't you be happy with it? 

    Some really good ones give more time and counseling to you, not only for printing, but promoting. That's right. By self-publishing, you will need to sell your own books! That's why you need to review contracts carefully before committing. If you run 200-500 copies to start, make sure you can do a reprint without starting from scratch. Today, there is an universal code that should allow easy reprints.That varies in price, but work it out before you print the first time. You can always print by the thousands later, if your book is successful or you find an easy way to promote it.

    Since most book stores are chains, they already have their purchases lined up with major book-sellers. You won't be able to get into the local bookstore unless you know the owner of an independent shop. So you will need to sell your book at fairs, craft shows, festivals, etc. Some authors keep boxes in the trunk, so that any time they're not on the regular job, they can sell books. And they say advertising on the Internet for new authors has an extremely low return. Donate a copy to the local libraries in the hopes that someone will read and become acquainted with your writing, thereby creating a desire for more of your "stuff".

    Self-publishing is great for how-to books and children's books. But it's also good for special books, like a church history, or a school history, or a family history. Say you've done extensive research on your maternal grandmother's family tree. You can put it together in a nice format, guilt edges, empty pages or lined pages for adding things, add photos from the early 1900's, or a photocopy of a marriage license from the 1800;s for authenticity. You only print enough for you and your immediate family. Then you send a letter to all the family members you learned about in your research. Let them know that universal code, the name and address of the publisher you used, and the current price. If they want a copy, they can order themselves, one copy at a time. It won't be as cheap as a mass printing, but it takes the burden off you. You just have to make that arrangement with the publisher when you start out.
   
    So the bottom line is: Don't give up because times are hard. Don't buy into the idea that if you're new at this that you can't get published. It's easy enough to get discouraged for a writer. And when other forms of entertainment become too expensive, people can always entertain themselves by reading a really good book.