What Does It Take to Be a Publisher?

Publishers come in all sizes, from huge New York houses to one-man bands who form their own companies to “publish” one or two books. In between are what is called independent or “indy” publishers who cater to certain specialized niches. Assuming the big ones are well versed in their craft and the indy publishers are expanding their education through the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), I am going to focus on small, less experienced publishers.

Just saying you are a publisher is not enough to make you one. Most authors who decide to self-publish often have no idea what is involved in the process or what the requirements of the job are. To clear up any misunderstanding on this issue, the board of directors of IBPA drafted a checklist for publishers, posted it on its Website, and summarized it in an article in the IBPA newsletter. Added to that list are several important tasks suggested by author and self-publishing expert, Dan Poynter. Some are the responsibility of any publisher; others are implemented in concert with the author.

Technical Aspects

• Have manuscript edited and copy edited by two different editors before it goes into design.
• When the book is complete, send it out for review to peer reviewers. Take their critiques to heart and make changes.
• Have page proofs proofread by a different editor.
• Send out review copies of galleys to appropriate publications and reviewers. Mark them as Reader’s Copies. (Don’t send a printed book.)
• Secure an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) and an EAN bar code from R.R. Bowker.
• Apply to the U.S. Copyright Office for a copyright.
• Develop a business plan with a budget,
• Create a contract that spells out what the author does and what the publisher does.
• Deal with appropriate, industry-related vendors.

Printing & Distribution

• Get competitive quotes from printers (Be sure they are all bidding on the same specs), and choose the one that best meets your author’s needs, including, but not limited to, price.
• Research all options on digital printers, POD companies, and offset printers (for more than 1,000 book).
• Decide how you want to handle storage and distribution. You can do both if you have room and time, but choosing a professional distributor and fulfillment house may be a better alternative. (LightningSource, which deals only with publishers, is owned by Ingram, which is the largest distributor in the country. Most POD companies print and send books when they are ordered. Larger print orders usually require a distributor and fulfillment services.)
• Go over the printed books with a fine-tooth comb for appearance, quality, pages, printing—in short, everything. Don’t settle for less than perfect. The author assumes final responsibility by signing the printer’s release form.

Promotion

• Write a marketing plan. In its simplest form, a marketing plan starts with an overall goal for what you want to accomplish, strategies for how you plan to do it, and specific tactics or actions you will take, with target dates and estimated costs.
• Create a promotional piece, bookmark, or brochure.
• Put together two mailing lists—one for regular mail and one for e-mail. You should already have one, but this is the time to hone and add to it.
• Develop a Website before the book is published to build an author platform and interest in the book.
• Create a blog to build interest for the book’s topic and keep readers informed of the author’s progress.
• Request testimonials to include in the book, on the cover, and in promotional materials.
• Do a promotional mailing to snail-mail and e-mail lists to announce publication of the book.
• Set up a “media room” on your Website so that media people can find the information they need in a form they can use.
• Encourage author to write articles on the book’s subject; submit to print publications and on-line article sites. There are countless such sites, but the undisputed leader of the pack is ezinearticles.com.
• Explain to author that book promotion as an ongoing, full-time job. The more promotion, the more successful the book will be.
• Work with author to develop fresh ways to repackage the content; develop “spin-off” products (CD, DVD, reports, mini-books, Podcasts, eBooks, Website content).

There are many books and Websites on publishing and self-publishing. This list covers the basics. As a publisher, you should work closely with your authors to produce a quality book and let the world know it exists.

Two Sides of a Coin: Attention Span & Focus

Some types of writing can be achieved in a relatively short time span. In advertising, for example, the bulk of a writer's effort goes on before the writing begins. Like an iceberg, hidden from view, the brainstorming and creative processes are unseen and can take more time than the actual act of putting words on paper ... or, more accurately, on computer screen. That part often seems to come in a flash of inspiration. "Eureka, I've got it," and The Pepsi Generation is born.

Such instances are the exception rather than the rule. The rule is that most writing takes time--lots of time. An article, a brochure, an annual report, a speech, a training program, a Web site, and, certainly, a book is not conceived in a single brainstorming session or written in a matter of hours. Any of them, as well as many other assignments a writer is likely to encounter, may consume weeks, at least, and many months at most.

Of the myriad strengths a writer needs, two of the most important are focus and a long attention span. Focus means total concentration or fixed attention on the project at hand. This definition suggests that you are also very interested in this activity. You are immersed in the subject, to the point that you are almost one with it. It helps if you are one of those people who are incapable of boredom, because you will be asked to write about many things that would put the average person to sleep. If you're focused, you are, by definition, not bored. The trick is to stay focused; that is what is meant by having a long attention span.

The ability to get excited about a subject and stay excited is a rare gift. If you weren't born with this talent, I would strongly advise you to cultivate it. The question is how do you do that? The answer is, with the right attitude. Let's use an article as an example.

