Serious About Self Publishing E-Course: Lesson 7

Welcome to lesson 7, your final lesson in the self publishing basics e-course. There's a lot I want to cover in this lesson, so allow me to jump right in...

If you're at all concerned about all of the details of publishing a book, there's no need to be. You'll have absolutely no need to fear if you do your research, some of which I've done for you in this useful overview. When you make the decision to bring your book to life there are some things that you will have to consider:

Printers Overview-POD

When determining how your book will be printed there are many choices, print-on-demand (also referred to as POD)  is one of my favorite options for first time authors, and speakers.

While you might pay a little more per copy for the book, but you save an enormous amount on set-up charges, plates and proofs. To help you understand the process and just why I consider it so highly, continue reading...

POD is a type of printing technology that allows a complete book to be printed and bound in a matter of minutes. This makes it easy and cost-effective to produce books one or two at a time or in small lots, rather than in large print runs of a thousand or more.

Due to economies of scale, POD books have a higher unit production cost than books produced by means of a traditional offset print run. The vast majority of POD books are trade paperback-size. It's a more economical publishing model, trading lower startup costs against smaller per-book profits.

As you can see from the brief description of POD, there are many benefits to this printing process, some of the more notable reasons are:

• Lower start-up production costs
• Ability to manage inventory
• Quick turn-around/printing
• Large selection of POD vendors to choose from

Two other reasons worth mentioning are; the benefits to the first time author who commits to focus on completion not perfection, therefore having a finished book in hand will give you the confidence to get useful feedback, showcase it to others to get testimonials, and make promotional copy pre-sales. The changing and evolution of the book can be an exhilarating process and is very affordable when using POD.

As a speaker, I have come to rely on the flexibility of POD to help me get the most revenue out of each presentation. Generally, I estimate approximately how many people will be attending the seminar, and even before the speaking engagement I pre-sale books to participants at a discount with the promise to autograph them on-site.

I make it very clear that it is not my intention to ship a ton of books, only to have to bare the expense of shipping them back.

So I generate an immediate call to action and not only guarantee book sales up-front, but create a demand on-site as participants who did not pre-purchase their books rush to buy the limited number of copies remaining.

POD helps with the process because I can simply order and ship the pre-sold quantity with a slight overage and have it all paid for before I even deliver the first copy.


Printers Overview- Fee-based POD

You may be familiar with Xlibris and iUniverse, two of the largest fee-based POD (FBPOD) companies online. The idea of fee-based POD is very genius. These companies are not traditional publishers, rather they offer publishing services to writers. Allow me to clearly explain:


Fee-based POD (FBPOD) offers a low-to moderate cost service to anyone who wants to have their printed materials delivered in book form. As a FBPOD customer your income comes in the form of royalties on sales, and books are printed and shipped as ordered.


For writers who just want to produce a few dozen copies of a highly niched book, or perhaps hobbyists with a recipe book for private distribution, or families wanting to pen a family memoir; FBPOD can be an excellent solution. It provides an attractive, professionally designed book at a far lower cost than traditional or self publishing, and offers many of the same benefits, including guaranteed publication and lack of editorial interference. Also, since a POD book is produced only when ordered, you don't risk winding up with a garage full of unsold volumes.


It must be mentioned that FBPOD is not true self publishing and has a few draw-backs that you should be aware of before deciding if it's right for you:

• Control. With self-publishing, the writer controls all aspects of the publishing process, from cover art to print style to pricing. With FBPOD, choice is limited to the package of services the publisher offers.
   
• Revenue. With self-publishing, the writer keeps all proceeds from sales. With FBPOD, payment comes in the form of a royalty - you are, essentially, paying the publisher twice: once upfront, and again with each book produced and sold.
   
• Rights. With self-publishing, all rights remain with the author, who has full ownership of his/her books. With FBPOD, rights often go to the FBPOD service, which has an exclusive claim on them for a set period of time.

If you choose the FBPOD option, be sure that the initial savings and ease of use is worth what you will have to share, or give-up altogether.


Printers Overview- Independent Publisher

To give a balance to the printing options available to you, I want to mention the independent publisher option. In lesson two I gave some strong arguments against traditional publishing, but I did not mention this option.


While much of what I have to share about independent publishing is not positive, it is only fair to mention it as an option as some authors have had degrees of success with this medium. I caution you to get the facts before making a commitment to publish your book through an independent publisher.

Look for evidence that the publisher has been in business for a year or more, and that it has a backlist of published books. This indicates at least some stability, as well as the capacity to take a book all the way through the production process.

You'll also be able to request a book or two to check the physical quality of the type of work that they do, and judge by the existence of professional reviews or even bookstore presence whether the publisher is marketing to the book trades or not.

While you don't want to choose a publisher that hasn't proved its ability to publish, there's risk at the other end of the spectrum too. "Author mills" are POD-based publishers that base their business model on author volume. They sell small numbers of books from a very large number of authors. Rather than basing their business on book volume, selling large numbers of books from a limited number of authors, as traditional publishers do.

