OK, so a little over two weeks have gone by, and the piles of books are significantly diminished, thanks to my friends and relatives. Of course--(of course? What kind of business woman am I?)--I couldn't bring myself to charge my closest friends and relatives--the people who supported me all through the writing process, could I? Then again, I couldn't afford to purchase books for them all, which is what giving them away would amount to. Compromise: I sold them at cost.
Two weeks later, I realize that was a mistake. The book retails for $15.95. Forget the 95--who wants to deal with change? Besides, I think anything over $15 for a 225 page book is unreasonable. So I'm charging $15, and anyone reading this who wishes to get a signed copy can e-mail me at belbook@g.mail.com to order a copy--for $15 plus $2 for shipping. (Actual shipping is $2 plus change depending on where.) I'll throw in the tax--and the handling.
Right there is one of the problems with my decision to charge friends and family a mere $11, which includes my cost of the book, the charge for shipping the book to me, and NYS tax.
Fine. I may recoup the purchase price of the books. But what about the cost of publishing the book in the first place? What about advertising costs?--I ordered terrific refrigerator magnets (if you order a book from me, I'll throw in a magnet,) I ran off great fliers to place wherever anyone will let me place them. It all costs. So does the postage. It seems that half the people I know live
all over the country--anywhere but where I can simply hand them a book.
Then there are the free copies--there are people I owe--for so many reasons. People who have done things for me and--how can I charge them anything? A book is small payment for what these people have contributed to my life. So....free.
Now, if you're reading this, and you've received an $11 or free book, not to worry. No need to feel guilty. In point of fact, I wrote Perchance to Feast for fun, and published it for the pleasure of sharing a story my pre-publication readers found enjoyable. There is, however, one thing you can do for me. If you actually read the book you bought, and if you enjoy it, please spread the word. The only way this book is going to sell is by word of mouth--Or by reviews posted on Amazon.com and BN.com. If you have something good to say, SAY IT! In every way you can, to as many people as you can. On the other hand, if you don't like the book--and many people won't--a lot of people purchased the book who I know would never pick up a work of contemporary fantasy if it weren't written by a friend. This is quirky stuff, and not everyone's cup of tea. Or feast--so if it's not yours, kindly keep your mouth closed! (Be honest with me--just don't broadcast it.)
Making money was never an object. Losing money was always a possibility--hell no--a probability. Realistically, what I've spent on this book is within the range of what I could afford to spend on a hobby--certainly less than many of my more athletically inclined friends spend on golf or skiing.
If you're reading this with an eye toward self-publication of your own work, here's what I've learned so far:
1. Never spend more on self-publishing (or anything, for that matter,) than you can afford to lose.
2. Select one price, and charge everyone the same thing.
3. Don't procrastinate--get going on marketing from day 1. (A marketing plan sitting on your desk doesn't count.)
4. Unless you're a born salesperson, or are writing a nonfiction book and have a built in platform, view self-publishing as a hobby.
5. Find the fun! Feast!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
It's Here!
Hallelujah! The doorbell rang on Friday and there they were: Three super-heavy cartons full of books! My husband dragged them in, & I unpacked them and brought them upstairs, where they're now in piles, lining the walls of my office. These are the ones I plan to sell myself--or donate to libraries, schools, etc.
I was told not to plan events for six to twelve weeks, when the books would be available at BN.com and Amazon.com, as well as iUniverse.com., so I did no planning. My middle name is procrastination. When someone tells me not to rush, it's a gift to be cherished. Imagine my surprise Fri. night when I received a phone call from a friend telling me that Perchance is already listed on Amazon and Barnes and Nobles! So much for gifts. Onward to advertising, setting up readings, finding stores that will carry a copy or two...
Or as Sadie would say, "Oy!"
I was told not to plan events for six to twelve weeks, when the books would be available at BN.com and Amazon.com, as well as iUniverse.com., so I did no planning. My middle name is procrastination. When someone tells me not to rush, it's a gift to be cherished. Imagine my surprise Fri. night when I received a phone call from a friend telling me that Perchance is already listed on Amazon and Barnes and Nobles! So much for gifts. Onward to advertising, setting up readings, finding stores that will carry a copy or two...
