Writing Newsletters

Looking to Sell Your Book for a Good Price?
Looking to Sell Your Book for a Good Price?
Marshall Masters

Many self-publishing authors plan on eventually selling their
book to a large publisher at a good price. The fast track way to
achieve this goal is to push up the market value of a book with a
push v. pull strategy. This article shows you how to do exactly
that, using a simple Internet strategy that any self-publisher
can afford.

PUSH v. PULL EXPLAINED

Books with push like Harry Potter push customers through the
doors, and the registers go kachink, kachink. With self-
published titles, booksellers must pull customers through the
door and that costs money. Put yourself in their shoes. Giving
preference to books with built-in push makes sense.

Remember this formula: push stacks chips on your side of the
bargaining table and pull sweeps them away. With a transferable
Internet presence strategy, you can stack chips to the ceiling
just like the big boys do.

WHAT THE BIG BOYS ARE DOING

The push is on with major publishers to build market value for
their intellectual properties with the Digital Object Identifier
(DOI) system.

A DOI is a permanent Internet address for your book. No matter
how many times ownership of a book changes hands, the DOI
Internet address is permanently bound to the book, just as
tightly as the binding. This is why hundreds of big publishers
have registered over 16 million intellectual properties with the
DOI system with millions more on the way.

Who fueled the creation of the DOI system? Computer experts?
No. From a market asset valuation standpoint, that makes as much
as sense as going to a Sushi Chef for a vasectomy. (Better idea
- get the Sushi afterwards!)

Rather, it was senior publishing executives and their financial
gurus who pushed for the creation of the DOI system. When you
sit down at the bargaining table with a DOI, you'll be talking
their language.

PLAYING WITH THE BIG BOYS

The Internet is like an elephant, it remembers everything and it
can remember a lot! You can always include your email address or
your web site address but these things point to a business
identity - not the work, itself.

Use the same DOI on every web page, ezine article, review, blog
post, etc. and it becomes a 24/7 market value builder that
follows the work. If something changes, like your email or web
site address, one simple update is all it takes. No more
annoying "page not found" or "no such e-mail recipient" errors.

Use your DOI the right way, and every little stitch of web
presence marketing you've done becomes one more chip on
bargaining table. Remember, the big guys speak DOI.

DOI BENEFITS ARE IMMEDIATE

Getting good book reviews is so miserably hard these days,
especially for self-published authors. What if your book finally
gets that fabulous review you've hoped for long after
publication? Will it be orphaned from the book marketing
information you've already published on the Internet? No.

One quick update of your DOI and everything that it references on
the Internet will immediately begin broadcasting your fabulous
review to the online world.

START ADDING MARKET VALUE TODAY

Each day, try to add more market value to your book. A blog post
here, an ezine article there. These things cost nothing, and yet
they can push huge amounts of sales-generating traffic at your
book.

As a self-published author, you've got to keep your eyes on what
the big guys are doing, and when you can emulate them on the
cheap, you do it!

WHEN TO GET YOUR DOI

The best time to register your DOI is after your books are
available for purchase on Amazon.com and other online bookseller
sites. This way, you can create menu options in your DOI that
link to online bookseller pages for immediate sales results.

Be sure to ask your publisher or vanity press if they offer a DOI
service. One that does is Your Own World Books (Yowbooks.com).
Their Author Advantage program includes a transferable DOI.

If your publisher does not offer a DOI service, that's OK. As
the copyright holder, you can register your DOI with an
independent DOI hosting service like DOIeasylink.NET. The annual
cost of a DOI is comparable to one-month web site hosting fee.
Plus, you get a 1-page Internet response page and descriptive
menus with multiple Internet links.

USE A DOI TO HIT CRITICAL MASS

If you remember only one thing from this article, let it be this.
Think like the big boys. Use this strategy to add more market
value by continually broadcasting information on the Internet
with your DOI. Eventually, you'll hit critical mass. People
will buy your book, and large publishers will see this and be
impressed!

DOIeasylink.NET: We Add Value to Your Book Learn More: http://doieasylink.net http://dx.doi.org/10.2122/doieasylink Marshall Masters, President http://dx.doi.org/10.1572/marshall.masters Marshall Masters is a publisher, self-published author, radio personality and Internet technologist. His published titles include Godschild Covenant: Return of Nibiru, Gold Fever, Indigo- E.T. Connection, and Orange Blossom. He founded DOIeasylink.NET to make the DOI system available to self-publishers and small presses. Drawing upon his decades of consulting experience with notable firms such as AT&T, Oracle, HP, Lockheed and Sun Microsystems, he created a simple, affordable DOI solution self- publishers and small presses.

