Getting Published: Publishing Tips and Advice

It appears that today everyone is a writer, and we all have the same dream. We all hope to someday be published. So as writers, where do we get started?

I suggest joining writing groups first and start seeking feedback that can help your career as a writer. It is most likely that your closest friends and family are telling you that your writing is the greatest thing since Steven King’s, and maybe it is, but it doesn't hurt to get some feedback from your fellow writers.

Once you are ready to take that plunge into the deep oceans of writing to see your work published for the first time, the best places to start are magazines and e-zines looking for calls for submission. For example, there are over 150 publishers listed on the Today's Woman Writing Community website, all looking for stories and poetry.

You are going to want to purchase a copy of Writer's Market that is published annually. This is an essential book for writers who are interested in publishing their work. You are also going to want to research your market. You are going to want to see just what kind of stories the magazine publishers are seeking. Each publisher will have specific guidelines to follow.

Offer your short stories for publication in their magazines, and be sure to list your other published work if any, and thank the editor for considering your work. If you are hoping to see your book published, some publishers will want you to send them your entire manuscript, while others may only want a query letter outlining your book proposal. Some may wish to see a few chapters from the book. If you're sending a full manuscript or sample chapters, always include an S.A.S.E. (Self Addressed Stamped Envelope) bearing sufficient postage with your submission. Present a cover letter that is professional. I suggest doing a Google search for query letter to give you some examples. If you are submitting by email, make sure that you follow the guidelines on the publisher’s website.

Stories posted on websites - are they personal or published?

In some cases, magazines will consider a story posted on your website or in an open community to be published. Therefore, they will not be able to claim first rights to it and most magazines, newspapers, etc. will not accept it as a submission. This will differ from publisher to publisher, and it is a very gray area. I suggest if you are submitting work that has already appeared on the web for publication, mention in the cover letter the forums or site where the story has been posted and let the editor make an informed decision.

Simultaneous Submissions?

There is a great debate in the writing community regarding simultaneous submissions. I have had a few interesting discussions myself. Some feel that it is the only way to get published quickly; others feel that it could lead to a bad reputation for you as a writer. This is due to the fact that publisher one will invest time in to reading your manuscript, only to find later it has been accepted by another publisher. I do encourage writers who wish to use simultaneous submission to advise the editors of it in their query letters.

Look over the contract:

Many first-time writers are so excited to just be published that they sign their name on anything without fully reading the contract. I can honestly say this is one mistake that I have made. Without carefully reading over the contract, you could sign yourself into a contract where for the next seven years you are bound to it and your publisher is reaping the rewards. Do not get trapped into this loop hole. Make sure you do an in-depth check into the background of any publisher. Once you send off your manuscript, now the fun comes. You sit and wait.

How long does it take?

It could take from 8 to 10 weeks to 8 to 10 months. Don't be discouraged by rejections; every writer gets rejected. Even Steven King was rejected. One published author says every story, on average, must be submitted to 100 markets before it is accepted.

You are going to want to know about rights, like first serial rights, etc. On Today's Woman under ‘writing lessons,’ there are some great articles that cover rights. Please be sure to check them out.

Getting published isn't easy. The editors get thousands of unsolicited Manuscripts a year. Don't give up. Start at the bottom and work up. I know some very talented writers who still aren't published. They've been trying for years. Writing is all about creating a name for yourself and that takes time.

If you are really eager about having your book published, you may wish to consider self-publishing or POD (print on demand) publishing. If you are considering this, I suggest developing a budget for publishing and advertising costs. You are going to want to shop around and look at the different prices of POD publishers or printing companies.

How to Self-Publish Easier, Faster Than Ever Before

Technology has advanced in the publishing world. I love it! I have been greatly helped to realize my publishing dreams. I think it's wonderful that aspiring authors have a greater range of choice. Now you may choose to pursue traditional publishing or quantum leap into self-publishing. Perhaps some would never have the opportunity to see their work in professional print without the arrival of publish on demand or POD Publishing. Print-on-demand means exactly what it implies: the company print books as they are ordered. They use modern technology to store and print your book in electronic form, removing the need for a warehouse and large print runs.

