It can take quite a while to find an agent, which is usually the first step if you’re seeking traditional publishing. But how long do you go at it before giving up?

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, you might send your query to dozens of agents before finding a match. Only you can decide when it might be time to move on — either write a different book and start querying that one, or possibly go ahead and self-publish. There’s no standard length of time to keep querying before changing course.

You’ll definitely want to get some objective feedback on your work somewhere along the way, which will help you make your decision. Please DON’T rope in friends or family members for this, not even your favorite English teacher. They’re unlikely to give you the kind of feedback you need.

The best feedback comes from others in the trenches with you — other writers who understand the publishing process — and professional freelance editors or coaches who do this for a living. Before deciding to self-publish, ask yourself: Do I need to take more time nurturing my craft? Do I need to work harder to make this a sellable idea? If yes, then step back and do those things.

But sometimes, all indications are that your writing is strong and your topic is compelling. Maybe it’s just not on-trend for publishers at the moment, or lightning simply hasn’t struck. If you’re confident in your work and want to put the time and energy into self-publishing, go for it. Meanwhile, you can write another book, and eventually you can try to find an agent with that one if you still want to. Your writing will always be improving, so it’s all good!

The post How Long Should I Try to Get and Agent before Deciding to Self-Publish? appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

The first step toward getting your poetry published is to get the Poets Market, a print resource also available on Kindle. It includes hundreds of publishing opportunities specifically for poets, including listings for book and chapbook publishers, print and online poetry publications, contests, and more.

Before trying to get a whole book of poetry published, you’ll want to start by first getting individual poems accepted by publications, as well as entering poetry contests. Eventually when you’ve built a track record, you may be able to interest one of the publishers of poetry books.

You can also find lists of poetry book publishers and poetry contests online at websites such as:

poetrysociety.org

poets.org

pw.org

Unfortunately, there are a lot of scammers out there, making money from poets desperate to see their work in print. Google “poetry publishing scams” to begin learning how to watch out for these.

Most agents don’t represent poetry books unless their guidelines specifically state they’re seeking poetry, so it’s not a good use of your time to send out queries to agents. The poetry route is unique, so you’ll need to become familiar with the resources I mentioned above.

If you should decide to invest in some personalized counsel, I offer coaching for unpublished authors here: My Coaching Services

.

The post What’s your advice for someone wanting to publish a first-time poetry collection? appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

This is kind of like that old show “The Price is Right.” Do you want the new living room set, or the unknown behind door number two??? It’s a tough decision, not knowing exactly what your choices are.

First, ask yourself: In my heart of hearts, do I WANT a large publisher, or will I be happy with whatever publisher gets my book out there? It’s such an individual decision.

If you DO prefer a large publisher, then start by seeking representation by an agent, because that’s what you’ll need.

Not every book is going to be picked up by the big publishers, and the key indicator is whether you’re able to get an agent. If you’ve submitted to dozens of agents and it’s not happening, you’ll want to (1) make sure your book is truly something people will want to read, (2) begin pitching directly to small publishers who don’t require an agent, and (3) explore indie publishing.

Small presses have smaller budgets, but they may be more willing to take on a book that the larger houses can’t. Small and hybrid presses have payment structures different from the larger houses. They usually offer small advances, and some don’t offer advances at all. These aren’t reasons to avoid them, just something to know.

Be careful if you’re offered a contract from a small press. Make sure you understand how they operate. Are they a hybrid press? Meaning: Will they charge you for publishing with them? Google the company. Go to a site like “Writer Beware” and make sure they haven’t been reported for unsavory business practices.

Self-publishing can be an exciting journey, but there are challenges. An author needs a budget to pay for editing, formatting, cover design and marketing. On the upside, self-publishing can be much faster, with the ability to get your book on sale much quicker than a publisher would.

The fact that authors have so many choices these days is GREAT news. One way or the other, you can get your book published! Which route you take is entirely up to you.

If you should decide to invest in some personalized counsel, I offer coaching for unpublished authors here: My Coaching Services

.

