October 1, 2008 Volume 4: Issue 14

"Self Published Authors" Bi-Monthly Newsletter
Helping self-published authors promote and market their books and share information and resources.

October 1, 2008 Volume 4: Issue 14
Dan Shaurette
editor@selfpublishedauthors.com
http://www.selfpublishedauthors.com

By Subscription Only! You are receiving this newsletter because you requested a subscription. Unsubscribe instructions are at the end of this newsletter.

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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. Editor's Notebook
2. Newsletter Submission Guidelines
3. Feature Article by Judy Cullins
4. Resource Links
5. Publicity Article by Dan Poynter
6. Free Products, Services, and Downloads
7. Freelancing Article by David Drake
8. Classes, Workshops, and Groups
9. Guest Article by Victor Epand
10. Announcements/Requests
11. Reciprocal Links
12. Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information

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1: EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK
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Welcome to the October 2008 newsletter for SelfPublishedAuthors.com. For those of you who are new to the website and newsletter, I hope you will enjoy this issue. Thank you for visiting the website and subscribing to the list. To the regulars out there, I'm very glad to see you back for another issue.

I'd like to take a moment and mention a very in-depth and interesting article about the current state of the publishing industry. "The End" was written by Boris Kachka and was published Sep. 14, 2008 in New York Magazine. You can read the full article online at http://nymag.com/news/media/50279/.

Even the article admits that people have often predicted the fall of the publishing giants. Personally, I doubt they're going anywhere anytime soon, however it is obvious they have to change how they do business. I think the quote that was most telling was this one about two online leaders.

"The fear of Google [BookSearch] is ridiculous paranoia. The fear of Amazon is enlightened self-interest." - Mike Shatzkin, Book-Industry Consultant

In other news, I just discovered a new website called CompletelyNovel.com which has the potential to become bigger than AuthorsDen. Check out the profile of them below in the Free Products, Services, and Downloads section. It is sites like this that may bring "The End" to big publishers perhaps a little sooner. They are still in a Prvate Beta testing mode, so sign up to help them out now, and we can all help each other.

Thanks again for visiting SelfPublishedAuthors.com. If you have questions, comments, suggestions, or if you'd like to contribute, be interviewed, add an event or have a request, please reply to this email, or drop a line to me at: editor@selfpublishedauthors.com

Thanks for reading and enjoy the issue!

Dan Shaurette
editor@selfpublishedauthors.com
http://www.DanShaurette.com

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2: NEWSLETTER SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
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The newsletter for SelfPublishedAuthors.com is here to provide a resource for all authors. Obviously, I want to help you succeed in your writing, self-publishing efforts, and self-promotion. I have received a few requests from fellow authors asking what they can do to promote their books in the newsletter.

I am always happy to help promote an author and their works in the newsletter. That's what we're here for. That being said, the best I can do is one of the following.

If you are interested in writing an article about your experiences as a self-published author, I would be more than happy to consider it for publication. If I publish the article, I will give you space for a signature box that you could use to promote yourself and your book.

If you would like to send me an ARC copy of your book, eBook format preferred, I would be happy to review it and interview you. The interview would most likely be what gets published in the newsletter, but reviews of recommended books may also be published. Please note, I have already been presented with some works to read, so please query me first before sending your books. I'd rather return a book than form a slush pile.

If you have a book signing coming up, we do try to list those when they are timely. Remember our newsletter is published in February, April, June, August, October, and December. If you host a class or workshop, or have a website that promotes a writer's resource, please let us know about it. All links about such events are provided free of charge. Your name, location, dates, and contact info. will be presented.

If instead you are just interested in placing an advertisement in the newsletter for your book or website, I'll ask for some patience. I am reevaluating various plans for advertising in both the newsletter and the website.

Currently there are places for you to list your books, websites, and even join our banner ad exchange. You can also feel free to post in our forums and tell us about yourself and your books. As soon as I figure out a new model for classified ads in the newsletter, I will let you all know. Thank you for your patience.

