Write That Book Already!: The Tough Love You Need To Get Published Now (19 page)

“In the three years that
Tails of Devotion
has been on the market, almost all 10,000 copies have been sold or distributed, raising more than $250,000 for sixty animal welfare nonprofit organizations in twenty-two states and two countries.

“I benefited from staying true to the mission, which resonated with many experts in the publishing world. Once they learned that I was not recouping my costs, that I was doing my homework, that Amy Tan was writing the foreword, these professionals offered me best practices and their contacts when the questions were outside their field of expertise. A local bookstore chain agreed to fulfill orders from my website for very little compensation. I set up an account at the Schwab Charitable Fund so proceeds could then be distributed as grants. Learning by doing also meant that for every door opened, I not only got more information, but I also entered a hallway of other doors that I had no idea existed that also needed to be opened.

“The biggest obstacle from start to finish (note: especially marketing, public relations, sales) is the perception that self-publishing = vanity press. The assumption is you self-published because every publisher turned you down. As
Tails of Devotion
is a four-color, glossy coffee table book and not the hoped great American novel (note: black ink on paper), I thought this would not be an issue. I was wrong. While I continuously heard from respected publishers that my book was top quality and had all the right marketing ingredients (famous people in the book and as jacket blurbs, artistic and compelling photos, unique structure and selling proposition), many reviewers, TV/radio producers wouldn’t even look at
Tails of Devotion
because it was a self-published book."

You may have a similar passion but have been unable to get your book published. If so, Emily has additional suggestions for people considering self-publishing:

• If your work is “black ink on paper” you have many more options for printing. Do use high-quality paper and do invest in an experienced graphic designer to help with cover and layout.

• Distribution, distribution, distribution. Do you really want your office, closet, garage, and kitchen cabinets the only places your book resides? Approach your local bookstores, as many of them have a shelf for local authors. Look into Amazon Advantage, Google Books, gift stores, and other opportunities for consignment. Create a website, blog, and e-mail list. Approach book clubs, local community centers, cafes, local newspapers, neighborhood newspapers, local radio shows.

• Always carry at least one copy of your book with you—always and everywhere.

• Give away free copies very judiciously. It was amazing how many people—including friends and family—asked for a copy.
Tails of Devotion
proceeds went to charity! Even when I explained this point, people still expected a free copy. The only exception to this is if your objective is to create the book and then give away copies. If that is the case, please send me a copy!

• Expect “yes.”
Tails of Devotion
had so many bells and whistles that I truly expected everyone would want to buy the book, would want to interview me, and would want to shower us with glowing reviews. My convictions were so strong that I was truly surprised when I heard “no.” Passion overriding experience . . .

• Before you go to press, find at least three people who are staggeringly candid and ask them to review your work and offer comments. Listen to their comments. If all three readers want you to change something, I suggest you take them up on their edit. If the comments are mixed, and you trust your instincts, then go with your gut.

• Once you are done writing and editing, you must then start wearing the hats of marketing rep, distribution/operations manager, and bookkeeper. Or find someone willing to do this for you but stay on top of it. Remember, you care about this book and its success more than anyone else in the world. You are the CEO of your book.

• There are many sites and people offering “how to” and/or promising “success” in all aspects of self-publishing. Be cautious and read the fine print. Much of this information can be found for free on the Internet and in your local public library. Diet pills promise that you can be thin in ten days for the low cost. They don’t emphasize the fact that this happens if you eat less and exercise more and that you have now signed up for a monthly plan.

• Create a timeline and a plan of action. Stay focused on the timeline and the plan of action. Then be prepared to constantly redo said timeline and plan of action. The twists and turns cannot be predicted. Challenges and opportunities abound.

At the end of the day be proud of your work, of your effort, of your desire to be creative. These are all wonderful traits!

Famous Books That Were Originally Self-Published Books

Ulysses
by James Joyce

Leaves of Grass
by Walt Whitman

Walden
by Henry David Thoreau

Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain

Robert’s Rules of Order
by Henry Martyn Robert

The Tale of Peter Rabbit
by Beatrix Potter

The Elements of Style
by William Strunk, Jr. and his student E. B. White

The Joy of Cooking
by Irma Starkloff Rombauer

The Bridges of Madison County
by Robert James Waller

The One-Minute Manager
by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

The Celestine Prophecy
by James Redfield

The Christmas Box
by Richard Paul Evans

What Color Is Your Parachute?
by Richard Nelson Bolles

Legally Blonde
by Amanda Brown

The Shack
by William P. Young

And, of course . . .

