I knew that my friend Lisa Iannucci’s daughter, Nicole Brinkley, managed an independent bookstore in downstate New York, but didn’t know Nicole was a retail rockstar until I read about her in Publishers Weekly earlier this year.

That’s when I discovered that the American Booksellers Association selected Nicole to moderate a panel on “Recapturing the Tween Middle Grade Market” at its Winter Institute 2024 in Cincinnati.

I knew immediately that she’d be a fantastic source for a Q&A about getting your book into bookstores.

I was soooooo right.

Meet Nicole Brinkley, indie bookstore manager

Nicole Brinkley is the manager of Oblong Books in Rhinebeck, N.Y., where she has been known to cause a cloud of malaise to form around anyone who claims that genre fiction is a lesser form of literature.

Described by one media outlet as “one of the best and most outspoken leaders in the indie bookstore community,” Nicole has won multiple awards for her work as a “legendary bookseller.”

She also reviews books professionally for BookPage and Shelf Awareness. Media outlets that includeThe Wall Street Journal, Parade, Publishers Weekly, Bustle, and others have featured her work, which has ranged from interviews to book recommendations to essays and articles.

Nicole has also taught educational sessions for the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and the American Booksellers Association, hosted events for companies such as HarperCollins and Boston.com, and spoken at numerous conferences and conventions.

Find her online at nebrinkley.com.

Getting your book into bookstores

I’m thrilled by Nicole’s generosity. Refill your mug and settle in to learn everything you need to know about getting your book into bookstores.

So many self-published authors dream of getting their books into bookstores, and for good reason. How easy or hard is it for them to do so?

It is difficult for any book to make its way into a bookstore.

Self-published authors do have a different climb to getting into stores because of some logistical elements that we’ll talk about later on, but consider the number of books published each year. Somewhere between 500,000 and one million books are traditionally published each year between the Big 5 publishers and small presses, and upwards of one million books are self-published every year.

My bookstore fits 30,000 books total–not just new books!–and is considered a large independent bookstore. That means an incredibly small portion of what is published makes its way into our store.

When considering whether to stock a self-published book, what does your bookstore look for? What do you need to see/know before you feel comfortable placing an order?

Self-published books stocked in our store need to meet many of the same requirements that traditionally published books do.

The big four requirements to meet are:

1. Book prices are reasonable for their category and genre.

For example, adult paperback fiction is usually around $18 to $20.

So, self-published paperback fiction that costs $40 likely won’t be a good fit for our store.

2. Books are offered at a good discount to the store.

Most traditional publishers offer books at a 46% to 50% discount.

This allows bookstores to earn half of the cover price, which they use to pay staff and keep the store going. It is harder to justify the shelf space to books with shorter discounts since the store will make less money on them.

3. Books are returnable.

What happens if we can’t sell a book?

Because of the low profit margins of books and the way the industry works, we need to send books back to publishers when they don’t sell within an expected timeframe. Otherwise, our shelves are cluttered with books nobody ended up wanting.

Books must be returnable both to traditional publishers and to self-published authors (or their distributors).

4. Books fit with the customers and store’s stock.

Did you self-publish a paperback picture book about dentists? It might not be the best fit for stores that don’t sell a lot of paperback picture books.

What about a beautifully packaged work of literary fiction? Maybe not the best fit for a genre-focused store.

We need to vet authors

Bookstores looking to stock self-published authors also have the extra hurdle of vetting the authors and their books’ content. This is normally something we offload to a traditional publisher or a publisher’s sales representative. We trust them to know who and what they’re publishing.

But with two million self-published books coming out every year, we need to take the extra step to verify who they are.

If they’re writing nonfiction, do they actually have the credentials to be writing about their topic or are they spreading misinformation?

If they’re writing fiction, have they generated something through artificial intelligence?

None of these vetting decisions are personal attacks on a self-published author. We know that many authors are just that: authors. Talented, hardworking, and worthy of having their books sold in the bookstore.

But with the huge volume of books published, it’s difficult to distinguish the excellent self-published work from the less-than-stellar stuff without help. Meeting the first four requirements makes that important vetting much easier!

Packaging matters

While not required for either traditionally published or self-published books, having a well-packaged book also helps.

I don’t just mean a pretty cover, though that is good.

Design and print your cover with the title and author name on the spine so the books don’t disappear when we put them on the shelf. Print an ISBN and a barcode on the back of the book–and make sure that they’re clear and scannable

Little details to just having a book as a functional product go a long way to helping it do well in stores.

If you’re looking for a self-published author who does all of this very well, take a look at C.M. Nascosta.

Who makes the yes/no decision? What’s the best way to approach them about stocking a book?

Bookstores have buyers–booksellers whose entire job is selecting books that go into their store.

At Oblong Books, the co-owner does all book-buying. (We have separate buyers for toys and cards.) Other stores have separate buyers for kids books and adult books, or buyers for different genres and categories.

Bookstores that run consignment programs for self-published books might also have somebody who runs those programs separately from the buyer. Generally, however, the buyer is the way to go.

It is very easy to approach buyers about carrying a book.

Go into or call a store, explain that you have a book coming out or a book recently published, and ask if you can have the buyer’s name and contact information.

Drop the buyer an email with the information on your book:

• Title
• Author
• Publication date
• Publisher (if you’re using a small press vs. fully self-publishing)
• Why it’s a good fit for the store
• How bookstores can order (either directly from the author or through programs like IngramSpark, as bookstores cannot and will not order through Amazon)

You do not need to repeatedly bring books or promotional material to the store. You do not need to call them.

