Q: I know a book has to be in standard manuscript format for editing, but can I send sample chapters to an agent in single-spacing, to save paper?
A: I can understand your confusion over standard manuscript format, but editors did not create it, publishers did. A book is considered a manuscript until it is redesigned to be ready for publication. All manuscripts—and excerpts sent to agents or publishers—should be in standard manuscript format. The only exception would be when the author plans to self-publish, in which case agents and publishers will not be involved.
The New York Times recently reported on the declining number of illustrated Children’s book sales figures. Several major factors have been cited as the cause of the trend, including an increased focus from parents to start their children on chapter books at an earlier age. (Literary experts will claim that push does not actually advance cognitive development.)
Are self-published books immune to this? Here are a few key considerations.
The Times article reads, “…many publishers have gradually reduced the number of picture books they produce for a market that had seen a glut of them, and in an age when very young children, like everyone else, have more options, a lot of them digital, to fill their entertainment hours.” Many publishers here implies those handful of traditional publishers. The reasons they’ve gradually reduced the number… appears to be in part the result of quality self-published options.
As a self-publishing author, you can focus your book sales online, with no requirement for retail returns or shelf space, and develop a niche marketing campaign to targeted readers (or buyers in this case).
It is possibly as much the result of publishers pulling the plug on new illustrated titles, and not the market itself. Under the self-publishing model, YOU are the publishing executive. You call the shots, and your book never actually ‘goes out of print.’
It’s not clear that this is a long term trend. Many industry insiders claim the economy is partly to blame, which is inherently in a state of flux. Furthermore, Jen Haller, the vice president and associate publisher of the Penguin Young Readers Group, said that while some children were progressing to chapter books earlier, they were still reading picture books occasionally. “Picture books have a real comfort element to them,” Ms. Haller said. “It’s not like this door closes and they never go back to picture books again.”
Staring Into the SUnStaring Into the Sun
Joshua Fields (2010) ISBN 9781432759537
Reviewed by Joseph Yurt for Reader Views (09/10)
As is my habit with any new book I pick up for the first time, I peruse the front cover, then the back cover. In this instance, the book in hand was “Staring Into the Sun,” a collection of poetry written by Joshua Fields. The minimalist copy on the back cover proclaims that “Inside is a compilation of his life’s experiences and insights.” Since this small, slender collection of work is only thirty-nine pages, I’ve concluded that each reader must decide whether this proclamation is genuine, tongue in cheek, or both.
Collectively, the free-form pieces are part of the author’s personal celebration of “life’s greatest gift – love.” Stylistically, Fields melds cryptic dialogue with coffee house cadence in thirty-nine pieces that recollect, recount and reflect on his relationship over time with the love of his life. From the piece entitled “Attraction,” he writes,
“You say goodbye and I say hello
Don’t know why you…
No, I really want to know
Because I’m a woman and you’re a man
Intoxicates?
At times, infuriates” From another piece, “The Newborn,” he pens,
“Look at the size of her head
That’s our daughter you’re talking about
Like a bowling ball
She’ll grow into it
I’m so proud Me too
Has your eyes
And your bald scalp”
While some of Fields’ insights seem a bit stereotypical, overall, there is an appealing, amusing universality in much of what he writes. “Staring Into the Sun” is somewhat like reading a personal blog about love relationships. I recommend it if you are seeking yet another voice and perspective in the never-ending discussion of the differences between men and women in love. It is not recommended if you are looking for fresh, new dialogue on the subject.
We’ve discussed how creating a blog can help organize your writing schedule, generate actual book content, and assist in ultimately marketing your published book by building platform and establishing yourself as an expert.
Guest blogger, Bobby Christmas, the Book Doctor, talks about generating blog traffic for self-publishing authors.
BLOG
Q: I have started a blog, which started out slowly, but I now get about fifteen hits a day. How can I increase that number?
A: First, for those not familiar with blogs (Web logs), they are online journals. One provider of Web log space is http://www.blogspot.com. Many authors have found that maintaining a blog builds a fan base for their books and keeps fans up to date when a new book is going to be released.
I’m not the expert on blogs or driving traffic to blogs, but I will give these tips:
What are you doing to make those people go to your blog and read it now? Do more of the same.
Register your blog wherever possible, and be sure your blog offers good content that people will want to read.
To drive traffic to your blog, write articles or a column regarding your subject matter and include a link to your blog. Send those articles to any site that may post them.
Embed key words in your blog, words that readers might use to search for the type of information you provide in your blog.
In addition to my very basic advice, buy and read a book on how to increase visibility and drive readers to a blog. I noted 164 books about blogs on Amazon.com.
… is the headline reading on PubIt!’s new homepage. A bit late on its expected summer timeline, Barnes & Noble has just announced that its digital self-publishing platform, PubIt!, is up and user ready. Barnes & Noble joining the mix is no surprise, considering the buzz currently swarming around digital publishing, a topic we hit on often here.
Like many things digital, PubIt! is marketing the service toward self-publishers as an easy, cost-effective way to get their work on the market. PubIt! content then heads to at least BN.com and the B&N eBookstore, among other digital bookstores that may pick the titles up. Like Amazon’s Kindle, PubIt! advertises no hidden fees, and a similar author-controlled pricing structure.
Authors can price their books anywhere from $0.99 – $199.00, with higher royalties paid to those titles priced in the sweet spot. Books retailing from $2.99 – $9.99 will see $65 percent royalties, while those priced on top or bottom of that dropped down to 40%. More information can be found on the PubIt! site.
Many self-publishing authors do now have greater access to living the dream thanks to technological and organizational advancements. I would expect that self-publishing service providers will soon begin to integrate this into their expanding suite of services and options.
Self Publishing Advisor 
