So
you wanna be a published author.
Well
it ain't gonna be easy – that's for sure.
95%
of authors don't make a living at writing.
I
once read you need 10% luck 20% talent and a whopping 70% patience.
That’s the truth.
And
Lots
of free cash to promote your book.
You
also need a publisher you can trust.
There
are an awful lot of 'so called' publishers out in the book world, who
really have no right to call themselves anything other than purveyors
of broken dreams and shattered promises.
These
publishers reside mainly in the small press.
Don't
give up your day job – important piece of advice this, and not to
be overlooked.
Check
out Predators & Editors. It's a very valuable resource for would
be authors. Here's their link – essential reading.
However,
as much as P & E, try to keep their information up to date.
There are times when a publisher snares the unwary simply because
they have not been informed in time by disgruntled writers.
So,
look for other warnings when choosing your publisher.
Suspect
a publisher that has to advertise for submissions. It could mean they
have so pissed off their authors that they are having to look further
afield, for new meat for their grinder.
Check
out to see if their writers come back to them more than once or twice
with new books. Is their website updated regularly. If not – why
not?
Go
through the books they have for sale, see if they are best sellers.
Amazon has a ranking system. This can be helpful when checking statistics.
Check
out forums. And ask your Facebook Friends if they have heard anything
about this publisher – good or bad.
Is
this publisher busy on social media?
Does
it tweet regularly?
Have
you seen it advertise on popular writers blogs and the various
on-line magazines?
And
Finally.........
The
Contract.
This
is a grey area. Like a lot of new authors who have been accepted by a
publisher - it is so very easy, to not read the contract too well,
and just sign the thing, thanking your lucky stars someone wants to
publish you.
This
my friends, is a big mistake that can cost you a lot of wasted time
and effort. And often – money.
Not
just in the time taken to write your 'baby' in the first place, but the time it takes
for you to rewrite the book in the way you editor feels it would be
better, and then to the final proof reading.
You
could find yourself locked into a contract that you can't get out for
years, although you are not getting the promotional support and financial rewards
you expected.
Litigation
isn't the answer. It's costly and you may not win, even though you
deserve to. Probably, all you can do, is sit it out, and wait until
the contract term ends.
Again,
wasted – time.
If
you have found a great publisher, that not only supports you and you
trust them. Your books are selling well and promotion of your work is not
just a promise. And best of all – you get paid on time.
Stick
with your publisher - and enjoy being one of the lucky ones!
And
at the end of all this, if you have been badly burned. Take the
advice of a fellow author's lawyer.
“Forget
about it. Write your next book and go indie published.”
Cheers
all. And good luck. You'll gonna need it.
Your
friend The
Riotous Writer.
Get
Slim Stay Slim – Permanently
- shows you in an easy to follow way, the
secret to reducing unwanted weight permanently and ending the misery
of yo-yo dieting.
My
other blog, connected to my weight reduction book with helpful ideas
on how to maintain continuous weight reduction.
photos
courtesy of freedidgitalphotos.net
Yup either find a great, real publisher or self publish. Here's a thought: a lot of high end publishers seek out people who already have developed a strong social media / independent presence. That way, they immediately have a platform they can tap into. This makes a lot of sense from a business standpoint. It means the first path for any new writer is building his or her own platform, and also creating quantity AND quality content.
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