Self-published authors get a bad rap because of individuals who come into stores and throw hissy fits when their books aren’t immediately accepted or when the buyer decides their book isn’t a good fit for the store.

If you’re polite and understand that this is a business, store employees will treat you well in turn. That’s the start of a good relationship with a bookstore. Even if they don’t take your book now, they might always be somebody you can work with down the line.

Speaking of placing an order, what are your store’s financial terms with books provided by the author?

We work with self-published authors in a variety of ways.

Our store orders self-published books through IngramSpark and from authors directly that do well for us. Many of these are local authors or authors whose books have strong ties to the region. We want to support them, and appreciate that they want to support us.

In these cases, we pay directly to either the distributor (like IngramSpark) or the author (if they’re supplying the book).

We also have a consignment program for books that we aren’t 100% sure are a good fit or for books that aren’t normally returnable.

Our consignment program ensures that those books get the attention they deserve while also covering our bases. We can make money when they sell, and return books when they don’t…all while giving authors a chance to get their books in front of our customers.

There is a flat fee to enroll in the consignment program, but it guarantees display space for an entire month. We cut checks for the author periodically throughout the year as books sell.

What are your three best tips for getting your book into bookstores?

Only three?! Well, I’ll try my best.

1. Be strategic about the bookstores you reach out to.

If you’re a romance author, look at romance-only bookstores or bookstores known for working with indie romance authors. If you’re writing about a specific region, reach out to bookstores in that region.

Talk to your local indie. You don’t need to be in every bookstore, but know why a bookstore would be a good fit for you.

2. Be kind. Be patient. Be polite.

Most booksellers will be polite and professional when working with you. You can still convert those that aren’t into allies down the line.

(Trust me, my friends: I know that some booksellers can be short with self-published authors who are trying their best, and it’s not fair to you. Understand that there are people who have come before you and given authors in your situation a bad name, and that you don’t need to continue that chain. You can be better than them.)

Self-publishing is a job. Just be professional.

3. Please put your title on the spine of your book.

Please.

It makes the lives of the booksellers so much easier once the book is in the store.

What else should we know about getting your book into bookstores?

One of my ongoing goals is to read more small press and self-published authors, and I know many young booksellers who have the same goal.

I can’t wait to see more independent authors make their way into the independent bookstore space. We’re natural allies!

Write a book that people want to buy

I’m so grateful to Nicole for sharing her wisdom and experience with us so you know all about getting your book into bookstores!

I’ll add just one more thought: Stores want books that people want to buy.

People won’t want to buy your book if they don’t know about it, so work hard to help them discover it. Create demand so that booksellers like Nicole are ready, willing, and able to stock your book.

Write a great book, pursue reviews so you have that third-party validation that people like it, and continue to market it long after the launch. Both will make it easier for bookstores to say “Yes!” when you contact them about carrying your book.

Want to make it easier for fans to write short, meaningful reviews? Use the Build Book Buzz Reader Book Review Form. It’s your shortcut to success.

Do you have a question for Nicole about getting your book into bookstores? Please leave it in a comment.

Writing about publishing predators here recently made me realize that I could do more to highlight the good guys in the indie author side of book publishing — the legit author services providers.

Yes, there are a lot of bad guys waiting to pounce. But there are also many legitimate professionals who do good work for a fair fee. Their mission is to earn a living while helping people like you bring your book to the people you wrote it for.

That’s why when a book marketing coaching client connected me with the woman who helped polish his book, I was more than open to a telephone conversation with her. That discussion led to this Q&A about her work as an author services provider and how she does it.

Introducing Karen Hodges Miller

Karen Hodges Miller is CEO at Open Door Publications, a company that specializes in helping authors navigate the world of publishing in today’s environment. The company assists both published and first-time authors with the wide variety of skills and tasks needed to successfully write, publish, and market a book.

She is also the author of eight fiction and nonfiction books and has written countless newspaper and magazine articles in her 30-plus-year career. Her most recent books about book marketing techniques are Authorpreneurship and How to Sell Your Book Today.

Karen is also creating an online course on how to self-publish a book.

Learn how one author services company does business

I talked to Karen about her company to help us better understand how businesses like hers operate. While Karen contracts with specialists for tasks like proofreading, she is very hands on with the company’s book projects.

Please tell me a little about your publishing business.

Open Door Publications assists writers in navigating the sometimes murky waters of self-publishing. We work on a custom basis, starting wherever the individual writer is, whether it is at the “I want to write a book and I’ve never written anything” stage to “I’ve published a book—now what do I do?”

In short, we offer book coaching, editing, proofreading, formatting, cover design, and marketing plan assistance.

Many authors struggle to finally finish their books. Why is that? What are common obstacles to completing a manuscript?

I think the biggest obstacle to publishing is fear: fear of failure or fear of success.

I’ve found that the author who becomes frozen and unable to “pull the trigger” and upload the book when everyone is telling them that it is good is worried about one of these two things.

The second biggest obstacle to finishing a book is time management.

The biggest obstacle to publishing is fear: fear of failure or fear of success. ~ Karen Hodges MillerClick to tweet

It takes time and creative energy to complete a book. Planning to write three hours a day every day when you already have a full-time job and a family is unrealistic – but I’ve heard many authors tell me this is their plan.

