I would recommend that anyone considering writing a book get a copy of
Writers Market: Where and How to Sell What You Write. It`s a valuable resource about many aspects of the publishing industry - including submitting book proposals to publishers, agents, marketing and promoting, etc. (It`s also published by a division of the company that published my first book)
I was very lucky in regards to getting my first book published. A couple authors I knew kept hounding me about writing a book of my own. One gave me the name of her favorite editor at a publishing house and told me to call. I called the firm, asked for the editor and was told she was no longer with the company. The receptionist asked if I wanted to speak with the new acquisitions editor and I said "sure." The woman came on the phone and said "Jeff Fisher? I know who you are. I`d love to do a book with you." It`s not usually that easy.
Since my first book was released, in December 2004, I`ve had three other U.S. publishers and one in Singapore contact me about writing books for them. I`m currently writing my second book for my original publisher with a September due date for the finished manuscript.
I was also lucky along the way as several friends who are writers and editors, including the author of the novel
Fight Club (among many others now), have been a great source of information and suggestions in dealing with the odd world of publishing and marketing/promoting a book. It`s great to learn the necessary lessons from the mistakes of others. One of the biggest thrills for me was seeing my book for the very first time - on the shelf of my favorite bookstore,
Powell`s City of Books.
I do know several authors who self-published their books and promoted the hell out of them personally. Initially they had a great deal of luck getting the books into independent bookstores. A great source of contact info on independent booksellers is
BookSense.com. Word of mouth, well-placed positive reviews, television and radio appearances, speaking engagements, web sites and blogs - in addition to the independent bookstore sales and customers asking for the book - resulted in the big Internet booksellers taking on the books as a sales item. Even with a lage publishing house behind me, my book is just one of hundreds they produce each year and much of the marketing has been my responsibility. I was warned about that fact by other authors published by the same company.
Kevin Carrol, author of
Rules of the Red Rubber Ball, (and another author I know) initially self-published his book. The buzz created by the media resulted in it being picked up and reissued by a publisher able to get it sold by any bookseller, including the online biggies.
iUniverse is a well-respected "vanity press" company that often advertises in
The New York Times Book Review. They are somehow affiliated with Barnes & Noble. They also claim that "all of their books can be ordered through local bookstores, their own web site, and any e-retailer including bn.com and Amazon." Other such companies are probably able to provide the same types of services.
- J.
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