Powerful Book Pricing Tips for Authors
First let's provide definitions for the 4 terms covered in this article: Retail margin is the difference between your book’s wholesale price and your book’s retail price. For example, a book with a cover price of $10 and a wholesale price of $5 has a 50% retail margin. This is the profit enjoyed by the retailer. Wholesale price is the cost of your book to a retailer. To use the same rudimentary example, a book with a cover price of $10 and a retail margin of 50% will be sold to a retailer for $5 wholesale price. Retail price is the same as cover price or selling price or list price. This is the cost of the book to the end consumer (the reader). The retail price is typically printed on the cover of the book and also “embedded” within the barcode on the back. For example, a book with a wholesale price of $5 and a retail margin of 50% will have a retail price of $10. Trade discount is the percentage off the retail price that a wholesaler (not a retailer) pays for your book. Since the retail margin is always a portion of the trade discount, the trade discount always exceeds the retail margin. Distributors typically expect between 50% - 70% in order to provide an acceptable margin to the retailer. A book with a retail price of $10 and a retail margin of 50% might have a trade discount of 60%, and therefore the wholesale price is $5 and the trade discounted price is $4. Confused yet? Don't be. Understanding book math is what separates successful authors from unsuccessful ones. As you can see, retail margin, wholesale price, the trade discount, and retail price are interconnected. MAKING DISTRIBUTION WORK FOR YOU The higher your trade discount, the greater your level of distribution. Think about it - distributors want to make money, too. While your book's trade discount is but a piece of your pie (albeit a big piece), it is the entire cake for distributors and retailers, who together must split the take. The greater the trade discount, the larger their piece of the pie, and the greater incentive they have to distribute your book, sell your book, and market your book, etc. The proper trade discount depends upon the author's goals, and can vary from author to author just as readily as from book to book. Typically, the higher the retail margin, the higher the cover price, so authors interested in maintaining the lowest cover price possible will often opt for a lower retail margin. This may be okay, and even preferred, if the book's largest market is through on-line sales. Conversely, those authors who long for the best distribution possible will elect a higher trade discount, even though their cover price will increase accordingly (or their profit will decrease accordingly). Non-fiction or niche-markets are less affected by higher retail prices. Additionally, greater distribution is often advantageous in finding those niche markets. Suffice it to say, a non-fiction book can almost always sustain a higher trade discount than a fiction book. Trade discounts can be as low as 20% to successfully get listed on Internet retailers like Amazon.com, who manage to make a profit with such low margins through EDI (electronic data interface) with distributors like Ingram and on-demand publishers like Outskirts Press. By comparison, trade discounts can be as high as 75% - 80% when dealing with a niche wholesaler, or when attempting distribution for a book that does not have a proven market. In these cases, the distributor may be padding the coffers a bit in anticipation for a "harder sell" and perhaps, also, in preparation for offering an increased retail margin to close the deal. INDUSTRY STANDARDS Industry standards for retail margins are difficult to define because, ultimately, it comes down to negotiation between all parties involved. Publishers have the power to negotiate with distributors, who have the power to negotiate with retailers, who have the ability to negotiate with the reader, but the typical trade discount is around 55%, which allows for a typical retail margin of 40%. Publishing-on-demand is removing some of the participants in this little dance, and as a result, the same piece of pie is being divided among fewer people, resulting in more money for the remaining players (especially the author). This is particularly true if the author is going after online sales exclusively, which allows the author to set a much lower trade discount with little to no repercussions when publishing via a flexible on-demand publisher such as Outskirts Press, who lets authors set their own pricing. Now you have the flexibility to do it and the knowledge to do it right.

Brent Sampson is the President & CEO of Outskirts Press at <a href="http://www.outskirtspress.com">www.outskirtspress.com</a>, where the future of publishing is here, today. He is the award-winning author of "Publishing Gems: Insider Information for the Self-Publishing Writer" and "Self-Publishing Simplified" which is available on Amazon for an unbelievably low $5.95 or for free in e-book form at <a href="http://outskirtspress.com/publishing">outskirtspress.com/publishing</a>

Instant Article Wizard
Have you ever found yourself writing an article on a subject that you know less about then you're expected to? Or you just need that one final phase that sews up the whole theme, or your standing in front of 250 words when you need 750, or your missing huge chunks of content. And for those who write to generate (some or all of) there income, this can be a big problem, Have you ever wondered if software could simplify your writing projects, well it can, and for me it does, you'll find it easy to create powerful content rich articles rapidly, without stress. The value of an article is based upon it's content and the better the content, the better the perceived value of it's author. If you're a professional or an aspiring freelance writer Instant Article Wizard can help you to make more money in less time than you ever thought possible.

I have many passions in life, my family, la France, I'm American, and have lived in France for 19 years. It's strange when I speak to an American now sometimes I have to think in french to find my english vocabulary

Can You Afford To Publish Your Book?
Money blinds. It's as simple as that. Aspiring authors ask about the money issue all the time, in varying forms, (How much does it cost to publish? How much will I get paid in royalties?, etc.) but they can't see beyond that issue to think about the thing that will truly decide the money question. And here it is:

What Do You Want From Your Book?

That is the real question! Once you are clear about what you want out of the publishing process, you can decide what route would be the most satisfying--and profitable--for you. When it comes right down it it, you can spend as much or as little as you want on your book. But how much are you willing to spend to get what you want?

When you aren't clear, you can make poor decisions that won't line up with your goals. For instance, many authors have a goal of making a lot of money, but they won't consider self publishing. The fact is that unless you can immediately sell on the level of an Oprah's Book Club selection or a James Patterson or a Dan Brown, it's going to take a very long time before your royalties add up to much. When you self publish you take on risk, but you stand to gain much more because you get to keep all the profits (unless your agreement with the publishing company you use is a royalties-based one).

Another strong reason to self publish: you can use your first book to build your platform for a bigger deal with a traditional publishing house in the future. Again, you can choose the self publishing deal that's right for you. A print on demand company such as Xlibris charges just $500 for a basic package where you can get your book produced and copies made as they are ordered--so no inventory. Of course, when you pay more, you get more: better design, distribution services, maybe even some marketing help.