First, sit down and look at your schedule. When can you write? How long can you write productively at any given time? Look at your obligations, then add your writing time to your calendar and make it sacred. Only a true emergency should keep you from writing at that time.

You’ve developed a system that helps authors finally get their books done. Please tell us a little about it and why it works.

My system goes back to the five Ws of journalism: who, what, when, where, and why.

1: Who

First decide who is your target market.

Describe them in detail, including age range, gender, income, other activities and hobbies, and where you will find them on social media and in real life.

2: What

What do you want to write?

Whether fiction or nonfiction, write down your subject and your theme. Your subject is the topic of your book. Your theme is the final message you want your reader to take away when they are done reading.

Try to write your theme in one sentence. If it takes an entire paragraph to explain your theme, you need to go back and refine it.

Next, create a simple outline defining your chapters. Don’t spend too much time perfecting the outline. This is a simple guide that will help you throughout the writing process and make sure you have kept to the points you wanted to make, and have not forgotten anything.

This outline should be made for both fiction and nonfiction and can take any form from a traditional outline to 3×5 cards to a mind map.

3: When

As I mentioned, if you have not scheduled time into your week to write, you’ll never get around to it.

Writing is hard work. Schedule realistic times when you are fresh enough to have creative energy.

If you have worked all day, made dinner for the family, helped with homework, and done three loads of wash, it is unlikely that you’ll be fresh enough at 11 p.m. to write. You may need to get up an hour early to write in the mornings.

4: Where

Where will you write? You need a quiet place where you can think to write. You also need a place where you can securely keep your notes, research, and any other documents.

If you must take out and put away all of your information before each writing session, it will be demotivating. Or, if you have your notes where anyone might move them, it will become a problem.

And finally, make sure you have a secure backup for your work!

5: Why

If you don’t know why you are writing a book, you’ll probably never finish. Write down your goals for your book. Place them into two categories:

• What you want your book to do for others
• What you want your book to do for yourself

Writing is hard work. Schedule realistic times when you are fresh enough to have creative energy. ~ Karen Hodges MillerClick to tweet

How do you decide who to work with? Is there a certain “something” you look for in authors?

I am looking for the “entrepreneurial author,” or as I like to say, someone who is an “authorpreneur.” This is a person who realizes that there is no “write it and they will come.”

First you must write the book, then tell your friends, family, and fans about it over and over and over again.

The second thing I look for is someone who knows how to tell a story.

As an editor, I can fix grammar, help with plot holes, and help with character development, but in the end, the author must know how to tell the story in an interesting way.

Authors have many author services companies to choose from when seeking help bringing their books to the world. What should they be looking for in a business like yours, especially considering the number of predators ready to take their money?

First, make sure that you can personally speak to a human, not just communicate by email.

Look carefully at the services offered. Do you need all of them or just some? Do they only sell packages or do they offer an “a la carte” menu? Are you required to purchase a large amount of books as part of your package?

And finally, do they promise to make you a bestselling author? No one can promise that!

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

The only way to become an author is to first become a writer. Writing is hard work and it takes practice. Try to write several times a week, if not every day.

The quickest way to fail is to fail to start!

What author services companies do you recommend? Please tell us in a comment!

I’m so frustrated.

I’ve discovered that articles written to help authors decide between traditional publishing or self-publishing focus on the pros and cons of each model without providing a very, very important detail.

None of the sites you recognize and trust (I’m not going to name and shame) are willing to tell you the truth.

“Should I use traditional publishing or self-publishing?”

My experience with online author groups reinforces the need for the reality check that nobody seems to be offering.

A common post in many of these groups goes something like this: “I’m trying to decide if I should go with a traditional publisher or self-publish. What do you think I should do?”

I see some variation of this nearly every week.

The person asking the question usually isn’t a professional writer, hasn’t published any articles or short stories, and hasn’t received writing awards or recognition.

It’s their first book.

Beware the hive mind

Invariably, group members offer some version of this advice:

• “Don’t even think about traditional publishing. You’ll make more money self-publishing!”
• “You should NEVER pay anyone money to publish your book.”
• “I’ve heard so many horror stories about working with traditional publishers that I’d never go that route!”

Usually, this advice comes from people who don’t have traditional publishing experience.

There are also people who provide more informed input:

• “If you want to go the traditional publishing route, you should get an agent.”
• “If your book is nonfiction, you’re going to need an impressive platform.”
• “Before you explore publishing options, be clear on what you want to accomplish with your book. That might determine what makes the most sense.”

The painful truth about traditional publishing or self-publishing

What I rarely see among responses and didn’t find in other articles about this is a sometimes painful truth: Today’s typical author-to-be won’t be offered a traditional publishing contract.

via GIPHY

For most, self-publishing in some form is the only option.

I’m reluctant to share this reality because I feel like I’m bursting bubble after bubble after bubble.

And yet, here I am, writing about it.

I feel like I have to address it because nobody else has.

Publishers and contracts

There’s really no traditional vs. self-publishing debate. You can’t sign a contract with a traditional publisher that you aren’t offered.

In reality, publishers are increasingly selective about who they offer those coveted contracts to.

This is the case even for established professional writers with marketable book ideas. Many writers who might have gotten a contract 15 years ago are now turning to self-publishing, and not necessarily because they want to. It’s often because they have no choice.

There are a number of reasons why experienced fiction and nonfiction writers find it harder to snag traditional publishing deals today. The reasons are less important than the harsh reality that it’s not as simple as “Should I go with a traditional publisher or self-publish?”

