Essays Assistance » writing a book

Getting Published:Tips For Young Writers

Essays — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:00:25 +0000

The task of getting published is one of the daunting aspects of writing. This can be difficult, if you want to get published by a traditional publishing house. It’s not as difficult if you want to self-publish. In this article I will share with you the steps involved in getting your work published either traditionally or through self-publishing.

Mainstream publishers are often reluctant to accept work from young writers as anyone under 18 cannot sign a contract on their own and will require parental involvement. That is not to say you cannot submit to them but make sure your work is of high quality as you will be competing with adult writers. There are also several publishers that cater specifically to young writers, for a list of these, check out the book THE YOUNG WRITER’S GUIDE TO GETTING PUBLISHED. There are also several sites on the web that accept work from young writers such as stonesoup.com and Merlyn’s pen. Make sure you edit your work thoroughly and follow the submission guidelines for publishers carefully. Some publishers prefer that you send a query letter only at first describing your project. The query letter should be only one page long. If it is longer than that a busy editor will likely just throw it to one side. Think of the back cover summary you see on most books you buy, try to summarize what your book is about in a few words. This can be difficult but it must be done and done in a way that grabs an editor’s attention. Some publishers will allow you to submit a query letter and a few chapters of your work or your entire book. It is important that you use the correct font, you can’t go wrong with courier new 12 pt and a double spaced manuscript. The query letter can use the same font but there is no need to double space it.

Let’s now take a look at self publishing. Self publishing has become quite easy with the advent of self publishers like Lulu. At lulu.com you can publish your work for free. However lulu does take a small commission of anything you sell. Lulu also sells ISBN’s for around $100 U.S. dollars. An ISBN will make your book available for international sale. It will become available to places like Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and hundreds of other distributors worldwide. When you self publish you set your own price and your age never becomes a factor as it will be with some traditional publishers. If you decide to self publish everything falls into your hands, from editing to formatting. Lulu provides several services for these publishing details, however the costs can add up for young writers. The good news is that with patience and determination you can do it yourself. Lulu provides templates for formatting your book. If you can find a teacher, friend or parent to help you with editing you are well on your way without breaking the bank. Lulu makes making your book cover as easy as possible although you are responsible for finding your own image if you do not wish to use their images.

Finally, there is nothing like seeing your work in print and the opportunities for young writers are greater than ever.

Should I Self-publish Or Pitch My Book To A Publisher?

Essays — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 23:41:29 +0000

You’ve spent many nights working on your book. You’ve rewritten it, edited it, and you used a professional proofreader to proof it. Your book is done &ndash finally — and you’re ready to send your precious manuscript off to a publisher, thinking that writing it was the hardest part.

In reality, getting your blood, sweat and tears published may be the hardest part of the whole process. You’ll need to decide if your book requires a publisher, or if you’d rather self-publish your book. Both venues have pros and cons, some of which I discuss below.

To work with a book publisher, you’ll need to send out query letters and/or a book proposal. This is a letter or a few pages briefly describing your text, why your book is unique, characteristics of your target market, and how you can help market your book. Most publishers don’t accept unsolicited manuscripts, so you’ll need to convince them to read yours, or find a literary agent to represent you. If a book publisher requests that you forward your entire manuscript, you have one foot in the door. Be prepared to send more than one query and don’t expect a response next week. An excellent software program to help format your manuscript and create a book proposal is called Wizards For Word at .wizardsforword.com

Publishers look for three things: platform, hook, and execution. This means a writer should have a built-in audience (ideally, a national platform such as a radio or TV show or a column in a major publication), an interesting hook, and strong writing skills.

The problem if you’re an unagented author is that most publishers won’t take your call or read your proposal. Then even if they do, you’ll have a tough time creating a bidding war or running an auction to get the best offer, and you also won’t have leverage negotiating the important deal points, such as ancillary rights and royalties.

There are writer’s guides that serve as excellent resources to find publishers and literary agents who specialize in your particular genre. These guides list the percentage of new authors published as well as the percentage of sales they pay. You may find pay rates ranging from 5-10% of sales. Some pay on wholesale sales and others on the retail amount. Do the math. Perhaps your book will retail for $14.95 and the publisher will pay 6% on retail. This means you will earn 90 cents per book sold. Of course don’t forget that the publisher is doing all the printing, distributing, and marketing of your text.