The post Should I accept a contract from a small press or wait for a large house? Or should I self-publish? appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

So you have an indie-published book and you’re thinking about pursuing traditional publishing?

That’s fantastic. Welcome!

Most agents and publishers aren’t interested in your already-published book. Instead, we want to see your NEXT book.

I’ve seen wonderful indie-published books that have sold units in the six figures, and traditional publishers still didn’t bite. Why? Partly because a book that can be wildly successful at a $2.99 price point can’t necessarily make it at $12.99. Books are surprisingly price-sensitive. Also, publishers typically aren’t interested in something that’s already been published in any form.

Of course, we all can think of a few examples of self-published books that went on to traditional publishing fame and fortune (and even movies). They’re outliers and it’s not the way it typically happens. In those cases, the book has made such a splash that the publisher is likely to be coming after the author, rather than the author needing to pitch them.

If you’ve indie-published, that shows a lot of great things about you – you’ve written a book, you’ve taken the steps to get it out there, and presumably you’ve learned something about marketing and promotion. All good things! So we’d love to see your next book, and there’s absolutely no stigma for being a self published author (which I know people tend to worry about). Even some agents are self published authors! Myself included. So, it’s no black mark.

We welcome your submission! Always follow agent submission guidelines, easily found on their websites or in the Guide to Literary Agents.

If you should decide to invest in some personalized counsel, I offer coaching for unpublished authors here: My Coaching Services

The post Will an Agent Be Interested in My Self-Published Book? appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

We are in the midst of a pandemic and everything is off kilter. Publishing is going to be affected and no one is quite sure what the future looks like. Even before the pandemic, it has always been challenging for writers to get their books traditionally published. With self-published books now plentiful, there are more books than ever before for readers to choose from.

A few more truths: 

It’s difficult figuring out how to effectively market books, and a book’s potential sales are highly unpredictable. Sometimes books don’t live up to the publisher’s sales expectations, meaning the publisher might not want to renew the author’s contract. Poor sales figures can make it difficult to get another traditional book deal.

And finally: 

Writing can be difficult and frustrating. Sometimes it’s hard to meet deadlines. The publishing journey often doesn’t live up to an author’s expectations.

These things are all true! And most of them have been true, long before the current global health crisis put us all on edge.

In the midst of these truths, I frequently counsel writers who are experiencing moments of disappointment and dejection. They might be anxious that a series of speed-bumps could signal the end of their writing career, sometimes before it has even started. Often they are questioning whether it’s time to give up. Some are sad, thinking their lifelong dream is dying.

Everyone has to deal in their own way with disappointment, and we all have a right to respond to setbacks in our own way. But I want to encourage everyone to avoid getting bogged down in despair. Because here are some other truths:

• A few bumps in the road doesn’t mean your dream has to end.
• Publishing setbacks are not “failures” but necessary and expected rites of passage in this business.
• Just because things didn’t go the way you envisioned doesn’t mean things can’t still go well — possibly after a re-envisioning of your goals.
• People are reading more than ever, meaning we need writers more than ever.
• There are more options than ever before for getting your work in front of readers and getting paid for it.
• You can embrace your identity as a writer, and refuse to let external circumstances change that.
• The best way to deal with dejection is to stand up and fight. Don’t let yourself settle in to the despair. You’re not a quitter — pull out that fighting spirit and decide to be a writer regardless of the obstacles.

The world is somewhat unrecognizable to us right now. There are endless disappointments and losses to mourn. So here’s how we can keep going:

Figure out what you CAN control, and take action on that.

Really. Sit down and look at all the things that are making life hard right now. Then ask yourself: What can I do? Where’s my control?

Maybe you need to start with ONE THING. Find a single thing you can do to take back control of your life. Once you do that, you may find it easier to exercise some control in other areas.

I’m not trying to be a cheerleader or a Pollyanna. It’s just that I spend a lot of time talking writers off ledges, and I understand what that ledge looks like, and I know you can’t afford to spend much time on the ledge. You can acknowledge your fear and your frustration, then turn it around and make a new plan. You can refuse to spend time worrying about things over which you have no control (the global pandemic, or publishing industry at large) and focus on what you CAN influence.

