What is a book coach?
Somebody who helps to guide a writer through the process of getting a book into print. Other terms are a book midwife (but I'm not keen on the images that conjures up!) - or a book shepherd (which has overtones of leading a brainless animal, or worse, fleecing them.) A book coach is ready to help you improve your writing with editing and proofreading, to find the best way to get your work to readers, and to cheer from the sidelines as you launch your book into the big wide world.
Publishing today is in a state of flux. There has never been a harder time to get published by mainstream publishers, but the rapid changes mean there are new opportunities for writers that simply didn't exist ten or even five years ago. The advent of cheap digital printing means that if they wish, authors can start small and build their career independently of mainstream publishers. Self-publishing or independent publishing is gaining acceptance and will continue to do so as long as standards are maintained, with well-presented, professional books going to print or online as ebooks.
Whether you want to print 3 copies of family memoirs or 300 copies of a spy thriller, there are affordable options. Even if you simply want to put your book online as an ebook, once the manuscript has been polished to a presentable standard, the choice is yours.
Publishing today is in a state of flux. There has never been a harder time to get published by mainstream publishers, but the rapid changes mean there are new opportunities for writers that simply didn't exist ten or even five years ago. The advent of cheap digital printing means that if they wish, authors can start small and build their career independently of mainstream publishers. Self-publishing or independent publishing is gaining acceptance and will continue to do so as long as standards are maintained, with well-presented, professional books going to print or online as ebooks.
Whether you want to print 3 copies of family memoirs or 300 copies of a spy thriller, there are affordable options. Even if you simply want to put your book online as an ebook, once the manuscript has been polished to a presentable standard, the choice is yours.
An old model of publishingA writer submits a manuscript to a publisher, assuming they can find one that accepts unsolicited manuscripts. Readers assess it. Some months later the author gets a rejection or an expression of interest. If the publishing company is interested they look closely at the book to see if it is financially viable. If they can sell enough copies to recoup their costs, it will be accepted. But if it is going to cost them too much to produce (too long, or lots of colour pictures, or needs too much editing and correcting) it's likely to be turned down.
If the book is accepted, there's a period of editing, design and layout, cover design, proofing, and production. There will be a short marketing push which the author is expected to help with, stock is distributed, and sales begin. It will go to stores nationwide through major distributors. A couple of months later when sales begin to fall the book is backlisted and may not see any further action. That's the end of the story. Financially, the writer generally gets a small advance, and reaps a very small percentage of each sale only if that advance is 'earned out'. The rest of the price of the book pays the retailer, the distributor, and the publisher's production costs. (Printing, design, editing, etc.) Rights remain with the publisher unless the author can BUY them back. This model has seen the international decline of many publishing companies and thousands of bookstores, not to mention the pulping of vast quantities of remaindered books. It is wasteful, both of physical resources and of talented writing which never sees a reader. So what is the alternative? Self publishing. Pretty much everything I know about self publishing is in this handy guide, so if you want to go it alone just pick up a copy and it'll take you through the process. It's on Amazon in print and ebook form, and there's a specific New Zealand edition that you can buy in print by emailing me and fronting up with a mere $25. Did I mention it contains everything I know about getting books online? What a bargain!
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A new model of publishingWriters hire the expertise they need to publish their book. Most writers need an editor, a cover designer, and a layout designer who can format for print and ebook editions.
An editor will assess the manuscript for its commercial potential and quality of content. If they take it on, the writer pays for whichever services they need - substantive editing (for the story), copy-editing (for language and facts) and proofreading (for errors and typos.) It pays to have the book in the best possible final form before sending it to an editor to keep costs down. Most authors use 'beta readers' to give them feedback on the story before sending it to a professional. Writing groups are invaluable for this kind of peer support. Once the content of the book is polished, it needs a print layout for hard copy, and a clean ebook format if publishing on Kindle and Smashwords. Then a good cover design is very important to stand out as professional among the tidal wave of low quality amateur titles. The writer has full control of the process and receives the whole sale price of the book to recover the cost of production. The process is quick, simple and rewarding. A self-published book is unlikely to be stocked by the major chain bookstores (at this point, though we're working on it), but can be listed on book databases like Nielsen for wholesalers and libraries to order. A marketing plan might include www.letsbuybooks.weebly.com, Total Library Services, Wheelers, etc. along with social media and the writer's personal connections. Rights remain with the author, who can keep selling the book indefinitely and it need never go out of print or be remaindered. It can easily be self-published as an ebook on Amazon or Smashwords, with Print on Demand as an affordable option for both local and overseas sales. Success will depend on the effort put into marketing and sales. All the help you could ever want is available online, but there are sharks circling so beware when you dip your toes in! Follow some experts to get a feel for what other authors are doing, or to see what the sharks are up to. Here are some good sites for advice, information and encouragement. Indies Unlimited http://www.indiesunlimited.com/about/ Kristen Lamb http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2014/04/25/the-single-best-way-to-sell-books-or-lose-a-sale/ Matthew Wright http://mjwrightnz.wordpress.com/2014/04/26/essential-writing-skills-time-management-is-everything-for-writers/ Joel Friedlander http://www.thebookdesigner.com/ There are numerous forums on Kindle Direct Publishing and Smashwords where you can ask questions or see what others are struggling with. Other authors to follow include Hugh Howey, David Gaughran, and Catherine Ryan Howard http://catherineryanhoward.com/self-printing-home/self-printing-posts/ http://arrestingprose.blogspot.co.nz/ Follow other successful self-published writers in the Mairangi Writers Group. TESTIMONIAL I employed Bev to format my novel You Yet Shall Die for Amazon and Smashwords, and to design the cover image. It was a pleasure to work with her, because she always responded to emails in a prompt and friendly fashion, and sorted out any queries efficiently. She had told me that her favourite part of the work is cover design, and I found this aspect of her service was truly outstanding, as she created three completely different options for me to choose from - all of them original, visually pleasing and relevant to the content of the book. Jennifer Barraclough, author Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk Smashwords.com August 2019 |
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When you're ready to make a start, contact me on the form below. Let me know what stage your work is at, word count, genre, and what you'd like to achieve. Let's see if we can make a really good book together.