Another route you may want to consider is self-publishing. Self-publishing requires you to print, distribute and market your book using your money, but you will also retain all profits. There are book printing companies as well as companies that specialize in assisting self-publishers through every step along the way.

Many authors debate which method is better, using a publishing company or self publishing your own book. You know your situation and you know what will work best for you. You’ll want to consider how much time or money you have to invest in the project. That should give you an idea which route to take. Using a publisher takes less time on your part, but you’ll forfeit some of the royalties by using this method. If you self publish, you’ll have to pay “up front costs” and do the initial legwork to begin generating sales for your book. Either way, publishing is your call. With persistence and hard work you can get your book in the marketplace.

Publishing Options For Freelance Book Authors

Essays — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 04:40:46 +0000

It is difficult to break into the publishing industry as a new author, and even more difficult to get an acceptance letter from an editor at a large publishing house. As an author you will work hard to finish your book, and work even harder to find the right book publisher. The good news is you can tap into several types of publishers to publish your book. Here is a look at some common types of book publishing.

GROUP PUBLISHING: Group publishing is the process by which a large company publishes your work in the name of a larger company. For example, large publishing companies often operate smaller publishing companies. The larger publishing company serves as an umbrella over the smaller group publishing companies. Sometimes these companies operate several smaller companies and book imprints that produce different genres of writing and books. Sometimes this is referred to trade publishing. For example, a large publishing group may produce best-selling adult novels, but may also operate under a smaller name to produce certain non-fiction books, cookbooks, children’s books, or niche titles. Group publishing is a popular way to publish a book.

EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING: Educational publishing shares some likeness to trade publishing. These companies deal specifically with educational material. They may deal with only college textbooks, or they might deal with textbooks and materials for grades K-12. Besides textbooks, these companies might also produce other forms of educational material, which include posters, workbooks, CD-ROMS, software, testing material and maps. There are several big name educational publishing companies.

UNIVERSITY PUBLISHING: Better known as the “University Press,” this type of publishing is different from group publishing and it is not the same as scholarly publishing. These types of companies are usually non-profit. Universities, colleges and sometimes museums or other organizations operate these publishing imprints. These publishers usually publish books by scholars and other specialists. Besides distributing their books to bookstores, they also make their book titles available within the university system. Sometimes larger trade publishers publish these types of books.

INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING: Independent publishers are often the best way to publish your book with established distribution channels. Independent publishers are generally small, privately-owned companies. Many times, these companies only publish a handful of books each year and they specialize in certain subjects. They have the freedom to publish just about anything they wish.

SOFTWARE and other MEDIA: You might consider software and other types of media as a publishing option. Think about the many e-books, CD-ROMs and digital downloads, many published by large and small publishing companies. These types of publishing companies are often associated with larger trade publishers. In fact, many large publishing companies have their own in-house media publisher to spawn the traditional paperback book into other types of media. Digital and alternate media is a huge, profitable business, and these publishers are just as important and lucrative as the large trade publishers.

As you can see, you can tap into various publishers who might consider publishing your book. If you are unlucky with a large trade publisher or group publisher, then don’t give up. Keep looking at the different types of publishing companies until you find one that wants to work with you and your book.

How To Write A Better Book

Essays — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:41:04 +0000

Before you begin writing your book, you must research your idea and see if it is in-demand with readers. Who is going to read it? To whom are you trying to appeal with your words? You must have a general idea of who your intended audience will be. Check out other books. Is there a book already published that resembles your book? What will make your book unique from theirs? If there are similar books already out there, what is going to make your book different and make people want to buy it?

When you are ready to begin your book, decide on a schedule that is best for you, one that you can stick to. Your schedule should begin before your research and carry through to the completion of the book. Make a detailed outline with the main plot, events leading to that plot, and explicit detail about the characters. An outline is also a good reference point to double-check your timelines and details.