Industry changes have created more publishing options

There’s good news, though. There are more publishing models today than ever before. And that’s where authors have real choices.

Book publishing insider Jane Friedman has recently updated her “2023-2024 Key Book Publishing Paths” infographic that clearly explains current publishing models. Studying this carefully should help you see what might work best for your writing project and budget.

Using this chart to get smart about the book publishing industry and where your book fits into it will better prepare you to ask for advice in online groups. And, when you do turn to a group for publishing input, give members specifics about you and your project that will help them provide informed guidance.

Here’s the type of information we need when you’re asking about which publishing model to use:

• Whether your book fiction or nonfiction
• The subject and category or genre
• How much writing experience you have
• Why you are the best person to write this book
• For nonfiction in particular, information about your platform (that audience waiting to buy the book because of who you are or your reputation)

Be careful about who you listen to

via GIPHY

You also want to be smart about who you select as your publishing advisors in online groups and elsewhere. The fact that we don’t know what we’re talking about doesn’t stop some of us from speaking with great authority.

And those who know the least often have the loudest voices.

Be smart about who you select as your publishing advisors in online groups. The fact that we don't know what we're talking about doesn’t stop some of us from speaking with great authority.Click to tweet

As a result, authors with a shot at a traditional publishing contract don’t try to get one, while those who aren’t good candidates waste time pursuing that unlikely option.

Be sure to check the profiles behind those offering advice, too. They often offer clues to credibility.

In addition, you can usually discount comments that are barely even a sentence – “Don’t bother.” – or emotional – “Only an idiot would go with a big publisher!” Focus instead on responses that are thoughtful and specific.

Write a great book

No matter which publishing model makes the most sense for your situation, never forget that you must write a great book. You’ll need to demonstrate that you can do that to get a publishing contract, but it’s also important when self-publishing. The reason is simple: Readers want good books.

Mediocre books rarely soar unless someone is gaming the system. And sure, a so-so book can become a momentary best-seller in a small niche Amazon category, but that doesn’t mean it reached a lot of people or became beloved or even recommended.

Mediocre books rarely soar unless someone is gaming the system.Click to tweet

Whether you’ve received a traditional publishing contract, opted for a hybrid approach, or have put together your own self-publishing team, it’s all about the book. The shortest route to publishing success is to write a high-quality book that people want to read.

Did you pursue a traditional publishing contract? Did you get one? Tell us about your experience in a comment!

(Editor’s note: This article was first published in September 2018. It has been updated and expanded.)

“Does anyone have a book publishing checklist?”

It’s a common question in author groups.

In the past, I might have recommended using Google to find one, but now I can recommend Andrea Schmidt‘s new book, Almost Done Writing: Now What? A Guided Workbook for Self-Publishing Authors (Nonfiction).

Take a deep breath

Recognizing that new authors might be overwhelmed by the self-publishing process, Andrea uses words, design, and typography to quietly and gently guide them through the process.

In fact, Andrea’s “voice” is one of this book’s best features. She’s not your cheerleader; she’s your encourager, quietly touching your shoulder or nudging you to take a break when you start to feel overwhelmed.

She's not your cheerleader; she's your encourager, quietly touching your shoulder or nudging you to take a break when you start to feel overwhelmed.Click to tweet

It’s like having the nicest person you know sitting next to you as you take on a new challenge.

More workbook than how-to book

Almost Done Writing: Now What? is a thin workbook that offers an overview of everything from cover design to front and back matter and launch teams.

“Overview” is the key word here, as this is not a comprehensive guide to everything you need to know to self-publish a nonfiction book. Instead, it presents a high-level look at most topics covered, often giving them just a paragraph or two.

Along the way, Andrea  leads you through exercises that will help you create a compelling cover and better understand your target audience, among other things.

And that’s as it should be, since this is a workbook rather than just a how-to book.

Highlights

From my perspective, Andrea’s thought-provoking exercises are the best part of the book. In fact, the book title exercises alone are worth the price.

From my perspective, Andrea's thought-provoking exercises are the best part of the book.Click to tweet

I also appreciate the various checklists, including those for the front and back book matter. (And oh-by-the-way, much of the content applies to fiction as well as nonfiction.)

Each exercise includes space for your answers or brainstorming. There are also plenty of lined pages for “notes” and, at the end, blank monthly calendars for planning and scheduling.

I’ll admit, though, that I was sometimes confused a couple of times about how Andrea organized the book’s content. More than once, I stopped and thought, “Why is this here, rather than there?”

I think that shows that my brain approaches things differently. I mention it only so that if your brain works like mine, you won’t let it slow you down, because it shouldn’t.

And just a head’s up on word choice: Andrea uses the term “advance reviews” for endorsements, testimonials, and blurbs. I think some authors will think “reader reviews” when they see “advance reviews” so I want to get ahead of any potential confusion now.

Buy the print format

If you’re interested in this book, I recommend buying the printed version.

Completing the exercises and activities within the book, rather than in a separate notebook, will make it more useful for you. It will help to have that record in one package to refer to as you move through the publishing process.

Think of Almost Done Writing: Now What? A Guided Workbook for Self-Publishing Authors (Nonfiction) as a friend leading you to the finish line. It will get you there.

Do you have a favorite book publishing or marketing book? Maybe I’ll review it here! Please tell us in a comment. 

Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Associate links, which means if you click on them and make a purchase, Build Book Buzz will receive a couple of pennies (at no extra charge to you). 