Or as Sadie would say, "Oy!"
Sunday, January 20, 2008
My Journey Through The Strange Land of Publication
Perchance to Feast will be available within days from me, at belbook1@gmail.com, or from http://www.iuniverse.com/, for $15.95. To learn more about Perchance to Feast, please scroll down to the Nov. 11 and Nov. 18 entries of this blog.
And now--the journey:
August, 2007: Sitting with Writer's Market, Jeff Herman's Guide to Agents, and getting disgusted. So few small publishers accept fiction; so very few agents will even look at fantasy. Those who will, are clearly looking for generic fantasy--witches and dragons, and the sales potential of Harry Potter. Almost no one is looking for anything Kafkaesque, metaphorical, funny, spoofy, quirky or weird. Writing is my retirement project--what I've always wanted to do--FOR FUN. Perchance to Feast, especially, was written to amuse--both myself, and my readers. Why bother with agents and traditional publishers? I started to research supported self publishing, Print on Demand companies. iUniverse was the most responsive, and had features I liked.
9/12--First conversation with Kim, a salesperson at iU. Chose the best package for my needs. Spent two days mulling it over. Anxiety--do I really want to do this? Why not just duplicate some copies and give them to my friends and family? But on the other hand...the book is good. People who have read it like it, and deem it worthy of publication. Why not give it a chance? Bottom line: It's not expensive. I probably waste more money on things I don't need each year. I'm not a gambler at heart, but if not now...
9/14 Called Kim--gave credit card number. Commitment! Should I be committed? What have I done? Welcome letter from the president of iU. A contract. An order confirmation. All done by e-mail. Yipes!
9/17 Received e from Sarah in Submission Assistance with all kinds of requirements for formatting my submission. I thought they did the formatting! It seems that I have to format my submission, with standard size pages and Times New Roman font--they re-format to fit this into a book. Oh. OK. I can do this.
Also a list of things to prepare: my bio, back of book copy, marketing text. Harder than writing the book, especially the author bio. Fantasy is easy. Reality is hard.
Sent an e to Sarah saying I had paid extra to submit my ms. on paper rather than online. Received response. They want an online submission. Oy vey! as my character Sadie would say.
9/20 e to Sarah requesting information re: submission. No response.
9/21. Phone call to Sarah in the morning. Another in the afternoon. Left voicemail messages.
9.22. Sent another e to Sarah.
9/23. And another.
9/24 And another. Sleepless nights. I paid for this service, and can't even manage the first step. How is this going to get done? I think I chose the wrong company. They still don't have my manuscript. I think I'd better cancel fast and find another company.
9/25. Called Kim, my salesperson, to ask for a refund. Received immediate call back from Mary, Sarah's supervisor. Sarah has been AWOL. Huge apologies. Mary walked me through the submission process, and assigned me to Brittany for any further help needed.
9/26. Received e from Brittany. The submission went through. Huge sigh of relief. Excitement. Hey, I'm not such a dummy! This old dog can learn new tricks.
9/27. e informing me I'd been assigned a PSA (Publishing Services Associate) woul would be "one of the 4 or 5 people who may work with you throughout the publishing process." Not as things turned out. The way it worked in reality was that Rachel was the angel who held my hand and got me through the entire process. Thank you Rachel. PSA's should be at the top of iU's list when they advertise.
9/27 e from Rachel. My book has an ISBN. This is getting very real, very scary, and very exciting at the same time.
Another e from Rachel--a time-line of how long each step in the publication process will take. I should have a book by the end of the year. Too late for Christmas, but there's always next year!
Sent Rachel an e explaining specific things I wanted in the formatting process that didn't show on the online form I had to fill out. Received response the next day. OK. I've got someone alive on the other end. Reassuring to know.
