While your manuscript is being edited, it’s time for you to get busy preparing for your self-marketing campaign. You will need to have a professional photograph taken for your back cover and will need to write both a short (50 words or less) and long bio to use on your web site as well as other various forms while promoting your book.
Why is a Professional Photo So Important?
As you begin to build your marketing plan (I will talk about this in the next post), it is important to start creating the kind of image you wish to portray. A professional photographer can provide the kind of head shot that you will be proud to display on your book cover, inside flap, and in all your media packages you will be sending out. A blurry, poor quality photograph taken by an amateur or family member will not portray you in a professional light. It is true that readers, agents, and radio show hosts will often rely on a good photo to make a decision whether or not to buy your book, represent you, or have you guest on a show. It’s a fact that a crisp, high-resolution photo that truly illustrates your personality will help you sell books.
When you hire a photographer, you want to ask for a head shot, in color, and you will also need the photographer to provide you with a jpeg file of your photo that you can send out electronically.
Photo Do’s
Wear a solid color on top (such as blue or green). Don’t worry about what you are wearing on the bottom half of your body, as your shot will be taken from the upper-chest up only.
Men should wear collared-shirts.
Manicure your nails as they may be in the shot if the photographer wants you to rest your head on your hands.
Photo Don’t’s
Do not wear white or wild prints.
Keep the jewelry to a minimum.
Do not wear more make-up than you usually wear as you want to look natural and not overdone in the photo.
Practice smiling in the mirror – you want to seem approachable and relaxed in your photo, not too posed.
Bringing Out Your Best Accomplishments in Your Bio
There’s a fine line between writing a great bio that details your writing experience with a little personal information thrown in to help you build a relationship with your readers before they read your book, and writing a lengthy bio that doesn’t demonstrate your professional credibility or reflect your true personality.
Write your bio in third person. Your short bio should include your full name, your college degree, where you work, whether you have written any other books, and personal/regional information. An example of a concise bio might be:
Award-winning humor writer Vicky DeCoster has over 25 years of writing experience. She is the author of two books of humorous essays and her work has been published in over 60 magazines, books, and on several web sites. Vicky lives in Nebraska with her husband and two children. Visit her at www.wackywomanhood.com.
Generally, your shorter bio will be requested more often, but it is a good idea to have a longer piece ready to go when needed. A lengthier bio might feature why you love to write, a few of the magazines you’ve been published in, or detail your professional accomplishments. I use a longer bio in all my media packages. I insert my professional photo in the left corner along with all my contact information, and separate the bio into three to four shorter paragraphs, making it easier for the recipient to read.
As you continue to build your credibility as an author and expert on your particular subject, a professional photo and well-written bio are two stepping stones that will lead you down a path to success, respect, and admiration from not just your fans, but the media as well.
Read more about Vicky at www.wackywomanhood.com.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Part II – The Biggest Mistake Most First-time Authors Make
Why it is Important to Have Your Manuscript Professionally Proofed and Edited
Your manuscript is finished and you have chosen the perfect title. Now, you’re ready to send it off to the publisher … right? Not so fast. You’ve written a great book and you’ve read your manuscript over and over so many times, you practically have it memorized. You’ve poured your heart and soul into those pages and checked every page for mistakes many times, so the manuscript has to be free of errors … right? Wrong.
It’s time to have a second set of trusted, professional eyes read your book. The best writers hire not only proofreaders to check for grammatical errors and typos, but they also hire an editor who looks for ways that the text can be improved and researches terms and style rules to ensure the writer has been consistent and accurate throughout the manuscript.
Who Should I Hire to Proofread My Manuscript?
While writing both of my books, I emailed each initial essay draft to a former co-worker who is highly skilled in catching errors I never see. She would make her corrections via the tracking function in Word, email me back the essay, and I would implement the changes. When the book was completed in its entirety, I printed out a hard copy and delivered it to her. On this copy, she marked her changes in red and returned it to me. As someone who proofreads other writers’ work on occasion, I find that proofreading on screen works fine, but proofreading a printed copy will often catch even more errors. If you do not have a friend like I did who is truly capable of finding mistakes, then call your local college, find an English major who is interested in tackling the project, and pay them either per page or by the hour.