Don’t let yourself get trapped in despair. Find whatever tiny area of life you CAN control, and take action.

What do you control? What action can you take?

If you should decide to invest in some personalized counsel, I offer coaching for unpublished authors here: My Coaching Services

I also offer online courses here: Author School

.

Photo by Andrew Sharples on Unsplash

The post Find What You Control, and Take Action appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

I’m having almost daily conversations with my clients, most of whom are already traditionally published, about various ways they can extend their brands, increase their income and/or grow their readership by self-publishing e-books “on the side.” I’m coming across some interesting questions during these discussions. One that I’ve been hearing lately comes from authors trying to figure out how they can make the most money with their next book: through traditional or self-pub.

They’re trying to estimate potential e-book sales vs. potential advance from a regular publisher.

This is clearly a speculative approach. While an agent might be pretty good at predicting the ballpark advance for a book, it’s almost impossible to predict how much money you’d make on your e-book unless you’ve done several already.

Trying to compare “potentials” is dicey business.

In any case, some authors are wondering:

If their agent shops the book and gets a publishing offer from a reputable house, but the advance is lower than the author wants, can the author reject the offer, take back the book, and self-publish it?

Technically, the answer is usually “yes” unless the author/agent agreement stipulates otherwise. If I shop a project, you are within your rights to reject any offers and take the project back. But it’s important to realize that it puts agents in the position of spending hours and weeks and months on something for which they’ll never be compensated.

It might be better for the author to set a threshold up front.

For example, “If I can’t get an advance of more than $10,000, I will not take the deal.” In that case, I (the agent) might be better off saying up front, “That doesn’t make it worth my while to work on this project, because I can’t guarantee ANY advance, let alone a $10,000 one, so I’m going to hand this back to you and you’re free to do with it what you like.”

Agents already spend time shopping projects that won’t sell, and we’ll never get paid for that work. We understand this, and it’s a risk we take. But to have the added pressure of “Even if I DO sell it, the author might reject the sale and I still won’t get paid,” is kind of unreasonable. So in the interest of not wasting your agent’s time and avoiding purposely derailing their attempt to make a living, it’s a good idea to have some specific idea up front of what you will and won’t accept—and talk to your agent about it.

Are you making the “self vs. traditional” decision based on potential income? If so, how are you making the calculations? And are you talking with your agent about it?

The post Can I Make More Money via Traditional or Self-Pub? appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

It does, however, mean I’m aware of the ways a book could have been better, had the author availed themselves of the best assistance available, whether in design, writing, editing, cover, or even title.

I was excited to read this book—a memoir—and it started out promising. But it quickly devolved into a self-focused, rambling hodgepodge of preaching interspersed with bragging. I did finish the book (luckily it was rather short) but I ended up with strongly negative feelings toward the author. Since this was a memoir, I doubt that’s what the author was going for.

I think the author got some friends to edit the book, maybe even somebody with writing experience. But it’s clear he never consulted a professional book editor, especially not one with expertise in memoir. This is a genre that is notoriously difficult to pull off. The author needed a strong memoir editor, but since he didn’t have one, I can’t recommend the book to anyone.

So, how could an editor have improved the book? Here are my thoughts:

A good editor would have coached the author to find his main theme, and to focus tightly on it, cutting out rabbit trails and eliminating entertaining stories that didn’t fit in this book. The editor could have helped decide which stories should stay and which should go (often difficult for a memoirist, because they’re so close to the material).

An editor would have conveyed that teaching and preaching don’t belong in a memoir. Save that for another book — a how-to or self-help. The memoir is your story and your reflections on your story, but should avoid the self-help vibe.

An editor would have eliminated bragging, and suggested ways to convey moments of success or triumph without sounding arrogant.

An editor would have brought out the importance of a humble tone, of admitting the journey isn’t over and you’re still learning, a sort of “fellow pilgrim” approach. When your story is nothing but triumph and “look what a great thing I did,” real people don’t tend to relate to your message.