10/ 7 I had opted for an editorial evaluation. My friends thought Perchance was good. What if they were wrong? An evaluation would give me an opportunity either to have the book edited professionally, if it needed that, or to fiz whatever problems there were by myself, with input from the nine other members of my writer's Salon. Maybe even abort the process, if they said it was really bad.
And if it was good--as good as everyone seemed to think it was--it would be awarded an "Editor's Choice" decal, and a better location in the iU bookstore.
On 10/7, I received an e from The Editorial Board telling me how best to use my evaluation, preparing me for dealing with negative criticism without reaching for a rope.
10/15. Big sign, large print, black box around it: "Congratulations..." along with the evaluation itself. I read it. My head swelled. They liked everything. I'd print the accolades here, but for a note at the bottom informing me that this was copywrited material, and that I did not have permission to duplicate it, so you'll have to take my word. The review was everything any writer could hope for. Of course, there were some things they didn't love--like that: the -- that sometimes comes out as two short dashes, and sometimes as one long one. They all should be long--which I knew, but didn't know how to fix. And the way my character Sadie talked to her friend Lillian. It should be softer, kinder. I discussed this with my Salon, and they agreed--to change the way Sadie speaks to Lillian would mean I'd have to completely change her character. She's tart-mouthed, and meant to be, and anyone reading the whole book and not just selected paragraphs would get this. Kind hearted, ascerbic speaking Sadie.
Did I mention what it said after the congratulations part of the editor's choice notification? "You have been tentatively accepted into the Editor's Choice program contingent upon the satisfactory completion of the editorial services recommended in the Editorial RX Referral in your evaluation form." OK, something to consider then. As long as they didn't change Sadie.
10/16. Phone call from Elizabeth in the editorial department. It seems that the lowest level of editing, what was recommended for me, would cost $1400, almost twice as much as the entire publishing process. I don't think so.
10/ 25 I decided to allow them to do a cover polish, for $149. After all, this is what will get people to open the book in the first place. Chalk it up to advertising.
11/21 Days of checking my e-mail. Anxiety. What will the cover look like?
11/25. Cover polish arrives. No front cover. No graphic. Just suggestions for changing the marketing copy on the back. A few sentences altered. I accepted their suggestions. After all, I'd paid for them, right? Wrong. Reading the revised copy now, and my original copy, I like my original better. Their revisions sucked the spirit out of copy that was from a character's point of view.
11/29 I received the formatted book. I had two weeks to comb through it with a magnifying glass to make any final edits. I put my life on hold, and re-read the ms. aloud, to catch any possible glitch.
I opened the cover, ready to scream with joy. No joy. Utter dismay. The cover wasn't fun, funky contemporary fantasy, it was futuristic, scary, coldly clinical, humorless...NO!
12/18 I sent a list of changes I wanted made, but saw no real hope of salvaging the cover they provided. After conferring with my Salon, I requested a cover consisting of the title, subtitle, and my name in a funky font, in blue, with a neon green background. I sent a sample of what I wanted. Exactly.
12/19 e from Rachel. The change would be made.
12/ 21. e from Rachel. Trouble finding the green I wanted. I could find it at a graphics store and tell them how to mix it. Me? I didn't even know where to start to look.
e to Rachel--change to a yellow background. How hard can it be to find yellow. I was getting disgusted, discouraged--thinking of doing any marketing beginning with the warning: Don't judge a book by its cover.
e from Rachel--that will cost $99.
e to Rachel--forget it. I reminded her that I have another book in the wings (OK, so I'm only on the second draft, but...) I appealed to her to advocate for me
as I was only requesting the click of a mouse. No way was I paying $99 for that!
waiting time--Xmas/New Year's vacation. I stopped caring about the cover. Whatever will be...
1/8 A yellow cover! Not my first choice, but not "don't judge a book..." either. It will do.
e to Rachel: "It's a go."
1/9 from Rachel: "I will move your book to final production" along with marketing information and information about ordering copies.
1/15. e--"Your book has finished the final production process..."
