A Guide for Self-Publishers

Well, it took me a while but here it is. I welcome your comments. 

Traditional Book Publishing

When working with a traditional publisher, authors submit their manuscripts for consideration either directly or through a literary agent. If the work is accepted, a contract will be negotiated, and the publisher sets the production schedule. The publisher is responsible for the editing, design, and sales of the finished book. The author is paid a royalty or percentage of the book’s retail price. In this traditional scenario, the publisher takes most or all of the risk and therefore maintains most of the control of the project.

Many publishing companies specialize in specific kinds of books such as fiction, poetry, cookbooks, business books, and so forth. If you are planning to submit a manuscript to a Canadian publisher for consideration, it is a good idea to do some research and submit your work only to companies that publish the kind of book you have written. And, keep in mind, many good writers have had their books rejected by traditional publishing houses and gone on to publish and sell their books on their own.

 

Why Self-Publish?

Some authors decide not to work with a traditional publisher and instead take on of all aspects of publishing their book themselves. To do this successfully, you need to complete many tasks efficiently and effectively. You will be responsible for editing, designing, printing, selling, and marketing your book and all the costs associated with these tasks. What makes this attractive to many people who decide to self-publish is the amount of creative control that remains with the author. Your book will look exactly as you have imagined it, and you will be able to sell it where and when you choose. A self-publisher can have a book available for sale in as little as a few months instead of the six-month to two-year wait that comes with a traditional publishing schedule. Self-publishing can be a lot of work, however, and authors who decide to go it alone must acquire a variety of skills in order to accomplish their goals cost-effectively and make money. Some aspects of publishing, particularly design and printing, can be quite technical and there are opportunities for mistakes.

For organized, self-directed  people, self-publishing can be very lucrative. You can sell to bookstores or through other events, and the profits that would normally go to the publisher would go right into your pocket. A self-publisher has to do to a great deal more work than an author with a traditional publisher, but in many ways self-publishing can be more rewarding than the alternative.

Self-publishing can also be useful for authors whose previously published books have gone out of print. If your publisher has allowed your book to go out of print, the rights to publish the book will revert back to you and you can ask your publisher for the book files. If they are not available, you can ask a publishing service provider to scan the text and redesign the cover for you.

 

Self-Publishing Service Providers

Most of the individual resources that traditional publishers use are also available to self-publishers, but it can be difficult to find the right people and services if you’re on your own. Not long ago, some smart person realized that there was a need for a company that could coordinate the editing, design, printing, marketing, and sales for self-publishers and the business of publishing service providing began. Today, if you type “self-publishing” into your Internet browser, you will find hundreds of companies all over the globe providing services to self-publishing authors. These companies differ in the services that they supply: some specialize in only one aspect of the publishing process, such as editing, design, or sales while others offer complete publishing packages.

There are two main ways in which publishing service providers work: either they provide individual services as ordered and that’s it, or they coordinate the entire process on behalf of the self-publishing author, including setting the retail price of the book based on the printing costs and paying the author a royalty or percentage for each book sold. As an author with a service provider like this, you sell your book through them and you receive a percentage of the profit after the cost of printing.

Whether you are using individual contractors or a full service provider, what’s important is that you understand what you want and what you are going to get from your provider. For authors who are considering either route, the key to success will be knowing what you want and, when you are signing a contract, understanding what you are signing. When you are shopping around for services, look for people and businesses that have experience with books. Ask to see samples of their work and if you don’t understand something, ask for clarification. Finally, remember that there are several companies supplying similar services and you should get more than one quote for the services you are considering.

 

DIY Self-Publishing

If you have written a book and are considering publishing it yourself, take the time to review what needs to be done, what you can do yourself, and what you need someone else to do for you. Once you have that figured out, you can assess the various services that are available to you and decide what’s right for you. We have divided the components to self-publishing project management into four categories: Writing and Editing Your Manuscript, Designing and Printing Your Book, Promoting Your Book, and Selling Your Book. We will provide details for each aspect of the book publishing process below.