ONE IDEA IS NOT ENOUGH

Part of the reworking process is changing direction within the writing. Many beginning writers aspire to write a book. They have an idea and a vague plan to turn the idea into book. Picture a first grader telling you she wants to write a book about horses. Although you can collect a lot of information about horses to write several books, the vague idea is not enough for an adult writer to create a marketable book. To write a book, you need to start with a topic. You may or may not be an expert on the subject. After you have the first vague ideas, you need to start asking yourself questions to focus in on a specific, marketable topic. Answering those questions will lead you to more questions, and so on. Even if your original idea is unique and leads you to write new information that the world does not yet have access to, you will need to add to that original idea to create an intriguing finished product. If you are not an expert, or you have not created any new information, it will take more time and effort to produce a unique piece of writing. Fiction is the same as non-fiction. Many stories have been told before. If you want to become a published author, you need to come up with an engaging and new journey for your readers to take.

RECYCLING OLD IDEAS

There is always room in your book for old ideas. Your readers will need a familiar starting place within your writing. As you are putting together your ideas for a complete book, you will probably publish smaller pieces of work in magazines and newspapers. It is okay, as long as you cite yourself, to reuse some of that work. In that way, you can publish as you go along while still making progress towards your end goal in book publishing. After several months or even years, you will have poured out your effort and knowledge into a completed book.

You may want to turn off your editing software for your first draft. Mesh the plot, the characters, and everything together, without using your spellchecker. You can fix your grammar, spelling, and punctuation later. Most authors don’t write their books from front to back. By writing different chapters or events, it may be easier for you to come back and connect them later. Sometimes having the words on paper makes it easier to fill in the blanks.

FIRST DRAFT

You have finished your first draft. Now is the time to read it. Reading the rough draft allows you to zero in on the timeline, link the plot with the characters, and ensure everything makes sense and flows together. Once you have accomplished these tasks, use your editing software. It is time to fix your grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes. Two widely used grammar programs for authors include WhiteSmoke Software (.WhiteSmokeSoftware.com), and a book formatting software called WizardsForWord (.WizardsForWord.com).

Now put you book aside. Let it sit for 7-10 days or so before you pick it up again. This will give your mind time to clear. Now read the book again. Does it still flow and make sense? Do you need to add something or change it? Now is the time.

Choose someone to proofread your book for you. If possible, hire a professional editor to do this or someone with a writing or English background. Besides editing your manuscript, a professional copyeditor can also offer you unbiased opinion and advice.

Lastly, create the final draft. The final draft should be error free. This is your last chance to change anything before it goes to the publisher. Now is when all that time you spent writing a book comes together to make its trip to publication.

Unlike other areas of expertise, book writing is a different process for everyone. As you set out to write a book, you can follow some basic guidelines, but getting your ideas from your head to the page is an invention of your own. Not only will you have to get the information onto the page, but also you will have to write in a way that thousands or even millions of readers can relate to and understand.

How To Become A Bestselling Book Author

Essays — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 00:15:16 +0000

What IS a best-selling author?

You have to answer that in your own mind.

Technically, it’s any book that makes it into the Top 100 list at ANY online or offline bookstore.

However, what does it mean to you?

Is it someone who sells 300-500 books in a day through online bookstores like Amazon.com and makes the top 10?

Is it only the person who makes it to #1?

Is it the person who sells their book from their own website and makes $10,000 in a few months?

Or does it have to be a specific list… like the New York Times best seller list?

What does it mean to you?

It’s a tough call. But you CAN have it all.

Selling your book through an online or offline bookstore will mean less money for you upfront, but will provide you far more leverage in the long run.

Selling your book from your own website and taking your own orders will mean far more money in the bank for you initially, but you’ll have to work a little harder on the back-end to get the recognition you deserve.

Both ways work. Neither way is right. It’s really what’s right for you.

Let’s talk about the steps necessary to make your book a bestseller whether you want to do it through an online bookstore or from your own website.

1) Pick the specific day you want to become a best seller.

Focusing on a specific day is what provides you the leverage to sell a large amount of books quickly. Selling 500 books over 6 months is not as impressive as selling 500 books in one or two days.

2) Create your “what’s in it for me?” offer.

Your book is a valuable resource for your clients. But selling it alone puts it up against all the other books already on the market for your subject. I don’t like those odds.

What you need is something “extra” — something that really let’s the perspective buyer know that you want to help them.

If you were to sell your book (for let’s say $20) and then offered everyone who purchased your book on the specific day you decided on in step 1 around $200 in bonuses from experts… do you think they’d be more likely to buy? And buy on that day?

