PublishAmerica
adheres to the
traditional
publishing concept: we assume all financial risks and all expenses
related to producing, manufacturing, and publishing a book.
The author pays
no publishing fees.
Bookstores donot automaticallyput a book on their shelves. All stores have full access
to our books, but in order to actually stock them, they must
believe that the book will sell. Author: there is work to be
done!
Question:
Is this a great millennium,
or what? Answer: Some writers tell
us, incredulously, they can't believe their luck. After all, many of them have
queried publisher after publisher, often without receiving any response at all,
and always to no avail. So how can PublishAmerica do what other traditional publishers
cannot do? The answer is quite simple. Other publishers
could do exactly the same, if only they would. Our bet is that in the next few
years more than a few of them will change their mind about "unmarketable
writers", now that digital printing technology enables them to save substantially
on overstocking. This new century promises to be the era of the yet-unnoticed
writer. There is so much talent out there. The information
and education age has left deep, positive and lasting marks on the creativity
of millions. It is fascinating how many talented people can write a good story,
and turn it into a good book. It doesn't require rocket science to predict
that tens of thousands of these so far hidden talents will see their books in
print in the foreseeable future. And it's not a day too
soon. Gone are the times when unknown authors had to consider vanity- or selfpublishing,
the costly rough-and-tumble alternative to traditional publishing. If a book is
good and well-written, traditional publishing is becoming available again. Lower
hurdles, smaller obstacles. After all, it was enough of a challenge to write the
book to begin with. If their talent is real, those who succeed in completing such
a daunting task, deserve to find the road towards publication wide open.
Question:
When will I see my book
in print? Answer:
The formal answer is that production commences within a
year. The unofficial answer is, between a few weeks and a
few months. The sooner we can release a book, the sooner we
receive a return on our investment.
At the heart of each new book is the author,
particularly if it is the author's first published book.All
first books are reflections of the author's own life
experiences, more so than an author's third or fourth
book. The emotions of the book's main characters are often
similar to the author's own emotions, and main events are
generally also similar to events that took place in the
author's life. First books typically have a strongly
autobiographical content, regardless whether it's fiction or
nonfiction. As a logical consequence, if a book is to
create a following, it's going to be a following of the book
and the author. Hence the emphasis we place on putting the
initial role of local marketing front and center. The
publisher knows the venues of how to inform the rest of the
world. But that's going to be of little consequence if the
author does not make some all-important local noise first.
By definition of human nature, there is no national
following without a local following first, and local
precedes national, always. Therefore, the book
industry puts initial local marketing front and center,
there where the author is excellently positioned to directly
communicate with his audience. Becausethe
book is closely and often intimately linked to the author's
personal life experiences, fears, hopes and dreams, it's
the author who today is designated to spearhead local
promotion. Our local direct mailing campaign will help pave
his road: we always inform an author's circle of fam, fans,
and friends about the book's upcoming release, and they soon
become invaluable helpers in spreading the word of mouth.
Once we feel that all necessary elements are in place,
the actual book production can be a matter of weeks. To most
authors, correcting the page proofs is a joyous experience
as it is the first time that their work is now coming to
life in book form, formatted to size and all. To some, it
can also be a little intimidating when they realize that
this is what the public will soon see. That's why it is very
important that the author makes page proof corrections with
the utmost care. Once an author signs off on the proofs,
that's how the book will look in print.
Question:
How does my book end
up in Barnes and Noble or on Amazon? Answer:Ever
noticed that barcode on a book's cover? It contains a lot of hidden
information. Most of all, it tells the bookstore cash register the book's
ISBN and who its publisher is. The International Standard Book Number is
like the book's fingerprint. It is issued by the publisher who, in turn, had
the number issued to them by ISBN headquarters. Without an ISBN, a book goes
nowhere. With it, it is recognized worldwide: it indicates title, author and
publisher. Clearly, each ISBN is unique.