Some of these independent publishers' catalogues include 1,000 or more authors. Because they don't charge fees, author mills often misleadingly present themselves as "traditional" publishers--but in practice they more closely resemble the fee-based PODs, with the same open acceptance policies, higher prices, bookseller-unfriendly business practices, and minimal marketing support.
 

Editing Overview- R&D team

When writing my books, my R&D team were a very necessary part of the process. I had five very well respected people who helped me with everything from filling in the gaps of my incomplete thoughts to suggesting a different point of view that enabled me to see a new perspective.

When it comes to editing your work, take this process very seriously. It's okay to have your husband or best friend look over your manuscript, but be sure you also have people who will not be so enamored with the process or impressed with your efforts that they cannot objectively look at your writing for what it is and challenge you in the best ways possible.

Your primary objective is to serve the reader, so be sure that everyone who reads anything you give with the intention of offering feedback is very clear on who your target audience is, this distinction will help someone who the book is not intended for to respond more objectively.

Editing Overview- Proofreader

Many people mistake editing and proofreading, however there are distinct differences. If you ask your former English professor to read your manuscript, you are most likely going to receive feedback that closely resembles proofreading; which is the correction of spelling, grammar, and basic structural errors with some basic rewording of your sentence sentences and paragraphs.

Albeit helpful, this is not editing so be sure you fully understand the difference, especially when you are considering paying someone for their services. Often the proofing process is much swifter than the editing process and it costs less.

Read on to get a full understanding of the editing process.


Editing Overview- Editor

An editor's primary function is to check your chapters for organization and consistency, elimination of redundancies and inappropriate material, examination of terms, definitions, and headings to see if introduced when appropriate.

Editors should also challenge you regarding uneven coverage of a subject or topic and services should also include but not be limited to:

• Reduction of wordiness
• Confusing language
• Vague generalizations
• Improvement of organization
• Word flow
• Word choices as well as
• Suggestions for rewritings

As you can see the editing process is much more detailed, therefore more time consuming and more expensive then other options that seem to be similar to editing. I used an editor on each of my books, however because of the help of my R&D team, I was actually complimented by my editor on the ease of the process because much of her job was made easier as a result of getting useful feedback and input from my R&D team members.

You can significantly reduce the time it takes, and the cost of editing your book by following these tips:

• Rely on R&D team for proofreading and pre-editing help
   
• Be open to suggestions and willing to make changes
   
• Have a clear idea of the 'voice' you want your writing to have
   
• Give your editor guidelines and stipulations of any non-changeable text
   
• Get samples of editors work and be familiar with the type of work they are most noted for before you hire
   
• Most editors charge by the hour, so negotiate a cap on the number of hours for the project or ask for a flat fee price

Cover Design

You might recall from lesson four the importance of a great book title and just as importantly an awesome cover. Very few people have imaginations that allow them to look beyond something unappealing and find value there.

The bottom line is, attractive book covers sell books. In fact, because marketers and product creators have figured out how important the outer packaging is, the product and package design business is a $50 billion dollar a year industry.

Just think of the last product you bought simply for the package. You didn't need it, you were just so compelled to buy it because of the packaging. Maybe it was the bright coloring or the bold block lettering, or the elaborate design. Whatever the reason, you were drawn to it and you made your decision based largely on the packaging.

That's exactly how your book will be viewed. This is serious stuff, so serious that the Wall Street Journal conducted a study and found, "The average bookstore browser who picks up a book spends 8 seconds looking at the front cover and 15 seconds reading the back."

If your books won't be in the bookstores, it is still necessary to treat them as if they are. People purchase perception. The good news is that if you're a speaker, coach or consultant, you will have more of a chance to compel the potential buyer to purchase your book after they have witnessed your dynamic presentation. But even then you will need to have a book that is fitting of the person who presented the powerful message.

Second to the cost of printing your book, hiring a professional book cover designer will likely be your most expensive book investment. However, allow me to put the cost into perspective. Imagine you were asked to attend a high profile dinner, where you were sure to meet respected members of your industry- people whose endorsement could skyrocket your credibility and help take your business to the next level.

While you may have several nice suits or a really great dress you could dry clean and wear, you want to make the best and most lasting impression. Because of this you rent a tuxedo or purchase a gown rationalizing that the expense of "going out of your way" for the event will more than pay for itself if you get the attention and endorsement of just one of the many notable guests in attendance.

Now fast forward to the event, you look amazing, stunning even. Your appearance is incredible and your confidence is high. You spot one of the many people you'd like to meet standing alone, and walk over to speak to them. You tell them about yourself and about your book, they show genuine interest and ask you to send them a copy.

Now here's a great opportunity to get feedback, and even an endorsement from a respected and well known member of your industry. How would your cover represent you? Would your cover blow your chance of getting an endorsement?