The Traditional Road

If your dreams of authorship include larger audiences and the literary status that comes of being published by one of the many arms of Random House, Warner or Simon & Schuster, that's fine--just know that this route isn't exactly free either. No, you don't have to pay a traditional publishing house and yes, they do everything for you (design, distribution, some advertising and marketing), but these days a writer is expected to spend a little too on promoting the book. Many writers are even putting the amount they've set aside in their book proposals. If you're serious about marketing your book, you'll need to set aside at least $10,000. That amount can go as high as $30,000 depending on the amount of travel and other advertising you intend to use.

Smart Money, Dumb Money

Once you understand what you want out of your book, you'll not only know how much you're willing to spend, you'll also know better how to spend it. You can spend it smart or you can spend it dumb. Many writers spend it dumbly because they don't know what they want. If you're spending money on educating yourself about publishing, improving your writing skills, hiring a good editor or book consultant, and marketing that will help you reach your specific, targeted reader, that's all smart money. You will get more out of those dollars than if you had never spent it at all. You are investing in your writing career.

But if you spend money because someone told you this is "the only way you'll ever get this book published" (and you haven't researched any other ways), or buy advertising simply because it's where other books are advertised, or go to writer's conferences with no clear plan of what you want out of them, or pay agents "reader fees", or pay editors whose work you don't know or whose references you haven't checked, that's dumb money. You'll put those dollars out there and see little or no return.

So I guess the bad news is publishing isn't free. The good news is you have a choice as to how much you spend and where you spend it. Be an educated consumer as well as an educated--and talented--writer. You'll find that to have a book published in the way you want it published is still in the end--priceless.


? 2005 Sophfronia Scott

Author and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is "The Book Sistah" TM. Get her FREE REPORT, "The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Make When Trying to Get Published" and her FREE online writing and publishing tips at <a href="http://www.TheBookSistah.com">http://www.TheBookSistah.com</a>

How to Break into Print Publishing
How To Break Into Print Publishing
Copyright 2005, Michael LaRocca


The big question. Do you submit directly to the publishers, or do
you find an agent who will do that for you? Based on anecdotal
evidence I've heard, it can work either way. The bottom line is,
if a publisher reads what he can sell, he'll buy it. It doesn't
matter if it comes from an author or an agent. The trick is
getting him to read it. That's always your focus.

Some people swear by agents because they're the ones who will get
you larger percentages and advances. I've decided I don't care
quite so much about that. In the case of a new author, I
sincerely doubt that'll happen anyway. I'd hate to lose my first
sale because some greedy agent asked for too much money. Not that
I believe that'll happen either.

There are also those who swear by agents because many publishers
won't look at an "unsolicited manuscript." That's true enough.
They ain't got time. They're using agents as a preliminary
screening process.

Someone recommended that once you've selected some potential
publishers, phone each one and ask how they would like to be
approached. Ask whom specifically you should address your work
to. Then you can honestly call it a "solicited manuscript."
(Always be honest in your correspondence.)

If this doesn't work, because you can't call or the secretary
refuses to cooperate and tells you things like "we only accept
material from reputable literary agents," then mail your query
letter, bio, synopsis, and sample chapter(s). They can only say
no, or they can say your query looks interesting and they want to
see the rest of the manuscript.

If you hook a publisher this way, odds are the publisher will
like for you to have an agent. So this is when you call one,
after you've hooked the publisher. The agent gets 15% for doing
practically nothing, so he'll take the job. The publisher will
become more interested when your agent phones saying he's (or
she's) looking after your interests in this matter.

The most important step is to get your presentation looking as
professional as possible. No mistakes. None. Zero. Nada. The vast
majority of rejections aren't because the story is bad, but
because the Acquisitions Editor concludes that it'll be too much
work to make it "ready to read." With new authors, publishers
usually lose money. Advertising, print inventory... don't ask
them to invest a great deal of editing time as well. They won't
do it. It's just that simple.

** THE SELECTION PROCESS **

The most important part of getting your error-free manuscript
published is choosing the right market. The best way to do this
is to read books that are aimed at the same target audience as
your own. If you want to approach publishers directly, look at
who published those books. Preferably one who publishes lots of
books in that genre, not just one or two authors. Their marketing
machine is already positioned to announce your manuscript to your
target audience, and they want more books of the type that you
write. They are your best bet.

(HOWEVER, keep in mind that you don't want to be exactly like those
authors. Then you're competition. You want to target the same
readers but with something different than those currently targeting
them. Does that make sense? No? Then we understand each other.)

Some authors thank their editors. If you're going straight to the
publishers, note the editors' names and use those, preferably
after a phone call to ensure the editor still works there. If you
can, just phone the publisher and tell whoever answers the phone
something like "I'm writing a letter to so-and-so, and I want to
be sure I'm spelling the name correctly."

If you want to approach an agent first, look in the
acknowledgements sections of those books. Some authors thank
their agents. Look up those agents and start with them. Tell them
how you found them. This might impress them by making you seem
professional, or it might not, but it can't hurt. You know they've
got a track record in your genre. They know how to sell to
publishers who are aimed at your target audience, so let them do
it.

http://www.allaboutliteraryagents.com/articlep1003.html offers
some additional advice on selecting an agent.

Whichever method you use, go in fully prepared. Meaning, work
through all the steps below before you submit anything.