Tails of Devotion
by Emily Scott Pottruck
and

Hormone Replacement Therapy:
Yes or No?
by Betty Kamen, PhD

WHEN SELF-PUBLISHING DOESN’T MAKE SENSE

If you’re hoping to appear on major television shows and see your book on the bestseller lists, self-publishing is not the likeliest route (although there’s no guarantee you will have a bestseller or appear on TV anyway, even with a title published by A. A. Knopf). But if you don’t care about bookstore distribution and you have a viable plan for finding your audience, self-publishing can make sense. It can even be the better choice.

The benefits of working with a publisher are:

• Editorial direction (something most of us actually do need)

• Expert copyediting and proofreading services

• Sales, distribution, marketing, and publicity at a level rarely accomplished alone

• Most of the time, a better looking, more salable finished product

• The respect among booksellers and media that (as of this writing) is conferred only on books published by established publishers

• Not having to find space in your garage for the boxes of books that don’t sell

BOTTOM LINE

Self-publishing can be a great idea for some authors, but it is a lot of work and isn’t right for everyone or every type of book. Impatience and frustration aren’t the best reasons to self-publish; you need to have resources and a carefully thought-out plan if you are going to go this route. That said, these are changing times, and some self-published authors are finding success by going their own way.

Once your book is written, acquired, and published, and as it is marketed and publicized, the sales team goes to work. This is a two-step process: step one involves the publisher’s sales representatives pitching your book as part of the forthcoming list to their accounts (everyone from that tiny bait-and-tackle store with the rack of paperbacks out by the lake to community-oriented independent bookstores, to big chains, to Wal-Mart, to
Amazon.com
, to phone apps); step two involves the reader walking into (or perhaps Googling) a retail outlet and actually buying your book.

THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF RETAIL SALES

Bookselling techniques vary according to the venue, of course. Online sales (a rapidly changing and expanding area) rely on reader reviews, web links, and (in some cases) preferential treatment bought with publisher advertising dollars, such as paying for an arrangement where search engines direct users to a link about the book. Online videos, author interviews, catalogues, book trailers, phone apps, and teasers provided to online retailers or directly to the public are new ways to reach retailers and readers. Others include e-mail campaigns to targeted lists, grassroots networking through social networking sites and websites or blogs with particular interests (nursing mothers, environmental activists, thrill seekers), and authors’ websites. However online marketing is done, the goal is the same as it has always been in all book marketing—to promote the book within the industry and to the buying public so that it will capture attention and sell.

BOOKSTORES

There are many different kinds of bookstores, and the ones you visit when promoting your book will be chosen for a variety of reasons:

• The store reports to an influential bestseller list such as the one in the
New York Times
.

• The store specializes in mysteries and you are a mystery writer, or in architectural books and your book is about architecture, etc.

• The bookstore is a leading independent store in your community, hosting well-run events that can help break out a book like yours.

• The publisher has an ongoing relationship with the store.

• The publisher is trying to influence a regional bestseller list by scheduling a lot of events in the same area at the same time.

Chain stores like Barnes & Noble or Borders make their book-buying decisions at a central national office, though local stores often have a display featuring books of local interest or by local authors. An event at these stores can be either a simple book signing or a reading/discussion followed by Q&A and a signing. Make sure you know what is expected of you before you arrive, so you can be professional and prepared.

BIG-BOX STORES

At a warehouse store like Costco or Sam’s Club, a limited variety of titles are piled on a table with no apparent thought given to display or promotion. The fact that the books are there at all is an indication of corporate support, but even these stores will host an occasional book signing. If you are asked to sign at one of these stores, expect to field questions from confused shoppers who want to know where to find the electric toothbrushes or small power tools. You might want to brush up on the lay of the land ahead of time, so you can provide the correct answers. Maybe you can make a little money on the side doing a food demonstration! It can be humbling to sit in a warehouse store with a pile of your books and realize they are, in this context, just that much more merchandise. However, having your books stocked by these stores is good news for an author. Warehouse stores order in large quantities and expose your book to an audience that might not ever find it in other retail settings.