Of course they would.

This is the step where you stop thinking about you and start thinking about the group of people you want to help by writing this book in the first place. Think of everything you can possibly offer to add value to your book and build a powerful arsenal of tools and resources.

When the potential buyer asks, “What’s in it for me?” (which they always do)… give them TONS of answers.

3) Use the 12-step method to create a promotional sales letter.

Now that you’ve answered the “What’s in it for me?” question, use the 12-step process to build a sales letter site for your book that explains it to the potential buyer.

They have a problem in their life. Your book is going to give them a solution for their problem… and a whole lot of “extras” if they buy on the specific day you’ve selected.

Tell them &ndash using the proven 12-step process.

4) Leverage the relationships you’ve built.

Now, simply go back to the experts who provided you the bonus items for your book promotion, let them know the day you have picked as your bestseller day and ASK them if they would help you promote it on that day.

GIVE THEM A FREE COPY OF YOUR BOOK.

Don’t be stingy. These are experts who have earned the right to be called an expert. You are asking them for a favor. Be generous enough to let them read your book first.

If you can afford it, send them a physical copy. If you can’t, email them a digital copy with a short, concise explanation of what you are doing.

Pick a specific day to target your focused effort. Give an overwhelming amount of bonus reasons for people to buy your book on that day; and then leverage the relationships with experts to get them to help you promote your book.

Why would they want to? Some will want to give back for the success they’ve earned. Some will want to because by doing so their bonus item is getting in more people’s hands (and their bonus item promotes them).

What will these experts use to help promote your book?

You guessed it… the “list” of their current clients.

Authors 25, 50 or 100 years ago would buy out their own first printing to make it appear their book was popular. Many “best sellers” used this tactic to get the Best Seller status so publishers would contract with them for future titles.

Tricky? Maybe. Successful? Absolutely.

Now it’s your turn.

Now that you know HOW to become a best seller, let’s address where to become a best seller.

Right now the 2 most popular bookstores for running best seller campaigns are Amazon.com and BN.com (Barnes and Noble).

To get your book listed in Amazon.com you can either:

Purchase the $149.95 option from Lulu.com for Global Distribution. This will get you listed in all major online and offline bookstores or go to Amazon.com and do it yourself.

If you take the “do it your self” route at Amazon, be sure to join Amazon.com’s Advantage Program. They will walk you through the process of signing up and getting your book listed in their store.

If you want to get listed in Barnes and Noble (online or offline), then visit BarnsandNobel.com.

Lulu.com will make both of these a simple process because you’ll already have an ISBN and you can order just a few books initially to get started with Amazon.com and/or Barnes and Noble.

Let’s talk through a few examples of how the Best Selling promotion may work:

1.) Leverage experts

We’ve already covered this one.

If I was writing the Pet Name book, I could find experts who are currently providing products and services to pet enthusiasts. Ask for bonuses and/or content from them. Then let them know the day I’m going to promote it and ask for their help.

I would provide them a digital or physical copy of the book to review. I would also ask what I could do to assist them. I’ve got to make it worth their while to help me.

2.) Leverage businesses

Rather than relying on 1 sale at a time from individual readers, I could approach businesses that sell pet-related products and see if I could get a licensing agreement with them where they buy a large quantity of books at one time.

I could sell 500 books to 500 different readers or I could sell 500 books to 1 or 2 pet stores.

3.) Leverage home town support

If it’s a localized subject &ndash like a travel guide to North Carolina beaches &ndash you could focus on specific businesses along the North Carolina coast to promote your book.

You could also contact local radio and/or TV stations to get publicity for your book promotion.

The biggest key to your best selling book promotion… don’t just go through the motions. Make It An EVENT! And have FUN with it.

Seven Useful Tips To Ghostwrite Books For Clients As A Freelance Writer

Essays — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:17:41 +0000

Serious freelance writers know their income may come from other sources, not just writing articles for magazines or clients. Ultimately, their freelance writing leads to writing books or e-books for themselves or as ghostwrites. If you decide to ghostwrite e-books and trade paperbacks for clients, consider the following:

If a client hires you as a “work-for-hire” ghostwriter, then the client pays you for your work, and he owns all rights. Make sure: 1) You receive a 50% retainer before you begin the work; and 2) You receive the balance at or right before delivery. That’s it. If the book turns out to be a great success, great! That’s wonderful! You should be extremely proud — but from a distance! To be a successful ghostwriter, you must enjoy your glory as a ghostwriter in the shadows. Many ghostwriters prefer it that way.