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3: FEATURE ARTICLE by Judy Cullins
Book Promotion Myth -- The Best Place to Sell Books is a Bookstore
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Ask yourself, "Where is my audience hanging out? Where do they go to buy books? From traditional publishing, you may have heard--the bookstore. Think again. with the easy access of the Internet, more and more book buyers buy Online. They like eBooks too and will print them if they are relatively short. The bookstore myth sends authors on the long, arduous, road to seeking out an agent, a publisher, hoping their book will become a best seller. It won't. Why?

Because you are not famous, your publishing support amounts to a possible three-month book tour, billed against your sales. Your book's shelf life at Barnes and Noble or other brick and mortar bookstores is about three months too. And, you the author must promote it full time to receive less than 50% of the profits.

Another reason bookstores disappoint the author is that most people go into the store to browse. They want fiction, some non-fiction, but they aren't sure what. If your book is shelved among more popular authors, potential buyers will pass it by for the well-known name. In our La Mesa Barnes and Noble, people bring their Starbucks coffee in to sit and read. If they spill coffee on your book, you will get it as a return and pay the postage.

John Kremer, author of "1001 WAYS TO MARKET YOUR BOOK" says "I'm glad I don't rely on retail 'brick and mortar' bookstore sales for my income, but it will be nice to add that icing on the cake into my cash flow again."

Before his updated version John shared in a seminar that he sold 45,000 copies of his book that year.. He is a marketer par excellence. He uses traditional marketing strategies; his web site, his ezine which offers tips, products and seminars, specialty stores, foreign markets, libraries, and back of the room sales from speaking engagements.

Because John is a recognized name, he gets a lot of shelf space in the bookstore--cover side out. For your lesser-known book, only your spine will show and after three months of initial placement, your book will fade away unless you put on your promotion hat to get customers to the store. That is a lot of work with small results.

In one bookcoaching session, a new client thought he wanted to sell to the bookstores. I asked him who was his particular audience. He said business people. What kind of business people? Do these people go to the "brick and mortar" bookstore for your business book? Or, will they be more likely to subscribe to online business ezines or visit a business web site for specific kinds of business books?

Your book coach knows that online promotion is the cheapest, easiest, and most profitable way to sell books. Especially writing and submitting articles.

DID YOU KNOW?

*Seventy percent of US adults haven't been in a bookstore for the last 5 years.
*Bookstores sell only 45% of all books sold.
*Bookstores return non-sold books to the author - think of the Starbucks people dripping their coffee and scone on your book.
*Bookstores will take 90 days, even a year or more to pay you for your total book sales.
*Bookstores only order two or three copies at a time because of limited shelf space.
*Bookstores buy only from a distributor or wholesaler.

Why the big push to get a wholesale or distributor and get into the bookstore?

These people represent so many other authors don't you wonder how much attention your book will receive? They exact healthy fees, around 55%. That leaves a small profit for the author, and remember, bookstores, distributors and wholesalers don't promote your book!

After her distributor went belly up one successful children's author shared she lost $160,000. She would rather have more control over her priceless products. She distributes them all herself now through various venues that suit her personality.

Authors spend a lot of time and money chasing the improbable, when the "golden egg" of self-publishing and self-promotion is right in front of them. In my opinion, I'd sell my books everywhere except the brick and mortar bookstore!
___

Copyright © 2007 Judy Cullins. Reprinted with permission.
Book and Internet Marketing Coach Judy Cullins helps businesses get all the clients and sell all the books they want. Author of 13 books including How to Write your Book Fast, The Fast and Cheap Way to Explode Targeted Web Traffic, Advanced Article Marketing - Nine Mistakes and How to Solve Them, and Advanced Article Three Book Program. Judy offers 256 articles and free eBook "Book Writing and Marketing Tips" with monthly ezine subscription at http://www.bookcoaching.com and http://www.advancedarticlemarketing.com
Email her at judycullins@cox.net or Phone: 619/466-0622

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4: RESOURCE LINKS
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SHANITA'S SCRIBE SERVICES - Typist/Transcription Services
My name is Shanita Waters. As a self published author, mother, wife and full-time employee, I struggled finding time to piece together my notes and impulsive ideas to complete my novel, BY HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED.

Now I want to help others see their books in print faster by typing it for them so that they can get to work on the next one or promotions even sooner. Shanita's Scribe Services will accurately, affordably, and quickly meet any deadline. We do not charge extra for proof reading services and we will work for you on evenings and weekends at no extra cost to you.

