A Writer's Notebook

I was going to continue with my observations on the book-selling business, but then Infinity Publishing sent me the proof book on my latest novel, Pennington's Patrimony, and it seemed more expeditious to clean it up and get it back to them in order to hasten the time when the novel gets online, on the bookshelves or wherever.

I was not elated to find that in 368 pages I could find only 34 lines that called for repairs of various sorts. I'd like to say that they were all typographical errors, but that would be self-serving, if not dishonest. It took two days to read it, mark it up, and get it in the mail. Infinity should receive it 10/19, if UPS does its job properly. My object, obviously, is to get the book before the public before the holiday buying spree begins. No use writing a book, if you can't make a few bucks on it.

Don't get me wrong: I don't have any illusions about making a bundle. On the contrary, of the six self-published books I've written so far, I am approximately $3,000 in the hole, Reason: I suckered into every ploy of the book-selling industry, only to discover that most of them fall far short of the publisher's promises of "exposure" of y our work.

Young writers beware: You are the only one who can pitch your own product to your own satisfaction. It's a bitter lesson, believe me.

Maybe I can get back to my dissertation on the book-publishing, book-selling industry in a subsequent blog. I've got some horror stories to tell that might spare you a lot of pain and heartbreak.

A writer's notebook

Happy with the results of my website makeover, I ventured into a new realm of the writing industry - bookstores. I had always thought of them as warm and cozy places far from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Wrong. They are engaged in competition just as vigorously as any other business, and as you might have guessed, it is the writer who pays.

My interest was in advertising the fact that I had a new book coming out, and what better way to call attention to my eighteen months of research and hard labor than holding a reading/book signing at local bookstores - two major chain stores, and one independent. I learned that the latter apparently was engaged in a pitched battle with the former. The upshot was that there
"ain't no free lunch," and there was scant possibility of selling enough copies of my book to cover the expenses involved. Writer beware: Independent bookstores don't come cheap. Investigate the indy thoroughly before cutting a deal, and have plenty of the long green stuff in your pocket before making a commitment.

And what about the majors? I don't know yet. They're next on my research agenda, and I'll certainly let you know the results. But first, have you ever wondered about the proliferation of publishing houses catering to the self-published writer? As a self-published author myself, I think I can answer that question next time around on this blog. Stay tuned.