10 Things Self-Publishers Should Know

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Author Message   Emanuel "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Emanuel Post Number: 218 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 01:00 pm:        Top 10 Things Self-Publishers Should Know Hi ya’ll, For those who don't know me form this board, my name is Emanuel Carpenter. I am the author and publisher of “Where is the Love?” which has been on the top 1500 on BarnesandNoble.com and has received great reviews from Rolling Out Urban Weekly, Urban-Reviews.com and the Midwest Book Review. Having gone through the trials and tribulations of publishing my own novel, I thought I’d share my top 10 list of things self-publishers should know. Here they are: 10. Get A Website. Having your own website lets people know you’re serious about being a writer and a publisher. If you can’t afford to pay a web designer when you’re just starting out, get a free site from a place like Geocities or Homestead. After you’ve sold a few books, invest in a site that’s easy to find and professional looking like www.yourname.com . Having gone from a free site to a professional site, I can tell you it made a world of difference. 9. Subsidy Is Not Self Publishing. Pay no attention to the ads from publishers that tell you they will help you self publish. Chances are, it is a vanity press which have a bad reputation in the industry. My first book was published by such a company, and I paid big time for it. Very little media coverage because of a reputation for poor quality. No bookstore shelf space because they usually refuse to order these book. If you are not purchasing your own ISBN #s, choosing and paying for your own cover art and setting your own price for books, you are not self publishing. 8. Price Is Important. Be sure to price your book reasonably. If your book costs 50% more than a national bestseller, guess whose book is going to get purchased? Check your page count and format, then compare it to similar titles at the bookstores and price accordingly. Keep in mind that vanity publisher overprice their books, and you don’t want to look like a vanity publisher. 7. Distribution Is Important. When self-publishing your book, remember distribution is important. Most bookstores and libraries only purchase books from their distributors. Among them are Ingram, Brogart and Baker & Taylor (B & T). One way to make sure your titles are connected to a distributor is to choose a printer that already has a relationship with them. I use Lightning Source Inc. (a subsidiary of Ingram) which automatically gives me a distributor. This was especially important when selling to libraries because they mainly go through B & T . It’s also important when setting up signings without having to purchase and bring your own books. 6. Free Publicity Is Important. Once your book is released, be sure to craft a press release to send to the media so that they will do a story on you or your book. If you’re not skilled in press release writing, hire someone who is. I offer a service for a small fee that includes writing the press release and posting it on media sites for worldwide distribution. Publicists and PR professionals in your area may offer similar services for various fees. 5. Sell To Libraries. Selling to bookstores is important but selling to libraries is even more important. How do think the library gets all of their books? They buy them. So don’t forget to let them know about your title by calling, emailing and mailing them with information. When my novel was released, I called all the libraries in states I lived in and then worked my way to the major cities. Just last week, a local library bought 42 copies of my novel. A great place to start is www.publiclibraries.com . You might not end up on a bestseller list when selling to libraries but they do buy in bulk and never return unused copies. 4. Spend Some Money. Message boards, e-mails and word of mouth are fine. Just keep in mind every new author uses this method, and there are tons of us in the marketplace. Eventually you’re going to have to spend some money on advertising if you want to distinguish yourself from the others. Advertising doesn’t necessarily have to be an expensive endeavor. Banner ads are relatively inexpensive. You may also want to consider a small ad in your local newspaper or a literary magazine to reach the people most likely to buy your book. 3. Always Be Selling. Keep your eye out for selling opportunities and be prepared for when they arise. Try to keep a few books on hand at all times in case someone wants an autographed copy of your masterpiece. Don’t be ashamed to have a few books stashed in the trunk of your car, just in case. Some of the greatest entertainers today got started doing the same thing. 2. Make Sure Your Cover Is Tight. Who says you can’t judge a book by its cover? You can when it looks like the author’s six year old drew it. Hire a professional graphic designer so that your cover doesn’t eliminate you from getting on the shelves of retail stores and more importantly on the bookshelves of readers. My cover by NDigo Design has received raves. Remember, you’re competing with the likes of Random House and St. Martin’s Press. 1. Nothing Replaces Book Signings. Book signings are probably the best way to gain a new audience and sell books to people who’ve never heard of you. This is because most people are not only interested in the work but the writer as a person as well. If you can sell yourself, you are almost guaranteed to sell your book. Try to set up as many signings as your time and budget will allow. I hope this top 10 list has helped. I will be speaking more about my personal experiences as a self publisher at the Essence of Motown Writers Conference in Detroit November 10-12. If you’re considering self publishing or interested in my press release or independent book review service, please feel free to contact me by e-mail at emanuelcarpenter@yahoo.com . Take care, Emanuel Carpenter Author of “Where is the Love?” http://www.emanuelcarpenter.com   Snakegirl AALBC .com Platinum Poster Username: Snakegirl Post Number: 93 Registered: 05-2005 Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 04:16 pm:        Pretty damned great post, Emmanuel.   Emanuel "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Emanuel Post Number: 220 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) Posted on Wednesday, July 26, 2006 - 04:23 pm:        Thank ya kindly.