Choosing a Publisher – Page 8 – Self Publishing Advisor

Book pricing – authors, what are you worth?

An interesting article published not long ago profiles one author’s success self-publishing over more traditional publishing models, most notably in terms of higher net royalties on book sales. In fact, the case study recorded significantly higher royalties on a relatively low quantity of book sales.

The book pricing advantages of self-publishing is no stranger to this blog, nor the increasingly successful population of authors who follow that path. While book pricing has a notable effect on your book sales and marketing efforts, your pricing decisions fall into the production (or even planning) stage.

Also interesting, this particular article also mentioned that writers should never have to pay for publishing upfront.

Compelling isn’t it? I’ve worked with many authors who have been pulled in by that concept, but in the end find themselves a book of average production quality sold back to them at highly marked-up costs which would find difficulty competing in any retail market.

Free publishing mirrors the traditional model, and its easy to find validation in your writing through an organization that would publish material for free.

But…

Publishers are businesses and need to make money too, after all. Often this free publishing model really only puts self-designed books right back in the hands of its author, not readers.

One successful alternative does involve upfront publishing fees, which opens a direct contract between authors and publishers including quality, professional production on books that are competitively sold in the marketplace, where readers buy books. Make sure your self-publishing choice includes those things like cover design, interior formatting, and full distribution. Also, as previously mentioned– and the significance here is worth the redundancy – make sure your publisher offers pricing flexibility (control) and 100% royalties on book sales.

Choosing a Publisher

You can’t judge a book by its cover

Ah, but you have judged many a book by its cover, and will again. So, too, will readers considering purchasing your book whether in the brick & mortar store or online at sites like Amazon. This is a great opportunity for self-publishing authors.

We discussed recently the important of well written sales copy for your book’s back cover. Let’s flip it around. Literally. Your book’s cover is one of the singe most important elements in generating sales, especially online and before reader interest grows virally.

A book has around 3 seconds to gain a reader’s or buyer’s interest. That dynamic is becoming increasingly more important as the number of books published each year continues its staggering growth. Quality, custom cover design should be a top priority for any self-publishing author. Many self publishing services actually require authors to submit or create their own designs from generic templates. Your writing most likely didn’t come from a template, and neither should your cover. And the reality is, many writers are not necessarily experienced designers. When research publishing options for your book, make sure yours offers the custom cover design options that give your book the strongest head-start possible in finding reader’s hands.
Then, begin recruiting judges.

Choosing a Publisher

Now, Ghostwriting

In a recent post we discussed using copywriting services to generate powerful copy for your book sales efforts. Copywriting is often a form of ghostwriting, often for blogs, articles, and promotional material. What about ghostwriting for books?

Ghostwriting is the process in which one writes for and in the name of another (even in cases where the ‘another’ isn’t even a real person). You’re familiar with the term, but may not actually see it much in practice; hence, the moniker.

Most celebrity books you’ve seen or read are in part the product of ghostwriting collaboration. Political leaders, executives, even songwriters often use ghostwriting. There are varying degrees of ghostwriting involvement in books of all genres. An author may work with a subject expert to research, fact-check, and help polish a final draft. Or, in the case of John F. Kennedy, two books bearing his name were almost entirely penned by another. And, in some instances, a ghostwriter’s name will actually appear along with the author’s in the book credits – much of Tom Clancy’s work in the early 2000’s for example. Albeit, the ghostwriter’s name reads in much smaller print.

Does that imply that the author is in fact not a good writer? Perhaps. But rarely the case. And it should not suggest that the writer’s credibility is at all diminished as a published author. It’s often the opposite. A number of popular series titles have been written under a template, in the same style and tone, but at the hands of numerous writers working together to build the ‘brand’ name of a complete pseudonym. Think Nancy Drew.

Ghostwriting finds power in collaboration, and can be a great boon for your self-publishing endeavors, whether you’re a novelist, poet, or business owner looking to develop your brand. When exploring ghostwriting options with your publisher, be sure that you can be paired with someone in whom you find a good match whether your writing from scratch or simply working through a difficult section on your nearly finished draft.

