Once you select your subject. Stick to it; stay in one field. Too many authors and author-publisher-speakers write a book on a subject they know well—aimed at their own (reachable) field. With this formula, the book is a success, and they suddenly think selling books is easy, so they write about a totally different subject….
Author Archives: Dan Poynter
Hire a Copy Editor
The copy edit is clean up work. Once the manuscript is complete you become more concerned with punctuation, grammar and style. Now is the time to make your information more readable. There is nothing wrong with unpolished writing, but there is no excuse for not having it cleaned up by an editor. Hire a wordsmith,…
Getting Published Through a “Self-Publishing Company”
Writers are confused and it’s not their fault. In searching for the best way to break into print, they come across self-described “self-publishing companies”. I get emails asking if I can self publish for writers. That is impossible—by definition. The problem is that many POD vanity publishers are calling themselves “self-publishing companies.” They are trading…
How to Price a Book
Book pricing depends more upon genre or category than on production costs. Here is a formula for determining how to price your book: You must look at price from the bottom up and from the top down. Bottom up: The Traditional Method (8x) Bottom up: You must price your book at least eight times (8x)…
Finding the Right Agent
Your mission is not to find an agent, it is to find the right agent. Do you want an advocate or a gatekeeper? Some literary agents have a passion and a track record for certain kinds of books: cooking, travel, children’s, business, parenting and so on. To find the right agent for your manuscript, simply…
Encourage Reader Feedback
Writing and publishing your book is not the end of your literary involvement. When readers have questions, authors have a responsibility to respond by email, mail, telephone and in person at book signings and other events. Use these opportunities to gather material for the book’s revision or your next book. Maybe you were not clear…
Writing Without Interruption
Good writing requires concentration. Interruptions often occur when you are deep in thought and producing your best work. Emergencies such as earthquakes, fire, and flood are interruptions we can accept. We may even weave the unexpected experience into our future work. Telephone calls, visitors and unnecessary questions are interruptions that may make a writer a…
Approaching Agents & Publishers While Self-Publishing
Many nonfiction book writers ask how to approach an agent or publisher. Today the question is when to approach them. Traditionally, writers had to decide between selling out and self-publishing. Their considerations were often reduced to money, time and control. Money. If your publisher prints 5000 copies, the book sells for $19.95 and your royalty…
Making Time to Write
How long does it take to write a book? That’s like asking “how much is a car?” It depends on a great many things. According to Brenner Information Group, on the average, it takes 475 hours to write fiction books and 725 hours to write nonfiction. Subscribers to Writer’s Digest magazine spend 12.64 hours writing…
Book Printing Problems – When Your Book Isn’t Perfect
Normally, the arrival of a new book is a day to celebrate just like the arrival of a new baby. Publishing a book is a lot like giving birth and you want each to be perfect. Here is a book quality control plan, a list of things to look for and some solutions in those…