An editor would have challenged the author to truly let the reader in. Authenticity and vulnerability are hallmarks of powerful memoirs, and this one has neither. I had the feeling of skimming over the surface, never quite being allowed in.

An editor would have ensured readers didn’t feel like complete losers if they don’t currently share the author’s lifestyle.

An editor would have protected the author’s reputation.  The author conveyed a message he may not have intended by including certain observations and behaviors unrelated to the theme of the book, but which made him seem like a womanizer and a bit of a sexist. A savvy editor would have gently inquired if this was really what the author wanted readers to take away.

* * *

With regard to editors, it boils down to the importance of objective, qualified feedback. Businesses spent over $1oo billion on leadership development last year. Why? Because it’s really hard to see yourself clearly and commit to change, and companies want their leaders to learn and grow and be the best they can be. This requires coaching and objective feedback. Authors are no different. A good editor has the courage to give you the feedback your buddies won’t. It’s their job. And they make your writing better as a result.

Have you ever had the experience of working with an editor who improved your work and helped you say exactly what you wanted to say?

Image copyright: lamaip / 123RF Stock Photo

The post Trust Me, You Need a Good Editor appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

How Do I Decide? Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing can help authors figure out which path to take.

How Do I Decide? is a concise, definitive resource that will guide you through the decision, allowing you to ignore the noise and hype and focus on the right path for YOU. This is a fair and balanced approach that avoids favoring one choice over the other—and instead shows you how to determine which best fits your own situation.

About 50 pages jammed full of insider information, How Do I Decide? gives you the facts you need to make an informed choice. It walks you through the various steps of the publishing process so you can determine which road best suits your personal goals, temperament, and level of previous publishing experience.

How Do I Decide? is brief yet comprehensive, and includes:

• an overview of the current publishing landscape
• an outline of the path to publishing
• a user-friendly checklist to help you figure out your path
• pros and cons of traditional publishing
• pros and cons of self-publishing

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• An eye-opening infographic that’ll help you decide
• A “quiz” to streamline your decision-making process
• Additional resources with links to further information

The e-book is only $2.99 on Amazon. Check it out if you’re considering which path to take!

(Cover design by the fabulous Nicole Miller at Miller Media Solutions.)

The post Traditional or Self Publishing? appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

What I Learned by Using 99 Designs 

 
Authors frequently ask me where they can find a good designer for their self-pub books. I’d been hearing of 99 Designs for the last few years, and didn’t want to keep recommending them until I’d tried them myself. So I signed up to see if I could improve upon the original cover of my e-book, How Do I Decide? Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing.
 
How it works:
 
With 99 Designs you pay a flat fee ranging from about $300 to $1200. Numerous designers submit designs, and you go through a process of feedback and eliminations until you (theoretically) end up with the design you want.
 
My original cover is here to the right, and the final winning design from 99 Designs is above. Here’s my experience and what I learned:
 
→ I opted for the least expensive package, which costs $299 and predicts you’ll receive 30 designs.
 
→ Thirty designs sounds like a lot and seems like it should be plenty from which to find a good one. Reality check: it’s not. A majority of the designs submitted weren’t even close to being right.
 
→ 99 Designs offers a money-back guarantee, so that if the process doesn’t yield a design you can use, you can get a refund. However, one way you can get more designs submitted is to turn down the possibility of a refund and guarantee you’ll pick a winner. Since this means a designer will definitely win and get paid, more designers will submit, and work hard to adjust their designs according to your specifications so they can win the contest. I chose this option and it definitely seemed to increase the action on my page.
 
→ A 99 Designs contest runs seven days, and it’s crucial for you to set aside ample time during that week to devote to the contest. If you want to end up with a design you love, you’ll need to interact constantly with the designers who are submitting.
 
→ When you set up your contest, it’s important to give the designers detailed instructions, making your requirements as clear as possible. Explain what your book is about, and the tone you want to convey with the cover. What is the feeling you want to evoke? Do you have specific images in mind? Mention anything you wish to avoid.
 
→ Once you begin receiving designs, take the time to give detailed feedback to each designer. This can vastly improve your chances of getting a final product you like.
 
