Would you like to discover a proven path that will enable you to make your self-publishing dreams a reality. It can be difficult to decide between self-publishing companies.Taking these successful steps will eliminate stumbling blocks and second guessing, thus saving you time, money and energy.
The seven steps are KNOWING, STUDYING, RESEARCHING, QUESTIONING, COMPARING, DECIDING and SIGNING ON.
1. KNOWING PUBLISHING TERMS WILL START YOU OUT IN
THE RIGHT DIRECTION:
* Acknowledgment Page - Author's appreciation to those who helped
write book.
* Appendix - Back pages of book that include lists of resources and
reference materials.
* Back Flap - Inner fold of the dust jacket on a hard bound book.
* Bar Code - EAN scanning symbol that goes on the back book
cover.
* Bibliography - Lists books/articles the author cited or consulted.
* Book Binding
Hardcover with sewn binding (with or without dust jacket)
Hardcover with adhesive binding (with or without
dust jacket)
Soft Cover (perfect bound) - Flat or squared spine
Comb Bound (spiral bound) - Allows book to lay flat
* Bullets - Small black dots used to set off items in a list.
* Camera Ready Copy - Text or art ready to be shot by printer.
* Copy Editing - Editing of spelling, grammar, punctuation, clarity
and correctness.
* Copyright - The right to retain or to sell copies of works that
person(s) have created.
* Cropping - Use of pencil or pen marks at margins and corners to
indicate the portion of photo/illustration to be used.
* Cutline - Caption for an illustration or photograph.
* CYMK - The four colors used in printing (cyan, yellow and
magenta plus black).
* Dedication - Words honoring person(s) who helped with or
inspired work.
* DPI - Dots per inch. The more dots per inch, the sharper the copy.
* Duotone - Process for producing illustrations in two colors from a
one-color image.
* Dust Jacket - A protective and attractive cover for hardback books.
* Epilogue - Concluding text that rounds out the story and/or updates
the reader.
* Evergreen - Books or articles that are timeless.
* Flap Copy - Text describing book and author on inside fold of dust
jacket.
* Fonts - Set of type, including letters, numbers and punctuation in
one typeface.
* Font Text - A typeface that is well suited for the body text of the
book.
* Foreign Rights - Allows a work to be published in other countries
and translated into other languages.
* Genre - Category of writing such as historical, romance, science
fiction or mystery.
* Glossary - Definitions relevant to your work or book.
* Imprint - Identifies name of publishing company.
* Inside Paper - 50 lb. paper for interior pages
* Italics - Slanted type face that is often used for quotations.
* ISBN Number - Essential identifying number used for ordering and
cataloging.
* Leading - The amount of space between lines of type.
* Libel - Written defamation of character (opens writer/author up to a
law suit).
* LCCN - Library of Congress Control Number which will eliminate
the search fee for catalog card.
* List Price -The retail price of the book.
* News Releases - One of two page article used for promoting book.
* PMS - Will give a bolder, brighter color thana 4-process.
* Price Quote - A firm commitment on how much a job will cost.
* Publishing - Means making something publicly known. Term
includes all aspects from printing to retailing.
* Self-Publishing - The act of privately producing and marketing your
own work.
* Trim Size - Finished size of book.
2. STUDYING THESE EVENTS, NAMES, ORGANIZATIONS
AND ASSOCIATIONS WILL SET YOU UP FOR SOME SMART
MOVES:
* AAP - Assocation of American Publishers.
* ABA - Trade association of major publishers and booksellers.
* ABI - Advance Book Information (see www.bowkerlink.com and
click on Add/Update to register your title before publication)
* ALA - The official organization for libraries (800-545-2433),
* Baker & Taylor - Largest and oldest library distributor.
* BEA - Book Expo America (largest publishing trade fair/show in
the USA).
* BIP - Books in print database
* Book Fair - An event where publishers rent display areas to show
and sell their wares.
* CBA - Christian Bookseller Association
* CSLA - Church & Synagogue Library Association
* Co-op Advertising - Allows publishers and bookstores to share
advertising costs.
* Domain Name - Unique name that identifies an Internet site.
* Dun & Bradstreet Ratings - A profile of a company's financial
stability.
* Electronic Publishing - Covers all forms of computerized
publications (including e-books).
* ForeWord Magazine (caters to the smaller independent press)
www.forewordmagazine.com.
* HTML - Coding used to create documents for use on the World
Wide Web.
* Ingram - Distributor whose forte is fast distribution of popular
books to book stores.
* ISP - Internet Service Provider that enables access to the Internet.
* JPEG File - Format commonly used to disply graphics and images
in HTML documents on the Internet.