** OVERVIEW **

Your aim is to convince someone who not only does not know you,
but does not want to know you, and has read too many bad books,
that your book is different. For this you need a cover letter,
bio, synopsis, and sample chapter(s) of such sublime wit, wisdom
and genius that even the most jaded and cynical editor can take
pleasure in it.

Take your time. Don't just whip up something in a day and send it
out. You're probably looking at a one or two year gap between
acceptance and publication. So in the grand scheme of things,
taking the time to make your presentation really shine won't
matter. EXCEPT, that it'll ensure you get published in the first
place.

Every publisher has "writer guidelines." Get them. Read them.
Follow them. They're using the process of elimination to get out
of reading these submissions. The first step in that process is
to bump off everyone who can't follow the guidelines. Don't be
one of them.

** PREPARING YOUR QUERY LETTER **

This will be the first impression they get of you. Make it a good
one! Edit that letter as hard as you would a manuscript, and make
it perfect. Make it good writing. Sum up your book in such a way
as to make the recipient of the letter say, "Wow, I want to read
this."

The first page of your book, along with the jacket text, are what
usually determine whether a browser buys your book or puts it
back on the shelf. As you write your query letter, think of what
you'd put on that book jacket, and work that concept into your
letter.

Never address your query letter To Whom It May Concern, Dear
Editor, or any of that. Get a name. When you find the books that
you really like, and are searching them for potential publishers,
call those publishers. Ask who edited those books. If you want to
approach the publishers directly, write to those editors.

You can find advice on writing your query letters etc. at:

www.adlerbooks.com/
www.allaboutliteraryagents.com/article1002.html
www.fearlessbooks.com/PublishingGuide.html
www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/writing_marketing_fiction
www.wga.org/craft/queryletter.html
www.writergazette.com/articles/article299.shtml
www.writing-world.com/query/query.html

The "query letter clinic" in the 2001 WRITERS MARKET is well
worth reading. If you're not going to buy the book, go to the
library and read that section of it.

(I don't know if it's in subsequent editions, since I live in
China, but I hope it is.)

With a simple bit of good writing, and we all know you can do
that since you've already written and polished your manuscript,
you'll make it past this first hurdle. The editor reads your
letter, sees nothing in it to stop him from continuing, and has
no choice.

What would stop him? Typos. Grammar. Spelling. Boredom. Or
anything that says "I write so much better than Stephen King that
he's not fit to hold my jock strap. Buy my book and we'll both
get rich."

** WRITING YOUR BIO **

Don't lie. That's the first rule. The second rule is, don't
forget any writing credits. List everything relevant you've got.
Publications in decent magazines or newspapers. Credits in TV,
films, theaters. Any literary prize you've managed to get in
adulthood. The fact that you're a Professor of English or an
editor on a sports journal.

If you have no literary background, no education, or no
respectable publications, but you spent fifteen years in solitary
confinement in a Siberian Work Camp, that might indicate that you
have a story to tell. But if you're writing about cuddly koalas
to entertain the under-five crowd, this piece of information may
be more than anyone needs to know.

You can list your credits either chronologically or from most
impressive to least impressive. Just whichever puts you in the
best light. You want to look like you're already a successful
author. You don't want to sound arrogant, but you do want to
sound confident. Keep it to a single page. You don't want to
waste anybody's time. They don't have enough. (Who does?)

If your bio is so bare of details that it's more of a liability
than an asset, forget about it. Maybe your "bio" equals only a
sentence or two, in which case you can work it into your query
letter instead of a separate document.

Your goal, remember, is to get that editor to read your synopsis
or manuscript. To judge it on its own merits. If he reads your
writing and rejects it, you gave it your best shot. Try a few
more, and if they all reject it, then think about improving your
writing. But you don't want that editor to stop reading your
submission before he gets to your writing. So, take the time to
do the query letter and bio correctly.

** WRITING YOUR SYNOPSIS **

To quote one agent, "There is no such thing as a good synopsis."
And how can there be? How do you sum up 50,000 or 100,000 words
in a page or two? I'll tell you how I do it. Very badly.

Having said that, this is your first chance to show the publisher
that you can write. Some publishers want a minimal amount of
information on first contact (query letter, bio, synopsis).
Others want to see the first chapter or two as well. Nobody wants
to see the whole manuscript at first, except those who say so in
their writers' guidelines. If you include sample chapters, the
chance of them being read depends largely on the quality of your
query letter and synopsis.

Keep your synopsis short, two pages maximum unless the writers'
guidelines say differently. Shorter is better. Pick out the theme
and the strengths of your book and, in as clever a fashion as
possible, relay these qualities in a brief chronology. The
chronology is less important than the theme because, in truth,
your only hope with a synopsis is that your theme or concept will
strike a chord with the editor or agent reading it.

If your story is funny, your synopsis should be funny. If it's a
romantic story, then your synopsis should be a romantic synopsis.
You're a writer, and here's where you can be creative.

A lot of the great works of literature do not have easily defined
stories, just fine writing and good characters. If you have no
story, then you have to sell your idea. The synopsis must have
fine, clear writing. Say how your book starts, how it ends, and
what's interesting in the middle. This isn't the time for cliffhangers.

Your sample chapter should do the main talking, but your synopsis
should offer up those clever memorable sound bites that will
linger in the editor's mind and convince him to read the sample
chapter.