→ Once you have several designs you like, 99 Designs makes it easy for you to run a poll among your Facebook or Twitter friends, or on your blog. Your friends can vote on the ones they like, and leave feedback on each design. This can be confusing (as people’s opinions can be so varied) yet also illuminating and helpful.
 
→ 99 Designs also makes it possible for you to work one-on-one with individual designers. If you run a contest and find a designer you like, then in the future you can choose to work specifically with that person. Or, you can browse the work of the designers on the site and choose to work with one designer without ever having run a contest.
 
By the time my contest was over, I’d received 104 entries, but I honestly couldn’t say I loved any of them. I may not have given enough instructions and feedback, and I probably didn’t explain my book well enough, so I take responsibility for it. I have seen some terrific book covers come from 99 Designs, especially for fiction.
 
I’d definitely use 99 Designs again, following my own advice (above) to increase my odds of success. And I definitely recommend the service to authors and others looking for any kind of design.
 
Anything to add from your own experience with 99 Designs or hiring a freelance designer? Any comments or questions about this process?

Comment below, or by clicking: HERE.

 
TWEET THIS: Agent @RachelleGardner discusses book covers and using “99 Designs.” 
 
 

The post Books Covers and My Experience with 99 Designs appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

I am not sure what makes people think “the time is now” as if we are in some kind of awesome bubble that is going to burst soon. We’re not.

We are in a long, slow transition period of our industry, in which people are experimenting with different ways of doing business. Some will work, some won’t. More importantly, different things will work for different people.

More does not always equal better. More books in the marketplace might mean more money in your pocket, but it also means less time available to pay attention to high quality writing, and less time available for giving each book the full weight of your marketing efforts.

If you are contracted with a traditional publisher, you may have restrictions on your ability to self-publish “on the side.” And this is not because publishers are overly possessive, or “dinosaurs,” or “just don’t get it.” It’s because they have an investment to protect, and it’s their responsibility to ensure nothing you do will interfere with the saleability of the brand they’re building (you).

Here are just a few considerations, from the publisher’s perspective:

1. Branding issues.

The publisher is working hard to position you in the market a certain way, and to maintain a level of quality for which they want you (and themselves) to be known. If you self-publish, they lose their ability to have input into the quality of your work, or the branding. This  can not only reflect negatively on them, it can create confusion in the reader (who sees different kinds of books with your name on them) which can lead to lower sales.

2. Quality issues.

Publishers spend considerable money on several rounds of editing, copyediting, and typesetting. They also have expensive, experienced designers for your cover as well as the interior design of the book. It’s risky for them when an author self-publishes and leaves the publisher without the ability to ensure a certain level of quality. If the quality of the self-published effort is lacking in any way, it can reflect poorly on the publisher and it can lead to lost readers, not just on the self-pub books but also on the trad-pub ones.

3. Time issues.

When a publisher contracts with you, they’re not only buying the rights to your books, they’re expecting you to devote the proper amount of time to the whole endeavor. This includes taking the time to write the best book you can, and it also means spending some time on the marketing of your book. Publishers are rightfully concerned that your efforts in self-publishing will take away from your ability to give your best to the books you’ve contracted with them.

4. Promotional issues.

Publishers don’t want your promotional efforts on your self-published books to eclipse their promotions on your contracted books. If they allow you to self-publish, they may lose their right to set boundaries on what you’re allowed to do promotionally, and this can be disastrous. What if you are working with a self-pub company who wants to put two of your books on a special “free” promotion… the same week your publisher is doing a big launch for your latest front-list release? Readers may be exposed to both promotions and choose the “free” books over your new release. You have just undercut your own sales.

All of this adds up to competition, i.e. situations in which your self-pub books are competing with your traditional-pub books for the reader’s attention. That’s why the paragraph in the contract that covers this is called the non-compete clause. The publisher has a right to protect themselves from their contracted authors competing with the publisher, thereby potentially harming the publisher’s sales of your book(s).

What if you’re self-publishing as a way to help promote your traditionally published books?

