The Joy of Self-Publishing

I found this interesting post in the web today. Please read below. I edited some parts to generalize it.

“The Cure For Jet Lag” was published more than a quarter-century ago. Yet it could well represent the future of book publishing in New Zealand or any other continent.

A Springs trio teamed up this year to issue an updated version of the book using the print on demand—or POD—process. Indeed, with a growing number of writers making use of the POD method, Publishers Row may be moving from Manhattan to the East End, which for many years has already seen its share of writers, editors, and agents.

“This area is a hothouse of creative types, from writers to artists who can benefit from print on demand books,” stated Lynne Scanlon, the co-author of “The Cure For Jet Lag.”

“These folks will gravitate to POD not only because it is the most expedient way to produce a book, but because literary agents and editors could care less about un-established writers these days.”

But don’t the authors of books published in non-traditional ways in New Zealand risk acquiring a sort of stigma as not really being professional writers, thus giving agents a reason to steer clear? “Good luck finding an agent if you don’t already have one,” Ms. Scanlon said. “That’s the Catch-22 of publishing.”

Her career in publishing has included being a marketing executive with Barnes & Noble and a book publishing consultant in addition to an author. In 1983, she collaborated with Charles Ehret, who had been conducting research underwritten by the U.S. government to reduce the problems associated with long-distance air travel. The original goal was to make the U.S. Army’s rapid deployment forces more effective.

Dr. Ehret himself served in the Army’s 87th Infantry Division and won a Bronze Star and Purple Heart in the Battle of the Bulge. With Ms. Scanlon doing the writing for lay readers of the results of Dr. Ehret’s research, “Overcoming Jet Lag” (the original title) was published.

It was a success when issued by the Berkley Publishing Group, selling more than 200,000 copies worldwide and remaining in print for more than 20 years. Sales eventually faded, but problems with jet lag did not. Last year, Ms. Scanlon wanted to release an updated edition of the book but did not want to wait the 18 months or more it would take a traditional publisher to have new books on shelves. There was also a financial incentive: After publishers and agents and book wholesalers get their slices of the pie from a $20 book, the author’s slice may be as thin as $3.

Ms. Scanlon worked out an arrangement with Dr. Ehret’s estate and founded Back2Press Books, which specializes in republishing titles that have sold in excess of 100,000 copies. Naturally, “The Cure for Jet Lag” would be the company’s first effort. There would be no long editing and production process nor any danger of printing thousands of copies that might not sell. The new edition would be printed on demand and be readily available on the internet (www.thecureforjetlag.com) as well as at the major chain bookstores and selected shops.

What is POD, other than the dreaded form of the infestation in “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”? The plain language answer is that it is a digital printing technology that allows a complete book to be printed and bound in minutes. This makes it easy and cost-effective to produce books in small lots rather than in large print runs. What has long bedeviled traditional book publishers is the practice of “guestimating” how much a title will sell: if the prediction is wrong, a publisher has to warehouse or even destroy tens of thousands of already-printed books. Read the rest of this entry »

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by Michelle Angermiller (nj.com)

ROBBINSVILLE — Alfred Pris tash was looking through some old letters he had written to his parents when it dawned on him: Perhaps he should document his life so his two sons could learn their father’s history.

“I didn’t have a plan. I just started,” said the 80-year-old Rob binsville resident.

He started off writing about his father’s time in the Navy, and it “just went from there.” Pristash is living proof that it is never too late to try something new or discover a new dream — in his case, adding the title of “author” to his colorful life.

Pristash is among hundreds of thousands of people now turning to the self-publishing industry to convey a personal message that perhaps may not be highly commercial but still important for family and friends.

He begins the book with this simple statement: “I am 76 years old, and when I look back, it is hard to realize the many earth-changing events I have lived through.”

That is Pristash’s tone in a nut shell. What started as a writing exercise stretched out to a 220-page book titled “My Changing World.” The sometimes poignant, extremely honest and very detailed book takes the reader on a tour of world history narrated by a man who has experienced it all.

The book begins one year be fore the stock market crash of 1929, then chronicles Pristash’s life as a child during the Depression. The drama unfolds as Pristash takes his readers through World War II, his enlistment in the United States Navy during the Korean War, his enrollment in Rutgers College of Pharmacy, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and other events in modern history.

Pristash said writing the book came easily. He would write out the chapters longhand and then recite them to his youngest son, Alfred Daniel, who typed them out for him. In all, it took about 18 months to write, he said.

When he was finished, Pristash decided he should try and get the book published.

“I met a publisher in Baltimore, but the book was too big for her,” he said.

He found a home with AuthorHouse, a company that helps book authors self-publish their novels.