Please call (215) 294-7190 or e-mail scribeservices@waterplantgrowth.com for your quote today!
http://www.waterplantgrowth.com/typistservices

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5: PUBLICITY ARTICLE by Dan Poynter
Writing Your Book is Just the Beginning
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One of the greatest misconceptions harbored by writers is that the job is done when the book manuscript is mailed. While manuscript completion is a time to celebrate, it is also the time to switch hats. The book writer now becomes the book promoter.

A book is like an iceberg. The writing is the easier part; the 20% visible about the waterline. The promoting is the most important part and usually consumes even more time and money. The promoting is also often the part not anticipated by the author.

Bringing a book into the world is like bringing a child into the world -- you are presented with an obligation to raise it. Now, fortunately, the obligation to your book is not a 20-year commitment and you do not have to send the book to college. But, you do have to let people know that you have books in your garage -- or they will remain in your garage.

Any fool can write a book, it takes a genius to sell one. -- Anon

As the author of the book, you have few choices. You are responsible for the promotion whether you self-publish or sell out to a publisher. If you abdicate your promotion responsibilities, your book will become an orphan. Yes, if the book is to be successful, the promotion is up to you.

Each book goes through four distinct stages. The author' responsibilities are to create the manuscript and promote the book. The publisher has the book manufactured and then distributes it to the Book Trade (wholesalers, bookstores and sometimes libraries).

Publishers do not promote books; they do little more than list your title in the catalog. Ask any author who has been published by a publisher and he or she will probably complain "they didn't do anything!"

By now, you are wondering why you need the services of a publisher. You really don't. You can deal with one of the twelve digital-book printers or the 42 offset-book printers across North America. They will print and bind your book. These book printers specialize in manufacturing books. They will provide price, service and quality because they know what a book is supposed to look like. Any printer can produce a book, one way or another, but book printers specialize. They manufacture books only.

Next, you can use one of the 85 book distributors to get your book into the Book Trade. They will serve the book wholesalers such as Ingram and Baker & Taylor, the chain stores such as Borders and Barnes & Noble, the online stores such as Amazon.com and B&N.com and lots of independent book stores. The five larger publishers have sales reps to take their books to the stores. Many of the 55,000 smaller publishers use distributors with sales reps to take their books to the stores.

There isn't any reason why you can't shepherd your book through all four stages yourself. With help from a book manufacturer, your book will look the same as others in the bookstore. Your distributor will get your book into the bookstores. So the playing field is level. In fact it is now less expensive to print and bind your book and is easier to get into stores because the larger publishers have cut back on their output. Paper prices are down and the stores have more shelf space waiting for your book.

By now you are probably wondering whether the well-known celebrity authors have to promote their own work. The ability to promote is one of the criteria a publisher assesses when considering a submission. Publishers want mediagenic authors.

For example, Frank McCourt, (ANGELA'S ASHES, TIS, BROTHERHOOD) says he spends six months of each year on the road. By the way, he is very entertaining so try to catch his act.

Most of the people being interviewed on radio and television are recently published authors. And, why not? They are celebrities and are experts on their subjects. People find authors fascinating.

You should devote a minimum of one year to the distribution and promotion of your first book to make sure it gets its fair share of your time and energy. Too often, an author will write a book, have it printed, start on the distribution and then get distracted with the writing of another book. The first book then becomes an orphan and it does not get onto the hands of willing, potential buyers.

Every one of your books will provide a learning experience in each the four stages. The second time around will be easier and the third time easier still. So you may put just nine months between books two and three, six months between books three and four, and so on.

The secret to successful publishing is not to produce more books but to effectively market those books already published.

Writing the book is the easy part of the process. As the author (and the parent) of your book, you have an obligation to provide it with the best opportunity for growth. You must do more than just write the book. Look under the water.
___

Dan Poynter does not want you to die with a book still inside you. You have the ingredients and he has your recipe. Dan has written more than 100 books since 1969 including WRITING NONFICTION and THE SELF-PUBLISHING MANUAL. For more help on book writing, see http://ParaPub.com/.

