The books have arrived!

I am looking at a carton of books on my office floor—eight-five copies of Words To Live By—the culmination of six months of effort and the beginning of at least another six months of intense promotion. This slim little volume (only 124 pages) has consumed my thoughts and much of my time since last November when the idea first struck me. Just in case you are a new reader of "The Writing Life," I will explain my motivation for going through every stage of planning, writing, publishing, and promoting this book on my blog. Besides feeling that it was time to write a memoir of my career, I wanted to demonstrate that the six-step process I teach really does work.

So far, I have learned more about the stages of writing a book than I ever imagined possible, despite having written many other books in the past. Here are only a few of the most recent lessons:

1. Once I started, I became obsessed with writing. The book became of kind of "presence" that demanded every bit of the time and attention I would give it.
2. From the first page, it became obvious I needed an editor; there was no way this book would have been anything by a rambling recollection without the steadying influence of my sister, Judy.
3. Actually, I had four editors: Judy for content and style; Bobette for grammar and punctuation; Lois for final, microscopic copy editing; and Terry for one last look.
   
4. There were dozens of decisions to be made along the way. The most important was choosing a professional book designer, Peggy Nehmen, which was a smart and absolutely essential investment. (Having gone through this process I know I will never again attempt to "design" a book on my own.)
   
5. The road to self-publishing can feel like a confusing maze if you don't have a guidebook. I recommend Dan Poynter's The Self Publishing Manual, Peter Bowerman's The Well-Fed Publisher, and Mark Levine's The Fine Print of Self Publishing.
   
6. Choosing a printer, publisher, or author services company requires research. This is often a case of not knowing what you need to know until after the fact. I had chosen CreateSpace before I heard Mark Levine speak and bought his book. Other than a few glitches, so far I'm happy with the results.
   
7. Deciphering the instructions, links, and costs on a publisher's Web site almost drove me crazy. I registered for LightningSource but couldn't get through their layers of requirements. I finally gave up.
8. Self-publishing does not literally mean alone. It takes a team of "professional partners" to accomplish all of the phases of writing and publishing a book. I could never have done this without my fabulous team, which also included talented writers who were willing to read the manuscript and write testimonials.
   
9. What can I say about a printer's proof except read it several times, have it copy edited again, mark it up, make changes, upload a new file, and get another proof until it meets your standards. (Unfortunately, it will never be perfect, no matter how many times you read it .) I went through three or four proofs before I finally hit the button that said "Proof approved. Submit for publishing."

Of all of my books, I have to say this one has been the most personal and the most fun. It is also the most attractive, inside and out. I wrote it in less time than the the allotted six months. In fact at the end of six months, I held a published book in my hand. It is a small book—exactly the size I would advise a first-time author to write. I am excited about Words To Live By and very grateful to all of you who followed my progress since last November. Thank you providing the support every author needs to get through this process.

Time flies when you're writing a book

I lost 16 days somewhere! Last time I did an update, Words To Live By had just been copy edited, and Peggy (otherwise known as "my wonderful designer") had made the corrections. The next step was to go over those corrections and reread the whole book again. More mistakes; more corrections.

In the meantime, I ...

• bought the bar codes to go with the ISBNs
• rewrote the back cover blurb describing the book
• checked the new corrections

The very last things Peggy will do are ...

• insert the Library of Congress number on the copyright page
• change the blurb on the back cover
• send me the absolutely final cover and inside pages

Then I will upload the book to CreateSpace, who will send me a proof, which I will reread once again. If I find mistakes, I won't accept the proof, and we will correct the errors.

While I'm waiting for all of that to happen, I will get prices on printing "readers' copies" and make a list of people to send them to. The purpose of readers' copies is to put the book in the hands of media, bookstores, and reviewers; request reviews and testimonials; and try to arrange for appearances and presentations.

At this point the publishing and promotion steps overlap until the printed book is in my hands, on Amazon, and in the bookstores. Then, the real work begins!

Where do I go from here?

On November 22, 2009 I wrote: “I am going to sit here with my book next to the computer and go through the process of planning, writing, publishing, and promoting my nonfiction book just as I teach others to do it. And I am going to do it on my blog, The Writing Life.”

It took me ten weeks to write the first draft and have it edited. I thought it would take a lot longer but I should have realized I would become obsessed with the project. Once I begin to write, I am always obsessed. The book, so far, isn’t very long—2,1791 words, which is only 87 manuscript pages.

My editor and I have agreed not to look at the manuscript for two weeks, so that it will be fresh when we reread it. I am going to spend this “down time” planning next steps.