This can definitely work. If you are only publishing once a year, maybe getting a novella or some ancillary materials out there “in between” can help keep you in your readers’ minds, and whet their appetite for your next “big” book. It has to be done right, in such a way that it doesn’t compete but enhances sales, and usually will need to be done with your publisher’s permission. Sometimes the publisher will even want to be involved. If they see you’re capable of increasing your productivity, they may want to contract you for those extra “in between” books rather than have you do them on your own.

As I said up above, we are in an age of experimentation. Publishers have a lot to lose in terms of investment, so it behooves them to move cautiously when trying new things. But take heart—most of them are trying new things!

Have you thought about trying to become a “hybrid” author? What are your thoughts now that you have a glimpse of the publisher’s side?

Update: This post unleashed a storm in the comments from those who found it offensive and angering. I wrote a follow-up to clarify what I was trying to say. Click here:

Agents Represent Authors.

TWEETABLES

A publisher has to protect their investment in the brand they’re building—you. Click to Tweet.

Will your publisher let you self-publish too? @RachelleGardner tackles the thorny question. Click to Tweet.

Publishing isn’t in a bubble that may burst—we’re in a period of transition. Click to Tweet.

The post Will My Publisher Let Me Self-Publish Too? appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

My first six books were all published by major New York houses, including Scribner, Simon & Schuster, Crown, and Berkley/Penguin. I adored my editors and their teams, but I was a midlist writer getting midlist attention, and the midlist was starting to feel like purgatory. For my seventh book, Perfect Red, a historical novel set in 1950’s New York, I decided to self publish. Why I made that decision is a story for another day, and how it turns out, economically-speaking, has yet to be determined. But a few revelations about the process have surprised the socks off me. Herewith, the top five:

1. I underestimated the weight of having the legitimacy of a traditional publisher. When I could say, “My third novel is being published by Penguin,” I was not just a wanna-be hopeful novelist. I was legit! I was chosen! Pitching book reviewers was a breeze. Attending high school reunions was a delight. When I ran into more famous writers, we met as colleagues, exchanging e-mails, making dates for lunch. Now that I am self publishing, I am no different than the crazy cat lady down the block who has been working on her memoir for 17 years or the guy at the street fair hawking Xeroxed pamphlets of his poetry about fruit. People smile indulgently when I tell them what I’m doing. Book reviewers politely decline. My doubts about writing, which I’ve spent a lifetime overcoming, have blossomed like a drug-resistant virus.

2. I underestimated the thrill that comes with being in control – as well as the fear. I get to pick my cover! Set my own price! Make a special holiday edition for my friends and family and send it out tied up with a red bow! When I do something well, I feel like a rock star entrepreneurial author on the cutting edge of the brave new world of publishing. But book publishing is a detailed, complex enterprise requiring a range of skills completely different from writing a book. There are a thousand opportunities to screw up. Suddenly, it’s not just my writing that’s out there being judged, it’s my eye for design, my sense of how readers behave, my business acumen. I used to wonder why it took traditional publishers nine months to produce a book. Now I get it; it’s a lot of work.

3. I understand now why my covers always felt like a compromise. Photos and illustrations and super cool font treatments are expensive and now that I have to pay for it myself, I see that the economics of publishing simple doesn’t warrant that kind of expense unless you expect to sell 500,000 copies – and unless you’re Stephen King, you can’t start out with that expectation.

4. I overestimated my ability to sell books. I have lists of bookstores at which I’ve done appearances, book clubs who have hosted me, readers who have loved my work and bloggers who have reviewed my books. I didn’t think I had to build a platform. I thought that with a few flicks of the mouse, I’d quickly sell thousands of books and build a buzz that would carry me to even greater sales. It didn’t happen, so now I’m out doing what every writer has to do, which is figuring out how to connect with readers – only I’m doing it with a lot more humility.

5. The joy of getting a book into the hands of readers is absolute. Whether my book is published by a team of experts in a gleaming New York skyscraper or by me, all by myself in my office at the front of the house, nothing can dilute the feeling of having a reader connect with something I wrote. Readers don’t care about how a book is published; they care about the story. They want to be entertained, swept away, educated, illuminated, comforted and lifted up – and I want to be the person who gives them those things. When a reader rushes up to say how much they loved my book, all the doubt and angst and decision-making falls away. What remains is pure joy.