Now my contracted for ten copies are somewhere between Nebraska, where iU is located, and New York, where I am. They should arrive sometime this week. I've already downloaded the marketing materials iU sent. It's exciting, and scary. Now I have to get out there and sell, which isn't my thing at all. But hey, this was never done to become rich or famous. It was done for fun. The thought puts everything in perspective.
I hope you'll decide to try Perchance to Feast, and find it fun.
And now--the journey:
August, 2007: Sitting with Writer's Market, Jeff Herman's Guide to Agents, and getting disgusted. So few small publishers accept fiction; so very few agents will even look at fantasy. Those who will, are clearly looking for generic fantasy--witches and dragons, and the sales potential of Harry Potter. Almost no one is looking for anything Kafkaesque, metaphorical, funny, spoofy, quirky or weird. Writing is my retirement project--what I've always wanted to do--FOR FUN. Perchance to Feast, especially, was written to amuse--both myself, and my readers. Why bother with agents and traditional publishers? I started to research supported self publishing, Print on Demand companies. iUniverse was the most responsive, and had features I liked.
9/12--First conversation with Kim, a salesperson at iU. Chose the best package for my needs. Spent two days mulling it over. Anxiety--do I really want to do this? Why not just duplicate some copies and give them to my friends and family? But on the other hand...the book is good. People who have read it like it, and deem it worthy of publication. Why not give it a chance? Bottom line: It's not expensive. I probably waste more money on things I don't need each year. I'm not a gambler at heart, but if not now...
9/14 Called Kim--gave credit card number. Commitment! Should I be committed? What have I done? Welcome letter from the president of iU. A contract. An order confirmation. All done by e-mail. Yipes!
9/17 Received e from Sarah in Submission Assistance with all kinds of requirements for formatting my submission. I thought they did the formatting! It seems that I have to format my submission, with standard size pages and Times New Roman font--they re-format to fit this into a book. Oh. OK. I can do this.
Also a list of things to prepare: my bio, back of book copy, marketing text. Harder than writing the book, especially the author bio. Fantasy is easy. Reality is hard.
Sent an e to Sarah saying I had paid extra to submit my ms. on paper rather than online. Received response. They want an online submission. Oy vey! as my character Sadie would say.
9/20 e to Sarah requesting information re: submission. No response.
9/21. Phone call to Sarah in the morning. Another in the afternoon. Left voicemail messages.
9.22. Sent another e to Sarah.
9/23. And another.
9/24 And another. Sleepless nights. I paid for this service, and can't even manage the first step. How is this going to get done? I think I chose the wrong company. They still don't have my manuscript. I think I'd better cancel fast and find another company.
9/25. Called Kim, my salesperson, to ask for a refund. Received immediate call back from Mary, Sarah's supervisor. Sarah has been AWOL. Huge apologies. Mary walked me through the submission process, and assigned me to Brittany for any further help needed.
9/26. Received e from Brittany. The submission went through. Huge sigh of relief. Excitement. Hey, I'm not such a dummy! This old dog can learn new tricks.
9/27. e informing me I'd been assigned a PSA (Publishing Services Associate) woul would be "one of the 4 or 5 people who may work with you throughout the publishing process." Not as things turned out. The way it worked in reality was that Rachel was the angel who held my hand and got me through the entire process. Thank you Rachel. PSA's should be at the top of iU's list when they advertise.
9/27 e from Rachel. My book has an ISBN. This is getting very real, very scary, and very exciting at the same time.
Another e from Rachel--a time-line of how long each step in the publication process will take. I should have a book by the end of the year. Too late for Christmas, but there's always next year!
Sent Rachel an e explaining specific things I wanted in the formatting process that didn't show on the online form I had to fill out. Received response the next day. OK. I've got someone alive on the other end. Reassuring to know.
10/ 7 I had opted for an editorial evaluation. My friends thought Perchance was good. What if they were wrong? An evaluation would give me an opportunity either to have the book edited professionally, if it needed that, or to fiz whatever problems there were by myself, with input from the nine other members of my writer's Salon. Maybe even abort the process, if they said it was really bad.