I know a great speaker in the industry who commands $10,000 or more per speaking engagement. He is phenomenal to listen to and even more dynamite to read. However, he doesn’t write his books alone. He contributes to them but he never writes any of them himself. His ghostwriter, Shelly, is known only to a few writers in a close-knit writer’s group. Why does Shelly let this speaker take all the glory for her work? She is painfully shy and exceedingly talented as a writer. She once said, “I am where I need to be and he is where he should be.” If you are going to ghostwrite, stay where you belong (invisible) and accept payment for the job as payment enough.

TIP #1: As a ghostwriter, you should always try to meet the needs of the true “author” of the work. Cover the content they want and do your best to make the client happy.

TIP #2: As with writing any book, ghostwriting involves lot of revisions and changes as far out as two months, especially if the book needs to go through an editor or publisher. You should make changes as needed. However, don’t wait on final payment if your client hasn’t received final approval from his publisher.

TIP #3: Always write your ghostwrites as if they are your own. Write with quality and professionalism in mind.

TIP #4: Never sign a non-compete contract on the subject of the book. It is crazy for the client to ask but crazier for you to do it. If a client asks for one, walk away. You have your own work to protect as well as the client’s work. Remember the saying, “to thine own self be true”? Well, in writing, there’s no truer statement.

TIP #5: You owe the client exceptional work and the client you work for owes you money for a job well done.

TIP #6: If your client is dissatisfied with the end result, even after he’s paid you, make it right for the client. Satisfied clients usually become repeat clients; they will bring you steady work and referrals.

TIP #7: Consider using a pen name as a ghostwriter. Jeanine Anne, a freelance writer and ghostwriter, said she uses a pen name when she ghostwrites. She said, “I’ve written most of my ghostwrites and presented them to my clients under my pen name, Jeanine Anne. First, if someone decides to spam me, there’s no harm done to the name for which I write my own work under. Secondly, when I write for a client, I have no idea what the client will do to the work, after all it is his work once it leaves my hands. The client may add content which I may not like or he may write something that is not my style of writing.” This is something to remember if you write for clients as ghostwrites. The client hires you to do a job and the client owns the work after it leaves your hands.

You can find many ghostwriting gigs on .FreelanceWriting.com, Elance.com, Guru.com, GetAFreelancer.com, Indeed.com, .WritingCareer.com, and CraigsList.com. The other way is to create your own ghostwriting gigs by networking and marketing.

How To Write A Book Like A Pro To Finish Sooner And Sell Longer

Essays — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 04:01:55 +0000

Is your book manuscript as professional and compelling as it could be? Tell the truth; could it use some work to make it crisp and compelling? Yes. Keep reading if you need some tips to make your book writing pull readers in by the collar. Also, you’ll discover how to write a book that keeps them reading to the end.

Use the tips below to help you write your book like a pro and finish stronger to sell longer:

1. Write your book title to capture your reader’s attention.

Professional writers know the power wielded through a hot title. They realize a dud title versus a sizzler title can cause their book to plummet or soar in sales. Knowing this, you owe it to yourself and book’s success to develop your best title. After all, the better your title the more people will reach out and grab your book to read. Develop your book title to have top seller status.

2. Develop your opening paragraph with a hook.

Many unseasoned writers don’t realize the importance of starting with a hook (something to capture your reader’s attention and entice them to read further.) Create a sizzling start. Hook your readers through emotion. Slant your book or introduction with a question or an amazing statistic. Share the top benefits of your book early. Target the ‘You’ in every reader.

3. Write a 1-2 sentence thesis for your book.

Following your short introduction including your hook (opening statement), write your thesis. Make it simple; let your readers know what benefits await them if they keep reading. For example, one author friend uses sizzling bullet points to entice the reader into the chapter.

4. Write each chapter to support your thesis.

Experts know a book centered around one central become top sellers. Write a thesis for your book as a whole and each chapter. Book writing with a thesis will help you create a more compelling, organized and easy to read book.