The self-publishing industry offers writers like Pristash a less expensive way into print and gives them more control over their finished products.

According to statistics released in May by publishing industry tracker Bowker, the on-demand and short-run publishing market, which includes self-published books, had grown 132 percent from a year earlier.

Noel Flowers, the marketing manager of Xlibris, a self-publishing company, said out of the 560,626 books published last year, 285,394, or 51 percent, were self- published.

“Self-publishing has definitely come into its own light in the past decade, and it is the best and most viable option for many authors to publish their work,” Flowers said.

Authors of family memoirs, like Pristash, or other niche, nonfiction books may find it difficult to obtain a contract with a larger publishing house, Flowers explained, or some may be interested in publishing a book aimed only at family and friends, not commercial success.

Although self-publishing companies may not offer the same level of marketing assistance found at more traditional publishing houses, or the connections sometimes necessary to get books into bookstores, Flowers said the self-publishing mode allows authors to take more control over their work.

“Many authors have been left high and dry after getting a contract with a traditional publisher after the publisher has decided not to aggressively market the book, and furthermore to stop printing copies,” Flowers said. “Print-on-demand technology ensures self-published authors that their book will never go out of print, and the control over their own destiny appeals to them.”

Flowers said companies like Xlibris often offer marketing advice and campaigns to authors in an effort to help them publicize and sell their latest work. Commercial success, he said, “is largely dependent on the authors themselves,” and how willing they are to aggressively market their book to retailers.

Pristash’s self-published work, which contains family photos of his parents and sons, Alfred Daniel and Nicholas, letters, and memorabilia, is history as seen through Pristash’s eyes. He writes, in remarkable detail, of his childhood in Clifton, his service during the Korean War, his trips through India and Pakistan, his sister’s battles with multiple sclerosis, his employment at Hoffmann-La Roche as a pharmaceutical chemist, his ill- fated marriage, harrowing divorce and subsequent battle for the couple’s two children.

It’s not all heavy-handed. In one chapter, Pristash armchair-quarterbacks the history of the New York Giants. Through it all, he shares his view of the changes he witnesses through several presidents, wars and general societal gradations.

“I’ve seen and done a lot,” he noted.

He also believes that although the story is centered on his own life, most readers will relate to his spin on world events.

“A lot of things that happened before are happening again,” he said. “History has a way of repeating itself, and you can see it with what’s happening in this country at this time.”

“My Changing World” retails for $73.99 and is available through (Amazon.com) and (Barnesandnob le.com).

Staff writer Erin Duffy contributed to this report

by Sara Wolski (eXaminer.com)

Entrepreneurial spirit and smart marketing has propelled several self-published books onto the bestseller list, including John Javna and Julie Bennett’s 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth, John Roger and Peter McWilliams’ Life 101, and Richard Bolles’ What Color is Your Parachute?, according to the New York Times. To some in the literary industry, self-published books had a stigma of amateurism, but today that attitude is very much a thing of the past. Certainly in the publishing hubs and within the traditional literary industry this stigma may remain, but it’s quickly becoming a wake-up call for trade houses, agents, and writers alike.

Helen Gallagher, a local expert on everything from computers and web-based technology to ins and outs of self-publishing, says that many writers don’t realize how beneficial self-publishing can be as a means of making timely material available to the masses. “Writers don’t like to think their books aren’t good enough to get published, and they think their work is too good for print-on-demand. Many think POD is a last resort when in reality it is the quickest way to publishing success for most authors, especially first-time authors,” she explains. It can be a tough decision for many writers who want to try the traditional route first: approaching an agent, waiting a while for a response, and potentially dealing with rejection.

Gallagher aims to educate those interested in self-publishing while empowering them as well with marketing ideas, promotion strategies, advice on building a platform, and guidance to maintain a long life for the book. She has self-published twice and her second book, Release Your Writing, was recently featured as a finalist in the National Best Books 2008 Awards sponsored by USA Book News, in the Writing & Publishing category – it’s all about how to successfully self-publish a book and create a sustainable life for it in a very competitive literary marketplace. “It’s up to authors to give their books life and drive,” Gallagher says. “If a book isn’t selling, the author isn’t trying.” This is a statement equally true of traditionally published books. Trade houses are increasingly tight on their budgets, leading to less publicity funds and more reliance on authors to self-promote an create their own visibility.

The bottom line is that self-publishing is a very viable means to achieving a successful book career. In the midst of a changing literary industry, trends thus far indicate that self-publishing may just be the proboscis on the new face of literature.

Helen Gallagher is a publishing consultant based in the Chicago area. Her next publishing workshop will be at the Book Stall of Chestnut Court in Winnetka, IL on July 15, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. For details, and to learn more about her work, visit her online.