And if it was good--as good as everyone seemed to think it was--it would be awarded an "Editor's Choice" decal, and a better location in the iU bookstore.
On 10/7, I received an e from The Editorial Board telling me how best to use my evaluation, preparing me for dealing with negative criticism without reaching for a rope.
10/15. Big sign, large print, black box around it: "Congratulations..." along with the evaluation itself. I read it. My head swelled. They liked everything. I'd print the accolades here, but for a note at the bottom informing me that this was copywrited material, and that I did not have permission to duplicate it, so you'll have to take my word. The review was everything any writer could hope for. Of course, there were some things they didn't love--like that: the -- that sometimes comes out as two short dashes, and sometimes as one long one. They all should be long--which I knew, but didn't know how to fix. And the way my character Sadie talked to her friend Lillian. It should be softer, kinder. I discussed this with my Salon, and they agreed--to change the way Sadie speaks to Lillian would mean I'd have to completely change her character. She's tart-mouthed, and meant to be, and anyone reading the whole book and not just selected paragraphs would get this. Kind hearted, ascerbic speaking Sadie.
Did I mention what it said after the congratulations part of the editor's choice notification? "You have been tentatively accepted into the Editor's Choice program contingent upon the satisfactory completion of the editorial services recommended in the Editorial RX Referral in your evaluation form." OK, something to consider then. As long as they didn't change Sadie.
10/16. Phone call from Elizabeth in the editorial department. It seems that the lowest level of editing, what was recommended for me, would cost $1400, almost twice as much as the entire publishing process. I don't think so.
10/ 25 I decided to allow them to do a cover polish, for $149. After all, this is what will get people to open the book in the first place. Chalk it up to advertising.
11/21 Days of checking my e-mail. Anxiety. What will the cover look like?
11/25. Cover polish arrives. No front cover. No graphic. Just suggestions for changing the marketing copy on the back. A few sentences altered. I accepted their suggestions. After all, I'd paid for them, right? Wrong. Reading the revised copy now, and my original copy, I like my original better. Their revisions sucked the spirit out of copy that was from a character's point of view.
11/29 I received the formatted book. I had two weeks to comb through it with a magnifying glass to make any final edits. I put my life on hold, and re-read the ms. aloud, to catch any possible glitch.
I opened the cover, ready to scream with joy. No joy. Utter dismay. The cover wasn't fun, funky contemporary fantasy, it was futuristic, scary, coldly clinical, humorless...NO!
12/18 I sent a list of changes I wanted made, but saw no real hope of salvaging the cover they provided. After conferring with my Salon, I requested a cover consisting of the title, subtitle, and my name in a funky font, in blue, with a neon green background. I sent a sample of what I wanted. Exactly.
12/19 e from Rachel. The change would be made.
12/ 21. e from Rachel. Trouble finding the green I wanted. I could find it at a graphics store and tell them how to mix it. Me? I didn't even know where to start to look.
e to Rachel--change to a yellow background. How hard can it be to find yellow. I was getting disgusted, discouraged--thinking of doing any marketing beginning with the warning: Don't judge a book by its cover.
e from Rachel--that will cost $99.
e to Rachel--forget it. I reminded her that I have another book in the wings (OK, so I'm only on the second draft, but...) I appealed to her to advocate for me
as I was only requesting the click of a mouse. No way was I paying $99 for that!
waiting time--Xmas/New Year's vacation. I stopped caring about the cover. Whatever will be...
1/8 A yellow cover! Not my first choice, but not "don't judge a book..." either. It will do.
e to Rachel: "It's a go."
1/9 from Rachel: "I will move your book to final production" along with marketing information and information about ordering copies.
1/15. e--"Your book has finished the final production process..."