There are a number of prescribed steps to putting together a good feature article, no matter what kind of publication it will appear in. They begin with the initial assignment and end with a final, approved manuscript. In between, there is the need to track down sources, conduct interviews and all other varieties of research; sort, absorb, and process the information you have gathered; write a first draft; spell check, revise, proofread, refine, do a final edit, rewrite; and, at last, send it off to the editor.

That's the best-case scenario. The worst-case scenario is when the editor or client wants it shorter, longer, more detailed, or completely different than the way you wrote it. At that point, you may find yourself back at square one, virtually starting from scratch. In either case, it can be a real challenge to keep your interest and enthusiasm from waning or just plain dying. The secret lies in your attitude - the one element over which you have complete control.

Attitude is a conscious choice. You create it, you nurture it, you keep it alive through every step of the process, no matter how long it takes or how frustrated you may become. Here are the attitudes I have cultivated over time about each of the steps in the process.

• Initial assignment - a way to add to my store of knowledge or to learn something completely new

• Tracking down sources - a timed scavenger hunt

• Interviews & research - assembling a complicated puzzle

• Sort, absorb, and process - cramming for an exam (believe it or not, I enjoyed that)

• First draft - a state of "flow," to borrow the words of psychologist and author Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

• Revising, refining, rewriting - going for the gold

• Sending it off - satisfaction, confidence, and relief

• Great reviews - sometimes, even better than money

• Not-so-great reviews - gratitude (honest!) for an opportunity to improve the product

• Back to square one - another chance to perfect the process (this is the tough one)

Does it really work? Most of the time, it does. Choosing the most productive attitude at each step of the process keeps me focused for as long as necessary. In a project like an annual report, that could be several months; for a book, it could be well over a year. As I said, it helps to be incapable of boredom.

It Takes a Team to Produce a Nonfiction Book

Very few people can do everything that must be done to take a book from beginning to end. It takes a team of people who will play a role in some aspect of your book. You will not need everyone on this list, of course, but there are a few in the “must have” column. If you are self-publishing, they include an editor, a graphic designer, and a printer. If a traditional publisher or a reputable POD house publishes your book, some of these professionals will be furnished. Here is a list of the most important professional partners.

Administrative assistants or virtual assistants will become your right hand, handling correspondence, permissions, research, bookkeeping, organization, filing, inventory, publicity, and myriad other details.

Attorneys serve several functions, from analyzing contracts to advising you on copyright laws and registering art work.

Graphic designers often can handle both cover design and page layout. Conventional publishers will provide these elements based on input from their marketing departments.

Distributors such as Baker & Taylor, Ingram, Follette, and BWI provide a range of services including electronic ordering systems (EDI), warehousing, fulfillment, shipping, billing, collection, marketing, editorial consultation, and sales.

Editors work at different stages of the project. A developmental editor helps you craft your concept, organize your ideas and material, and keep yourself on track. Copy editors and proofreaders check for grammar, punctuation, and consistency.

Indexers are necessary when your book is technical, scientific, fact-filled, or a textbook. You have two options: your word-processing program or a professional indexer. Hire a professional. A conventional publishing house will provide indexing services when necessary.

Industry experts or readers are professionals who know your subject matter and are willing to give you feedback on how accurately you present this information in your manuscript. Often, they will also provide endorsements that will give your book valuable credibility.

Printers range in quality from quick copy to high-end digital or offset. If your book is published by a conventional or independent publisher, this won’t be your responsibility. If you plan to have more than 1,000 copies printed, choose an offset printer. If you want copies printed as you need them, opt for digital printing.

Publicists save you a lot of legwork by arranging for travel, radio and TV appearances, book signings, interviews, and articles in various publications. Quite often, you will wear the publicist hat. The important point is that you must market your book, usually well before it finds its way into print.

Reviewers are often affiliated with some form of media. They assess the quality of the writing, how well and logically you cover the topic, and how readable your book is. A positive review can be mined in many ways, one of which is to quote the reviewer on the back cover.

Transcribers convert recorded interviews into text. An option that allows you to avoid transcribing is voice-recognition software, which must be trained to recognize your voice. The best for PCs is Dragon Naturally Speaking; for Macs, the latest is Macspeech Dictate.

Wholesalers handle books based on demand. They carry books from most publishers and fill orders as they receive them. Their main service is delivering books quickly; they do not have sales reps. There are several categories of wholesalers, including national, regional, specialized, and library.

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.

In the Home Stretch

The beat goes on, and on, and on. I had no idea it would go on this long. I found a great copy editor, and after the book had already been edited three or four times, she found about 150-200 mistakes. The moral of the story (you guessed it): You must have your book copy edited!

Next step, my wonderful designer makes corrections; the copy editor and I review them to be sure they are all made; the book goes to the printer—in this case, CreateSpace. Then, I await a proof, which I will read, cover to cover.

In the meantime, I am updating my book, How to Write a Nonfiction Book: From Concept to Completion in 6 Months, and giving it a spiffy (did I really write that?) new look. I promise I will not bore you with step-by-step description of how that project progresses. I just figured, since I was keeping you in the loop, I'd mention it.