In Renaissance times and during other eras it was common for artists, sculptors and other creative people to recruit patrons and sponsors to fund their works so they could create masterpieces without worrying about such trivial matters as making a living. Today it also is important for creative people, such as writers, to recruit sponsors and patrons – not to help make a … [Read more...]
Trying to Do It All: Priorities for Authors
Authors must promote their books to be successful, and the more they promote, the more likely success will come, but while the process can be exhilarating, it can also be exhausting. Here are some simple tips for authors to keep things in perspective and manage to enjoy rather than be overwhelmed by being an author. Recently, one of my fairly successful author friends said … [Read more...]
Are You Doing Everything Yourself?
"Quote: Invest three percent of your income in yourself (self–development) in order to guarantee your future."- Brian Tracy Sometimes, the signs that it's time to invest in taking your business to go to the next BIG level show up without notice. Take this past summer, for example. The second call of my Preview Teleseminar Series for my workshop was scheduled and I was set to … [Read more...]
Stop Book Returns
Industry statistics reveal that book returns can be 30% or more of sales. If you reduce or eliminate returns then you could increase your net sales and revenue by that same amount and your profits by even more. But, you say, you have no control over returns since Ingram and the bookstores return them at will without selling them. On the contrary, there are many things that … [Read more...]
Publishing, Writing, and Having a Life
Being a self-published author is a lot of work as you write, publish, and market your books. You can’t accomplish everything you dream of doing, but with learning how to schedule your time and remembering to take time for yourself, you can make significant strides toward your goal. Self-publishing is not easy. Let’s get the myth out of the way right now. Just because you … [Read more...]
10 Mistakes Authors Make that Can Cost a Fortune (and how to avoid them)
When it comes to books, promotion, and book production I know that it can sometimes feel like a minefield of choices. And while I can’t address each of these in minutia, there are a number of areas that are keenly tied to a books success (or lack thereof). Here are ten for you to consider: 1) Not understanding the importance of a book cover I always find it … [Read more...]
Book Delivery and Book Storage – Where to Put All Those Books
Self-publishing a book is an enormous undertaking, and often little details can become big problems if they are not considered. Just what it means to publish a large number of books is something that must be fully understood before your books are delivered. Depending on how you have your books printed, you need to figure out what kind of inventory you need to have on hand. … [Read more...]
Internet Book Order Scams
You have just received the largest order your small publishing company has ever seen, and you are excited. But this may not be the good news you think it is. In fact, you are about to get scammed. Almost every small publisher gets some version of this shipping scam tried on them. Here is how it works. You get an email saying that someone wants to buy a large number of books, … [Read more...]
Why I’ll Never Send an Unsolicited Manuscript
Years ago I had a publishing company. When it was new, I eager and optimistic. I had left my day job, I had an investor and new work spaces in our spare bedroom, thanks to a carpenter friend. I owned a new fax machine, and I happily began building our new publishing company. I acquired our ISBNs from RR Bowker, listing with them and in other publishing trade references. We … [Read more...]
Damaged Books – What to Do With Them
It is inevitable that some copies of your book will be damaged in transit or storage. Often, this damage is minor, but still means that the book can not be sold at full price as new. A creased page, a small crease or tear on the cover or a tiny “ding” to the book’s edge do not affect the usability of the book, but these cosmetic defects are enough to mean that the book can not … [Read more...]