In my opinion, POD publishing does not take the place of its proud elder brother "Traditional Publishing." As with anything, there are pros and cons of each method. With that said, I won't attempt to convince you whether POD publishing is a good choice for you. There are lots of good reports out there on that subject.

Back in 2002 when I chose to self-publish my first book, I compiled a report comparing the top 3 companies. It helped me make my decision. I have revised that report for you and offer it fr~ee at the end of this article. If you have decided to publish POD, here are five of those ten top things to consider and compare.

1. Cover? Covers sell books! Of course it's not the only selling aspect of your book but it is one of the most important. One shot at a good first impression to capture the interest of your potential reader is all you get.

Author's Note: Look at their covers in on-line bookstores - back in 2002 I liked what several companies offered but their existing author book covers looked like crayon drawings. Most companies have since improved but I still think it's one of the main points to consider. You are looking for bookstore quality or trade quality.

2. Contract? - Most Publish-On-Demand or print when ordered companies are not considered publishing houses but publishing service companies. Therefore, you should expect a non-exclusive contract period.

3. Setup Fee? If you are like most self-publishers you are budget conscious of the initial setup fee of your book. The basic package of the 4 leading companies I researched average about $500. For my first self-published project, I let the other options determine my decision more since my 3 contenders' basic package was about the same.

4. Distribution? - Make sure they list their books in the leading wholesaler database as a part of the package or at least have an add-on option to list in & distribute through the two leading book wholesalers in the United States: Ingram and Baker & Taylor.

5. Royalty payments? - You may be wondering like an author friend of mine asked, "Shouldn't royalty be the first thing I should ask about?" Not necessarily, the traditional publishing company industry standard is 5-8% quarterly or bi-annually. The industry average for POD companies is about 15-20% at the time of this writing. Even so, tt's good to know when to expect your royalty and how much. Most pay quarterly or monthly.

6. Book Price? Find out if they are pricing their books at a competitive market price. It will probably hurt your sales if your book is priced too high above its competitors.

7. Author Support? Know what kind of support the company you contract with will provide. One on One support, representative assigned, phone support, email support are among the options. Find out so you can know what to expect. Make sure you are comfortable with what they propose to provide if you have any problems in the publishing process.

8. Proof Ready? Although most POD companies provide proof way ahead of traditional publishing standard of 1-2 years, its still good to know.

9. Books Returnable & Discounted to Bookstores? Do you plan to sell many books in the bookstore? Books aren't automatically stocked on the precious shelves of bookstores, you know. You should know upfront, if you publish POD publishing more than likely your books are unreturnable.

Author's Note: Though that is rapidly changing - there are still lots of companies that still go by this policy in their contract.
Why is this important? Bookstores expect full trade discount and anticipate buying books on a returnable basis. This includes museums, gift shops, libraries, schools, etc.

10. Author Purchase Discount? This is important for your marketing campaign. Yes, you do have to market your book. With any self-publishing project, all marketing is considered your responsibility. Even with the econimies of traditional publishers you only get a portion of your publiscist attention (may be assigned to 10-100 authors) for about 30-90 days.

Author's Note: Let's assume you are an excited author that just finished your book-your labor of love, decided to self-publish, saved $2500 but feel daunted about all the things you have to learn about to self-publish. Things you must do like hire a cover designer, book editor, someone to professionally layout your book, hire printer, purchse barcodes & isbn number, etc. We haven't even gotten to the work of marketing. Why not consider a POD publisher who handles all of those stages and steps for you? You are only left with investing in your book at the lowest price possible to re-sell to your readers at whatever price the market will bear.

I hope these thoughts are helpful to you. It helped me make an informed choice when I knew nothing about the industry of publishing. Here's to the success of your book publishing dreams!