Five book marketing lessons I learned from my first indie book

By Sonia Frontera

Publishing a book is a rewarding experience. It can also be an asset to your business, a calling card that highlights your expertise and makes you stand out among peers.

If writing a book is on your bucket list, the good news is that the self-publishing industry is making it easy to fulfill your dream. The bad news is that the process can be tricky and, when done incorrectly, your efforts may not deliver the payoff you expect.

With 4,500 self-published books coming out every day (in addition to those that are traditionally published), making sure your book stands out in the crowd is a challenge.

That’s why it’s important to put your best foot forward by creating a quality book. You need a well-written and professionally edited book with a catchy title, professional cover, and solid book description that will convert potential readers into buyers.

Learning the hard way

But, sadly, that’s not enough. I found out the hard way. After doing many of “the right things,” I was disappointed that my book, Solve the Divorce Dilemma: Do You Keep Your Husband or Do You Post Him on Craigslist?, was not selling like hotcakes.

I realized too late that a few changes before hitting the “publish button” could have made a huge difference in my publishing experience.

You can get it right the first time and publish a great first book that sells!

Here are five book marketing lessons from my publishing debut that I don’t want you to learn the hard way.

1. Have a game plan and take the time to do things right.

After dreaming for decades of being published, I decided to take the plunge when I came across a program that guaranteed becoming an Amazon category bestseller in 30 days.

While I devoted six months to creating a professional quality book, I narrowly focused on a quick launch and becoming that category bestseller. I gave little thought to what would happen next and had no strategy beyond 30 days. I became a number one seller in four categories, but was quickly disappointed when my sales and rankings tanked in a few weeks.

Get your ducks in a row. What you do four to six months before launch is key to the long-term success of your book.

I spent months with my nose to the grindstone writing the book. When I was finished, I rushed to publish, neglecting a series of steps that could have kept my book in front of buyers.

Early in the journey, decide where you’d like to sell your book, the requirements of those outlets, and study the tactics used by other successful authors in your category.  Don’t assume free publishing on Amazon through KDP is your best or only option.

2. Put a publicity strategy in place.

Publicity is one of the most effective and affordable tactics for getting exposure for your book.

But successful publicity relies on relationships with the media and developing these relationships takes time. Start building these relationships long before pub date.

I first heard about book publicity two weeks before launch and completely missed the boat.

Give yourself at least four months to connect with the media, bloggers, and influencers in your niche. Start soliciting reviews, blurbs, and testimonials early to boost the credibility of your book. Boast about them on your website to create buzz.

Have your book announcement press release ready to go and start lining up interviews with your local newspapers and radio while your book is hot off the press.

3. Devise and deploy a consistent marketing program from day one.

Your book won’t sell if readers can’t find it. I rushed to publish without giving much thought to devising and implementing a robust marketing plan beyond the initial promos.

Book advertising can be tricky. Research in advance where books like yours sell best and learn the best practices for those platforms. And be ready to deploy your plan immediately after launch. Don’t wait until the sales tank to try to figure it out.

And have a Plan B, C and D, if necessary. Advertising success entails lots of trial and error.

And remember that book marketing goes way beyond advertising. Stay on top of current trends; stay active on social media; blog regularly; and keep your website, sales, and author pages up to date.

4. Stay out of the rabbit holes.

As I found myself scrambling to boost sales, I attended every webinar, watched every video, and read every blog post I could find. I tried hundreds of expert tips with no discernible reward. Most of these strategies didn’t work for a book about divorce, and I felt exhausted and overwhelmed.

With so many experts in the business, you could easily spend every waking minute and every cent in your bank account trying to learn the tricks of the trade. After all this effort, you will realize that most of them say the same things, many contradict each other, and much of what they say doesn’t apply to you.

There is no one-size-fits-all book publishing or marketing formula. Instead of going down every rabbit hole, follow a few respected experts whose strategies apply to your book and whose style resonate with you. Talk to other authors in your genre to find out what’s worked for them.

If you can afford it, invest in coaching. Work with someone with expertise in the areas you need to improve and whose personality meshes with yours.

5. Don’t be discouraged.

As a new author, you’re bound to make mistakes. While I regret every one of my publishing blunders, I don’t regret bringing my book into the world. And I will do it again — the right way the next time.

Do not despair! These errors can be fixed by relaunching your book, adjusting your strategies as you increase your knowledge, or by starting over with a new book. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes and to not give up on your dreams.

What’s your best book marketing lesson? Tell us in a comment. Let’s discuss! 

Tip of the Month

I like to share a “Tip of the Month,” a free resource or tool for authors, on the last Wednesday of the month.

This month, it’s BundleRabbit, a service that lets you create book bundles with other authors in your genre.

With this resource, you can create the bundle, invite other authors registered with the service to participate, and publish it on e-book retail sites. The curator receives five percent of sales; participating authors receive a combined total of 70 percent.

BundleRabbit also provides a way for dividing royalties among collaborators for a bundle or other types of shared publishing projects. Learn more and browse books at BundleRabbit.com.

The Nonfiction Book Publishing Plan: The Professional Guide to Profitable Self-Publishing

Turns out I can — to both nonfiction and fiction authors.

Don’t stop reading this review because Stephanie Chandler and Karl Palachuk’s new-ish book has “nonfiction” in the title. Yes, the first few chapters focus on the advantages of writing and publishing a nonfiction book, but the majority of the 19 chapters are relevant to all books, regardless of genre and category.