How Do I Find a Reputable Editor?
After your book has been proofread and all obvious typos and grammatical errors corrected, then it’s time to find a reputable editor who will ensure your manuscript is of the highest quality before you send it off to a publisher. I do not recommend using a friend or family member who has no professional training or editing experience to take on this important task for you. Always use a professional, reputable editor who is respected within the publishing community.
It is important to note that there are different types of editors for different types of books. A non-fiction editor is trained in editing books such as self-help, how-to, or humor. A fiction editor is skilled in fine-tuning romance, mystery, and sci-fi novels.
I met my editor through a writer’s group that meets monthly in my city. She and I became professional acquaintances long before my second book was completed and I knew of her excellent reputation. She was upfront with me in telling me that she edited non-fiction books only. It was important for me to also know her on a personal level since my book was comprised of humorous essays and I felt it was vital that she had the opportunity to get to know and understand my personality and sense of humor before she edited my book. Before she began editing, she told me, “You own this book. I will be making suggestions only – what you do with them is up to you.” As a result, we got along fabulously and I ended up making 99% of her recommendations. In the end, when I sent my book to the publisher, I felt that I had a high-quality manuscript that was free of errors.
If you are unsure where to find an editor, ask another writer, pose a question on an on-line discussion board for writers, or reference Writer’s Market at your local library. Once you connect with an editor you like, ask the editor to do a sample edit of 3-5 pages of your manuscript. This will give you a chance to see the editor’s work and determine if you two will work well together.
Final Thoughts
If you think about all the time and effort you have put into your book up to this point and how mortifying it would be to publish a book that is not up to the same standards as all the other books on the shelf next to yours, then the time and effort you put forth to ensure that your manuscript is of the highest quality will be worth it.
Read more about Vicky at http://www.wackywomanhood.com/.
Your manuscript is finished and you have chosen the perfect title. Now, you’re ready to send it off to the publisher … right? Not so fast. You’ve written a great book and you’ve read your manuscript over and over so many times, you practically have it memorized. You’ve poured your heart and soul into those pages and checked every page for mistakes many times, so the manuscript has to be free of errors … right? Wrong.
It’s time to have a second set of trusted, professional eyes read your book. The best writers hire not only proofreaders to check for grammatical errors and typos, but they also hire an editor who looks for ways that the text can be improved and researches terms and style rules to ensure the writer has been consistent and accurate throughout the manuscript.
Who Should I Hire to Proofread My Manuscript?
While writing both of my books, I emailed each initial essay draft to a former co-worker who is highly skilled in catching errors I never see. She would make her corrections via the tracking function in Word, email me back the essay, and I would implement the changes. When the book was completed in its entirety, I printed out a hard copy and delivered it to her. On this copy, she marked her changes in red and returned it to me. As someone who proofreads other writers’ work on occasion, I find that proofreading on screen works fine, but proofreading a printed copy will often catch even more errors. If you do not have a friend like I did who is truly capable of finding mistakes, then call your local college, find an English major who is interested in tackling the project, and pay them either per page or by the hour.
How Do I Find a Reputable Editor?
After your book has been proofread and all obvious typos and grammatical errors corrected, then it’s time to find a reputable editor who will ensure your manuscript is of the highest quality before you send it off to a publisher. I do not recommend using a friend or family member who has no professional training or editing experience to take on this important task for you. Always use a professional, reputable editor who is respected within the publishing community.
It is important to note that there are different types of editors for different types of books. A non-fiction editor is trained in editing books such as self-help, how-to, or humor. A fiction editor is skilled in fine-tuning romance, mystery, and sci-fi novels.