Publishing Scams: Six Red Flags That Scream "Rip Off"

It's heartbreaking. You go to a local fair and there at the author's table is a row of smiling hopefuls, eager to sell their books. A few are beautiful books, either self-published or produced by traditional publishers. But so many are poorly written, poorly produced, with amateurish covers and cheap bindings. The author's smiles are wearing thin as they realize that the world isn't flocking to buy their books, and they're just beginning to wonder if there's something wrong with this picture.

Score another for the vanity presses. The poor authors, with no knowledge of the business end of publishing, have been snookered out of hundreds or even thousands of dollars and now have cases of unmarketable books serving as very expensive doorstops.

In these days of POD (publish-on-demand) technology, the vanity presses may promise to ship the books when they are ordered, which at least relieves the author of having to warehouse the books. But the vanities still charge large amounts of money and the author is still left with an empty bank account and shattered dreams.

Or worse. Some scammers take money from hopeful authors and deliver nothing at all.

The good news is that with a little knowledge, it isn't too hard to spot a scam. Here are some obvious red flags to look for:

Red Flag #1: "We'll publish your book for ONLY $595!"

Remember this one rule above all: legitimate publishers pay YOU for the rights to publish your book. You should never have to pay anyone to publish your work unless you choose to self-publish.

To get a book published, you have to write the very best book you can. You must study the market, and use a current market guide to select the most appropriate publisher. You submit your manuscript using a standard manuscript format, which is described in most good books on writing and publishing. While you wait for a reply, you go to work on your next project. If a publisher is interested, an editor will contact you and make an offer. The publisher will pay you an advance against royalties, and once the advance is earned back, you will earn royalties on further sales. You or your agent may also sell other subsidiary rights, such as foreign translation rights or movie rights. Chances are high, however, that your manuscript will be rejected. If that happens you select the next publisher on your list and send the manuscript there, then go back to work on your next project.

If you want to self-publish, the best way to go about it is to create your own small publishing company. You give your company a name, you choose a good printing service, you buy the ISBN number and file for copyright. If you pay for "publishing," but the book bears the imprint of another publisher, that company is a vanity publisher. A good printing service will encourage you to use your own imprint. You have a much better chance of getting a distributor to carry your books if you use your own imprint. Most distributors steer clear of vanity publishers.

If you want only a few copies, such as a memoir meant only for family, look for a good book binding service.

Red Flag #2: "Authors wanted by major publisher!"

No legitimate publisher ever has to advertise for authors. All major publishers have gigantic slush piles stacked high with far more manuscripts than they will ever be able to use, most of which are of poor quality. If you see an ad in the back of a magazine that offers to "publish" your book, or suggests that they "need" authors, chances are high that it is a vanity press.

Red Flag #3: "We know the secret for instant success!"

There is no "instant success" in the publishing world. Most famous authors worked hard for years to become an "overnight success." Sometimes a lucky break will propel a new author to the top of the bestseller list, but remember, their story is just one out of millions. Most authors never get that kind of fame. If the opening page of the site talks about how your book could be a best-seller, be cautious. Real publishers don't make those kinds of promises, because they know the reality of the publishing business.

Red Flag #4: "Traditional publishing is dead/a rip-off/not worth your time."

A publishing company that disparages traditional publishing is almost certainly either a vanity publisher or an outright scam. What they are disparaging are long-established honest businesses that carefully select the manuscripts that are most likely to sell and pay the authors for the rights to publish these works.

Red Flag #5: "We'll list your books on Amazon.com!"

Getting your book listed on Amazon.com is as easy as going online and filling out a form. Anyone can do it. And a listing on Amazon isn't a guaranteed path to success. Even in this day and age of online commerce, something less than 10% of all books sold are sold online. The vast majority of books are sold through bricks-and-mortar bookstores. While you may possibly be able to talk your local bookstores into carrying your self-published book, the only way to get it into bookstores across the nation is by getting a distributor to carry it. That can be expensive (which is one reason that the vanities don't bother with distribution), and distributors won't touch vanity books (which is the other reason). Distributors and bookstores also don't like POD (publish on demand) books, because they can't be returned if they don't sell. Booksellers, unlike most businesses, expect to be able to return or destroy unsold books and get their money back. It sounds crazy to other businesses, but that's how it is. If the publisher can't offer distribution services to get your book into bookstores, it's not a publisher that will serve you well.