 

Writing and Editing Your Manuscript

Some authors publish their books without having them professionally edited and proofread. This is a big mistake. Unedited books can be difficult to read and tend to appear unprofessional because of typographical and grammatical errors. If you are not going to hire a professional editor, you should at least have a few sets of “fresh eyes” carefully read your book and point out any errors. No book is ever perfect, but the fewer the errors, the easier the finished book will be to read and sell.

 

Writing Services

Having Someone Write the Book for You: Ghost Writers

Some people have a story they want to tell but don’t have the time or inclination to write it themselves. Ghost writers will write part or all of a book on behalf of an author. If the project is small (taking less than ten hours), they usually charge by the hour; for larger projects, a flat fee is agreed upon in advance. Every project is unique, and if you are interested in hiring a ghost writer you should talk to more than one, ask for writing samples and references, and get as much of the agreement as possible in writing before engaging any services. As the author, you will keep the copyright on the work. If you use the services of a ghost writer, the copyright is yours and not the writer’s.

 

Editorial Services

There are four main types of service that a professional editor can provide. When engaging the services of an editor, be clear about what you are asking them to do and, if possible, find an editor who is experienced with books.

 

1) Manuscript Review

This is when a professional editor reads your manuscript and provides an opinion on whether the book can be published in its present form and suggests any necessary changes and additions.

 

2) Substantive Editing

This involves the plot, structure, characters (for works of fiction), and other overall aspects of the book. Again, the editor will make suggestions for changes and additions.

 

3) Copy Editing

Copy editors will ensure that your manuscript is consistent and correct. They will do any fact-checking that is required, check spelling, hyphenation, and word usage, and make decisions regarding  punctuation, expressing dates and numbers, tables, and so on.

 

4) Proofreading

This is the final edit that takes place after the book has been typeset and before the book is printed. The editor will be checking  to ensure that nothing is missing from the text once the book has been designed and that there are no typographical and other errors.

Remember that a well-edited book will always be received better by the reader.

 

Copyrights and the Writer

As the author, you own all the rights to your book. If you enter into a contract with a traditional book publisher, you are usually required to grant some of those rights to the publisher—usually the rights “to print, publish, and sell the work in book form.” The author and publisher often share subsidiary or secondary rights. Subsidiary rights comprise every other form of publication—electronic, translations, audio, film and TV, and so on. These rights may lapse and revert to the author after a book is considered out of print, or at the end of some fixed term.

 

Book Design

Once you have finished copy editing, you can begin designing your book. The two main components of book design are the covers (front and back) and the inside text pages. Good cover design is essential if you want your book to sell well in stores. Unless you have graphic design experience, you should consider having a professional design your cover. The same rule applies to the inside or text pages of the book. With attention to detail, you can design the text pages yourself, but a designer will be able to use text fonts and white space to make the book look better and read more easily.

 

Book Covers

The cover needs to convey to the reader what the book is about. One or two colors on cardstock can be effective, but most book covers are printed using a four-color process and feature artwork or photos that help to express what type of book is inside.

The front cover should include the title, the subtitle (if there is one), and the author’s name. The title and author’s name should also be repeated on the spine of the book. The back cover should include a short author biography, a brief description of the book’s contents, the retail price, and an ISBN bar code. If you have them, this is where positive quotes from reviews or comments from other authors would be featured.

Before the spine can be designed, you’ll need to know how wide it has to be—which means that you’ll need to contact your printer and determine (a) the final page count, and (b) the type of paper that will be used. Using this information, your printer should be able to give you an accurate spine-width, which you can pass on to your designer.

If you are printing a hardcover book, your “cover” will be a dust-jacket, in which case you’ll also have flaps. These are usually a good place for a description of the book, and (on the back flap) your photo and bio. If you want to use a photo or illustration that you don’t own, make sure you get permission from the photographer or artist.

 

Book Title

This is what you decide to call your book. It should be short, memorable, and provide the reader with a sense of what the book is about.

 

Subtitle

This can give readers a better idea of the contents of the book, expanding on the title or explaining it further.