** PREPARING YOUR MANUSCRIPT **

Did I mention that your manuscript must be flawless? I'll mention
it again. Your manuscript must be flawless. Especially be sure
that the first chapters, the "hook" which you will submit, will
be the type that grabs the reader and makes him/her/it wonder
what happens next.

Beyond that, some mechanics:

If the publisher you're submitting to lists all this information
in its guidelines, you're in luck. Do what they say and they'll
read your manuscript. Fail to do so and they'll set it down
unread, even if you're the next John Grisham.

Remember, they're budgeting their time and trying to get out of
reading this stuff. Once they read it, they'll be fair. (If not,
you don't want them.) If it's good solid writing, you're in. But
until they get to the writing, they expect the worst. If you'd
seen some of the crap that comes their way, you'd be just as
pessimistic. But in the end they do love good writing or else
they'd quit that job.

If the guidelines don't tell you how to prepare the manuscript,
consider the information below as a "generic template."
Otherwise, ignore my guidelines and use theirs.

Fonts - UK publishers prefer Courier New 10pt, US publishers
prefer Times New Roman 12pt. Both are trying to ease their
eyestrain, so don't be fancy.

Paper sizes - This one's easy. Letter (8 1/2" by 11") in the US,
A4 in the rest of the world.

Binding - US publishers prefer none at all. UK publishers prefer
that you punch two holes in the side and use simple brass
fasteners to hold it all together -- ugly but effective.

Use one type of paper throughout your presentation, preferably
plain white. (If you have personal stationery that's not too
funky, you can use that for your query letter.)

The title need not appear on the beginning of every chapter, but
it's a good idea to put it on each page, along with your name and
the page number, in case the manuscript is separated or mislaid
at the publisher's.

Double-spaced text, unjustified right margins, one-inch margins
all around. Include a stamped, self-addressed envelope (or self
addressed envelope with IRCs) of the appropriate size if you want
your manuscript back.

Package it so it's easy to open but not all wrinkled and nasty
when it arrives at your publisher's office. No folded manuscripts
hastily stuffed into a manila envelope. No envelopes that scatter
hundreds of little brown paper shavings all over the desk.
They're opening far too many of these things, and anything that
looks "amateur" gets bumped unread.

** PUBLISHER LIST **

http://www.chinarice.org/howtogetpublished.html contains the
websites of almost 100 publishers. I recommend visiting this after
you've gone through the selection process, from books you read
and/or from a book such as WRITERS MARKET.

** AGENT LIST **

Here's some advice from the Agent Research and Evaluation
website. They define an agent as:

"...someone who makes a living selling real books to real
publishers. No one representing himself as an agent should also
claim to be a book doctor, an editor-for-hire, a book
'consultant' of any kind. They shouldn't charge any type of
'upfront' reading fee, marketing fee, evaluation fee or any other
fee apart from a commission on work sold.

"With the possible exception of certain MINIMAL office expenses,
legitimate agents NEVER handle [the expenses connected with
submitting manuscripts] as an upfront cost. Only as a billable
expense after being shown to have been incurred.

"Remember, real agents live off the commissions they make from
selling their clients' projects. Scammers live off up-front fees
for unnecessary, inadequate, or non-existent services."

This is excellent advice. Anyone can call himself an agent, get
himself listed somewhere, and tell every author who sends him a
manuscript "This is excellent. Send me some money and I'll sell
it." Then he can pocket the author's money and do absolutely
nothing.

Agents work for a percentage of your sales. It's usually 10%-20%.
An agent's source of income must be the books he sells. If the
author pays him before he closes a sale, where is his incentive
to close the sale?

Insist that your agent send you copies of all rejection letters.
A great agent should offer this without you asking, and those
rejection letters shouldn't all be undated "Dear author" or "Dear
agent" letters that don't mention you or your agent or your
manuscript by name.

Your agent should also involve you in the selection process
without you asking, even if that just means telling you "I'm
sending to this, that, and the other place." Don't let him/her
send your gothic romance to a children's publisher, etc.

If your agent is sending your stuff to the right places and it's
still getting rejected, you've done all you can do, except write
better.

http://www.chinarice.org/howtogetpublished.html contains my
resources for finding an agent in the US or the UK. If you've
been reading my other advice, you're already talking to other
authors. If you know one who's made it into print, especially
one who writes in your genre, ask which agent (and which
publisher and editor) he or she used.

** WARNINGS **

Once you have narrowed down your list of prospects, visit the
following sites to learn about the latest scams and such:

Bewares Board
http://www.absolutewrite.com/forum/index.html

Editor Report
http://www.geocities.com/editorreport/

National Writers Union
http://www.nwu.org/nwuhome.htm
Be sure to look at "Writer Alerts"

Preditors and Editors
http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors

Writer Beware
http://www.sfwa.org/Beware/

Michael LaRocca's website at http://www.chinarice.org was chosen by WRITER'S DIGEST as one of The 101 Best Websites For Writers in 2001 and 2002. His response was to throw it out and start over again because he's insane. He teaches English at a university in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, and publishes the free weekly newsletter WHO MOVED MY RICE?

8 Super Selling Things to Do Before You Write Your Book Sales Letter
Every marketing campaign should begin with a plan. Sales letters are no different. No plan and you may miss the mark of High Sales you are aiming for. Set a roadmap that you can follow to explosive sales every time with every ebook. Focus and aim your sales letter with these 8 preparation tips. Then get ready to sell more than you dreamed:

1. Write a list of frequently asked questions for your ebook.

You want to make sure you pin point what your prospects and visitors are looking for and then give it to them. Find out what their burning questions are and then answer them in your sales copy and product. Before you write the benefits of your products you need to know the problems that audience face.