Get a Copyright First... Right? 5 Big Myths About Getting Published

Writers -- you expect them to be the most literate, informed people on the planet. Yet editors are continually astonished by how little new writers bother to learn about the publishing industry before they send their work out. Writing is an art and a craft, but publishing is a business, and publishers expect writers to approach them in a professional, business-like manner. This means that writers must know the rules of the road before they begin. Let's start with some of the common myths that one finds floating around that have the potential of crippling your writing career before it even begins.

No. And here's why not.

Reason #1: If you are submitting to real editors at real publishing houses as you should be (not vanity presses or so-called "subsidy" presses), your manuscript will be just one of thousands of hopefuls in a staggeringly-high slush pile. Ahead of your manuscript in the line are manuscripts that were pre-screened and submitted by agents (who also have staggeringly-high slush piles in their own offices). If an editor has that kind of overabundance of material on hand, what incentive is there to steal?

"But," you protest, "what if the editor decides to publish my work under the name of a famous author so the publisher can make a lot of money?"

Think -- would that famous author really sit still for that? Of course not! Famous Author's lawyers would be all over any editor who tried to pass of someone else's work as that of Famous Author's. Nor is Famous Author likely to form a conspiracy with an editor to steal someone's work and publish it under Famous Author's name. There are too many things that can go wrong, too many careers at risk. Possibly, maybe, under certain phases of the moon and alignments of the planets, this might happen in the music industry. Maybe. If you're submitting songs, get educated about the music industry and how copyrights work. If you're submitting novels and nonfiction, don't sweat it.

Reason #2: So you go ahead and shell out 20 bucks or so to get that copyright. You submit your manuscript. Editor takes a look at your manuscript. First impression: "Hmm. This author copyrighted the work. Doesn't trust me to know not to steal manuscripts. Pah! Amateur!" The reading starts off with a bad impression, and goes downhill from there.

Reason #3: It's 20 rejections later, and you're still shopping your manuscript around. Editor number 21 picks it up and sees the copyright date from ten or so years ago. "Man, this has been out for a long time. Must be a real loser." Again, the reading starts off with a bad impression, and back comes the manuscript with rejection number 21.

How to Publish a Book: Key Differences Between Publishing and Self Publishing

For many authors just starting out, it can be a confusing and overwhelming decision whether to self publish a book or to seek out a traditional publishing house. It is important to know that the decision you make can have a huge impact on the success, or the failure, of your book.
There are many factors to consider, and the right decision is going to be different for every author and for every book.

Here are just a few key factors and publishing tips excerpted from Idea to Book to Success to help you make the decision of exactly how to publish a book:

Time:

When seeking a traditional publishing house to publish your book, you will soon discover that the book will be published according to the publisher's timeline. Publishing houses have a set production mandate and books are scheduled for publication far in advance. Often, books are signed on for publication one to three years before they are actually published.

When you self publish, the only timeline restricting the publication of your book is your own. You can take years to publish a book if you so choose. Or, if you work incredibly hard, you can have your book out on the market within months. You can take as much or as little time as you want or need to publish your book.

Control:

If you sign your book on with a publishing house, you must understand that it is now the publisher's book. As a new author you will likely be conceding to the wishes of the publisher when it comes to book title, design and cover. Also be aware that the responsibility of promoting and marketing the book will fall on your shoulders as well once the publisher has finished an initial, brief promotional push.

When you self publish a book, YOU are the publisher. This means you are solely responsible for coordinating the entire production of the book. You must find an editor, a designer, a distributor, a publicist, etc. When you self publish, you are forming your own publishing house and you are now in the business of publishing. You maintain all control and you publish the book the way you want to publish it.