Does my experience surprise you, or confirm your notions about self-publishing? Does it make you feel more encouraged to self-publish, or less?

* * *

Jennie Nash is the author of four novels and three memoirs. She has been an instructor at the UCLA Extension Writing Program for six years and has served as a private coach to fiction and non-fiction writers ranging from a British soap opera star to a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. Her latest novel is Perfect Red, a historical novel about passion, obsession and the perfect red lipstick. Visit her at jennienash.com.

The post 5 Surprises About Self Publishing appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

What is the most important thing for an author to understand about a traditional publisher entering into the self-publishing fray?

As it happens, I addressed this very issue over 2½ years ago on the blog (December, 2009). Much of what follows is what I said back then.

Self publishing represents a completely different business model from that of traditional publishing.

The business model of publishers has always been to make money from READERS. Readers pay their twenty bucks for a tangible product – a book. And an intangible – a reading experience. They’ll either like a book or they won’t. Either way, they’re only out their $20.

But self-publishing is different. This is a business whose bottom line is to make money from WRITERS. And that opens up a whole can of worms, because it’s no longer about $20. And it’s no longer about simply purchasing a product, knowing you might like it or you might not. Instead it’s about a writer’s lifetime of hopes and dreams. It’s about expectations that are often unrealistic. And it’s about laying down a chunk of money that’s anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars, with little chance of recouping it.

I think the switch from making money from readers to making money from writers is huge. It sells hopes and dreams more than it does a tangible product. It opens up the possibility of exploitation, even if the publisher’s intent is not to exploit but simply to increase bottom line and keep their doors open while giving both readers and writers want they want.

Here is the point I think authors should digest:

→ Traditional publishers make money by selling your book to consumers.

→ Self-publishing companies make money when YOU write them a check.

To me, that’s a pretty important distinction to understand.

Is your publisher motivated to sell copies of your book? Only if that’s how they make money.

Authors should be aware that when they decide to go with a self-publishing company (something I am NOT disparaging), they’re going in a whole new direction. They’re working within an entirely different business model, and THEY are the source of revenue for their “publisher.”

Does this distinction in business models concern you? Does it matter how the different publishers make their revenue? As an author, do you care?

Further reading:

Porter Anderson’s Extra Ether

Jane Friedman’s comprehensive look at the issue.

Victoria Strauss’s excellent overview.

The post How Does Your Publisher Make Money? appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

If I’m self-published, why might I still want an agent?

1. If your self-published books are extremely successful, you may want an agent to shop the print rights and subsidiary rights such as audio, film, and foreign rights. “Extremely successful” can be defined in various ways, but certainly it would mean you’ve sold several thousand units on your own in a short period of time, maybe a few months.

2. If you’ve self-published previous books but want to go with traditional publishing for your subsequent ones, you’ll need an agent for this.

Would an agent be interested in representing me if I’ve self-published?

It depends on a variety of factors, just like agency representation always does. The number one factor is the book itself and whether the agent feels like they can do anything with it.

They’ll want to know why you chose self-publishing and will try to avoid working with those who chose it out of negativity or sour grapes. There are many legitimate reasons to self-publish that are positive and don’t involve hatred or conspiracy theories.

The agent will need to know whether you’re asking them to sell rights to the self-published book(s), or if you’re submitting something completely new. If the former, they’ll need to know what rights are available.

Of course, they’ll need to know how many copies you’ve sold, and at what price point.

Are there any cautions I should be aware of?

1. Selling many copies at 99¢ or 1.99 won’t necessarily translate to selling many copies at a traditional publisher hardcover or paperback price—and publishers are well aware of this. So don’t be surprised if your high sales numbers don’t impress an agent or editor as much as you think it should.

