Publishing 101: How it all Works and How You Fit In

How it all
works, and,
where you fit in
Melanie Rigney
North Wildwood Beach Writers’ Conference
June 4, 2013

Once Upon a Time, Not so Long Ago…Once Upon a Time, Not so Long Ago…
• We checked out books at the libraryy
• We bought books at the local bookstore
• We held books in our hands
• We waited to get our news until the newspaper or
magazines arrived, or for a specific time on the radio
or TVor TV
• We went to movies at the theater or the drive-in, or
rented them from Blockbuster… or waited for them to
come to television
• If we missed a favorite TV show and forgot to record it,
we had to wait for rerunswe had to wait for reruns
2
Please do not reproduce without permission:
editor@editorforyou.com

Once Upon a Time, Not so Long Ago…Once Upon a Time, Not so Long Ago…
• Book publishers made their moneyp y
on the backlist
• Book publishing was the primary business
f th i hi h t i llof these companies, which typically were
family- or privately owned
• Publishing house editors worked to develop new writersg p
with promise
• Midlist writers could make a reliable income
• Generally, self-publishers had written family books or
weren’t good enough to get published traditionally and
had a lot of moneyhad a lot of money
3

Then EVERYTHING Changed!Then EVERYTHING Changed!
• We get what we want—news,g ,
entertainment, whatever—when and
where and how we want it
L bli hi h d b• Large publishing houses are owned by
larger conglomerates looking for sure-fire, short-term
profits
• The midlist is dead
• With new technologies, anyone can self-publish very
i i l d t diti ll bli h dinexpensively… and some once-traditionally published
authors are choosing to go that route
4

But Where Does That Leave ME?But Where Does That Leave ME?
• What are your goals?y g
– To entertain/inform/inspire?
– To meet the reader’s needs… or your own?
Wh t d l k lik t ?• What does success look like to you?
– Smiles on your children’s or grandchildren’s faces?
– Your book in a bookstore?
– Fan mail, likes, and compliments?
– Showing a profit?
• How much time/money are you willing to commit to• How much time/money are you willing to commit to
achieve that success? Are you in this for the long haul?
5

The ABCs of Traditional PublishingThe ABCs of Traditional Publishing
• Do your research• Do your research
– Read in your genre, especially authors who were
first published by traditional publishers in the
past three to five yearspast three to five years
– Spend time, online or real time, with others who write in your
genre—to a point--and get in a good critique group
– Read writers’ magazines and online guides—to a pointg g p
– Check out Amazon or your local bookstore;
who publishes books like yours?
• Write—and show it to the world
– Start a blog, submit a short story, publish an essay. Finish
something, and share it
– Write—and rewrite—on a regular basis. Develop a thick sking p
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Some Notes About Publishing
HHouses
• The large, general publishers are looking forg , g p g
big books, generally by big names, repre-
sented by big agents
It’ h d t t t f t t th t• It’s hard to get an agent for a contract that
doesn’t involve a substantial advance (say, $5,000 to
$10,000); with those small- to midsize publishers, you’re
probably going to end up doing your own book
proposal (just as you would for an agent)
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Some Notes About AgentsSome Notes About Agents
• They get paid when you get paid—noty g p y g p
for sending out your work (12-15%)
• They should be members of the Association
f A th ’ R t ti (of Authors’ Representatives (www.aar-
online.org) or ascribe to AAR’s canon of ethics
• They need to have identifiable sales to publishers withiny p
your genre
• They should be in it for the long haul—for your career
d l t t f i l ldevelopment—not for a single sale
• Networking is helpful; meet agents at conferences or
through fellow writers/mentorsthrough fellow writers/mentors
8

The Submission processThe Submission process
• Query letter: Three paragraphs—hooky p g p
(compelling what-if premise for fiction;
compelling market need for non-fiction;
title); exposition (how will the book meet) p (
the need, how will the novel answer the what-if; word
count); why you’re the one to write it
• Book proposal: synopsis (max. 5 pages) for fiction,Book proposal: synopsis (max. 5 pages) for fiction,
project description/chapter outline for nonfiction;
fleshes out the story/provides a rundown on how the
book’s content will be organizedbook s content will be organized
• First novels must be finished (including revisions) when
you begin the submission process
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The Submission processThe Submission process
• Comparative/competitive analysis: a non-p / p y
fiction staple and increasingly important
part of fiction proposals; three to five books
similar to yours published in the past threesimilar to yours published in the past three
or so years and written by an author with credentials
similar to yours; the book should have done well (based
A i ) l i h ion Amazon ratings); explain how yours is
different/unique
• Marketing plan/resume/platform/endorsements:Marketing plan/resume/platform/endorsements:
include speaker experience/connections/people who
will cheerlead your book along with you
10

Self-PublishingSelf Publishing
• Make sure your book looks like the others iny
its category (word length, is the mystery
solved, does the guy get the girl, etc.)
• Comparison shop; make a list of what’sComparison shop; make a list of what s
important to you (e-book and audio book support? Layout?
Cover design? Editing?)
A k f f d l k A f th th• Ask for references… and look on Amazon for other authors
who used their services
• Don’t cheap out; use an experienced cover designer, not your
artist son, and hire at minimum an experienced proofreader,
not your friend who’s an English teacher
• Make sure you understand when you’ll get paid and on whaty y g p
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Great ResourcesGreat Resources
• www.WritersMarket.com
• Poets & Writers
• Publishers Weekly
• Publishers Marketplace
• Association of Authors’ Representatives
• Writer Beware
• John Kremer’s Book Marketing and Book Promotion siteg
• Dan Poynter’s self-publishing resources
• Genre-specific writers’ organizations (Romance Writers of
America, Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators,
S i Fi ti & F t W it f A i M tScience Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Mystery
Writers of America, etc.)
• Regional organizations (New Jersey Authors’ Network,
Eastern Shore Writers Association etc )Eastern Shore Writers Association, etc.)
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Don’t Forget…Don t Forget…
… to have fun! Because if it’s not fun, don’t,
do it. Life is too short!
Thanks for coming!
Melanie RigneyMelanie Rigney
melanie@melanierigney.com
www melanierigney com; www editorforyou comwww.melanierigney.com; www.editorforyou.com
4201 Wilson Blvd. #110328, Arlington, VA 22203
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