I met my editor through a writer’s group that meets monthly in my city. She and I became professional acquaintances long before my second book was completed and I knew of her excellent reputation. She was upfront with me in telling me that she edited non-fiction books only. It was important for me to also know her on a personal level since my book was comprised of humorous essays and I felt it was vital that she had the opportunity to get to know and understand my personality and sense of humor before she edited my book. Before she began editing, she told me, “You own this book. I will be making suggestions only – what you do with them is up to you.” As a result, we got along fabulously and I ended up making 99% of her recommendations. In the end, when I sent my book to the publisher, I felt that I had a high-quality manuscript that was free of errors.
If you are unsure where to find an editor, ask another writer, pose a question on an on-line discussion board for writers, or reference Writer’s Market at your local library. Once you connect with an editor you like, ask the editor to do a sample edit of 3-5 pages of your manuscript. This will give you a chance to see the editor’s work and determine if you two will work well together.
Final Thoughts
If you think about all the time and effort you have put into your book up to this point and how mortifying it would be to publish a book that is not up to the same standards as all the other books on the shelf next to yours, then the time and effort you put forth to ensure that your manuscript is of the highest quality will be worth it.
Read more about Vicky at http://www.wackywomanhood.com/.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
My Manuscript is Done – Now What?
Part 1: Why Authors Should Use Focus Groups
to Help Choose the Perfect Title
Your manuscript is finally complete. It may have taken you months, years, or even a lifetime to get to this point, but now that you have reached your ultimate goal, what is the next step?
How to Create the Best Title for Your Book
Now is the time for an author to either refine or discard the book’s working title and create a new one. Choosing the perfect title for your book will not be an easy task. If you have properly researched your book’s audience, then you should already be familiar with what kind of people will be reading your book and the key words these readers might use to search for a book like yours. As you begin the title selection process, there are several important factors to keep in mind for your title:
How to Create the Best Title for Your Book
Now is the time for an author to either refine or discard the book’s working title and create a new one. Choosing the perfect title for your book will not be an easy task. If you have properly researched your book’s audience, then you should already be familiar with what kind of people will be reading your book and the key words these readers might use to search for a book like yours. As you begin the title selection process, there are several important factors to keep in mind for your title:
- Keep it between 5-10 words (your subtitle can be longer)
- Include at least one critical key word that your readers might type into a search engine web site
- Make the reader curious enough to open the book to see what's inside
An author should begin by compiling a list of at least five possible titles. Once the list is complete, it is time to conduct more research. Type each potential title into Google and check the results. Are there any other books with the same title? If so, cross that title off your list and move on to the next one. If you must remove a title, create a new one in its place until you have five titles that are original.
Why is it Important to Use a Focus Group?
Marketing gurus consistently use focus groups to help gather feedback regarding new products or branding strategies. As an author who will be eventually developing a detailed marketing plan, you should begin relying on a focus group not only to help you choose your title, but also to provide input on cover design, web site pages, and your hook.
How I Used Focus Groups to Select the Titles for My Books
After I completed the manuscript for my books The Wacky World of Womanhood and Husbands, Hot Flashes, and All That Hullabaloo!, I gathered a list of about twenty business partners, other writers, friends, family, and casual acquaintances and composed an email asking them if they would be interested in providing input to me on several aspects of the publication of my book. My focus group was diverse, each with very different opinions and ideas. No one turned me down.
A few days later, I emailed the list of five potential titles to everyone and asked them to vote for their favorite title within three days. I encouraged honesty and welcomed their comments. A few minutes later, the emails started coming back with terrific suggestions for improvement. I implemented their ideas, refined my list down to three titles, and sent out another email asking for another vote. The focus group and I went back and forth three to four times before I had a majority vote on the winning titles you see above.
As the result of relying on my focus group for constructive criticism and acceptance within a very competitive market, I felt confident about each of my titles as well as my cover design when each book was published.