Profit:

A publishing house signs books under the agreement of payment by advance and royalties. You will be paid a small sum of money up front as an advance on sales, and subsequently you will receive royalties once sales grow over and above your advance. Royalties are usually very small for new authors and are often as low as 5% of selling price.

Profit is definitely the biggest argument in favor of self publishing. If you self publish, the profits from your book sales are 100% yours. If you are willing to work hard to market and promote your book, you will reap the benefits of the sales. If you research carefully, plan properly and execute the right marketing strategy, there is no limit to the profit you can earn from your book sales.

As with any other business, you must properly research and plan to fully understand how to publish a book in order to be successful. If you publish the right way, the potential for success and profit is infinite.

The New Face of Publishing

Writers who find themselves caught in the publishing dilemma of "Should I wait eons for a standard publisher to pick up my manuscript or go out on a limb and self-publish?" will be glad to learn that there's a middle-of-the-road publishing option: partnership publishing. To understand partnership publishing, however, it's important to review the other commonly used publishing methods.

Standard Publishing

With standard publishing, a publishing company selects the manuscripts it will publish. The publisher absorbs all the costs and risks of printing and distribution, so it maintains strict editorial and creative control over every phase of a book's production. The author is paid a nominal royalty, usually a percentage of a book's net proceeds.

After being accepted, it commonly takes 18-24 months from the date the contracts are signed before a book will actually be seen in print--but that's just the beginning. While standard publishing companies maintain marketing departments, most first-time authors don't realize that the average publisher's budgets is restricted, so each author is expected to assume part (and sometimes a large part) of the responsibility for marketing a book.

Self-Publishing

With self-publishing, the author maintains complete editorial and creative control over a book's production, but also absorbs all the associated costs and risk. The author is fully responsible for everything, including design, printing, marketing, distribution, and sales. Although a self-published book can appear on bookshelves in as little as three months, it's not likely to show up on bookstore shelves that soon.

First-time self-published authors often run into roadblocks when it comes to securing distribution by the big houses, such as Baker & Taylor or Ingram, from whom bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Borders purchase. A number of costly mistakes can be made along the way, too, such as a poor cover design, inferior printing quality, the omission of a barcode, not realizing the time commitment necessary for effective public relations, not knowing where or how to market a book, or simply paying too much for printing or marketing materials.

Partnership Publishing

The middle-of-the-road alternative is partnership publishing, in which the author and the publisher agree to split the cost and risk of publication and distribution, as well as sharing any revenues generated by sales. The author and the publisher have equal voices as they make their way through the often confusing maze of editorial and creative decisions. They also share in the marketing of the book, because each of them has a stake in the book's success.

As an added advantage, partnership-published books usually will get into the hands of more readers--in a shorter amount of time--than standard or self-published manuscripts. Since partnership publishers seldom have manuscripts stacked to the ceiling waiting to be reviewed, they can get to yours faster; and since partnership publishers won't be assuming the entire financial risk, they can afford to take chances on unknown authors. On the other hand, because they'll be sharing the financial burden, partnership publishers still must choose books that are marketable, which means rejection is still a possibility.

Although a self-published book can be delivered shortly after paying the printer's bill, a partnership-published book usually connects with readers quicker because the author can draw on a publisher's experience in marketing, distributing, and sales strategies--and combined with the author's own efforts, there are two promotion avenues being pursued at the same time, which can be a big advantage in terms of sales.

"When I was the community relations coordinator for Borders Books and Music, I saw firsthand that it was nearly impossible for a self-published author to get a book accepted into the store. There were just too many obstacles," says Lynda Exley, who partnered with Five Star Publications to publish her eleven-year-old son's book, The Student from Zombie Island: Conquering the Rumor Monster. "I also saw many poorly designed, error-ridden self-published books that authors had poured their life savings into. These were basic mistakes that any good editor or publisher could have prevented."