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6: FREE PRODUCTS, SERVICES, and DOWNLOADS
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COMPLETELYNOVEL.COM - A Community for Readers, Writers, and Publishers
At CompletelyNovel.com, you can read new books online for free.
Buy paperback copies of the ones you like direct from the writers!
You can create, promote and sell your books online. There is no set-up cost and you keep all the profits!
Keep track of your books (new ones as well as old favourites) in an online library.
Review books, start clubs and talk with the community about all things book-related.
With easy access to a seamless flow of work between writers, printers, publishers, illustrators, proofreaders, and many more, this is the perfect place for collaboration.
http://www.CompletelyNovel.com/

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7: FREELANCING ARTICLE by David Drake
Steps To Starting A Home Based Writing Business
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Before you move on further with the idea of starting a home based writing business, you should assess your skills. I don't mean to discourage any of you, but I've known many people who got themselves in to the wrong business and lost all their savings, properties and the business itself, along the way. So make sure it won't happen to you by evaluating whether writing is your greatest strength.

A small amount of time introspection can give a definite shape to your future.Once you are confident about your abilities, do some research online and offline. Find people who would outsource their writing jobs or assign projects to you. Do not jump start with this business. Start if off as a part time job, while you keep your full time job. If you are a home staying mom, start off the business on your own without involving partners or employees.

When you step in to the world of freelance writing, it is always better to have a safety net to fall on to. So don't keep too much hopes and invest too much on equipments, office space etc initially. All you need to do is buy a reliable computer (maybe a used one) and good word processing software. To begin with, it is advisable to use free word processing software such as Open Office. A telephone connection with internet and a good printer are other essential equipment for the job. Once you start getting good work you could take up from there.

You may be skillful as any great writer out there, but you will need to keep out to date. With internet dominating home based businesses, there is an increasing demand for freelance writing; so search for new writing leads and develop your skills everyday. Try out different styles of writing and different assignments such as newsletter writing, magazine articles, blog posts, SEO articles, ghost writing e-books, proposals, resumes and the list goes on...

Market yourself everyday. There are websites that allows you to post advertisements promoting your services. Keep track of all such sites and the customers that you meet. A good rapport with customers is the key to any successful business. Remember that, most buyers tend to stick with the same writer if they become impressed with the work. So make sure you'd always deliver on time, be professional and keep to your word.

Continue working part-time for at least 6 months before moving on to full time writing. By then, you should have made a lot of contacts in the field and have sufficient number of buyers to compensate for a good income. If your projects are getting out of hand, recruit one or two people as part-time employees. However, before doing so, do a feasibility study to see if you can still make profit, increase business and keep up to the reputation you've built by having people working for you. If everything goes well, you might even be able to employ people on full time basis and start off a small company of your own.
___

Get the real insider secrets to make money writing online. David Drake is the author of the ebook 6 Figure Freelancer.It reveals powerful strategies and a step by step blueprint to lay out a 6 Figure action plan with online freelance writing. Visit at http://6Figurefreelancer.com.

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8: CLASSES, WORKSHOPS, and GROUPS
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PATRICIA FRY ONLINE COURSES FOR WRITERS/AUTHORS
Author and writing guru Patricia Fry has created four courses which are available on demand from her website.

* How to Write and Sell Magazine Articles
This is a good course for anyone who wants to earn money writing articles or who wants to learn how to promote his or her book through magazine articles. The freelance writing business is as competitive as the publishing business and it's important that you know how to break in. 6 weeks, $125.
http://www.matilijapress.com/course_magarticles.htm

* Self-Publishing Workshop
I'll walk you through the steps to self-publishing. At the end of the course, you should have your own publishing company up and running. 8 weeks, $160.
http://www.matilijapress.com/course_selfpub.htm

* Book Promotion Workshop
If you have a book to promote, but you haven't, yet, established the discipline and organization needed to successfully promote your book, this course might help. It's intensive and demanding, and you will sell books! 6 weeks, $200.
http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookpromotion.htm

* Write a Successful Book Proposal
Every author needs a book proposal. Let me successfully walk you through the often intimidating process of writing one. 8 weeks, $200.
http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookproposal.htm

To learn more about Patricia Fry, go to: http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm/.
Click on "How does an online course work," for additional information. And if you have any questions, contact her at: PLFry620@yahoo.com

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9: GUEST ARTICLE by Victor Epand
Sources Of Ideas For Writing Your Books
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A writing source provides not only inspiration, but also a place from where you can derive knowledge about the topic you are writing about. So, if you are writing about carpentry, it is essential that you learn some basic technical terms associated with carpentry such as hammer, chisel, etc, and their uses. It would definitely help if you have done carpentry work yourself, because that experience will give you a much deeper, personal understanding of your subject.