Why I read this book

There are lots of other books I could have read, but I selected this one because I’ve read a couple of other books by Stephanie, so I know her work is excellent. Her content is thorough and accurate, and she offers specifics. She also owns a small publishing company, which means she writes about this topic from experience.

I can see that her co-author knows the topic just as well.

Here’s my review.

Lots here for all authors

Chapter 5 has some solid advice for creating your title, and the advice to write your back cover copy before staring to write the book is genius! It will help give you the focus you need to stay on track as you write.

But if you’re already sold on writing a nonfiction book, or if you write fiction, you can pretty much skip the first five chapters and start with Chapter 6, Beta Readers. Beta readers might be even more important for novelists.

You’ll find the specific information on where to find these helpers and how to work with them valuable.

There’s a great deal of information and emphasis on print books, presumably because nonfiction readers often like to read and mark up that format. Planning to publish only in e-book format? Just skip the few chapters pertaining to printed books.

What makes this book valuable

Here’s what I think makes this book useful to people who are new to self-publishing:

• You get clear, specific, and detailed instructions you can trust. The authors both have a great deal of knowledge that they share freely.
• The “Author Interviews” sprinkled throughout take you behind-the-scenes with successful self-published authors. They all answer the same questions. Because I teach how to market your books, I recommend reading everyone’s answer to this one: “What have been some book marketing strategies that have generated the best results for you?” You’ll find their insights helpful.
• The authors often use their own experiences to explain how they made decisions. I particularly appreciate the sections where they explain the options, then add, “Here’s how I handled it.” I like knowing what solution they settled on.
• The authors answer your questions before you ask them. As a moderator of a self-publishing and book marketing group, I know what questions new authors have about self-publishing. I had those common questions in mind as I read this book — and got the answers to all of them. You won’t have many questions left after you read this book.

Is anything missing?

As a self-publishing novice, I wasn’t left with any questions. (But you don’t know what you don’t know, right?)

It gave me the level of detail I need to feel like I could take on a self-publishing project with confidence. That’s precisely what I need from a resource like this.

I should point out, though, that I think the content about endorsements in Chapter 14 could have been stronger. The authors focused on getting pre-publication endorsements only from other authors. You also want to ask industry leaders and influencers. Many of them won’t be authors.

(For more on that, see my training program, “Blurbs, Endorsements, and Testimonials: How to Get Experts, Authorities, Celebrities, and Others to Endorse Your Book.”)

Two thumbs up

Too many authors don’t bother to learn the essentials before getting started on Amazon, Smashwords, or anywhere else. Whether they realize it or not, this means they make mistakes that impact their book’s quality and sales.

I highly recommend The Nonfiction Book Publishing Plan: The Professional Guide to Profitable Self-Publishing for anyone smart enough to look before they leap.

Let this resource give you the best start possible.

What other resources do you recommend to help authors learn about self-publishing? Please tell us in a comment.

How to Format Your Book in Word

I was happy to do so because the book is appropriate for the authors I work with, but also because I wanted to know the answer to the question posed in the title. The timing was perfect for me as I looked ahead to a book project.

When I pulled out the book again recently, I realized that it might help self-published authors if I wrote a full review here. (Authors with traditional publishing contracts and certain hybrid publishing deals don’t need to format their books’ manuscripts for publication.)

Helpful features

I like the book a lot.

Dunbar provides detailed, step-by-step instructions for formatting in Word for Kindle and Smashwords e-books and for printed books. Only producing an e-book for sale on Amazon? All you’ll need is the Kindle formatting section. Doing e-book and printed books? You’ll do more reading, but you’ll be proud of the end result.

Here are a few features that make the book particularly useful to people who don’t have a lot of publishing experience.

• Definitions: The “Book Structure” section lists and defines every feature you’ll find in a book, from  the foreword (not “forward,” as he so wisely points out) to footnotes. It’s the little things that help readers distinguish between high- and low-quality books, and Dunbar makes sure you understand them. (Because they’re really not so “little” after all.)
• Step-by-step instructions: Dunbar walks you through the process with “do this,” “don’t do that,” and “watch out for this” instructions. It feels like he’s sitting right next to you, helping you avoid mistakes as you move through your document.
• “This is what it looks like” examples: It’s hard to make a mistake when you see what the end result is supposed to look like.
• “This is where you click” examples: When you’re using new-to-you technology, you might be unsure of what to click on in a pop-up window or where to find something on your toolbar. Screenshots, many of which include arrows so there are no questions about what he’s referring to, make a big difference.

Some will be disappointed that it’s only available in printed format. I suspect that’s the only option because it can be hard to control placement of screenshots and images in an e-book. In this case, it’s important that the images stay with the accompanying text.

5 stars from me

What stands out the most for me is how much time the author must have spent on documenting and illustrating each step. This is no high-level look at getting your book ready. It’s probably the most specific guide to formatting in Word that you’ll ever find.

Anybody who puts this much effort into a how-to manual truly wants you to succeed. And if you can follow directions, you will succeed.

You might a mistake here and there — mistakes are inevitable when you’re learning — but Dunbar will help you get back on track.

If you’re self-publishing, I highly recommend it.

What other how-to resources do you recommend for self-publishing authors? Please share them in a comment. 

Tip of the Month

I like to share a “Tip of the Month,” a free resource or tool for authors, on the last Wednesday of the month.