Plain and simple - carefully chosen titles will help sell books.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Get to Know Your Readers … Before You Write Your Book
This summer, another book profiling investment guru Warren Buffett will be released. I feel pretty certain that the author, Alice Schroeder, didn’t have to identify her audience or market before she began writing his long-awaited authorized biography. The publisher, Bantam Dell, plans to print one million copies in its first run.
Back in the real world (where we’re all not as famous (or rich) as Warren Buffett), writers create great ideas for books every hour of every day, yet many wonderfully-written books often don’t achieve the author’s sales goals simply because they have been written without a target audience in mind.
I learned many valuable marketing lessons after writing my first book The Wacky World of Womanhood. After sending my already-published book to an agent, she recommended that I “tighten my audience.” It was a great suggestion I took to heart when formulating the idea for Husbands, Hot Flashes and All That Hullabaloo! I knew I wanted to write a book of humorous essays on a woman’s often hilarious journey through menopause, but when I conducted research on the number of menopausal women in the United States, I knew I had hit the jackpot. I learned that over 40 million women are currently suffering from some symptom of menopause, a statistic that eventually formed my humorous opening line in many radio interviews and press releases, “With millions of women currently experiencing hot flashes, now I know the real reason why we’re experiencing global warming!”
I also learned that many baby boomers grew up without television and learned to use computers later in life – statistics that told me that many baby boomers probably still enjoyed reading the old-fashioned way – on the couch with a hard copy of a book in hand, a pair of reading glasses on their nose, and a glass of wine within reach. In addition, many baby boomers are facing retirement and a slowing in the fast-paced lifestyle that many younger people still endure. Therefore, they had the time to read – all factors conducive to increased book sales.
In addition, while conducting book signings for my first book of personal essays that encompassed my life from childhood through age forty, I carefully watched the ages of those who purchased my book. Interestingly enough, my original target audience for my book was ages 25-40, but as I observed who exactly was buying my book, I noticed more and more women over age 60 standing in line at my signings than the younger women I had originally targeted.
So, how do you as a writer begin to identify if there is an audience for your potential book? First, think about who might enjoy reading your book.
What is their age?
Are they male or female?
Are they married, single or divorced?
Do they have young or grown children?
Where do they live?
What kind of problems do they face every day?
Do they work or are they retired?
Do they have a college education?
What do they like to do for fun?
What kind of values do they have?
Next, research your target audience. I searched on-line for “Baby Boomer Statistics” and at my fingertips, I had a seemingly endless list of ways to dig deep into the mindset of people born between 1946 and 1964, and from that larger group, I was able to delve into the specific characteristics and buying habits of baby boomer women. By typing in “Boomer Buying Decisions” I was able to determine that boomers are some of the wealthiest people in the country and, as a result, are driven, non-traditional, and nostalgic. The last word was the most important in my search – boomers like to relive their past, therefore, my essays on growing up during the 1960s would be particularly interesting to them, and therefore, relational in nature – a very important factor in marketing. Finally through my detailed research, I learned that women are responsible for 83% of all consumer buying decisions.
Once you have developed a list of the characteristics of your target audience, hang it on your computer. Every time you write an essay, a chapter, a sentence … think of your audience. After all, you are writing for them.
Read more about Vicky at www.wackywomanhood.com.
Back in the real world (where we’re all not as famous (or rich) as Warren Buffett), writers create great ideas for books every hour of every day, yet many wonderfully-written books often don’t achieve the author’s sales goals simply because they have been written without a target audience in mind.
I learned many valuable marketing lessons after writing my first book The Wacky World of Womanhood. After sending my already-published book to an agent, she recommended that I “tighten my audience.” It was a great suggestion I took to heart when formulating the idea for Husbands, Hot Flashes and All That Hullabaloo! I knew I wanted to write a book of humorous essays on a woman’s often hilarious journey through menopause, but when I conducted research on the number of menopausal women in the United States, I knew I had hit the jackpot. I learned that over 40 million women are currently suffering from some symptom of menopause, a statistic that eventually formed my humorous opening line in many radio interviews and press releases, “With millions of women currently experiencing hot flashes, now I know the real reason why we’re experiencing global warming!”