2. Develop a list to help your prospect visualize using your product.

Answer the questions: "When will your prospect use your product?", "How will they use it," "Why will they use it?" For example, if your new product was an ebook: will they read it on their desktop, laptop or will they print it out. Will they relax on the couch and read your insightful tips. Perhaps they will print them and read on the way to work or during lunch break

3. Write down what your up sell offers or possibilities are.

This is where a lot of small business professionals miss out. They fail to create up sell offers. Create your up sell offers and opportunities before you even write your sales letter so that they can be woven into your back end pages and sales messages.

4. Write a list of Benefit Bullets.

What do they get will they experience upon purchasing this product, what will this product give them.

5. Make a list of bonus gifts.

Select bonus gifts before you write the sales letter. This way you can include the benefits in your sales message as a part of your product.

6. Develop your guarantee.

Think about it? A lot of businesses shake in their shoes when it comes to developing a guarantee. But think about it; most small businesses have a built in guarantee. If someone ask for their money back, most small business professionals will just give their money back. They don't haggle over whether they should or shouldn't.

7. Gather your testimonials into one file.

If you don't have any yet for a new product, use famous quotes about your field until you get some. Sprinkle throughout your copy.

8. Go look at your competitor's sales page.

Examine their FAQs (see if you missed any), what are their bonus gifts, what is their guarantee, what is their up sell, if any? I made this step last so you wouldn't be tempted to just be a copy cat. But you can use your competitor's sales pitch as a measuring stick. How did you measure up? Did you whiz past; leaving them in a cloud of dust? Or did you miss a few things that you will now add after examining their pages?

Preparation for your super sales maker will give you the competitive edge you have been looking for. Put these steps into place before you even write your sales letter and sell more. Enjoy the journey and life is made easier.
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Earma Brown, Author, Web Developer. Helps small business owners and writers write their best book now. Send any email to iscribe@writetowin.org for FREE 7 lesson mini-course to jumpstart writing your book

The Perils And Pitfalls Of Publishing: Who Can An Author Trust?
One out of every eight people call themselves a writer, which means there are roughly 24 million people in the United States who carry that banner. Unfortunately there are charlatans and scam artists just waiting to ambush the unsuspecting author. How can a novice writer protect themselves?

Anyone can call themselves a publisher. Always remember money flows towards the author from the publisher, not the other way round.

What to look out for:

Charges the author a fee up front, to have their book accepted, considered or read. These fees are sometimes called a reading fee, intake fee or administrative fee.

Directs authors toward specific editing services or gives authors� names to these services, with the caveat that if the author hires the editing service, their book will be published. Every book needs editing. It is part of the publisher�s job to provide that editing at no cost.

Offers a contract where the author has to pay for part of the publishing costs. The acquisition editor will sometimes say that the publisher�s list is full for that season, but the author�s book has so much going for it, they would still like to publish it. However the publisher�s resources are fully committed and the author will have to share in the costs.

Some publishers offer contracts that are unfair, such as they obtain rights that should remain with the author of the work.

Some publishers� contracts contain a clause that if the author says anything negative about the publisher, there is a monetary fine.

There are also publishers who hold the rights for a lengthy time period, regardless of whether the book is still in print or selling.

The publisher doesn�t disclose they are a Publish on Demand (POD), or vanity/subsidy publisher. There is nothing wrong with an author using a subsidy/vanity publishing company as long as the author is well aware of the disadvantages. Publish on Demand books are not, as a rule, stocked by bookstores.

Some POD publishers will insist that their books are available in book stores, as a way to get around this issue. Available is not the same thing as stocked. Available only means the book can be ordered through the bookstore. Since the majority of books sold, are stocked and sold by bookstores, this situation puts a damper on sales.

What else can a writer do to check if a publisher is legitimate?

Go to the local bookstore and see if any of the publisher�s titles are stocked. Ask the manager if necessary.

Search the Internet using the publisher�s name plus the word �scam� or �complaint.�

A publisher�s website is targeted to its customers. If the website promotes the books they�ve published that�s a good sign.

If the website is focused on recruiting writers, that�s a bad sign.

Go to forums or bulletin boards that are for writers and see what the authors who have published with the publisher you�re considering have to say about their experience.

Dee Power and Brian Hill, <a href="http://www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com" title="http://www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com" target="_blank">http://www.BrianHillAndDeePower.com</a>, are the authors of "The Making of a Bestseller: Success Stories from Authors and the Editors, Agents, and Booksellers Behind Them." Their latest novel, "Over Time," is a financial thriller: A story of lost loves, found glory, and business treachery. <a href="http://www.OverTimeTheNovel.com" title="http://www.OverTimeTheNovel.com" target="_blank">http://www.OverTimeTheNovel.com</a>

Article Submission are more then just content and backlinks
The Internet is known as the "Information Super Highway" and for good reason. The Internet holds a huge amount of information. This information is growing and an extraordinary speed. It is being flood with new information some of it fiction and some non-fiction. Some content is valid and useful while other content is utterly useless.