 

Author’s Name

This is the name of the author or sometimes a pen name (fictional name) when the author wishes to remain anonymous. If you’ve used a ghost writer, it can say “by [YOUR NAME] with [GHOST WRITER’S NAME]”.

 

Author’s Biography

This is a short description of the author’s accomplishments and any credentials that are relevant to the nature of the book. This can include previous publications or experience with the subject of the book.

 

Retail Price

This is the recommended retail price that is set by the publisher. Booksellers Usually require that the retail price be printed on the book and will purchase the book for a discount of the retail price (usually 45 to 50%). If you are unsure what the retail price should be, you can go to a bookstore and look at books that are similar to yours. Some authors will also look at the cost of producing the book and mark it up by a percentage of the total cost. Both methods are fine, but if you are planning to sell your book in bookstores, it is important not to price yourself out of the market.

 

ISBN

Your book will need an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) if it will be sold through retail book sales channels. The ISBN is a unique identification number that is recognized in 159 countries and territories. Once a number has been assigned to your book, people all over the world will be able to search for the book by that number.

To get an ISBN, you need to apply to the ISBN agency in your country. Obtaining an ISBN is free.

In Canada, go to Collections Canada (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca) and choose the links for publishers

In the United States, go to www.isbn.org

 

CIP Data

Libraries use the Cataloging in Publication data to catalog your book. After you have obtained the ISBN, use it to apply for the CIP data. Obtaining CIP data is a free service.

In Canada, go to Collections Canada (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca) and choose the links for publishers.

In the United States, go to the Library of Congress (www.loc.gov) and choose the links for publishers.

 

Bar Code

A bar code is a machine-readable representation of information (usually dark ink on a light background to create high and low reflectance, which is converted to 1s and 0s). Bar codes can be created using software, converted to a TIFF file, and placed into the cover file. The bar code will usually contain the ISBN and the U.S. price of the book.

 

Spine

The spine should have the title of the book and the author’s name, printed to read top to bottom. The exception is in French Canada, where book spines have the title and author’s name from the bottom up. The size of the spine depends on the number of pages in the book and the type of paper that the book is printed on. You can do a rough estimate using the following formula, but you should check with your book printer to ensure that your calculations are correct. The formula for spine thickness with 60lb paper is (# of pages) x 0.00225”.

For example: A 100-page book would have a spine size of 0.225”.

 

How Big Should I Make My Cover?

Your cover should contain three elements: front cover image, back cover image, and spine.

When you lay out your cover, it should be twice the width of the finished book, plus the spine.

For example: If your finished book is 6” x 9” and the spine thickness is 1/2”, simply double the width of your book and add 1/2”. In this example, your cover size would be 12.5” x 9”.

 

Page Design

Front Matter

Every book has what is called front matter—the “business” pages that precede the actual text. Some books start with a blank page or a mini title page, followed by the actual title page; others use the first page of the book to list reviews or a promotional excerpt from the book itself. Here’s a typical listing of front-matter pages (note that in a printed book, odd-numbered pages will always be on the right, even on the left).

 

Page 1 — blank, mini title page, or review/excerpt page

Page 2 — blank

Page 3 — title page, including author’s name and publishing house

Page 4 — copyright page, including copyright listing, information about the publishing house (e.g., contact information), Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication (CIP) data (see ISBNs and Other Stuff for more information), edition number, and similar information.

 

Note about Copyright

In Canada, to register a copyright, you print a copyright statement inside the book. This copyright will be recognized in many countries. The copyright statement includes the copyright symbol (©) followed by the year and the name of the holder of the copyright (usually the author). For more information in Canada, look at the Canadian Copyright Act (http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en).

In the United States, you can register a copyright by going to the US Copyright Office (www.copyright.gov).

The copyright statement usually goes on the reverse side of the title page.