Image source: caccioppoli.com 

Options for the United States to change its course from a national decline to a better future are presented by self-published book author Frank Camelio in ‘One Last Hope: Strategies to Prevent Imminent National Decline and Create a Better Future’.

The self-published book illustrates the importance of looking at a Triad of Change, three decisive remedial actions, that would change America’s downtrend path and weakening ways and reclaim its glory.

“Combining (the Triad with) Constitutional discipline, America’s business prowess, strategic planning, and a basic law of nature, ‘One Last Hope’ explains how to re-establish national ideals and unite Americans in pursuit of the common good – both at home and abroad,” the book author explained.

Frank Camelio’s self–published book also includes a sample National Strategic Plan to illustrate a methodology for implementing the change.

The book author obtained Bachelor’s Degree in Physics and Master’s in Education from Tufts University. He also earned a degree in Naval Engineering and Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Camelio grew up in the Boston area and taught public school for several years before serving as U.S. naval officer specializing in engineering, submarine maintenance, and industrial management. He later became chief executive officer of a five-thousand employee industrial facility operating on over one-half billion dollars annually.

The self-published author also has extensive experience in federal government operations and has practical knowledge in strategic planning and management.

‘One Last Hope: Strategies to Prevent Imminent National Decline and Create a Better Future’ is published by Xlibris Corporation.

Xlibris Publishing Guide - Get this free guide now and learn how you can self-publish your book!

by Preston Bennett

If you have a self published book that you want to get others to notice, you can do so by getting book reviews of the work. Book reviews will tell others if the writing is worth reading. They should be written by professional book reviewers who are used to writing notices that give readers a glimpse of the book without giving away the ending or the plot turns.

Anyone who self publishes a book has already done the hard work that it takes to get the work into the limelight — they have written the book. Writing a book is difficult work and authors should be commended for completing such a daunting task. However, the hard work may be behind the author, but there is still more work to go. After the works have been self published, the author must then market the property so that the public will buy it. One way to do this is to get reviews written about the novel by a review company. Using a review service is one way to spread the word about your writing.

Another way that a book author can use for self published marketing is to send the work to various bookstores so that they will sell it. Local bookstores will most likely want to feature a local author at a book signing. New authors should be happy to sign their books at these signings. Most book stores are eager to get customers into the store and will be glad to feature a local author. Publicity for the signing can be given in local newspapers.

All book marketing is viral. It can be difficult for a new author to break in, but once someone reads the book and likes it, they will most likely want to recommend it to others. This is how books are marketed. And reviews are an advertising vehicle that few authors can do without. Reviews are a way of someone reading the work and then recommending it to a whole group of people.

Getting the book reviewed from a review company can be a wise investment for a new author as it can help the writing get noticed by readers. A book review service can let the public in the on the secret of this new literary find and the author may find themselves being discovered by the public. Many famous authors self published their first novel. The best way to go about self published book marketing is to get self published book reviews from a review company.

Xlibris Publishing Guide - Get this free guide now and learn how you can self-publish your book this year!

Article and image source: Wordpreneur.com 

Philip Ephraim self publishes a book depicting President Barack Obama as an inspiration not only to American citizenry but also to people from different countries all over the world in ‘Barack Obama, The Audacity of Inspiring the World’.

The book author underscores how President Obama’s ‘yes we can’ mantra positively energizes and influences people from different walks of life in different countries.

“His generational appeal shatters age and geographic limits. The impact of his unique qualities and likeliness is felt by every one in every nation. He doesn’t only stir up political activism, build coalition, but unleashes energy for creativity and personal positive ambition,” Ephraim says.

The self published book attempts to highlight President Obama’s symbolic significance being an icon of boundless possibility and hope not only among Americans but also among different groups of people coming from different ages and social status in different countries.

“He has inspired public service in the young and political involvement in the old, thus bringing back to the fold those who were politically apathetic and cynical… He summons the better angels in us,” Ephraim says in the preface of his self published book.

Philip Ephraim has written extensively in international journals including A Review of Qualitative and Quantitative Measures in Collection Analysis and ERIC, the database initiative of the US Department of Education.

The author is formerly a Senior Librarian at the University of Calabar, a consultant Law Librarian to the African Development Bank, consultant to Bobel International and Associate Ltd., and After School Leader in the Andorra Library in Philadelphia. He owns Innovative Ventures Group in Philadelphia.

Ephraim also authors ‘Barack Obama, The Audacity of Being a Global President’. His books are published by Xlibris.

Xlibris Publishing Guide - Get this free guide now and learn how you can self-publish your book this year!