Now my contracted for ten copies are somewhere between Nebraska, where iU is located, and New York, where I am. They should arrive sometime this week. I've already downloaded the marketing materials iU sent. It's exciting, and scary. Now I have to get out there and sell, which isn't my thing at all. But hey, this was never done to become rich or famous. It was done for fun. The thought puts everything in perspective.
I hope you'll decide to try Perchance to Feast, and find it fun.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Five Reasons for Choosing Print On Demand Publishing
To learn more about PERCHANCE TO FEAST, A Novel of Impossible Possibilities, scroll down to the November entries.
Contest winners: Sorry, there were none. But not to despair. Hang in there and there will be more contests.
And on to today's topic:
Why I chose to publish with a POD (print on demand) company rather than a traditional publisher:
1. Ecology: I'm into trees. I love trees. Nothing brings me to a place of peace and contentment like a walk in the woods. The usual way to publish a book is to print a set number and hope they sell. If they don't, ah, well...to the garbage heap. POD means that not a sheet of paper is wasted, not a tree is cut down needlessly. Books are printed as they are needed. The icing on the cake is that Perchance to Feast will also be available as an e-book. For anyone who has the hardware, the book can simply be downloaded. This is likely to be the future of publishing. For those who have grown up with paper and ink, and love the feel, POD is the next best alternative where the environment is concerned.
2. Control: I'll just say it. I'm a control freak. Not something I'm proud of, but not about to change. The thought of a publisher telling me what changes have to be made, what cover and title I have to use, what merchandizing I must do, etc. is abhorent. I love suggestions, and usually take them, but this is my book--an extension of me. Whatever mistakes I make, whatever less than perfect phrases appear, they're mine. Besides, I don't write my books. My characters march into my head and dictate. How can I let anyone change their words?
3. Longevity. Well, yes. We all want to live forever. But books don't. Books today are given but a few months to "make it," and then are "remaindered." Their front covers are torn off, they are returned to the publisher, and gone for good from the retail market--and everywhere else, as far as I know. With POD, a book will be available as long as the author--or her heirs--pay a small (and I mean very small--just a few dollars a year) storage fee for the software they use to print the book.
4. Speed of publication: I have no patience. When I decide to do something, I want it done. Yesterday. The normal publication process involves finding an agent, then finding a publisher, then getting on the publisher's calendar--the publisher may want to publish the book this year, but may not be able to fit it in until next season, or year, or...Bottom line, traditional publishing can take years. It's not unheard of for a book to be published two or more years after it's purchased. Who has time to wait for that? Not me. I first contacted iUniverse in September, slowed down the process with an editorial evaluation (I wanted to be sure it was good enough--it was,) am experiencing a delay now because we're having trouble agreeing on a cover, and still, I expect the book to be available sometime in January. Five months at the most from start to finish.
5. Ease: I'm not a researcher. I was driving myself crazy reading write-ups, ads, web-pages, etc to familiarize myself with agents and small publishing companies in my search for "the perfect match." Every moment I spent researching was a moment my characters were shouting at me, demanding that I get on with their stories (either my next novel, or a short piece.) How very enticing it was to type a few words to a web address, speak to living human beings on the phone, provide a credit card number and whammo! be on the way to publication. POD isn't expensive--and my time is worth paying for.
The entire process has been relatively easy--even for a technophobe like me. iUniverse provided the support I needed whenever technology had me in a tizzy, and the whole process has gone quite smoothly. I think I made the right choice. Time will tell.
Contest winners: Sorry, there were none. But not to despair. Hang in there and there will be more contests.
And on to today's topic:
Why I chose to publish with a POD (print on demand) company rather than a traditional publisher:
1. Ecology: I'm into trees. I love trees. Nothing brings me to a place of peace and contentment like a walk in the woods. The usual way to publish a book is to print a set number and hope they sell. If they don't, ah, well...to the garbage heap. POD means that not a sheet of paper is wasted, not a tree is cut down needlessly. Books are printed as they are needed. The icing on the cake is that Perchance to Feast will also be available as an e-book. For anyone who has the hardware, the book can simply be downloaded. This is likely to be the future of publishing. For those who have grown up with paper and ink, and love the feel, POD is the next best alternative where the environment is concerned.