However, as a member of several writers clubs, Exley says she was also privy to many horror stories about books taking several years to be accepted by a traditional publisher, followed by a couple more years before actually being printed, only to receive a minimal amount of marketing attention from the publisher.

Exley adds, "And unless you're Stephen King, a traditional publisher isn't going to cover expenses, like traveling to book signings or additional marketing beyond the initial few press releases. That money comes out of any minuscule royalties paid to the author."

After meeting with Five Star Publications and learning about partnership publishing, Exley realized that it represented the best of both worlds.

"We share the expenses, the workload--and the profits," she says. "Five Star gives me all the benefits of a big publisher--editing services, distribution with Baker & Taylor and Ingram, promotional materials, a dedicated website, and publicity--along with all the advantages of self-publishing, like a higher profit margin, creative control, and a shorter time period from inception to print."

For Exley, it's been a win-win situation from the beginning, including several things she hadn't expected.

"Linda became a mentor to me. Through her direction, I've learned more about publishing, marketing, and selling than I'd ever dreamed, and she's right there in the trenches with me, selling The Student From Zombie Island."

There are many other advantages, too, says Exley.

"I also get a discount on promotional materials. Linda's been in the industry nearly thirty years and has established suppliers that give her the best prices, which she passes on to me. I save money on trade shows, too, since other authors share space under the Five Star roof, which reduces the cost for all of us.


Exley also points out that partnership publishing earns her book more respect from bookstores and the media.

"I can proudly say that Zombie Island was accepted and published by a legitimate, bona fide publisher instead of shouting 'self-published' to everyone who sees it. Those are words that no bookstore or media personality wants to hear. It's not that self-publishing is a bad thing or that it automatically means a book is inferior. There are some wonderful self-published books out there. However, because inferior self-published books are plentiful, self-published books simply don't get the same respect that traditional or partnership-published books receive. Partnership publishing has opened doors for me that wouldn't have been available otherwise."

Self-Publishing, Independent Publishing, Traditional Publishing

Each of these three forms of publishing is different and each is viable in today's publishing world. But there is so much confusion about what they provide to aspiring authors worldwide, that I decided to address this for you today. Take what you will and leave the rest, but this perspective comes from first-hand experience in the industry.

Self-publishing: Actually, this is the murkiest water in which to swim. TRUE Self-publishing means, you create a true publishing entity, buy your own ISBNs from RR Bowker, and take all the responsibility for layout and design of your book, you find a printer, you are responsible for all marketing andyou are alone in the publishing world. To people who are skilled in graphic design and thrilled with taking risks, this is an invigorating endeavor. Companies that use the come-on "self-publish your book" to attract authors do the authors a true disservice for one reason: the author never truly owns his ISBN, and therefore, the way his book is produced, marketed and how he receives royalties is out of his control. There are many large self-publishing mills that accept anyone and exploit the innocence of writers.

Here is what one author told me this week:
I self-published 24/7 or Dead through one of the large POD firms, not an experience I would wish on my worst enemy. 13 galleys later, I still have uncorrected mistakes in my text but finally gave up because my publicist had booked PR appearances and I needed the book. I've visited your site and it appears to be a place where I could self-publish again, with your support. Am, I reading this correctly?

Here is how I replied to her:
"Well, there is so much misinformation about "self-published" books, and large POD firms are among the loudest perpetrators of misinformation. Nightengale Press is a true publisher using print on demand technology to get the books printed.

INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING:

Nightengale Press and 55,000 others can't be all wrong. Some independents keep a very narrow focus and publish only one or two titles a year. They reject lots of authors, looking for the one or two they want for their year's quota. They usually function very much like a traditional publisher, in that they take on all publishing costs, but often these are supported by grants with certain guidelines, and therefore stringent limitation. Some independents publish more titles, still within a clearly defined and often limited scope for one genre only. These publishers also function very much like a traditional publisher, however, they also reject lots of authors, looking for the numbers they want for their year's quota.

