First-Time Authors

Comment

Comment by Carolyn Alder on April 12, 2011 at 5:50pm

On the cover of the book is it better to put the List price on the book (by the bar code) or leave it off?

Comment by Janet Horton on October 26, 2010 at 3:19pm

Margaret, one of the first things you need to learn is to not use the term "self" because unless you are doing the binding, printing, and all other aspects of publishing yourself, you are not "self" publishing. You are infact an "indepublisher".

You sound like you already have a built-in source for selling your book and need an invoicing service and credit card system to keep up with the orders. Great for you, that is what we all aspire for.

If that is not the case, I would suggest you set up a PayPal or Google Checkout account and let them do the work for you. Either will send you an email confirming the payment and then you can process the order.

They take a small percentage but it is no where near what it would cost you to have an invoicing service or the credit card company fee.

That's my two cents.

Comment by Margaret Konieczny on October 26, 2010 at 10:54am

I am a new writer and I am self-publishing. My book is in print and will be available Nov 1st. I am overwhelmed with the idea of self marketing. I have a web site kankpublishing.com and need a invoicing service and merchant credit card service. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks Marge K

Comment by Chest Press Publishing on September 8, 2010 at 2:37pm

There's always a way to get around the price of marketing, but it means hardcore leg work on the part of the author, especially if you're self-publishing without any help.

The very first thing I would tell you to do, before you even begin to submit galley copies, is MAKE A FACEBOOK PAGE FOR YOUR BOOK and ask EVERYONE to add you. Get our your master list of contacts and email away--make it personal. Ask people--offer incentives like a signed copy or something to help your 'fans' feel like they're a part of your success...because, ultimately, they will be.

Find out what local bookstores will sell your book for you without a distributor--this is often as easy as a phone call to several. Post advertisements in places of interest, if your book meets a niche, look in the phone book for places people who might buy it would shop and ask to put up fliers or sell copies of your book there. Make a personal connection.

Doing PR doesn't have to be difficult, just arduous. Yes, the truth of the matter is usually that you have to spend money to make money. But if you set small and realistic goals to start with, you'll find that spending-to-make isn't always what you need to be focused on right away.

If the long term goal is success as a writer, the important thing is making yourself known. Set up a free site--Wordpress is always really great in that it's SEO compatible and free--other free sites include Weebly, Homestead, Wix, Bravenet, etc. Start a blog and MAKE REGULAR POSTS. (I'm sorry to internet shout--I get so worked up. These are the things that everyone should be doing, regardless of their status as a first-time or established author. If you're not findable, then you're irrelevant.)

If you haven't done all of those things, you should stop reading right now and get them done. I'll wait here for you to catch up. =)

And Sandy, how can you tell if your book will be successful? Let me share with you a little insider tip--what makes a book successful is convincing people that others already like it. Send out free galley copies for reviews--and yes, that should be done several months in advance, 3-6. Ask friends and family to write glowing reviews...or candid reviews.

If your book isn't good enough to generate 3 out of every 5 reviews as positive, you should consider having an editor looking it over--maybe your voice is all wrong for the subject matter. Maybe you have a great idea but you're just not a practiced writer. And maybe you're a great writer but you haven't had the back-and-forth with an audience to know what's working--that's okay. There's nothing you can't get over with a little help--writing is the second oldest form of communication, so if you're having trouble with that, try the oldest on for a size; generate conversation about your book among those who have read it to find out what's working and what isn't. If you're hearing its a great book and that those who've read it can't wait to read your next, then your problem is definitely marketing, and that's a horse of a different color.

Comment by Tominda Adkins on September 8, 2010 at 2:02am

I'm with Darvis. The marketing end of things is overwhelming. Sending galleys to reviewers and book clubs six months before publication, mailings, press releases, etc. How do I cut the fat and reeaaally generate buzz among consumers, to create demand, to make my first book (and not my third, or thirtieth) a hit? And how do I do it on the smallest budget imaginable? I'm a cleaning lady, for pete's sake!

Comment by Darvis Simms on September 7, 2010 at 9:57am

As a new author, the hardest part of marketing a book is where to start. There is so much information on marketing a self-published book that it is almost overwhelming. There is so much leg work involved that it's almost impossible to do all on your own. What is the most efficient way to market a self-published book?

Darvis Simms

Comment by Sandy on September 6, 2010 at 3:13pm

How can you tell if your book or whatever it is you are writing will be a good seller or even have other people reading it?

Comment by Chest Press Publishing on September 5, 2010 at 6:06pm

You know, this might not help you right now, and may not be the best book to read when you're in the middle of a project that seems overwhelming, but this book has always really helped me find a way through writer's block: "A Poet's Companion", by Adrienne Rich.

In regards to those nagging doubts, I spent a lot of time as a freelancer struggling with questions about 'Does this sound right?' and 'What if it isn't as good as everything else editors see?', and there's something that I always do now that I wish I could have trusted myself to do then--have someone look at it. But wait--I don't just mean your sister or your book club or your good friend. Find someone who has very similar tastes in writing style or favorite books to help you with your work. Ask them to give you feedback and one or two examples, and find it in you to divorce yourself from the piece and try their advice. I've definitely had some bad advice that I wish I hadn't listened to, but the awful thing is that the saying is true--you really don't know until you try.

I hope that helps. What kind of project are you working on? Is it fiction, non-fiction, memoir? Maybe if you told me a little more about it, I could help.

When you're ready to take the next steps in your publishing process, I hope you'll consider Chest Press.

Comment by Sandy on September 5, 2010 at 11:31am

The questions that plague me are questions like is the writing understandable, will anyone like it, and sometimes how will I finish it when I get writers block. There are many more, but these are the main ones being a new author and starting to write ideas to publish.