2. It’s almost impossible to sell only print rights to a publisher without including subsidiary, which means including digital rights. In other words, if you’re going traditional, you may need to be prepared to take your self-pub book down off the retail sites and allow your publisher to produce and sell the e-book version. Many are unwilling to do this, and give up traditional publishing because of it. (However, it’s still possible to sell other sub rights.)

How do I approach an agent if I’ve self-published?

The same way you normally would. Just make sure your query letter contains not only the book pitch, but all the pertinent information the agent would need to make a decision about taking the conversation further. This would include how many you’ve sold, when you published, why you self-published, and what, exactly, you are hoping to accomplish by getting an agent.

What are your thoughts or questions about self-published authors seeking agents?

The post Self-Published Author Seeks Agent appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.

The message was powerful; it conveyed, “We care so much about producing the highest quality wine that we refuse to rush the process. We won’t try to bring it out faster to increase profit. We won’t skimp on the craftsmanship that makes our wine so good. It takes time, and we will give our wine the time it needs.”

I couldn’t help thinking about that as I considered what I wanted to say today about the time and craftsmanship it takes to write a high quality book. I’m not talking about a book that everyone has to love. I’m talking about a book that has the basics: a solid story, well-developed characters, conflict that engages the reader, a satisfying resolution, well-crafted sentences and paragraphs, literate use of words, and a lack of typos and other egregious, noticeable errors. Even if it’s non-fiction, the basics apply except instead of characters, we need well-developed ideas.

With the proliferation of self-pub, online retailers are flooded with books that contain almost none of those basics. Books that scream “vanity” and “I just wanted to get rich quick.” Books that say, “I was too impatient, or too arrogant, or too ignorant, to either learn the very most basic writing techniques, or to get an editor’s eyes on this before it went public.”

I’ve said many times — I’m in favor of self-pub and e-pub and all the various ways writers now have to get their words out there.

But here’s the truth:

If you don’t pay attention to the quality control of your work, you’ll kill your writing career before it even starts.

Readers are not stupid. They may be downloading 99¢ e-books like crazy right now. But they’re already starting to figure out that something’s not right. Many of these books are poorly written and desperately need editing. (Even Amanda Hocking’s Trylle series, originally self-published, went through extensive editing at St. Martin’s before they re-released it.)

So why should you care? It seems many have the attitude of, “Why should I spend all that extra time and money on editing when people are going to buy it anyway?” Here’s why I think you should care:

If you self-publish a book that sucks, you may permanently lose potential readers. They pick up the book, it’s poorly crafted, they don’t like it — and they cross your name off their mental list of good authors. Down the road, perhaps you’ve become a better writer, perhaps you’ve finally decided to work with an editor, but unfortunately it’s too late for all those readers who are already convinced your books aren’t worth buying. Why risk that? Why not take the time to make sure your work is ready?

This idea of taking the time to properly craft a book applies to those in traditional publishing as well. Many of my clients become frustrated with me because I push them to make their proposals better and better; I may push them to write more chapters of their non-fiction books, I may push them to do a complete revision on a novel before submission. They’re anxious. They just want to get it out there. But I don’t work that way. I will sell no wine before its time.

I believe we need to keep holding books to a high standard. I want us all to keep insisting on quality reading material, not settling for whatever someone could slap together and impatiently upload to Kindle with barely a lick and a promise.

One of the main arguments writers use for self-publishing is the speed at which they can get their books up for sale. They’re proud of themselves for circumventing the laborious publishing system that — yes — takes forever. But many of them have nothing to be proud of. I’ve bought and read numerous self-pubbed books now, and in general the quality is noticeably inferior to what most traditional publishers are putting out. (And all of those self-pubbers who are doing it poorly are giving a very bad name to the handful who are doing it well.) Many are sacrificing craftsmanship for speed.

It’s a trade-off that diminishes us all.

I say, let’s commit to selling no books before their time. Are you with me?

Update: Since so many people are mentioning in the comments that it’s hard to know how to find an editor, I wanted to give you a couple of resources. The latest post by Victoria Strauss on Writer Beware is about how to vet an independent editor. Also, I have a list of freelance editors here on my site.

The post Quality Books Take Time appeared first on Rachelle Gardner.