|
| |
Self-Publish Your Own Book and
Keep All the Profits!
by Marilyn and Tom Ross
How does a person bridge the enormous gap between a manuscript and a book?
There are three options: trade (commercial) publishing, subsidy (vanity)
publishing, or self-publishing. Commercial publishers are the so-called "giants" in the industry.
Unfortunately, they're so big they no longer hear the voice of the little
person. Continuing corporate mergers and take-overs compound the problem. Unless
you are famous (or infamous), your manuscript has little chance of making it
through the corporate front door. And even if it does, this can be more of a
curse than a blessing. Trade publishers typically offer a $2,000 to $10,000
advance against royalties. Yet industry statistics show that only one in
10 books ever earn back that advance. That's a 90% failure rate! It means you're
unlikely to ever get any more than that paltry initial payment.
Those who sign with commercial houses have no guarantee their book will be
properly presented to the public. A disproportionate chunk of advertising
dollars is spent on authors with established track records or well-known names.
We hear many horror stories about authors who make media appearances to promote
their work...yet customers can't find their books in bookstores. In desperation, many novices turn to subsidy (vanity) presses. Beware! Here
the ink hits the paper only when the author underwrites the cost of the entire
venture. But despite the investment, the author is expected to sign away all
rights and receives only a partial royalty in return. Plus the vanity
publisher's name on your book stigmatizes it, causing it to be shunned by
important reviewers. Lastly, marketing efforts by vanity houses are dismal to
nonexistent.
Self-publishing is a viable option for many. This "do-it-yourself" method
places you in complete control of the entire process. Critical decisions
concerning the title, cover design, content, marketing, and distribution are
made by you -- not by some executive sitting in a remote New York office. Yes,
you invest in your project. Done properly, however, this is a prudent investment
in your future.
In the past ten years, overall quality in the industry has skyrocketed.
Well-edited manuscripts, eye-catching covers, and high-tech marketing techniques
are the norm. Privately published titles typically command respect -- and
profits -- for their authors. We know that many busy professionals want to
control their destinies -- but they don't have time to handle the myriad of
details involved. To meet this need, About Books, Inc. offers a turnkey service
to oversee the entire editing, design, printing, and marketing process.
Here's the approach many savvy people are taking today: They self-publish
initially and promote their book to success. Then they leverage this successful
track record by "allowing" a trade publisher to buy the rights to their proven
product. This way they have the clout to command a higher advance and can
negotiate more favorable terms. By removing the risk for the commercial
publisher, you put yourself in a more powerful position. Success can be yours.
Self-publishing your book is often the profitable alternative.
Many dramatic success stories have left their imprint on the entire
self-publishing movement. Such was the case of Louise Hay, author of a
phenomenally successful line of books, who chose self-publishing to launch her
works. She began with a 48-page staple-bound edition of Heal Your Body;
her second venture, You Can Heal Your Life, captured the #9 spot on the
trade paperback best-seller life for 1988! Her books and resulting tapes and
seminars have helped hundreds of thousands to discover the pathway to
well-being. And they've helped Louise to wealth.
Consider the example of self-publisher Ted Nicholas. His How to Form Your
Own Corporation Without a Lawyer for Under $50 started its journey with
$5,000 borrowed from a life insurance policy. The result? Over 800,000 copies
sold to date. Entrepreneurs of America, a service for independent business
people, is just one of his latest spin-offs. Capitalizing on his direct mail
wizardry, Nicholas recently published The Golden Mailbox, a how-to guide
for selling books through the mail.
The classic career counseling handbook, What Color Is Your Parachute?
originated its climb to best-sellerdom as a self-published title. Author and
clergyman Richard Nelson Bolles eventually sold to Ten Speed Press, where the
book continues to move at a rate of 300,000 copies a year. The total number of
copies sold so far is over five million!
Another author to join the ranks of the elite with several million books sold
is Peter McWilliams. This self-publishing all-star has written on an amazing
topics. Starting with poetry and transcendental meditation, he quickly moved
into the exploding computer market with The Personal Computer Book.
McWilliams' latest title, You Can't Afford the Luxury of a Negative Thought,
is representative of his popular self-help style. These dramatic success stories have left their imprint on the entire
self-publishing movement. Today, more and more people are deciding to publish
their own books and keep all the profit!
©Copyright 1999-2003 Marilyn and Tom Ross
To Articles and Excerpts Menu
To Home Page
|
|