Book Marketing, Choosing a Publisher, Self-Publishing

Stocking Self-published Books

Understanding how distribution works in the current POD publishing model makes a strong case for focusing book sales and marketing exclusively from literally tens of thousands of online exclusive venues from the micro-niche outlets to the whopper marketplace that is Amazon.

Even though this model is over a decade old, the concept has been slow to absorb among authors and retailers alike. Visiting a brick-and-mortar store is an experience after-all, and there is value in reaching real readers in real spaces.

Whether or not to stock a book in a brick-and-mortar store is a decision for each author to make upon careful consideration to the content, market, and return-on-investment, etc., because there are distinct qualifications most books must meet in order for a store buyer to decide whether or not to physically stock a book in their store. Remember, Amazon can stock virtually every book available in the ‘cloud’ or virtual space. Brick-and-mortar stores have very real limitations in terms of space and their own ROI to consider.

So if your goal is to stock your self-published ‘on-demand’ book in physical retail locations, consider these 3 qualifications when preparing your book for publication:

Retail Returns – this is like insurance for the retailer, allowing them to return any unsold books after a set period of time. A handful of full-service on-demand publishers offer this option. It will come at a cost to the author.
Distribution Discount – while online retailers will often stock a book as low as 25%, offline stores will require a steeper discount – 50-55%. Their cost and investment is higher. The downside means lower royalties and/or higher retail prices for the book.
Buzz – sure, books printed and sold on-demand require ‘buzz’ too, but that buzz comes before the book is sold, and sells the book. A brick-and-mortar store is taking a bigger risk, buying books that have yet to actually sell to a reader, so they’ll be looking for a book they feel has a potential to move. Don’t hesitate blowing your own horn. Or, look for a publisher that will help do it for you through options like copywriting, custom design work, personal marketing assistance, and press campaigns.

Choosing a Publisher, Self-Publishing

Copyright and Copywrite in Self-Publishing

Many authors often confuse the terms copyright and copywrite. Both are important elements in quality self-publishing and your publisher should offer both.

Let’s start with copyright – often the source of a deeper misconception. Some may be under the impression that copyright registration is a must prior to submitting their work to a publisher. That is not the case. Protecting your work is a good idea and should be on your radar, but actual registration is not necessary prior to submission.

The Basics: Copyright law provides the creator of a work (manuscript in this case) exclusive rights to control who may copy or create derivatives of that work. When do those exclusive rights take effect? The instant that creative effort is placed in tangible form – the first sentence put on paper. This specific protection was originally drafted under what is commonly known as The Berne Convention (for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works), an international agreement governing copyright law. This agreement has been signed by nearly every major nation including the United States.

So what does official registration with the US Copyright office accomplish? Protection in the event litigation concerning the creative work, or book, arises, the likeliness of which is rare.

Publishers should offer official registration with the US Copyright Office nevertheless. Make sure yours does. It’s a good idea to let them take care of that process through their professional services. Here is how it works: once your book is published your publisher will likely have you submit the required forms to complete the registration process with the Copyright Office on your behalf. Your copyright is registered on the date the Copyright Office receives all the necessary information, regardless of how long it takes them to mail your Copyright Certificate to you. Keep in mind it is taking the Copyright Office roughly 12 MONTHS to mail the certificates and this is a timeframe outside the control of any publisher.

If you have already applied for a copyright don’t wait for that to become official to begin working with your publisher. Remember, your work is already protected, and readers are ready for your book now.

There is a work-around for concerned authors called the “poor man’s copyright”. Simply mail a hardcopy version of your work in a sealed envelope to yourself and keep for your records. The sealed document will contain proof of ownership in a stamped and dated form. This is not a substitute for registration, but provides a measure of temporary protection.

Side note: Titles cannot be copyrighted.

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