5. Write your book with the self-editor off.

Don’t try to write your book and self-edit as you go. It slows you down and may even make you lose momentum. Get it out on paper then self-edit for re-writing. Get feedback from your friends and associates. A writer’s group is a good place to get feedback. Then invest in a professional editor.

6. Shorten your book introduction.

Entice your reader with the main benefit (main central thought) early to keep them reading. Write the rest of your piece to support your main central thought. Sprinkle the rest of the benefits throughout your copy in descending priority.

7. Slash passive structures.

Use emotional, power verbs to show instead of tell. Passive sentences slow and dull your writing. Get rid of the passive voice sentences. Give your sentences a clear subject and a verb to avoid the passive voice. “The writer found fame and fortune through marketing her books online.” instead of “The writer’s books were instrumental in leading her to fame and fortune.” Avoid connecting verbs like ‘was’, ‘is’, ‘had’, and ’seemed’.

If you don’t put these How to Write a Book tips into practice you could end up this time next year still writing dull, boring copy for your book. Instead, you could take my advice and attract a host of ezine publishers, other web sites and book readers searching for more of your material?

The best part is they’ll come prepared to pull out their card and buy because your writing caught their attention and kept it. Now go; write your book like a pro to finish stronger and sell longer.

The Book Writer’s Guide To Self-Publishing

Essays — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 04:51:26 +0000

Self-publishing has become common practice for many writers who want accolades of having a book published, no matter who publishes it. Writers choose self-publishing for various reasons. Many writers desire the freedom and business aspects of publishing work independently. A self-published writer is one who is in control of every aspect of their published work. The publishing industry defines self-publishing as authors publishing their own books or other media, instead of with a third-party publisher. Today’s technology has increased the pool of self-publishers, but it still represents only a small percentage of the publishing industry in terms of sales. The proliferation of media channels, such as blogging, video, and audio content, has contributed to the increase in self-publishers.

THE BUSINESS OF SELF-PUBLISHING

The business of self-publishing books and other media is different from any other business. The absence of a traditional publisher makes self-publishing unique. The author of the content takes on the role of the traditional publisher. The author controls the editorial content, arranges for printing, markets the material, and distributes the material to consumers and retailers. Self-publishers publish their books in printed form, or choose print-on-demand with no inventory. Many self-published authors decide to subsidize their work rather than making money from it. Digital printing technology has evolved self-publishing into digital photo book printing. Self-publishers are able to get individually printed photo books from firms like Apple’s iPhoto, FotoInsight, Snapfish, and Printing-1.

THE MOTIVES OF SELF-PUBLISHING

Many writers have varied motives to self-publish. One common reason is the writer’s work is not of interest to the commercial publisher, and otherwise not marketable. Another common reason is the writer prefers to retain complete editorial control over content. Many writers are unwilling to compromise editing of their work, and some writers prefer to have their work presented “as is.” Literary agents and book agents may deny publishing a book because the author is unknown and does not have a substantial resume. Self-publishing may also be an alternative for writers who have written material on a popular topic but the topic is only interesting in a small geographic area. Literary agents and book agents may also deny publication because the book addresses an obscure topic in which few people are interested. Writers of controversial works may also choose to self-publish, as many traditional publishers refuse to work with controversial writings. Some authors choose self-publishing because they want a larger royalty from retail sales.

IS SELF-PUBLISHING A SHORTCUT TO SUCCESS?

Self-publishing is not a shortcut to having a printed book. Depending on what your goals are, it may or may not be a direction you would like to take. In the hard copy world, self-publishing is costly. Getting a book into print costs more money than many writers want to spend. This is why the Internet is a blessing — it’s free. You can either start up a free website of your own and post your novel, or pay a small monthly sum and sell your writing online. If you can write well enough to catch someone’s attention, your readers may be willing to pay for a download of your book. By self-publishing online, you avoid the normal book publishing costs and still get exposure. Who knows, you may be lucky and grab the attention of a publishing guru who thinks you could make a lot of money from your self-published book.

Whatever your reason is for self-publishing, you should know that self-publishing requires extensive work. Self-publishing involves a long list of tasks, which include prepublication and publication. Prepublication includes editing or obtaining editing for the manuscript, proofreading, establishing yourself as a legal retail business, and obtaining an ISBN “Cataloging in Publication” number.