 

Page 5 — Dedication/Acknowledgements (optional)

Page 6 — List of other titles by author (optional), or blank

Page 7 — First page of table of contents (if there is no acknowledgement page, this would start on Page 5)

Page 8 — Continuation of table of contents, or blank

Page 9 — First page of text (prologue, introduction, or chapter one)

 

Chapter Headers and Sections

If your book is divided into sections, each section should begin with a section “divider” page (e.g. “Section One: The Beginning”) on a right-hand (odd-numbered) page, followed by a blank page on the left. Chapters should begin on right-hand pages; if the previous chapter ends on a right-hand page, leave the next page blank (unless you’re producing an ebook). Start each chapter at least one-quarter to one-third of the way down the page (or farther). Use a large font (36 points or more) for your chapter title and chapter number. If you wish, use a drop cap or raised cap for the first letter of the first paragraph; don’t indent the first paragraph of the chapter. Again, do not include header/footer information on the first page of a chapter, or on section dividers.

 

End Matter

At the end of your book, you may have an index, an appendix of resources, or other information pages. This is also the place to put your author bio. The last page of your book (just inside the back cover) is a good place to advertise any other books that you have produced; include ordering information and an order form, if it will fit.

 

Artwork

If you have internal illustrations, you’ll have to decide how these fit into the rest of your text. Line illustrations (black and white) should be placed as close as possible to relevant text. If you wish to print photos on glossy paper, however, you may wish to have these produced on “inserts” — folios of glossy paper used just for photos. You can print black-and-white photos on non-glossy paper (it’s less expensive), but they won’t come out quite as well. You should use glossy paper for any color photos.

Balancing text and illustrations can be a challenge. If you have a number of illustrations, you may wish to hire a designer to help you.

 

Page Count

Once you’ve formatted your book according to the template you’ve designed, you’ll be able to determine the final page count. Keep in mind that books are printed in folios (units of eight or sixteen pages). Therefore the actual printed page count of your book will be divisible by eight. Blank pages will be added to the end of your book, as needed, to complete the last folio.

You can save money by reducing the number of folios in your book. If, for example, you’re just a few pages “over” a multiple of eight, take a look at your formatted manuscript for places where you might be able to “lose” a page. Do you have a chapter or two with just a single paragraph “hanging over” onto a right-hand page? By trimming each chapter so that it ends on a left-hand page, you can save not just one page but two.

You can reduce the number of pages by reducing your overall font size, but be cautious. Experiment with different fonts to find one that is readable in a smaller size. For example, Century Schoolbook is more readable at 11-point than Times is at 12-point, and will save you a bit of space. Don’t arbitrarily reduce font sizes or tighten line spacing just to save pages, as you’ll be doing so at the expense of readability.

If you still have blank pages at the end of your book, see if you can use them to promote another book (e.g. by including a brief excerpt).

Make your pages the same size as your book. For example, if your book size is 6” x 9”, set your page size in your word processor to 6” x 9”. Leave at least half-inch margins on all your pages. You should also have an additional gutter of one quarter-inch on the spine edge of the page. A gutter provides a little bit of extra margin on the spine edge of your pages, making your book easier to read without putting too much stress on the spine.

This means that all images and text, including headers and footers, have to be within these margins, or they risk being cut off in the book trimming process.

 

How Do I Lay Out My Book Pages and Cover?

If you are planning to create your own “print ready” PDF files for your book pages and book cover, it’s important that your document is properly formatted.

 

Table of Contents

The ease with which you can create a table of contents will be directly related to how well you know the functions of your word processing program. Microsoft Word, Works, and WordPerfect all have the capacity to create tables of contents, but some writers still find it easier to create them manually.

Two rules apply to tables of contents, regardless of which software you use:

1) You should give the table of contents page its own title: Call it “Contents.”

2) Your table of contents page should be located after the copyright page, dedication page, and preface page.

 

Bleeds

If your text pages contain bleeds, ensure the bleed elements exceed the page size by 1/8”. Once you know the trim size, you can determine your page margins. An easy way to accomplish this is simply to measure the margins on comparable books. Ample margins are important; nothing says “self-published” like lines of text that run from page edge to page edge. See a typical set of margin widths below.