Content on the Internet has become a way to promotes ones business or services. People are creating content in hopes of building an image and creating more sales. Which is fine. If you can offer some useful information or insight on a particular subject then then benefits to the reader are great. In turn the knowledge you have shared will create a buzz about you and your business. You will be on the road to branding your name and business. Which is why the quality is so important. I have been writing content on an off the Internet since 1998. I trying my very best to put together a masterpiece every time. I tend to fall short of that from time to time but I am only human. The reason for the content is not only to share my knowledge with the reader. It is also to show that I do know my stuff. To keep my name in front of people as much as possible in hopes the see that I am capable of helping them. It also builds trust with the reader. People will get to know me through my writing. It is building a bond with them. It is this bond that will build lasting readership and sales. This brings me to my next point.

Content is now a way from people to build backlinks to their site. Using programs that generate content. These types of software hold no value. Why would you want to associates your product or service with poorly written articles. You give people who read your content a bad perception of you. They may come to your site to see what type of site you have just so they know in the future to stay away from it. Even if you were into spamming and offering those Viagra pills or other bogus get rich programs on the net, these articles will just show people how much of a fraud you really are. If people thought your service or product was bogus you could try to plead your case with well written articles.

What if you can not write well. There are plenty of services out there that can help you with content and write outstanding articles about your business. If done write articles will accomplish three major things.
1)Brand your company or name as a lead in your field and separate you from the competition.
2)Drive quality traffic to your site. Someone reading your article and the going to your site increase your chances of a sale by 55%.
3)You will also build quality one way back links to your site. Which will help increase your Google Page rank.
So the next time you think about where you should spend your advertising dollars on remember this article. A well written article will not only drive in high quality traffic but I well written article can spread like wild fire on the Internet. The life expectancy on an article of this quality can last for years on the Internet. Longer then any paid advertising you will ever do.

To submit an article visit http://www.articleuniversity.com There you can also try our article writing, submission and editing services. To get a free seo evaluation, purchase SEO services, listen to a podcast on SEO or read articles on SEO visit http://www.Mr-seo.com

Immortalize The Voice Of A Loved One. Hire A Ghostwriter.
Free the story trapped in a format indecipherable by most. Have the script rewritten into a manuscript, ready for self-publishing and self-promoting.

Imagine you’ve inherited the rights to a screenplay. You wouldn’t be alone. In fact, it’s trending -- understandable since forty thousand plus screenplays were written per year for the last twenty-five years. It was only a matter of time before they were resuscitated as last bequeaths.

Your imaginary benefactor’s eulogy glorified the dedication, the passion and the sacrifice with which words were capture to the page. Words, which in a unique style, voiced muses, meanderings and observations on life. Words which were this aspiring playwright’s most valued possession. Words which, for whatever reason, you now own!

Every writer has experienced the curse of an untold story. Haunted by one’s own ideas is aggravating enough. But to be reminded of a legacy-in-waiting at every family function is insufferable. What were once whispers of time ill-spent, have gossiped into a responsibility to the family name. ‘It’s a shame to think that the only credits her work earned were in her will’ will shadow you when all you want is more potato salad.

Whichever befits your character, a stoic answer to the call of duty or a dramatic capitulation with arms in the air, be prepared for the onset of reality. Your pen has just written promises it can’t keep. If you’re a writer, time is already rationed amongst personal projects. On the other hand, if you’re ‘narrative challenged’ (as she was) the task is a bit more foreboding.

So . . . who ‘ya gonna call? Ghostwriters!

Don’t dismiss the idea too fast. Appreciate that ghostwriting has been a guiltless yet respectable option for centuries. For as long as there have been speeches, memoirs or sequels, writing has been outsourced. The cultural handiwork of ghosts has not been limited to literature. Music and painting have a history of contributions by ghosts as well.

Does it honestly matter that ‘co-authored by’ or ‘as told to’ appears on the jacket, as long as the story is engaging? Odds are the book is better on account of it.

At the next visit to your favorite online bookstore, make a point to browse the memoirs. Much of the work has been penned on the condition of anonymity. Ask yourself these questions: ‘Do you really think as many were self-written as claimed?’ ‘Is it reasonable to assume that celebrities and sports figures whose success resulted from a lifetime of practice, were suddenly as equally adept at being proficient authors?’ Picking up a scalpel would be beyond belief, so why isn’t a pen?

In the publishing and film industries, ghostwriting is ubiquitous. The Development Editor identifies extensive revisions necessary to make a manuscript marketable. On a larger scale, teams of unnamed professional writers do the same to major Hollywood releases. A script reversed from the finished production would rarely resemble the original.

Don’t let partial notions prevent further consideration of ghostwriting when you cannot do it yourself. If a qualified writer can be found at an acceptable price, is it not worth it to break the curse and free the story?

Assuming the decision to proceed, the next step is to find one. Rather than searching ‘ghostwriter’, post the writing project on a freelance database. The first approach will list services charging $10K to $30K and the project will have to fit into their schedule. The second will return multiple bids ranging from $500 to $1000 from an international wealth of eager writers.

At these rates, your scribe will be scrambling. Consequently, even the most efficient writing can hide serious problems between the lines. It may be bland without inspiration. Characters may be stereotypical or weakly drawn. Backstory and exposition may be information dumps disrupting story flow. The style may be rift with distractions causing the reader to disengage. The potential for flaws is considerable. Therefore, expect to dedicate some time for editorial review. Lean on friends and family to critique it as if it were your own. Use a standardized critique from writing sites or an editorial filtering service.