I also learned that many baby boomers grew up without television and learned to use computers later in life – statistics that told me that many baby boomers probably still enjoyed reading the old-fashioned way – on the couch with a hard copy of a book in hand, a pair of reading glasses on their nose, and a glass of wine within reach. In addition, many baby boomers are facing retirement and a slowing in the fast-paced lifestyle that many younger people still endure. Therefore, they had the time to read – all factors conducive to increased book sales.
In addition, while conducting book signings for my first book of personal essays that encompassed my life from childhood through age forty, I carefully watched the ages of those who purchased my book. Interestingly enough, my original target audience for my book was ages 25-40, but as I observed who exactly was buying my book, I noticed more and more women over age 60 standing in line at my signings than the younger women I had originally targeted.
So, how do you as a writer begin to identify if there is an audience for your potential book? First, think about who might enjoy reading your book.
What is their age?
Are they male or female?
Are they married, single or divorced?
Do they have young or grown children?
Where do they live?
What kind of problems do they face every day?
Do they work or are they retired?
Do they have a college education?
What do they like to do for fun?
What kind of values do they have?
Next, research your target audience. I searched on-line for “Baby Boomer Statistics” and at my fingertips, I had a seemingly endless list of ways to dig deep into the mindset of people born between 1946 and 1964, and from that larger group, I was able to delve into the specific characteristics and buying habits of baby boomer women. By typing in “Boomer Buying Decisions” I was able to determine that boomers are some of the wealthiest people in the country and, as a result, are driven, non-traditional, and nostalgic. The last word was the most important in my search – boomers like to relive their past, therefore, my essays on growing up during the 1960s would be particularly interesting to them, and therefore, relational in nature – a very important factor in marketing. Finally through my detailed research, I learned that women are responsible for 83% of all consumer buying decisions.
Once you have developed a list of the characteristics of your target audience, hang it on your computer. Every time you write an essay, a chapter, a sentence … think of your audience. After all, you are writing for them.
Read more about Vicky at www.wackywomanhood.com.
Monday, April 28, 2008
The Value of a Mentor
As you progress in your writing career, the value of partnering with a mentor is immeasurable. A more experienced writer can provide you with the kind of objective advice you may not be able to receive from friends or family. A mentor may provide you with ideas for terrific resources as you write an article or ask you key questions that may open a door to new possibilities if you are marketing a new book.
Writing can be an isolating profession. On a day when you’ve experienced several hours of agonizing writer’s block and discovered a rejection letter in your pile of mail and no one seems to understand why you’re frustrated, a reassuring email or phone call from your mentor can make you feel like you’re not alone.
So, how do you find a great mentor? You can attend writer’s conferences, networking events, and book signings by authors you admire. If there’s an opportunity at a conference or meeting to pull a writer aside and start a conversation, that’s a good time to decide if the writer’s personality and yours appear to be a good match. Offer to buy your potential mentor lunch or take their card and ask if you can contact them later with a question. After you’ve had a chance to “interview” several potential mentors, email your first choice to see if he or she is interested in pursuing a mentor/mentee relationship with you.
A mentor should be encouraging, but yet honest. Your mentor should push you when you need the extra motivation and should always be encouraging you to learn more. A great mentor may even be able to provide you with several contacts within the publishing world, beneficial sources for future articles, and names of reputable agents and editors.
It is important to establish guidelines and boundaries with your mentor before you both get started. If your mentor lives in the same city, agree to meet once a month at a coffee shop for one hour over the course of a year. Establish the rule that you will email the mentor one chapter excerpt from your book-in-progress or a draft of a personal essay or article one week prior to your personal meeting. This will allow the mentor the time to adequately review your work, prepare his or her suggestions for improvement, as well as other ideas for how you may market or sell your work. If you are communicating long-distance, the same rules can be applied in order to make the most of your time together.