 

Margins

• Outside margin: 1/2”

• Inside margin: 3/4” (allowing for binding)

• Top margin: 3/4” (usually 1/2” to the running header and 1/4” between the header and first line of text)

• Bottom margin: 3/4” (or 1/2” to the page number and 1/4” between page number and last line of text)

 

Font

Choose a type design or font that is attractive and easy to read. You don’t want your reader to notice the font; you want the reader to pay attention to the words. A fancy (or unusual) font distracts the reader. It can also make the book harder to read, as most readers’ eyes are accustomed to certain font styles.

Typically, you’ll want a “serif” font (such as Times or Century Schoolbook) for your main text. You can use a corresponding serif font for subheads, or a sans-serif font (like Helvetica or Gill). Keep in mind that a font that is easy to read on a computer screen is not always as easy to read on the printed page, and vice versa. If you’re designing a print book, print out several font samples (in various sizes) and compare their readability; if you’re designing an e-book, make sure that your font is easy to read at several different magnifications.

Your font size should be between 11 and 13 points. Anything smaller can be difficult to read; anything larger will look like “large print.” Use a slightly larger font, in bold, for subheads. (Feel free to get fancy with chapter titles.)

 

Page Layout

Page layout that a printing house can use must include headers and or footers, page numbers, and crop marks. 

Images in the book must be scanned at the correct resolution and size and, if necessary, enhanced using a computer program like Photoshop. 

In addition, the digital files that are sent to the printing house must be compatible with the systems at that printing house. If you are proficient at one of these page layout programs and also at image preparation, you will be able to prepare the pages yourself. However, you should check with the printing house before you begin to make sure that they will be able to work from the files you are preparing.

If you are not proficient at page layout and image preparation, you should hire someone who is. A good layout person will create a professional-looking page design and will also prepare files that will be trouble-free at the printing house.

 

Line Spacing

You can often improve the readability of your text by slightly increasing the spacing between lines. This will “open up” your page and ensure that the text doesn’t appear crammed together. Don’t open it up too far, however, or the reader will have to make a “jump” from line to line.

Don’t double-space between paragraphs; instead, use tabs. Usually, a 1/4” tab is sufficient. You should, however, leave extra space between the end of a section and a subhead.

 

Headers, Footers, and Page Numbers

Some books have headers at the top and page numbers at the bottom. Some have running heads and page numbers at the top. Experiment with various options and determine what looks best to you. If you put your page numbers at the bottom, they should usually be centered. If you place them at the top, they should be at the outer edge of each page. Your pages should also have running headers that list the title of the chapter and/or the title of the book. (If you have no chapter titles, simply use the book title as your running head.) Again, take a look at other books for examples and formats; sometimes headers will be underlined, sometimes italicized, sometimes in a smaller or slightly different font from the text. Headers, footers, and page numbers should not appear on the first page of each chapter, on section dividers, or on any blank page.

 

Pagination

Books don’t always start with “page one.” You’ll notice that many books have small Roman numerals for front matter pages; others don’t number these pages at all. Still others start with “page 1” as the very first page in the book (e.g. the title page), so that “Chapter One” may begin on page 8 or 9.

In a print book, it doesn’t really matter how you choose to number front matter pages. If you’re producing an electronic book, however—and especially if it’s in PDF format—it’s usually a good idea to have the first page of your book listed as “Page 1” so that the page numbers of the book correspond to the page numbers of the file. Otherwise, readers can be confused when trying to locate a chapter that begins on “Page 17” of the text, but page 25 of the computer file.

 

Preparing Your Book for the Printer

Now that you’ve done all the work of making your files look great and getting them ready for print, there’s one thing left to do: make your native files into a PDF (Portable Document Format) file.

PDF files will overcome many of the traditional problems printers face with native files. Native files tend to be large and cumbersome and often are missing fonts or graphics. This creates all sorts of problems and delays. PDF files avoid these concerns, as they contain all the necessary fonts and graphics, are smaller in size, and are platform, application, and device independent.