Before posting a project description, understand the differences between a screenplay and a manuscript. Any screenplay, even one nominated by the Academy is not publishable as a novel. Few people would purchase a copy of a screenplay for a good read.

Other than the directing instructions, the story content of a screenplay is essentially a subset of a manuscript. Both have a hook, characters, dialogue, a problem, a goal, conflicts, a climax, character growth and an ending. In addition to this, the manuscript has narratives which elaborate on the setting, the backstory, the characterization, the action and the emotional depth. Without these, a screenplay is mostly dialogue. In a manuscript, dialogue typically comprises 40% to 60% of content.

Therefore, the project is basically to approach the dialogue of the screenplay like the plotting or the skeleton of the story. To this, narratives consisting of the missing elements are fleshed or layered in.

The project description also has evaluation and promotional components. It is appropriate to request a sample chapter on spec, as well as, a pitch, a synopsis, and a logline.

As the bids trickle in, the evaluation process resembles the role of an H.R. dept. Desirable skill-sets include the abilities to:

- make the author’s words jump off the page in their original voice and style rather than what they personally publish;
- experience and interest in the subject matter;
- package the concept so that an agent can sell it;
- proofread and polish their own work;
- collaborate;
- research;
and of course,
- write.

The ability to negotiate will depend totally on the number of the bids. Concerning quality, there are no guarantees at any price. One tactic, however, can hedge your investment. Try to negotiate a progressive payment agreement. Request to have performance advances released upon remittance of predetermined chapters/pages. If the writing does not meet expectations at pre-established milestones, no commitment to continue will exist.

A second tactic to enhance the caliber of writing is to fully disclose collaboration with the term ‘co-author’. With the ghost’s name on the jacket, more effort will probably be invested. The glory or celebrity given up in exchange is fleeting anyway.

Finally, offer splitting any proceeds 50/50. Few experienced writers will accept projects on spec. If a talented novice does, it may motivate writing as if it were for a bestseller.

The services of a ghostwriter is worth considering whenever a story is trapped in a screenplay and either time or ability is scarce. If the screenplay is your own, don’t leave it until the reading of your own will. Forget about naming beneficiaries because of interest once expressed in your writing. They’re family. They were just being polite. Do it yourself while you’re alive. Let them enjoy the potato salad!

Matthew Evans hosts www.changingmediums.com, a resource for playwrights interested in developing their screenplay further into a manuscript for the purposes of self publishing as a novel. Ghostwriting and freelance databases are examples of the topics discussed in more detail. Matthew reads for the editorial filtering service www.4gatekeepers.com. Copyright 2006

Top 5 Shenanigans of 5 Print-on-Demand Publishers
5) Cosmetic corporate connections

Publisher B has a new corporate overlord in Amazon, but offers no carriage with Ingram, which means no order availability through many bookstores nor major website listings with competitors Barnes & Noble.com, Powells.com, Bamm.com, etc.

Hint: Find a publisher that offers wholesale distribution through Ingram (which includes listings on Amazon, too). Publishing is already competitive enough; your distribution channels shouldn't be.

4) Disavowing any knowledge

Publisher P calls itself a traditional publisher, even though it uses the same on-demand technology as other PODs. They require an exclusive 7 year contract (twice as long as most traditional agreements) and absorb all your rights before you discover the truth.

Publisher L doesn't call itself a publisher at all, but rather a conduit toward publication. It even features a picture of a machine "publishing" your book for you. Do you want a hot-water heater handling your pride and joy?

Hint: Sign a non-exclusive contract that you can cancel in 30 days written notice and pick a publisher that uses real live human beings to format your book.

3) “Free” on-demand publication

Free things require no commitment, which is a harsh finale for a book you labored to write. We have heard of authors who "published for free" and then the author forgot who published their book! As Vince Lombardi says, “The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” Getting what you pay for was never more appropriate, as authors of free services can attest.

Hint: You get out of something what you put into it; choose your publisher accordingly.

2.5) "Free" publishing that isn't actually free

I have to slip in this bonus shenanigan. Publisher T claims they will publish your book for free, yet require a $3,985 investment from the author. Last time I checked, that wasn't free. Their justification? They reimburse the payment to you once your book sells its 5000th copy.

Hint: Ask them the percentage of times they actually reimburse their authors. Ask for the titles of the books and author's names. Then get the contact informaton for every one of those authors and confirm it.

2) Traditional publisher affiliations

Traditional publishers make the lions share of profits because they take a gamble on every author. Publisher U has executives from the traditional publishing industry; which means they know how to take an author's money up-front AND in the long run on the back-end.

Hint: If you pay to be published, make sure you make a higher royalty than a traditional publisher pays. And make sure you don't confuse "20% net profit" with a "20% retail royalty".

1) Charging to be profitable

In this competitive publishing environment, publishing is hard enough without having your publisher charging you for things that should be free. Publisher X recently introduced an option for $249 that lets you set your own retail price. And when you see this bar graph comparison, you will understand why: http://outskirtspress.com/marketing/case-owp.gif

Hint: Having pricing flexibility is certainly better than not having it, but you shouldn't have to pay for it.

Learn more about publishing your own book with a free e-book at <a href="http://outskirtspress.com">www.outskirtspress.com</a>. Brent Sampson is the President & CEO of Outskirts Press and the award-winning author of "Self-Publishing Simplified". A free ebook edition is available at <a href="http://outskirtspress.com/publishing">http://outskirtspress.com/publishing</a>.