I went for self publication, which is common, a publisher has to sell about 10,000 copies in the US to turn a profit. There is editing, cover art, $3 to $5 a copy for printing, and then writers think they should be paid. So it is at least a $50,000 gamble, and there are lots of new writers. A lot of bad books get published.
Doing your own editing and cover design, having a minimum of 1500 printed, most printers charge the same for 500, 1000, or 1500, you pay for the setup, then machine time and paper and ink are cheap. It still cost $10,000.
Selling 1500 from a dead stop is hard. Web marketing is new and great. Several online booksellers will list, run the creditcard, for 15% to 20%, they do not promote.
Squire here is going that route, Through my Eyes, my life with Aspurger's, which I bought and it is a great book. Squire has done at least one TV interview, mentions his book here, is getting some local press, which is all good. Aspurger's is a good limited market, 2,000,000 in the US. It does cross into other markets, teachers and other people who work with aspie kids.
It's marketing problem is it is not general interest, but few are, Quilt Making only appeals to some. The books still sell well within their limited market, if squier sold one book to 1% of the Aspurger population, he will sell 20,000. The problem is getting to the market, until a few months ago I had never heard of Aspurger's. So TV interviews, squire being 14 and a published writer is a bigger selling point, a little professor tells the world about Aspurger's.
Once he sells out the first printing, proving the book sells, a larger print run, and he can stock the shelves at Borders, Barnes&Nobel, and get more customer contact, which sells, and even better, touring for book signings.
He has a small but high demand market, several good marketing angles, and book signings, writer speeches, make the local news. It is work. It does sell books.
Some books sell themselves, I sell several on ebay, they are for small markets, would never be worth shelf space in a bookstore, but I have the world for a market, and a few sales pay for the means of production. They paid for me to publish.
Thomas Jefferson said, "Freedom of the press means owning one."
I tried to desktop publish for ten years, then the machines caught up, and a used HP LaserJet 5000 is a workhorse of a machine. I have a book I wrote, 271 pages, and the copy shop wants $22.50 a copy, I print it for $3. Another $4 gets them spiral bound with the good vynal covers front and back, and it is a book, for $7.
It is where I am on my book, not done. It is still a manuscript, it needs editing, being set up as a book, fonts chosen, and pictures. What I have is something I can send out for comment. It is hard to proof read your own work, as you made the errors, and have read over them many times, let other eyes find the faults, I am more than face blind.
I have an attachment to my work, I would rather self publish and maintain all rights. A book sold is gone, I look forward to a second edition, when I can afford good color and slick paper. It is a screen play, I am story boarding it, and it would be best done as animation.
So far each step has paid for the next. The work is in creating the story, and the added effort to self publish is minor. It is learning, and the book is only part of my vision of the work. We no longer just bang on a typewritter and drink, stories are written for current and future media. Books are now written with screen rights being the big payoff. The closer to the final goal, the more skilled the storyteller.
Mine is an Epic, I started in the 1980s with an Ovetti Electric, and have been through a half dozen computers since then. Good printers did not become available used till 2003. LaserJet is not waterproof, but some of the HP 5000 series can make offset masters, which run on a real press, and are good for 1500 copies. The more prepress work done, the better the product, and lower cost.
New writers, or people like me who put it all in one story, should self publish. New writers are sellable if they got a book done, and sold out the first printing. Writers need those TV spots, a scrapbook of print reviews, and working writers groups, getting to know book reviewers, speaking at creative writing classes, book clubs, (lots of bored older women, who would like to get to know you better) and the first book is just a means of building a name as a writer.
After a fair amount of book and self promotion, you are a name, and a second book, can be sold with the proven first which makes a good package to market to publishers. Publishers look for writers who will promote the work, tour for book signings, self promote, and they will aid you for you have common goals.
Just how to go about it has to do with what you write. Poetry and short stories work best in Literary magazines, romances, science fiction, detective stories, in paperback, and big novels in hardback. Your work has a market segment, and it is worth it to learn how many books sell in what fields, who publishes them, and what bookstores sell them. The more you know the less dumb things you will say.
It helps to track down other writers. Most people do not want to mention what they get paid, but if you are buying lunch and drinks, they will let out a lot. Writers are a poor misunderstood lot, so someone who has read their work, and buys drinks, is seen as smart. It is the path to other introductions. The same can be run on book reviewers, they are so wise and well read, and also like lunch and drinks.
Publishing and marketing is a small government, a dictatorship, lobby, introduce yourself, and do not anger the generals. Some of them are rich older women who want to discover writers, to show at parties, show up clean and sober, sip a half glass of wine, pretend to enjoy your self, and leave early, so your hostess can take credit for your existance. Do it right an she might invite you for a private lunch.
The more you know the less it costs. Who prints the books, where do they drink after work, a few rounds of beers can get your book printed for half of just walking in the door. The world is a racket, be a player. If you want to meet someone, do not just call them, find out who they know, that might be easier for you to meet, and like the rich lady general, an introduction from her will be treated with respect.
When I go after someone I buy a notebook, and write down everything I learn about them. For a writer it would include everything they have in print, dates, total sales, a guess at income generated, who they know, their publisher, ex publisher, wives and ex wives, patrons, enemies, age, education, for a little knowledge goes a long way. If you learn they really hate another writer, and say his work is so bad it should have never been printed, you have made a friend.
Once you have an overview of the book market, the players, and have worked the crowd to become known, you can settle down and write. The strangest thing is who buys and reads your work, find out why, write for them. Find the formula that works for you and your readers. Your brain is not a good judge of flattery, as soon as you can write down what happened, comments, for their real meaning takes time to sink in. From bits and pieces learn your demographic, and who is who in that market segment.
Writing is an art, selling books is a business. The better you are at the second, the better your chances at the first. You may find that all the romance writers have the same agent, who has a brother in law who publishes them all. Then investagate the agent, learn everything you can before arranging an introduction. Some rich lady may own most of the publishing company, you want to meet her.
If it is for sale, do not marry your work, some editing jobs it is hard to see what you wrote, but they are paying, so let them, and write more just like they butchered the last. They do know what sells for them, and in the choice between great art and money, they are in business. Read what they publish, it will tell you what they want. When you deal with a publishing house learn what writers they publish, who their agents are, know the playing field.
I started calling myself a Publisher when I sold a stack of books taller than myself. I am good with machines and would buy an HP Platemaker, a version of the 5000, and let some printer run them. I am art impaired, but most good artists are money impaired, so it works out. I have a photographic background, I can figure out four color process, and software does color seperation now.
From what I save on art and pre press work, I can afford high quality paper, hardback covers, and present my work, not just the cheap mass produced book format. Cutting out the middle men means cutting in artists, embossed covers, art quality paper, and if I break even I did it, and future editions can be mass market.
Some printers are artists, the same for bookbinders, learn the trade. It will cost more than glossy paste board, but if you support the arts they will support you. If your printer also does the best art books, you might have a small job and still be a patron of the arts. Meet the man who rebinds collectors rare books in Moroccan leather, with marbled endplates.
Learn, learn, learn, write, write, write.
27 Apr 2007, 4:53 am
let me first notice how people here will get it! I liked the old Orphio Negro didn't see its remake. And I like bossa nova that is fashioned again after 50 years! 