The easiest way to supply PDF files is to use Adobe Acrobat to convert your book to a PDF. Acrobat can be purchased from Adobe (www.adobe.com) or any software retailer.

When providing images use 300 dpi (dots per inch). Lower resolutions will result in poor quality reproductions. Higher resolutions are automatically reset to 300 dpi. Always embed all fonts.

Once your PDF file is finished, you should view your document one last time to ensure that it is correct.

 

Cover Files

If possible, convert your images to CMYK before sending them to a printer. Any files produced in RGB (red, green, black) format will need to be converted to CMYK for printing. RGB color graphics will often cause the final color of the printed output to be slightly different than that displayed by your monitor. Images displayed on your screen have the light behind them and will always appear brighter than those on the printed page. All images should be 300 dpi. Files with layers should be flattened or merged before you send them to your printer.

 

Book Printers

Offset printers have historically been the only option for quality book printing, but new technology has improved digital printing to the point that there is little difference in quality between offset and digital books. Digital printers are usually the best choice for publishers who are producing less than 1,000 copies, and web press printers are most economical when you are producing more than 1,000 copies.

 

Digital Printers

With current technology, digital books look and feel like any other book. With digital printing you can produce your book as you need it, theoretically in batches as small as a single copy.  We say theoretically because many digital printers have minimum book orders that usually start at about 25 copies. Digital printers use a higher speed direct-to-image (disk to drum) electrostatic process with a toner blend that reproduces photographs well. There is no film or plate. Color covers are usually done with the same digital process on heavier stock and with basic gloss or matte lamination.  The per-book costs are much higher for digital books. However, the benefit of not having several thousand copies of a book to store often outweighs the higher unit cost. Digital technology has made book publishing accessible for authors who want to write about niche subjects or who have not yet acquired a large following of readers.

Delivery times for digital books vary, but generally you can have a finished book a few days after a proof approval. Most printers will save your files and reordering can often be done by phone.

 Another advantage of digital printing is that books can be customized any of several different ways and corrections are easy to make. As a self-publisher, you can sell a bulk quantity of your title to a company or group and offer a customized cover for these books.

Web Press and Sheet-Fed Book Printers

Web presses use offset print technology to print the text pages of a book on large rolls of paper. The pages of the book are laid out into signatures, which are then run through a folder. The folded sections of the book are gathered together, bound (glued) to the cover, and trimmed to the correct size. Since the books are laid out in signatures, the number of pages has to be divisible by 32 or 48. Sheet-fed presses also use offset technology, but the presses run smaller sheets of paper and the pages can be divisible by 8. Web printing becomes cost effective when you are printing more than 1,000 books. Sheet-fed printing is usually used when the quality of the printing needs to be high (e.g. books about photography or books with color pictures throughout).

Delivery of books produced by offset presses can vary, but it is usually two or three weeks after the proof has been approved.

 

Proofs

A proof is a printout of your book’s pages and cover design. The purpose of a proof is to check for errors before the job is printed. Once you send your book to be printed, you can expect to receive a proof copy of your book and its cover image for your approval.  You will be asked to thoroughly check the entire book for any mistakes that may have occurred when the printer scanned the book.

Printers will correct any errors that they have introduced for no charge. Corrections and changes made to the book at this stage that originate from the author can be made. However, many printers will charge their customers to make the changes. If the changes are substantial, the printer may require an additional proof review and approval before they print your book.

This is your last chance to correct any errors in the book. We recommend that you take your time and check the proof thoroughly. Don’t forget to check the cover as well as the text.

 

Shipping Costs

Books are heavy, and shipping them can be costly. Once you are ready to print your book, you should also arrange storage for the finished copies. With that information, the printer will be able to estimate the shipping cost. The printer will also be able to tell you in advance how many books will be in each carton, and the carton size and weight.