The “freelance profiles” section of ResponseSource lets you search for and find freelance journalists by topic or name. Looking for a freelancer who writes about foodservice who might be open to your article idea? Search for “foodservice.” Have you got a book-related article idea about landscaping? Type that into the search box.

Because matches are based on keywords in the writer profiles, you’ll do best if you use broad, rather than specific search terms. For example, “parenting” will probably yield more results than “toddler behavior issues.”

Give ResponseSource a try. If you find a few people who write about what you know about, pitch a few ideas. Good freelancer writers are always looking for qualified sources.

I’ve seen a lot of those types of observations in online book marketing groups recently. More often than not, they’re commenting on facts that I take for granted to the point where it doesn’t even occur to me that you might not know that.

That’s partly because I’ve been connected to book publishing for a looooong time — my first tour around what is now Book Expo America happened in the 1980s, and my first book was published by Kensington in 1995.

So many of today’s authors are new to book publishing, though — and they’re new to both traditional publishing and self publishing. There’s a lot they don’t know yet, but there’s also a lot the veterans don’t realize, too, because the industry is constantly evolving now.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve paid more attention to “I didn’t know that!” observations that have surprised me because I thought everybody knew that.

Of course they don’t! How could they?

With that in mind, here are five things you want to know now. They’re things I thought you knew, but I’ve discovered you probably don’t.

1. A traditional book publishing contract isn’t an option for most authors-to-be.

It is harder and harder for a professional writer, even, to get a publishing contract for a great idea. In the past, if you were a solid writer with an interesting idea, you had a shot at getting a deal that would pay an advance against royalties with a publisher that assumed all publishing costs.

That has changed. Now, that solid professional writer needs a platform — a built-in audience waiting to buy the book — in addition to a great idea and might even have to collaborate with a content expert.

So . . . if you are completely new to the writing world and your question is “Should I try to get a publisher or should I self publish?,” the answer is probably, “Self publish.”

2. Readers don’t care when your book was published.

Fiction readers want a good story that’s well-written. It doesn’t matter if it came out three months or three years ago. They just want to be entertained.

Nonfiction readers want useful, relevant information they can trust. The publication date for nonfiction matters only when the industry has changed enough that a book written five years ago, for example, is out of date.

Obviously, a book about a technology topic has a shorter shelf life than the biography of a historical figure, but readers don’t lose interest in that tech book in three months.

You should be promoting your book as long as it’s available for purchase.

3. Even authors with traditional publishing contracts have to promote their books.

The most common author comment related to this is, “I thought my publisher was going to do more to support my book.”

I don’t know who’s responsible for managing author expectations about what publishers will and won’t do to promote any author’s book. Maybe it’s the agent. Or the editor. Or the in-house publicist.

In any case, even if you’ve received an advance to write a book, you’re expected to contribute to the marketing. That’s why the marketing section of a proposal is so important.

4. If your book looks and reads like a traditionally published book, nobody will know it’s self-published.

If you’re self publishing, you have two goals:

1. To write a book that is so good that readers recommend it to others.
2. To package that excellent content so that it looks just like any other book in its genre in a bricks and mortar bookstore.

The reasons for this are probably obvious, but here’s one you might overlook: Many media outlets say they only review traditionally published books. That’s because those books have been vetted. An editor has acquired the book and worked with the writer and a team of publishing pros to improve and polish it.

As a result, the book reviewer working for a magazine or newspaper knows that he’ll be reading a book that has been through a quality control process. It’s a safe bet that it’s decent.

Self-published books don’t come with quality assurances. But, if you use the same processes and resources as the big-time publishers, nobody will know that it’s self-published.

Pro tip: Create a publishing company and get your book’s ISBN through that company so it’s listed as the publisher. Be creative enough with your publishing company name that it’s not obvious that you’re the publisher.

5. People will disappoint you.

Here’s the deal: Not everybody in your world wants to read what you write.

That’s hard to accept, I know. But it’s a fact. And the sooner you accept that, the sooner you’ll be able to put your energy into finding and reaching the people who really will want to read your book.

Oh, sure, let your friends and family know you’ve just published a book. Enlist their help getting the word out. But don’t expect all of them — or even most of them — to buy and read your book, because they won’t.

It’s not personal. It’s just that people have different tastes. You might not like the types of books I write; I might not like the types of books you write. It has nothing to do with either one of us as a person or our relationship.

It’s just that we’re all different. So manage your expectations and you’ll be a happier author.

What have you learned about book publishing or marketing that you wish you had learned a lot sooner? 

It started with a member asking for feedback about the fees a publisher was going to charge him. He thought it would be smart to ask around before signing a contract.

He got good advice — some in the group with relevant experience told him they thought the price was too high for what he was getting — but he also received advice that was just plain wrong.

Only one book publishing model? Huh?

In particular, several members insisted that there is only one book publishing model. It’s one in which authors spend no money to bring their book to the world.

One member wrote, “No… no…no… no… if they are publishing you then there should be NO charges. Sorry, but that’s bullshit.”

Another wrote, “No reputable publisher is going to ask for money up front.”

And yes, this feedback was in a group is for self-published authors. Ironic, yes?

Their advice reminded me of how little some people know about the book publishing industry today — versus even 10 years ago — and how careful authors need to be about who they listen to.

Book publishing can involve spending money

The group members who insisted that the only book publishing option available is one in which the publisher assumes the financial risk and the author pays nothing are just plain wrong. It’s one publishing model, but it’s not the only one.