After you’ve started meeting with your mentor, do not forget to express your gratitude for all their time and effort in helping you better yourself professionally. Write a thank you note, buy their coffee or lunch, or purchase a book you think they’d enjoy. If you are talented in a specific area like designing business cards or taking photographs, offer your services for free to them as a token of your appreciation.
Personally, I’ve been on both sides of the mentor/mentee relationship. Over the course of several years, I’ve not only been mentored by talented and more experienced writers, but I’ve also been asked to mentor several writers – one of whom just published her first book and another who just received a notice of her first acceptance into a Chicken Soup book. I truly enjoy being both coached professionally and then jumping over to the other side of the fence to mentor others. Both roles are equally as rewarding – both provide me with a terrific learning experience.
The great Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” I hope you will take the initiative to reach out and find a mentor who will encourage you to grow not only professionally, but personally, and then one day, you might just do the same for another writer.
Happy writing!
Writing can be an isolating profession. On a day when you’ve experienced several hours of agonizing writer’s block and discovered a rejection letter in your pile of mail and no one seems to understand why you’re frustrated, a reassuring email or phone call from your mentor can make you feel like you’re not alone.
So, how do you find a great mentor? You can attend writer’s conferences, networking events, and book signings by authors you admire. If there’s an opportunity at a conference or meeting to pull a writer aside and start a conversation, that’s a good time to decide if the writer’s personality and yours appear to be a good match. Offer to buy your potential mentor lunch or take their card and ask if you can contact them later with a question. After you’ve had a chance to “interview” several potential mentors, email your first choice to see if he or she is interested in pursuing a mentor/mentee relationship with you.
A mentor should be encouraging, but yet honest. Your mentor should push you when you need the extra motivation and should always be encouraging you to learn more. A great mentor may even be able to provide you with several contacts within the publishing world, beneficial sources for future articles, and names of reputable agents and editors.
It is important to establish guidelines and boundaries with your mentor before you both get started. If your mentor lives in the same city, agree to meet once a month at a coffee shop for one hour over the course of a year. Establish the rule that you will email the mentor one chapter excerpt from your book-in-progress or a draft of a personal essay or article one week prior to your personal meeting. This will allow the mentor the time to adequately review your work, prepare his or her suggestions for improvement, as well as other ideas for how you may market or sell your work. If you are communicating long-distance, the same rules can be applied in order to make the most of your time together.
After you’ve started meeting with your mentor, do not forget to express your gratitude for all their time and effort in helping you better yourself professionally. Write a thank you note, buy their coffee or lunch, or purchase a book you think they’d enjoy. If you are talented in a specific area like designing business cards or taking photographs, offer your services for free to them as a token of your appreciation.
Personally, I’ve been on both sides of the mentor/mentee relationship. Over the course of several years, I’ve not only been mentored by talented and more experienced writers, but I’ve also been asked to mentor several writers – one of whom just published her first book and another who just received a notice of her first acceptance into a Chicken Soup book. I truly enjoy being both coached professionally and then jumping over to the other side of the fence to mentor others. Both roles are equally as rewarding – both provide me with a terrific learning experience.
The great Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” I hope you will take the initiative to reach out and find a mentor who will encourage you to grow not only professionally, but personally, and then one day, you might just do the same for another writer.
Happy writing!
Friday, April 18, 2008
Partnering with a Publisher
Deciding to pursue a writing career was easy. Publishing my first book was not.
In the summer of 2003, I neared the end of a three-year project to write my first book of humorous essays (The Wacky World of Womanhood: Essays on Girlhood, Dating, Motherhood, and the Loss of Matching Underwear). Next, I had to decide whether to pursue traditional, self-publishing, or print-on-demand publishing. As I read through huge stacks of information about each publishing choice and sent my manuscript to agents, I realized one important thing that would play an important part in my final decision – I wanted total control over how my book was marketed.