* Media - Covers all print, TV, radio and Internet advertising and
promotional sources.
* National Book Committee - presents the National Book Awards in
five categories.
* Options - Gives the right to purchase/sell a book right for a
specified price and within a specfied length of time. The
publisher's right to bid on author's new releases.
* PDF - Self-contained independent file format for distributing
digital documents.
* PMA - Nonprofit trader organization specialiing in co-op maiings
and progams.
* POD - Print on Demand. Printing only as many books as are needed
at that moment.
* Public Domain - Material that is not protected by copyright.
* Publicist - Prepares promotional materials and/or schedules media
appearances.
* Returns - Books not sold that are sent back to publisher for credit.
* Royalties - Money paid to authors by publisher for the right to use
their work.
* SPAN - Nonprofit association for authors, self-publishers and
indpependent presses.
* Subsidiary Rights - Additional rights such as book clubs, serial
rights or paper back rights that can be sold in addition to the book
itself.
* Today's Librarian - Magazine which reviews books for libraries
(480-990-1101). Caters to the smaller independent press.
* Universal Discount Schedule - Gives same discount to
wholesalers, bookstores, individuals or libraries.
* URL - The full name and/or address of a Web Site.
* VOR - Identifies one vendor/company as the primary source for
book returns.
* Wholesaler/Distributor - Person or company who buys from a
publisher and then resells to boooksstores or libraries.
3. RESEARCHING SELF-PUBLISHERS WILL HELP YOU
TRACK DOWN THE COMPETITION. These are some of the
larger self-publshers:
* www.Amazon.com
* www.Authorhouse.com
* www.Booksbybookends.com
* www.DogEar.com
* www.iUniverse.com
* www.Lulu.com
* www.Outskirtspress.com
* www.xLibris.com
* www.Xulon Press.com
* Find other Self-Publishers listed on the Internet (book mark pages
for further research)
* Check Dun & Bradstreet ratings for publishers.
* Contact the Better Business Bureau in the city where each is
located.
These are Short-Run Self-Publishers who can deliver in quantities less than 500 book copies:
* 360 Digital Books
* Fidlar Doubleday
* BookMasters, Inc.
* BooksJustBooks.com
* Color House Graphics
* Publisher's Graphics, LLC
* Sheridan Books, Inc.
* McNaughton & Gunn, Inc.
4. QUESTIONING THE SELF-PUBLISHERS WILL HELP TO
POINT OUT THEIR ADVANTAGES, DISADVANTAGES,
EXPERIENCE AND ABILITIES:
* Years in business
* Number of published titles and average sales per title
* List of bookstores that currently stock company's titles.
* Ask for a brochure or catalog.
* Terms of contract
* Your profit margin
* Your control (request full discretion as to price, production,
appearance and format of the work)
* Availablility through Amazon and most major online retailers
* Sales and distribution through Ingram and Baker & Taylor
* Distribution to national bookstore chains and wholesalers
* Web page and web design
5. COMPARING PUBLISHER'S SERVICES AND FEES WILL
HELP YOU TO STAY FOCUSED. Requests quotes to
ensure publishers are bidding on the same specifications.
* Professsional cover design
* Cover stock quality
* Interior design
* Interior paper quality (50 lb. preferred)
* Book return policy and fees
* Use of your art, charts or photographs (color or black & white)
* Use of their art work (color or black & white)
* PDF or lazer book proofs delivered to you
* Publishing assistant (request opportunity to talk to publishing
assistant so you may learn about their publishing experience and
personality).
* Copywriting
* Copyediting
* Inclusion of your book in the Ingram Book Company wholesaler
catalog and online database
* Shipping costs
* Publisher's total advertising and promotional plan to sell your book
(including press releases and distribution)
* Web page and/or web site
* Book trailer videos
* Bookstore Chain distribution through -
* American Wholesale Book Co. (www.books-a-million.com)
* Borders/Waldenbooks (www.borders.com)
* Follett Higher Education Group (www.theg.follett.com)
* E-books
* Free books
* Advance reading copies
* Get all bids and quotations in writing
6. DECIDING on your Publisher. This is one of the biggest steps you
will ever take):
* Which publisher(s) answered your questions positively?
* What was their general attitude (positive or negative)?
* Did you feel secure with the publisher and their representatives?
* Do you think you would be satisfied working with this company
through the total process of publishing your book?
* Do you have sufficient knowledge of the self-publishing business
through your study, research, questions and comparisons?
* Are you ready to pick the self-publisher for your book?
* If you are not ready, step back and review the prior steps.
* If you areready, move forward to the next step?
7. SIGNING ON -- CONGRATULATIONS ON TAKING THE
SEVEN STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL SELF-PUBLISHING!