This really happened to a friend of mine, who went out of his way to make a great impression but blew it because the quality of his book cover was second-rate. It did not represent the great content that was in the book, and worst yet-it didn't represent him well. No one (well, maybe your mother) will want to endorse, promote or be associated with something that isn't visually appealing and does a poor job of reflecting quality and value.

Whether you sell from the platform at live events, in the back of a crowded room, in a highly competitive book store or even on Amazon, the bottom line is, your cover design (and book title) is key when selling your book.

The best way to get the most professional cover is to:

Determine what appeals to you- spend a few hours in the bookstore picking out books in your category and at least one other category that catch your eye. As best as possible jot down why the cover (and title) appealed to you (i.e. the use of color, the simplicity of the lettering)

Sample designers work- Different books require different styles, so be sure to choose someone whose work displays a wide range of options, or a highly specialized designer if your book is niched.

Request a quote and terms- Many cover designers charge a flat fee for "standard" covers and offer a la carte services for special touches/additions. Be very clear about your expectations and get a quote that includes any fees unique to your cover. Also, ask about their terms upfront, will you own the artwork? Do you have to give them cover design credit in or on your book?

Corrections/edits- Be very clear about the number of "complementary" changes you are entitled to. Most designers will give you up to two corrections and or edits before charging so be very clear about your design ideas before the project is started.

Importance of Bookstore Quality Covers

I wish I could show you some of the horrible book covers that I have seen well meaning self publishers produce. For many of these authors the unfortunate truth is their message will be lost because of the poor quality of their covers.

I cannot stress the necessity of a quality cover to sell your book, in fact according to Dan Poynter, notable author of more than 80 books, "A great title will not sell a bad book but a poor title will hide a good book from potential customers. Both your title and subtitle must be a selling tool. They are the hook that help sales."

To expand on what Poynter has said, I would add, "A great cover will sell a bad book, but a poor cover will only hide a great book. Both the cover and the title are necessary elements to hook the sale of any book."

Like many "do-it-yourself" business models it is easy to become convinced that the process of creating something from "scratch" or doing something you've never before perfectly is easy.

Self publishing is simple, but it is not easy, there are many costly mistakes that can be made if you don't know the rules, or worse choose to ignore them.

When Home Depot came on the scene in 1978, contractors and builders were concerned that their businesses would fail. Many were afraid that with the proliferation of these "anyone can build it" stores would cause them to see a significant decrease in their profits and there would no longer be a need for skilled contractors and professionals.

The truth is, that while Home Depot has more than 1,500 stores, and at least one in every state in the county, builders and contractors businesses are booming, to the tune of a $100 billion dollar industry. Why?

Because as simple as it might be to redo your kitchen or finish your basement, it's not easy. It's time consuming and requires a level of experience or at least someone on your team with the know-how to guide you through the process.

What many homeowners have learned the hard way is it's often a whole lot cheaper to work with an experienced professional from the beginning than having to call in the "rescue" team after lots of money and time has been wasted on a good idea gone very bad.

I was fortunate to work with two very experienced, previously self published authors to create my books, and my R&D team always includes someone who has done it longer, better and more often than my last attempt so I can get the benefit of their expertise.

I want to be your coach through the self publishing process which can be fun, affordable and hugely profitable. I want to keep you from making costly mistakes, ill-informed choices and having a garage full of books that won't sell.


My hope is that you are serious about becoming a self published author and are interested in investing in the process as much as the finished product.

If you're an aspiring author looking to share your message with a published book, or even if you're a published author that realizes the value in learning a proven-to-be-profitable,  step-by-step book publishing process that can be duplicated over and over for maximum results then...

E-mail me to learn more about my one-on-one, hands-on self publishing coaching program, there's still space available. Just send me an email at sanyika@selfpublishingbasics.com for more details.


This is your last e-lesson, in past lessons I've covered:

Lesson 1- Writing & Publishing in 90 Days or Less
Lesson 2- Self Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing
Lesson 3- The Writing Process
Lesson 4- Picking a Title and Staying Focused
Lesson 5- Writers block
Lesson 6- Advance Praise & Testimonials

But this is just the tip of iceberg, there's so much more to cover, and the self publishing coaching program will give you step-by-step instruction to take you from idea to author in less time and for less money than you thought possible.

Don't wait any longer to take the first step...You can have a published book and all of the benefits that go along with it:

• More exposure
• More credibility
• More income

 
Register for the Self Publishing Coaching program and you'll be a published author with the ability to sell your book and boost your business. Don't procrastinate any longer...

Now's The Time...Bring Out the Author in You!
 

Sanyika Calloway Boyce
Author, Speaker, and Coach
212-978-9638

Get a free 20 minute consultation on writing
your book NOW!
http://selfpublishingworkshop.com/callme

Lesson 1 | Lesson 2 | Lesson 3 | Lesson 4 | Lesson 5 | Lesson 6 | Lesson 7

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