Once I realized what I really wanted from the publishing process, I faced the all-important and agonizing decision of what company would be the best partners in publishing my book, providing mentorship through the marketing process, and ensuring effective distribution of my book. The decision was not an easy one. I agonized for months. I researched, read articles, asked friends for advice, and consulted with my former boss. I narrowed it down to three companies and then down to two.
“What publishing company will help me achieve my writing goals?” I asked everyone I knew. They all just shrugged their shoulders because truthfully, only I knew the answer to that question. I eventually chose to publish my book with iUniverse and then I sat back nervously and crossed my fingers. Who could predict how it would turn out?
Five years and another book later, I can assure you that my experience has been terrific. I received the guidance, positive reinforcement, and information to make my adventure in publishing a tremendous success. And now, I’m a part of a newly-appointed, 10-member Author Council who is helping to guide two companies - AuthorHouse and iUniverse – into an exciting future. I recently traveled to Indiana to take part in our first roundtable meeting and as I listened to senior management share their many innovative and wonderful ideas that soon will be coming to fruition, I realized that the passion they share for ensuring the success of all their authors is evident. Our discussion was lively, as it always is when you bring together 10 authors who are passionate about their books, marketing, and mentoring other authors. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I learned that day, but I can assure you that many great things are coming in the future from the talented team at AuthorHouse and iUniverse.
Whether you are just thinking about writing a book or completing your manuscript and are ready to choose a publisher, I sincerely hope you will research each and every company and find the one that will provide you with exactly what you want. Don’t settle for anything less than what you deserve – great customer service, a team of experts who care, and executives who are always looking for ways to make the publishing process better, faster, and easier for all their authors.
Happy writing!
Read more about Vicky at www.wackywomanhood.com.
In the summer of 2003, I neared the end of a three-year project to write my first book of humorous essays (The Wacky World of Womanhood: Essays on Girlhood, Dating, Motherhood, and the Loss of Matching Underwear). Next, I had to decide whether to pursue traditional, self-publishing, or print-on-demand publishing. As I read through huge stacks of information about each publishing choice and sent my manuscript to agents, I realized one important thing that would play an important part in my final decision – I wanted total control over how my book was marketed.
Once I realized what I really wanted from the publishing process, I faced the all-important and agonizing decision of what company would be the best partners in publishing my book, providing mentorship through the marketing process, and ensuring effective distribution of my book. The decision was not an easy one. I agonized for months. I researched, read articles, asked friends for advice, and consulted with my former boss. I narrowed it down to three companies and then down to two.
“What publishing company will help me achieve my writing goals?” I asked everyone I knew. They all just shrugged their shoulders because truthfully, only I knew the answer to that question. I eventually chose to publish my book with iUniverse and then I sat back nervously and crossed my fingers. Who could predict how it would turn out?
Five years and another book later, I can assure you that my experience has been terrific. I received the guidance, positive reinforcement, and information to make my adventure in publishing a tremendous success. And now, I’m a part of a newly-appointed, 10-member Author Council who is helping to guide two companies - AuthorHouse and iUniverse – into an exciting future. I recently traveled to Indiana to take part in our first roundtable meeting and as I listened to senior management share their many innovative and wonderful ideas that soon will be coming to fruition, I realized that the passion they share for ensuring the success of all their authors is evident. Our discussion was lively, as it always is when you bring together 10 authors who are passionate about their books, marketing, and mentoring other authors. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I learned that day, but I can assure you that many great things are coming in the future from the talented team at AuthorHouse and iUniverse.
Whether you are just thinking about writing a book or completing your manuscript and are ready to choose a publisher, I sincerely hope you will research each and every company and find the one that will provide you with exactly what you want. Don’t settle for anything less than what you deserve – great customer service, a team of experts who care, and executives who are always looking for ways to make the publishing process better, faster, and easier for all their authors.
Happy writing!
Read more about Vicky at www.wackywomanhood.com.
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