In reality, most self-published authors are (or should be) spending money to publish their books. Most can’t publish a quality book without contracting with professional:

• Editors
• Cover designers
• Interior designers for print
• Printers for hard copies when desired

All of these services cost money.

What the “a publisher should pay you, not the other way around” people don’t understand is that most of today’s authors aren’t going to find a publisher that will underwrite their books.

Quite simply, there are more books than there are publishing contracts.

Because of that, authors-to-be with a book in them have to foot the publishing bill themselves. They can go completely D-I-Y (not recommended), they can contract with a collection of specialists for the services required, or they can outsource everything to a company that will manage the people and processes required.

Jane Friedman’s most excellent chart on book publishing models

But don’t take my word for it.

Publishing industry consultant and expert Jane Friedman recently updated her chart detailing publishing models. I reprinted the first one in my 2013 article, “5 models for today’s book publishing.”

Friedman’s revised chart, below, details six publishing models.

To quote the annoying Flonase commercial that suggests we aren’t good with numbers, “Six is greater than one.”

To see this chart in full screen format, click on this link: 2016 Key Publishing Paths by Jane Friedman.

As you can see, there are three traditional publishing models (green, left). With these options, publishers take on the financial risk and you are either paid an advance against royalties to write the book, or, as is increasingly the case, you get no advance, but don’t have to spend your own money to produce your book.

Under the alternative options, you’ll see that the self-publishing column (second from right) offers several different options within that model.

If you’re new to book publishing, study Friedman’s chart carefully so you know your options and potential expenses.

I also recommend visiting her site, subscribing to her twice-monthly newsletter (a message will pop up on the screen), and subscribing to her blog.

Who do you trust?

Which brings me to another point: Be careful about whose advice you take.

I wrote about something similar, vetting the people you hire, in “6 steps for vetting your vendors.”

Please consider reading that article. The people you listen to online aren’t necessarily going to be people you hire, but you want to apply the same thought process to those you might be drawn to online.

Here are a few thoughts to keep in mind as you monitor their contributions to groups and discussions:

• Are they “one trick ponies?” By that I mean, do they keep repeating the same message, or is there depth and breadth to what they offer?
• How do they present themselves? Are they confident, or is what you’re seeing actually arrogance? Are they open to differing viewpoints, or do they shut down anyone who mentions a different experience or viewpoint?
• How do others in the group respond to them? When you don’t know what you don’t know, it’s hard to distinguish between quality advice and B.S., but if others seem to consistently validate their feedback, it’s likely they know what they’re talking about.

I shudder to think about how many people in the Facebook group I mentioned at the start of this article were discouraged by the loud voices saying that there’s only one way to publish a book. After all, they probably joined the group because they heard that self-publishing makes it possible for anyone with a story to tell to bring that story to the world through a book. And here was someone telling them with great confidence that everything they thought they knew was wrong.

If it doesn’t sound right, and especially if others are disputing it, do some independent research to either verify or disprove what you thought you knew.

Two more thoughts to keep in mind

I hope you’ll also remember two more things:

1. The loudest voices aren’t necessarily the wisest ones.
2. There are many ways to publish your book today. Learn as much as you can about the option that seems to be the best fit for your situation before proceeding.

There’s a lot of noise out there. I wish you luck finding the wisdom in all that sound — but there are a lot of wise and talented people — like Jane Friedman — sharing what they know. You just have to find them.

How do you decide who to trust, whether you’re looking for advice or someone to hire? Please share your advice in a comment — I’m sure it will help all of us. 

A year later, 10 Steps to Publish & Succeed: How to Put Your Best Book Forward published in August 2013 has won first place in the 22nd Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards (winners will be announced publicly this month). Seems like now’s a good time to write that review, eh?

Here’s what I like about this book: Ronsley packs a lot of useful information into under 125 pages. In her 10 steps, which range from “Publishing Basics” to “Proofreading,” she focuses on the essentials — buying an ISBN, what an editor will do with your manuscript, and the difference between offset and digital printing, for example.

The emphasis is on printed books

The majority of the book focuses on topics related to publishing printed books, but there’s definitely information useful to e-book-only authors, too — including the importance of high-quality cover design.

Authors-to-be should heed Ronsley’s advice — and she shares it generously. That’s another one of this book’s best features — readers benefit from the author’s years of experience as an editor and publishing consultant. She stresses the importance of not taking the DIY route, recommending instead that authors hire outside editors, cover designers, and interior book designers. Here’s a sample of her wisdom:

“. . . if you are publishing independently, you cannot afford to have mistakes or omissions that brand your book amateurish after publication.”

Amen.

The book is loaded with gems that will help novices avoid costly or embarrassing mistakes.

Marketing, publicity, and promotion

I was happy to see that the longest chapter addresses marketing and promotion, since your book will go nowhere without a well-thought out marketing plan. I was disappointed, though, that in a section titled, “What are book marketing, publicity and promotion?,” Ronley doesn’t offer definitions for all three of those terms and the two she does offer are weak, at best.

What’s more, she seems to equate “publicity” with exposure in general. Those of us with public relations degrees will tell you that it has a specific definition: “Publicity” is that free media exposure you get when you or your book are mentioned by the news media. Her advice is solid, though, and as with the rest of the book, she hits on the key points authors need to know.

If you’re looking for a concise guide to getting your book out of a Word file and into print, 10 Steps to Publish & Succeed: How to Put Your Best Book Forward by Jill Ronsley is definitely worth reading.

What’s your favorite “how to get published” book? Tell us in a comment!