2. Control: I'll just say it. I'm a control freak. Not something I'm proud of, but not about to change. The thought of a publisher telling me what changes have to be made, what cover and title I have to use, what merchandizing I must do, etc. is abhorent. I love suggestions, and usually take them, but this is my book--an extension of me. Whatever mistakes I make, whatever less than perfect phrases appear, they're mine. Besides, I don't write my books. My characters march into my head and dictate. How can I let anyone change their words?
3. Longevity. Well, yes. We all want to live forever. But books don't. Books today are given but a few months to "make it," and then are "remaindered." Their front covers are torn off, they are returned to the publisher, and gone for good from the retail market--and everywhere else, as far as I know. With POD, a book will be available as long as the author--or her heirs--pay a small (and I mean very small--just a few dollars a year) storage fee for the software they use to print the book.
4. Speed of publication: I have no patience. When I decide to do something, I want it done. Yesterday. The normal publication process involves finding an agent, then finding a publisher, then getting on the publisher's calendar--the publisher may want to publish the book this year, but may not be able to fit it in until next season, or year, or...Bottom line, traditional publishing can take years. It's not unheard of for a book to be published two or more years after it's purchased. Who has time to wait for that? Not me. I first contacted iUniverse in September, slowed down the process with an editorial evaluation (I wanted to be sure it was good enough--it was,) am experiencing a delay now because we're having trouble agreeing on a cover, and still, I expect the book to be available sometime in January. Five months at the most from start to finish.
5. Ease: I'm not a researcher. I was driving myself crazy reading write-ups, ads, web-pages, etc to familiarize myself with agents and small publishing companies in my search for "the perfect match." Every moment I spent researching was a moment my characters were shouting at me, demanding that I get on with their stories (either my next novel, or a short piece.) How very enticing it was to type a few words to a web address, speak to living human beings on the phone, provide a credit card number and whammo! be on the way to publication. POD isn't expensive--and my time is worth paying for.
The entire process has been relatively easy--even for a technophobe like me. iUniverse provided the support I needed whenever technology had me in a tizzy, and the whole process has gone quite smoothly. I think I made the right choice. Time will tell.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
CONTEST
Five days left!
Contest ends Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007 at midnight.
Guess my top five reasons for choosing POD,
and win a free copy of Perchance to Feast!
Contest ends Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007 at midnight.
Guess my top five reasons for choosing POD,
and win a free copy of Perchance to Feast!
Sunday, December 9, 2007
The Whys and Wherefores of Print on Demand
Sadie, who you've met if you've read the previous entries, has been nagging me: "Oy, so write already. Too long it's been taking you between postings." Sorry Sadie. I intended to write every week. For the last two weeks, Life has intervened. First there was Thanksgiving. My house. Fifteen people. Need I say more?
Then I opened my e-mail to find a little message from my PSA at iUniverse--the angel who is guiding my book through the publishing process--telling me that my proofs were ready. Expert that I am, it only took two days and key by key instruction from my PSA to open the Adobe file and access the proofs. Once I had them, I had to re-read every word of the book, cover to cover, with a magnifying glass and a mind on hyper-alert to weed out any typos or glitches that had escaped all previous prunings. So now I'm done, and am here to answer the question I promised to answer the last time I blogged: What is Print on Demand (POD) publishing?
To publish traditionally, an author has to find an agent, the agent has to find a publisher where an editor has to fall in love with a book and convince the marketing department that the book will be a bestseller. The book has to be produced, then sold and shipped to stores. If the books ordered don't sell out in a timely fashion, they are returned to the publisher, and ultimately destroyed. The print-set-up for Print on Demand books is paid for by the author. The POD company--in my case, iUniverse--offers a variety of services, all for a fee. I chose to have them design a cover for my book, and to have an editorial evaluation. (If this hadn't been positive, I would have aborted the publication process, or hired an editor.) Of course, they also produce the books. Instead of producing a set number, they print only those books that have been ordered.
