TRUE SELF-PUBISHING INCLUDES MARKETING ( CON ’ TD )
those , too — all as I grew in knowledge about the blooming new world of publishing .
To be clear , true publishing of any kind includes marketing — a lot of it . I mean , do you really think Simon and Schuster would publish a book without an assigned marketing budget ? After you ’ ve asked that question , ask how much any big publisher will assign to your book and exactly what that will cover before you sign a contract . Most of them are running on tight budgets , too . Very tight budgets unless your name is Jonathan Franzen or Hillary Clinton .
MARKETING AND PUBLISHING IS NOT “ ONE SIZE FITS ALL ”
Through it all , I have come to believe there is a right way to publish for every author and every project — not necessarily one right way — and that “ right way ” may vary from author to author and from project to project . The trick is to know as much about the publishing industry as possible before moving ahead on the path you choose for any given book and any given author ’ s personality . I mean , we wouldn ' t expect to enter any industry without learning a lot about it first , would we ? There are few credentials and / or degrees in the discipline ( and it should be called a “ discipline !”) of publishing , but there should be . Until you know enough to make a decision , get the advice you need and get it from someone who doesn ’ t still have a my-way-or-the-highway prejudice hiding somewhere in her traditional little heart .
And read , read , read . It ’ s the most frugal way to learn what you need to know to be smart about whatever kind of publishing you choose to do . It ’ s the only way to be able to evaluate the information you ’ re being given by whomever you ’ re talking to .
RESOURCES FOR YOU
Here are some of my favorite books and resources for learning more about publishing and its essential ingredient , marketing :
� The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing : Everything You Need to Know to Write , Publish , Promote and Sell Your Own Book , by Marilyn Ross is the first book I read ( when it was in its first edition ) on the topic of publishing . Marilyn is the founder of SPAN ( Small Publishers Association of North America ). It may be dated , but read it for the wisdom .
� The Well-Fed Self-Publisher , by Peter Bowerman . This book includes marketing because to market is a vital part of publishing . Peter is one of the first people I met at my first marketing and writing conference , and I have avidly read his series of books ever since .
� The ABCs of POD : A Beginner ’ s Guide to Fee-Based Print-on-Demand Publishing , by Dehanna Bailee . This book provides basics for those considering self-or subsidy-publishing .
� Talk Radio Wants You : An Intimate Guide to 700 Shows and How to Get Invited , by Francine Silverman . She also has a reasonably priced radio referral service .
� Making the Perfect Pitch : How to Catch a Literary Agent ’ s Eye , by Katherine Sands . Straight from the mouth of a literary agent .
� Aiming at Amazon : The NEW Business of Self Publishing , or How to Publish Your Books with Print on Demand and Online Book Marketing on Amazon . com , by Aaron Shephard . Available for Kindle . � How to Publish and Promote Your Book Now , by L . Diane Wolfe . � MyThe Frugal Editor : Do-it-yourself editing secrets for authors : From your query letter to final manuscript to the marketing of your new bestsellerin its second edition ( e-book only for the time being ). It gives you what you need to know about editing , formatting , and even a step-by-step guide for formatting a professionallooking e-book . You ’ ll also find my collection of essential reading in this book , everything from how to find a great editor and suggestions for a few books on grammar and style , the craft of writing , writing book proposals , typesetting and formatting ., and directories with resources for selling your work .
WRITERS ’ TRICKS OF THE TRADE
PAGE 19
SPRING 2018