You might fall short on some ideas while writing, so you will have to research more on those subjects. You can do that by reading magazines or watching videos and CDs. You can also consult an expert carpenter, and he can give you many tips. You could even get tips by searching the Internet, which has now become a sea of information -- just be careful about the quality or truthfulness of some of that information.

Since there could be thousands of books already written on carpentry, you need to either present new information in your book, or you can present your information in a different way so as to make your book more interesting than others. Writing a book without a proper source of information could result in a badly written book or faulty data. Either way, the results could be damaging.

Whenever you are searching for a source of information for your book, you should first ensure that you yourself are interested in that subject. Next, you have to ensure that people who read the book would also be interested in it. Also, you will have to write the book in a new, appealing way.

Nowadays, unscrupulous elements in the scientific world are using 'copy-paste' methods to pass off important research as their own. Use technical data, combined with your imagination, to present it in an attractive way. So, if you have taken your source from a previous book, you will have to acknowledge that source and also seek permission from that author before writing your book.

Children's books, especially, require a lot of imagination to be full of attractive photos. The subject matter should be informative and the photos should be relevant. A fictional book is a place where you could let your imagination run wild. But here again, the source of your book and character should be properly researched. Incorporating and acknowledging a source in your book also gives it credibility and respectability, and helps people to know that you know what you are writing about.

So, just as a river requires a source of water, you too will require a rock solid source to ensure that your book turns out to be a bestseller.
___

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about books. When shopping for books, we recommend you shop only at the best bookstores for used books, autographed books, and Vedic books.

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10: ANNOUNCEMENTS/REQUESTS
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FOURTH ANNUAL WIZARDS OF WORDS WRITERS CONFERENCE
Friday & Saturday - October 10 & 11, 2008

Friday at DAYS INN SCOTTSDALE - (480) 947-5411
4710 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale AZ 85251
Saturday at CHAPPARRAL SUITES - (480) 949-1414
5001 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale AZ 85250

Keynote Banquet Speaker - DAVID MORRELL - New York Times Bestselling Author
Luncheon Speaker - JERRY SIMMONS - Author, Literary Consultant

Fifteen Workshops in Two Days From: Patricia Fry, David S. Rosenberg, Penny C. Sansevieri, Jennifer Thompson, Dennis Griffin, Marilyn Meredith, Robbi Hess, Nancy McCurry, Caryn Bruer (Anne Elwick), Astor Lane

TWO Q&A PANELS Consisting of Publishers, Authors, Editors
Pitch your manuscripts to HARPER COLLINS & IOTA PUBLISHING - Advance Reservations

Conference Registration Fees:
WOW Member $149 - Non Member $189
Fee Includes Luncheon and Banquet
http://www.wizardsofwords.org/

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11: RECIPROCAL LINKS
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LISTINGS:

ADD YOUR BOOK LISTING & AUTHOR BIO:
This is a marketing feature you don't want to miss:
http://www.selfpublishedauthors.com/books

THE POST-PUBLICATION BOOK PROPOSAL
If you didn't write a book proposal before writing your book, you missed a vital step in the process of successfully producing and marketing a book. Don't let sagging sales determine your grim future in publishing. Write a post-publication book proposal and get back on track. Order Patricia Fry's FREE report, The Post-Publication Book Proposal. PLFry620@yahoo.com.

SHAURETTENET: The Home Page of Dan Shaurette
- His Novel, LILITH'S LOVE - http://www.Liliths-Love.com
- The Lurkers' Domain (creative writing forum) - http://lurk.us
- Is This Thing On? Blog and Podcast - http://www.DanShaurette.com
All of this and more at: http://www.Shaurette.net

YOUR ADVERTISEMENT COULD BE HERE!
Contact Dan Shaurette for more information at editor@selfpublishedauthors.com

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12: Subscriber Management / Contact Information
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