Here is my initial “to-do” list (very preliminary):

1. Buy Dan Poynter’s newest book....................................... done
2. Read relevant chapters..........................................in the works
3. Reread Zinsser’s Writing Your Life
4. Begin to follow timetable...................................... in the works
5. Research copyrights
6. Register copyright
7. Write copyright page
8. Write dedication............................................................ done
9. Write preface .......................................... use “writing out loud”?
10. Write acknowledgements
11. Write bibliography/recommended reading
12. Write back cover copy............................................ in the works
13. Apply for ISBN
14. Apply to library of congress for an LCCC number
15. Decide on publishing method
16. Research creating publishing company
17. Choose company name.................................................... done
18. Design company logo...................................................... done
19. Think about who might write the foreword
20. Have cover & page spreads designed......................... in the works
21. Reread/reassess manuscript (with editor)
22. Send chapters to friends for review & critique
23. Revise/reread
24. Have manuscript copy edited
25. Map out promotional activities list............................in the works
26. Register for a domain name ............................................ done
27. Choose a website host.............................................done: Verio
28. Sign up for ShopSite store......................... done: through Verio
29. Send out readers’ copies/solicit testimonials

4 Ways to “Self-Publish” Your Nonfiction Book

Time magazine had an article in its most recent edition about self-publishing, and I think every one of my clients has read it. While the article dealt mostly with fiction, there is no question that self-publishing is also a viable option for nonfiction authors. So, in response to all the questions arriving in my e-mail, here are some things you should know about self-publishing.

You do everything a publisher does, and you pay for all of it. On the other hand, if there is a profit after expenses, you keep it. you are in control, creatively and financially. The book is yours; you make all the decisions. Depending on the approach you take, you can make a lot of mistakes and spend a lot of unnecessary money if you don’t know what you’re doing. Finally, no matter how you plan to publish, to attract buyers, your book must have a catchy title, eye-catching cover, solid content, and excellent writing. Here are four approaches:

Self-publishing: the "right" way
There are many steps involved in this approach. As a self-publisher, you are responsible for printing, warehousing, marketing, and distributing your books. For help, check out Independent Publishers Association (PMA) or its local chapter in your city. The guru of self-publishing is Dan Poynter, whose book, The Self-Publishing Manual: How to Write, Print and Sell Your Book, has become the bible for self-publishers. He describes this process in great detail.

Technical steps

• Begin by forming your own publishing company. Create a fictitious name to lend it some credibility.
  
• Download or send for copyright forms; file them with U.S. Copyright Office .
  
• Check into the need for local business licenses; apply for them if necessary.
  
• Secure an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) and an EAN bar code from R.R. Bowker.
  
• Get competitive prices from printers.
  
• Decide how you want to handle storage and distribution.
  

Creative steps

• Start with a great title and subtitle. You might want to hire an expert to guide you. One of the best is Sam Horn.
  
• Have your book cover designed by a graphic designer who specializes in books.
  
• Have your manuscript edited and copy edited (two different processes).
  
• Send bound galleys to peer reviewers.
  
• Request testimonials for various promotional uses.
  

Marketing steps

• Write a marketing plan. It is never too early, and you can always add to it as you go along.
  
• Create a promotional piece or brochure. Have your book designer do it.
  
• Put together a mailing list.
  
• Do a promotional mailing.
  
• Develop a website for your book.
  
• Create a blog about your subject matter.
  
• Write articles, and submit them to print publications ans online article sites, such as EzineArticles.com, Amazines.com, or ArticleSnatch.com.
  

Print on demand (POD/Subsidy Publishers/Author Services)
POD is a digital technology that prints anywhere from one to 1,000 books at a time. The rest of the time, your book is stored as a digital file on a large server. This eliminates the need for large press runs and storage space. The appeal of POD companies — such as BookSurge (owned by Amazon), AuthorHouse, iUniverse (owned by Barnes & Noble), InfinityPublishing, LuLu, Xlibrus, and PublishAmerica — is that they offer a variety of packages to authors. The set-up fees and cost per book or per page vary from publisher to publisher, so it’s a good idea to shop around. Obviously, the quality of the books produced this way runs the gamut. It is up to you to ensure that your book meets the same high standards demanded by conventional publishers.

Here are few other things to keep in mind:

• POD companies charge an up-front fee, which can be as high as $1,500.
  
• Most POD companies have strict guidelines for format, size, and pricing.
  
• There is an additional charge for editing and marketing; and, in some cases, purchase of the marketing package is mandatory.
  
• If the company designs the covers, it owns the cover design.
  
• Wholesalers and retailers may not buy POD books because they are non-returnable, higher in price, and often lower in quality.
  
• The ISBN number is often in the company’s name, not the author’s, making the company the publisher of record.
  
• After an initial number of complimentary books, you must purchase copies of your own books at about 40 percent of retail.
  

Start with a printer
This is something you would do as a self-publisher, of course, but it’s a less complicated process. Some printers provide the ISBNs and bar codes at a slight additional cost. One is NoWaste Publishing in Fenton, Missouri, which printed the last two editions of How to Write a Nonfiction Book: From Concept to Completion in 6 Months. You can do as much or as little of the self-publishing process as you like with this option. I uploaded my book to amazon.com, featured it on my website, made it the centerpiece of my blog, wrote articles based on its content, and printed only what I could afford and store.

Use LightningSource
LightningSource is a digital printer that prints books for publishers, as opposed to individual authors. You would have to create a publishing company to take advantage of their services. Ironically, the big POD houses farm out their printing to LightningSource, so they may be printing your book whether you realize it or not. LightningSource:

• is owned by Ingram, the largest book wholesaler in the US
  
• will automatically get your book into Borders, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon
  
• charges a single, upfront set up fee of $500, and then you only pay for what you print
  
• sells internationally
  
• prints in black and white and color, hardback or softback
  
• will print anywhere from one book to 10,000