 

The Book Trade

Once you have your book published, you can get started promoting and selling it. If you are selling into the bookstores, you will find some of the general terms of the bookstore trade below, but there are many other sales opportunities available for an enterprising self-publisher. We have included as much information about sales as we can think of, but the possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

Bookstores are where most readers go first when they are looking for a book. Independent bookstores will usually purchase books on a returnable basis at a 45 to 50% discount on the retail price. Buyers for bookstores will usually need to know the title, author, ISBN, retail price, and a description of the contents. They will also want to see the cover and may ask to see a copy of the finished book. Buyers also want to know what kinds of promotion the publisher is doing and whether the author has a community of potential readers anywhere. Bookstores will usually order one or two copies initially and may reorder as necessary. Chain stores will usually list the book as available in all of their stores but will order actual copies for the stores where they believe it will sell. Online booksellers will usually list a book as available and may order a couple of copies of the book, but are more likely to order books from the publisher once they have been ordered by their customers.

If your book is not sold, a bookstore will return the book at their expense for a full refund anytime from six months to a year after the original sale.

Some bookstores have retail space for rent and can position your book in an ideal location for a period of time for a set price. This is known as co-op and is at the bookseller’s discretion.

Bookstores will usually pay for their sales 60 to 90 days after they are invoiced.

Wholesalers will list a book and manage the its sales and distribution. Wholesalers will order a book at a larger discount (usually 50 to 55% off the retail price) and will ship consolidated orders to their customers. It is useful to have your books listed with a wholesaler because it saves booksellers from having to set up individual accounts with small presses and self-publishers.

 

The Book Launch

A book launch is a great way to announce and sell your book. The event can take place just about anywhere from your local bookstore to the pub around the corner. Most book launches are casual affairs, where the author’s friends and family celebrate the new book. Usually, the author will read briefly from the book and sign copies of books when they are sold. Often, a publisher will offer a discount on books sold at a book launch.

Readings are a great way to sell books and can be organized through bookstores, libraries, book clubs, and other venues where interested readers might be found.

 

The Web Site

Publishers and authors can easily create an online presence with a customized website promoting their titles. The website can be used for sales, promotion and publicity, and cross-promotion with other sales and publicity materials that are created.

There are lots of other opportunities for online sales. Some publishers will offer their books for sale on auction sites like eBay. Others will generate interest in their book on the social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

Non-traditional or niche sales are generated outside the traditional book trade and can be a great way to boost revenue. Books can be sold in outlets that specialize or are related to the content of the book. For example, a vegan cookbook could be sold to health food stores or a book about knitting could be sold through yarn stores. Every situation is unique, but creative ideas can result in many more books sold.

 

Publicity and Promotion

In today’s market, it is often the publicity and promotion that will drive book sales. Publicity is media attention that is generated through the media. The two main sources of publicity are book reviews and author interviews. Most trade publishers use professional publicists to gain the attention of the media, but with some research, you can do it yourself.

If you are hiring a publicist, you will generally be charged by the hour. A publicist will write a press release, prepare and send out review copies of a book to the media, and use their contacts to generate book reviews and author interviews.

A press release is an announcement that tells the press about the book. A good press release will include information about the book written from the point of view of the reviewer or producer. It should briefly tell the reader what the book is about and why it would be of interest to them.

The press kit is a package that is sent out to targeted media that usually includes a copy of the press release, a copy of the book, an author biography, and publisher contact information. You can be creative with your press kits and include anything that you think will help the book to get attention. For example, if you are trying to promote a summer cookbook, you could send the press kit in a small picnic basket and include some sample foods from the book in the package.

Author interviews can be difficult to coordinate but are a great way to generate interest in a title.

Advertising is another way that is used to draw attention to a book. Even with a small budget,  advertising can generate sales. Some publishers will place ads in their local newspapers or in magazines that are related to the content of the book.  Many bookstores put out flyers and magazines and offer advertising space. Advertising on websites can also be affordable and increase sales.

The key to success in promotion and advertising is to put your time and effort into the areas that will attract readers who will be interested in the book that you are promoting. If your book is about parenting, you should be sending your press kits to parenting magazines that do regular book reviews, placing advertisements where parents will see them, and so on.

 

Copyright Linda Palmer 2008

For Ardith.ca