The publication process involves formatting the manuscript, providing front matter and back matter, and providing cover art for the front and back covers and the spine of the book. Self-publishers must also obtain printing quotes, determine how to deliver the manuscript to the printer, and pay for printing and delivery of finished books.

Publishing a book online is easier than publishing in the world of hard copy. The result is not as glorified, but it is a step towards success in the published realm. The more experience you can get writing, the better writer you will be.

How To Self-Publish Your Poker Or Gaming Book

Essays — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:45:02 +0000

Everyone thinks it is so easy to write a book. With so many people writing books these days, it is amazing there are enough people still buying books. In today’s world, if you have any amazing life experience, suddenly publishers want you to write a book about it. If it sells, then your experience was interesting enough to stimulate interest from a large audience; and if not, no one really cared.

This is why poker books fly off the shelves. Many people have life experiences playing poker. Many people want to read about these poker-playing scenarios, including the players involved. There will come a time when the reading public will demand more from its poker writers than in past years. After all, there is only so many ways you can cover the same game repeatedly when you are analyzing your own poker hands and games. This is where you come in.

As a writer, you can keep things in perspective. There will come a time when the poker players who write will run out of things to say if they are only covering their own play and games. Writers who are writers first and players second will have the opportunity to shine.

If you have a lot of talent writing about poker and gaming, you can launch your own online e-book store. If you choose to build a website and place your e-books on the website for sale, you will be branching into a new area of business you may not want to explore yet. While it can be profitable to run your own online e-book store, you may prefer to write e-books for clients.

Clients often hire ghostwriters to pen e-books to sell at their websites. Poker players and poker hobbyists who want to read about everything about poker will purchase these books online for a fee. The ClickBank.com marketplace, which sells gambling and gaming e-books penned by ghostwriters, is a good example of this.

SELF-PUBLISHING FOR SUCCESS

Many writers who are not brand names in the poker industry choose to self-publish their books and can still easily get their books sold at major bookstores, online and offline, like Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. Many writers choose to self-publish their books in digital format only because the process is quicker and less of a hassle.

Self-publishing has many advantages:

1. You don’t need a literary agent.

2. There is no submission or rejection process.

3. You own the rights to your material.

4. Whatever money you make, you keep.

5. Royalties are much higher if you choose a print-on-demand publisher.

6. The publishing and distribution process is a lot faster. For instance, if you use LuLu.com, you can make your book available in less than a day.

The disadvantage: you are responsible for marketing your book and generating sales. This may be a disadvantage or an advantage for you. For me, I enjoy self-publishing because it gives me control and creative freedom over every aspect of my book, including generating sales. I find self-publishing exciting.

If you are going to self-publish, decide if you will publish your book in digital format or in paperback (plus digital format). I recommend you first publish your book in digital format to test your book in the marketplace. Most writers use LuLu.com, a digital publisher, because of the low cost, quick turnaround, and your book will appear in its marketplace. When you feel it is time to publish your book in paperback, then go with a print-on-demand publisher. Many writers use BookSurge.com (owned by Amazon) so their books appear in Amazon as well as other major book stores.

Other self-publishing outlets include:

1) Clickbank.com. Many self-publishers use Clickbank.com as a sales outlet to generate a steady stream of sales for their book. Clickbank has one of the largest audiences of affiliates who are ready to sell your book for a commission. You will need to create your own website and sales page (also known as a “landing page”) for your book and then sign up with Clickbank to use their ordering system.

2) LightningSource.com can make your book in digital format and paperback format. Once you submit your book for publication, anyone can order your title, as a print-on-demand or as an ebook. Many popular online book stores (especially ebook stores) order from LightningSource.

3) AuthorHouse.com

4) BookSurge.com

If you decide not to self-publish yourself, try a reputable e-book publisher to handle everything for you, including marketing. Many e-book publishers will consider poker-related material. If the e-book publisher decides to publish your ebook, they may also offer to place the book in trade paperback. The publisher will offer more royalties and sometimes a higher advance.

BOOK WRITING SUCCESS

If you choose to write your own books and e-books, then follow these tips:

TIP # 1: Know your market and know where you can gain the most readership.

TIP # 2: Remember, non-fiction sells in poker. Don’t try to re-invent the wheel because it won’t work.

