| If you self-publish, you will be responsible for getting | | | | avenue for widely distributing information about your |
| testimonials, the cover design, title and choosing the | | | | book and gaining notoriety. Contributing articles to your |
| method for printing. | | | | niche market will also help you develop expert status. |
| Whenever you seek help, it is wise to interview three | | | | You may wish to consider with whom to partner online |
| suppliers to give you a feel for what is possible, | | | | for exponentially increasing exposure and reaching |
| sounds reasonable and is within your budget. Which | | | | larger audiences. Your ultimate task will be to weigh |
| vendor provides the scope of services you are | | | | time-consuming tasks vs. budget for seeking help. |
| seeking, understands your plight by having previously | | | | Are you ready to interview with the media? Do you |
| worked with other similar authors, and sounds the | | | | need lessons? Some interviewers will be on the same |
| most helpful. You will need to determine their level of | | | | page with you while others will ask difficult questions |
| professionalism, ease of doing business and feasibility | | | | and may even appear to be hostile. You must be |
| of remaining within your budget. | | | | prepared to have sound bites and know where you |
| Some questions to consider for self-publishing are: Are | | | | want to take the conversation. And you must be |
| you able to print one copy or is there a minimum | | | | prepared enough to say, "Yes" to every interview. |
| requirement? Will your book be listed on Amazon? Will | | | | One day, you may receive a surprise phone call to |
| you be comfortable telling the world your book is | | | | speak to a large group. Will you need a speech coach |
| self-published or will you feel more credible if you seek | | | | to help you overcome the jitters? Seek help to |
| a traditional publisher? | | | | prepare if you believe it's required. |
| Two major differences to also consider are profit per | | | | Review your objectives for your book and prioritize |
| book and distribution. Typically, you will make far more | | | | the paths on which to proceed. As with all plans, they |
| per book if you self-publish, however, distribution and | | | | are made to provide direction but continually need to |
| the cost of getting it to market are entirely your | | | | be refined for further success. |
| responsibility. This is why you may only average $1 per | | | | My Story: |
| book profit with the help of a publisher. | | | | I have the honor of having pursued both routes, that of |
| The advantage of a publisher is you will become highly | | | | self-publishing and seeking a publisher. The day the |
| credible and viewed as an expert. The title, art design | | | | self-published book arrived, I felt as if I had given birth |
| and cost of getting the book to market will be the | | | | and was the proud parent. The book wasn't out more |
| publisher's responsibility. They will use their established | | | | than two weeks when a not-so-nice person said to |
| channels for distribution. | | | | me, "If your book were any good, a publisher would |
| Before you proceed, consider how you will use your | | | | have picked it up!" |
| book. Will it be an entrée to introduce your | | | | As I flashed a smile and said, "You may be right", I was |
| business to speak to groups or simply to say you did it! | | | | actually thinking, "Eat my dust!" It was the salesperson |
| Do you want it to be a best seller? This means 50,000 | | | | in me taking the challenge. I hired an agent to represent |
| copies sold in one year. It's important to note most | | | | me in New York at the annual BEA author's fair. She |
| books sell less than 4,000 copies in their lifetime. | | | | took my self-published book to show potential |
| If you wish for your book to become known nationally | | | | publishers that the manuscript already existed. |
| and internationally, a public relations service will be in | | | | Hiring the agent was well worth the money. She |
| order. Once again, many choices will need to be made | | | | returned with many leads. Prior to following up, it was |
| as to how extensive you wish this service to be such | | | | strongly recommended to seek help writing a book |
| as a partial "do-it-yourself" program to keep down the | | | | proposal as to why I believed the book will sell well and |
| costs. | | | | how I would help in the marketing process. Within two |
| How will people find your book among the many | | | | months, Sourcebooks agreed to take on my project. |
| thousands? Whether published or self-published you | | | | All of the marketing materials previously read |
| will be largely responsible for getting the word out. | | | | encouraging me to write my book were 100% |
| Avenues to consider are the media, distribution | | | | accurate in describing the credibility and authority it |
| companies, talks and an online presence. | | | | would bring for my business. I whole-heartedly |
| Gaining the attention of media (paper, radio, magazine | | | | encourage you to write your story to experience the |
| and television) is time-consuming but is an excellent | | | | same. |