Books are available from the publisher (iUniverse.com) or from Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, etc. Autographed copies of Perchance to Feast can be ordered from me at Belbook1@gmail.com when they become available, probably by mid-January.
In my next posting, I'll give my top five reasons for choosing POD over traditional publishing. Anyone want to guess? I'll give a free book to anyone who guesses all five reasons correctly (send guesses to Belbook1@gmail.com)
Sunday, November 18, 2007
What's It All About?--The Character's Viewpoints
In a nutshell, Perchance to Feast, a Novel of Impossible Possibilities, is Novel of the Absurd, about alternative universes. Its plot: Mischievous Chance endangers everyone when he manipulates quirky characters into outrageous situations, ultimately causing a fantasy city of evil to capture real people.
Huh?" you say.
My characters would like to explain how they see the book:
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Sadie (born 80 years ago, now dead--not that it matters): "Oy, such a question! Perchance to Feast is about what you want and what you do to get it turns you into who you are. Your what turns into your who."
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Lillian (78 years old, speaking through the ape costume she wears when she gives readings of the children's books she's authored as Auntie Ape): "It's about good and evil, kindness and meanness--the choices people make. About how loving-kindness is its own reward."
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Victoria (78 years old, squirting you with perfume from her antique atomizer as she speaks): "It's about me and my daughter, Helen of Troy, who renamed herself Hera, and the delicious fun I had tormenting Sadie, and Hera had tormenting Sadie's daughter, Barbara."
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Hera (in her forties--a lady never tells her age): "It's about me, Hera Starr, queen of the gods, and how I will lead my students, the Drama Divas, to the fulfillment of their every desire. I alone know how these things are done. I alone have the power to grant wishes, I..."
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The Drama Divas (age 13, taking time out from preening): It's about us, what we want, and how we'll give up everything to make our dreams come true. Also about the fun we have trampling on others' feelings.
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Barbara, aka Bronte Dickens, writer of romance novels and R-rated movies--Sadie's daughter, 35 years old): At first I thought Perchance to Feast was about writers, how they write, and the impact of their stories on the world. But I came to see that it's about relationships--the good and the bad. This book is loaded with mothers and daughters, friends and enemies, lovers and false lovers."
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Karma-Robin, Barbara's daughter, Sadie's granddaughter, known to her family as Karmi and her friends as K-Rob. 13 years old. Busy leading a demonstration for student representation on the Board of Ed): "Cut the crap! It's about good vs. evil, and how most of our rules are ridiculous and un-good. And how you've got to put yourself out front and fight for what is right even if it puts you in danger, the way it did me."
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Gina (age 15, coping with her promiscuous, child-like mother): "It's about standing up and going on nom matter how life tries to squash you down."
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GG (age 78, touching the scar on his head as he struggles to find the right words): People. Bad people who hurt you. Nice people who make you feel good."
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Justin (age 13, K-Rob's boyfriend): It's about falling in love for the first time, and intentions, and myths, and fractured science.
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Louis (Bronte Dickens' character): The best part, it is where we have sex in the alleys of Subring.
Suzette(Bronte Dickens' character): Non, mon cher, the best part, it is the result.
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Maybe (an immature angel): Perchance to Feast is about the time I tried to do something good, and it had really bad results. But it was the right thing to do.
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Chance (a cosmic chameleon): How simperingly stupid you all are. It's my feast, after all. I'm naturally nourished by nuggets of eternal entertainment, so I threw all these characters into a sumptuous stew, added spices, and stirred it as it simmered for 65 years and then--but you'll have to read Perchance to Feast to find out.
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Ellen (the author): All of the above--sort of. Perchance to Feast will be available soon, so you'll be able to read it and draw your own conclusions.
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Do you have questions you want answered--about the book, publishing with a print-on-demand company (which the next few entries will be about) or me, as a writer? Please send them to me at belbook1.com, and be sure to mention Perchance to Feast in the subject line.
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