TIP # 3: Have your manuscript ready before you approach a publisher for electronic submissions or for trade submissions.

TIP # 4: As you are writing your manuscript, begin searching for markets where you will want to submit your work.

TIP # 5: Buy a Writer’s Market book so you can read over the markets and decide the best market for your manuscript.

TIP # 6: Avoid work-for-hire contracts from publishers. Sure, what publisher wouldn’t prefer to pay an up-front fee to a writer in lieu of royalties? Go for the royalties and take a chance on your own talents.

TIP # 7: Know your poker.

If you want to attract your poker-reading audience, writing books about strategies and systems can sell if it is based on a mathematical advantage or a tried and tested theory. If you aren’t able to do this, no one is going to read about going on your “gut” feelings or how poker players win more when the stars line up in their favor. Fact-based theories and strategies will sell, and nothing else will in this corner of the market.

An excellent way to generate book ideas is to attend poker events and tournaments and get close to the action. Go to these events armed and ready to learn all you can. At the end of the day you will have dozens of book ideas buzzing in your head. Spend some time in casino poker rooms to find other topics. Talk and network with poker players and try to find out if they desire to write a book with the assistance of a ghostwriter or with you as a co-author. As a ghostwriter or co-author, an excellent way to gain business is to hand out your business cards at writing conventions, casinos, poker events and poker tournaments.

How To Choose A Money-Making Book Subject

Essays — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 23:39:35 +0000

People never change. Nor do their basic desires. They’ve existed for thousands of years and will continue to exist for thousands more.

Names of people will change. Technology will change. People’s desires won’t &ndash their desires are hard-wired into our DNA.

That’s good for you &ndash as an author. By knowing what people want, you can profit from their desires. And since their desires are predictable, your ability to make money from your book ideas just got a lot more profitable, as well.

So, you must be wondering what do people want to read.

The top three general desires revolve around: Food, Love, and Money.

There will ALWAYS be a market for new cookbooks, new books on love, and new books on ways to make money. Guaranteed!

This will never change. Ever.

So if you have an idea that fits in one of those categories – you are well on your way to celebrity status. It doesn’t have to be an original thought on the subject. It can just be a new spin on an existing topic.

NOTE: People do not buy books because they are bargains. They buy them because they have some hope that they will find something &ndash not matter how small &ndash that will positively add value to their lives.

What else are people interested in reading about…

* Security

* Sex

* Power

* Immortality

* Happiness

* Safety

* Health

* Recognition

Some more generalized topics would be things like:

To attract the opposite sex.

To keep their possessions.

To have more fun.

To satisfy curiosity.

To protect their family.

To be in style.

To have beautiful possessions.

To quench their appetite.

To emulate others.

To avoid trouble.

To avoid criticism.

To be an individual.

To protect their reputation.

To grab opportunities.

To make work easier.

When you brainstorm ideas for your book, keep these customer desires in mind.

NOTE: Although it is good to focus your topic, you should try to keep it in a general category that will be wanted by a larger section of the population.

For example: You don’t want to write a book just about “Love” because it’s far TOO general of a topic. But you also don’t want to focus your topic so much it becomes something like “Love between 20 &ndash 24 year olds in Northwest California.”

Yes, I know that was an exaggerated example and you’d never go that targeted but you get my meaning.

Maybe you could write something like “How to be a 20-something in Love.” More targeted than just LOVE but still part of a large group of people who would be interested.

NOTE: Go with a subject you’re already passionate about.

Don’t make this process harder than it has to be. If you’re already passionate about gardening, cooking, investing, pet health, etc. then look in that area for the subject of your book.

#1) You will WANT to become a recognized expert in the field. Nothing worse than finding a topic that will make you money but you’re embarrassed to be associate with.

I did some research and found a hot topic that could have made me thousands literally overnight… but then I realized I didn’t really want my name associated with that topic. Money is important but if you write your book about a topic you’re excited about and you become a recognized expert &ndash achieving celebrity status &ndash you will have SO much more than just money in the bank.

#2) Working on your project will seem like anything but work. When I chose a subject specifically because I think it will make money &ndash I’m less than happy to do the writing. When it’s about something I enjoy then I can’t wait to write and don’t want to stop. I’ve worked until the early hours of the morning because I just lost track of time.

Find something that really gets you excited!

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