As soon as we
contract a book, we issue an ISBN. At that point, we submit the book to our
wholesalers and distributors, such as Ingram, who process it in their
computer systems that have direct connections to bookstore computer systems
nationwide. That is how a book becomes available to virtuallyall
American bookstores.
Beside the behemoths, Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com, there are also
many independent bookstores,including
numerous Christian bookstores. By looking into the book's ISBN,
they know how to order fast by ordering a book directly from the publisher
or through their wholesaler (as most stores do). Finally, there are the
web-based book vendors. Some order directly from the publisher, most order
through a wholesaler.
Now,a
word of caution is in order. Bookstore availability is not
necessarily the same as bookstore shelf display. For a book to be stocked by
a bookstore, someone high in the hierarchy must decide to order it.
Typically, it's not the store manager who makes such decisions, unless they
run an independent store. Larger chains such as Barnes & Noble have "buyers"
who select which titles are to be stocked. Oftentimes, they want to see some
noise happening before they move.
Local bookstores like to be able to
demonstrate that there is demand for a book. If they can show demand, their
superiors (those "buyers") may permit them to stock. And since a book on
display helps increase demand, a ripple effect begins. This is why it is so
important that authors turn themselves into the center of all local
attention. Face it, you're no John Grisham or Nora Roberts, not yet. So you
must not only beat the drum, but be the drum major as well. All successful
marketing begins at home.
Many authors are very creative at this.
There are book signings with PublishAmerica authors in bookstores all over
the fruited plain, every week. Virtually not a day goes by without one of
our authors being profiled, interviewed or mentioned in newspapers,
magazines, radio, or TV. Some authors become very accomplished public
speakers about their book's topic, or about book writing in general. Others
carry flyers and business cards around that they hand out anywhere they go.
And then there are some whose efforts get a big boost when they discover
that a movie star has agreed to a reading of their book as a potential movie
script, or that their book has actually made it to the big screen.
Today's author must be active, and he must be innovative.As
is the case with all objects of art and creation, there are hurdles to be
scaled: there's 250,000+ other authors out there whose new book will be
released this year, there are bookstore managers who are reluctant to stock
unknown books, and, plain and simple, there are jealous peers to deal with,
folks who don't want you to be successful. So what else is new? Nothing at
all, but it's good to back up words of caution with a reality check. .
Question:
Will
a bookstore carry my book? Answer:
The key question is not whether a book is in print and
available, but whether the store manager believes that your book
will actually sell. Many PublishAmerica authors will tell you
about their successes with regard to having their books placed
in bookstores large and small.
Bookstores cannot possibly
put all new releases (more than 250,000 per year!) on their
shelves. It would require them to add roughly thirty feet of
additional shelf space every day, Saturdays and Sundays
included, and that's not happening, understandably. They will
typically only put books in their store that they believe will
sell. As indicated above, this is sometimes seen as an extra
challenge for authors without a celebrity status, i.e. most of
us.
Question:
What are
my obligations as an author?
Answer: An author's obligations are few, since he/she already
contributes the lion's part by having written the book. We are
very conscious of that fact. No book was written overnight. It
has cost most authors a year or longer to write it, and often
many more years to let the creative process well up. We
are also conscious of the fact that seeing your book in print is
a life-defining moment. It is something an author never forgets
for the rest of their lives. It is something to enjoy and
celebrate. Therefore, the obligations should be minimal.
The author has really only one obligation: to provide us with
the completed final-version manuscript. We'll take it from
there. Does this mean that the author must sit on his/her
hands after signing the contract? Not exactly. We expect the
author to actively promote the book whenever and wherever
possible. Once the book is in publication, and booksellers have
access to it, author promotion becomes important. PublishAmerica
often offers special post-publication promotion opportunities at
a fee. Those are optional and at the author's sole discretion,
e.g. when we attend important trade shows such as Book Expo
America or the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany.