Nightengale Press does charge a modest fee for our services, yet, we take no money from the book sales until our authors have re-paid their investment. And we have many support services for marketing, not the least of which is our great affiliate program --- our most successful authors use this to great advantage. There isn't a better "deal" in the industry, and it is all because I am an author and believe with every fiber of my being that the author should get paid FIRST and FAIRLY!

The decision to self-publish poses this dilemma:
ARE YOU AN AUTHOR OR A PUBLISHER? Author? Or Publisher? That is the question. Jan Nathan of Publisher's Marketing Association said this after BEA in mid-May: "On a somewhat discouraging note, we met with many, many authors on the floor who chose to print their titles with Print on Demand houses, and were told by these houses that they were the publisher of their title, when in fact they are only an author with the POD house."

SEE? CONFUSION EVEN AMONG INDUSTRY EXPERTS.

FIRST:

Print on Demand is a printing technology, NOT a publishing status. I find the misconception that because a publisher uses POD technology to produce books the books they produce are somehow inferior, or they are somehow scamming the authors they serve hugely problematic.

SECOND:

A publisher is a person/business which seeks good authors, produces their books, assists to some degree with the promotion of the book, and builds a reputation through the ethical management of those authors and their work.

THIRD:
An author is a person who writes and publishes his work --- one way or another. Once a writer, always a writer - but not always an author. An author can be a publisher---thanks to POD technology and the self-publishing boom. However, generally, a publisher knows good writing when he sees it, but he may not be a writer, and he may not choose the best writers to publish.

How the work is produced has NOTHING to do with the quality of the writing. It has EVERYTHING to do with the marketing of the writing, and this is where the traditional publishing community is so threatened:
There is NO LIMITATION to good writers getting published. Every good writer can get published --- even if they self-publish as a first step. What good writers cannot get alone is GOOD MARKETING. There are pitfalls and scammers everywhere in the publishing industry, waiting to take advantage of the writer who is unaware, uninformed or unable to discern the value of his own writing.

THE BIG FIVE TRADITIONAL PUBLISHERS MISS THOUSANDS OF GOOD WRITERS. They have to. The must take only those they can reasonably bet on --- it is like a horse race --- there are the favorites (best-selling authors) who nearly always win the race. Then there are the yearlings, the writers who are new to the industry, and who know very little about the race, but they run like crazy in the pack. These are the writers who become self-publishers. Then there are the long-shots, and they are the ones even the big publishing houses can miss ---- the writers who have something very new to say, or a new way to say it that doesn't quite fit the mold. SOME PUBLISHERS --- apparently the "POD houses" Jan is referring to ---are not even clear on the subject themselves.

To tell an author that he is the publisher of his own book when he is not the owner of the ISBN on that book is a clear misrepresentation. But because a publisher uses POD technology doesn't make him a bad publisher --- in fact, most of the 55,000 or so small publishers in the USA couldn't do what they do without it. The costs of offset / traditional publishing are too great at the outset., tens of thousands of dollars, and even the big guys don't spend their money on the unknown author (who becomes more a number than a person in that realm, by the way).

So, what is a writer to do? Here is my motto, and it drives everything I do as a writer and as a publihsher:
Believe first in YOURSELF

You CAN achieve Excellence if you WORK harder than others think is necessary

EXPECT more of yourself than others think is possible

CARE more about your future than others think is wise

TAKE RISKS more than others think is safe

DREAM more than others think is practical

And

NEVER, EVER QUIT!

Valerie’s talk show on Global Talk Radio is a popular program which targets writers worldwide to provide them a place to promote their books, discuss their experiences as writers, and learn from experts who also appear on the program. When Valerie goes into the Publisher’s Corner, an informative segment that highlights book industry trends and reveals important issues affecting writers and their books, she gives her listeners the publisher’s perspective on vital information they need to keep up to date on a wide spectrum of topics. She also teaches the essentials to successful book development and promotion for aspiring and published authors alike.