Re: OT: Anyone publish a book before

Posted by rex2 on March 11, 2009 at 10:22:30 from (173.16.232.110):

In Reply to: OT: Anyone publish a book before posted by gun guru on March 10, 2009 at 09:28:23:

It seems that everyone "knows someone" who has published a book, and is willing to give you advice. I have published 3 books (McGraw-Hill) and have some first-hand info. Let me give you some advice:
1. Everyone has a book inside them, but few of them are willing to struggle enough to get it published.
2. If you plan to make a fortune, don't write your book for a very small niche. You could sell it to everyone in that group, and still not make money.
3. Books have benefits outside of simply selling books. Besides the tax breaks, you become an authority on your subject, although many more people might actually know more about it than you do. This might make you money, add fame, both, or neither, depending on your group.
4. Books are about 10 times more difficult to write than they appear to be. By the time your book appears on the market (if it does), you'll be sick of looking at it. You'll be required to submit it chapter by chapter, and write the next chapter while you're editing THEIR editing of previous chapters. You'll also re-edit pre-publication proofs, then "galley" proofs. You might also be required to submit professionally taken photos and/or diagrams to illustrate your book. The publisher may or may not pay for this. And their deadlines are always weeks ahead of yours.
5. You should write a proposal first, then go searching for a publisher. Don't write the book first. The publisher may want a slightly different slant that will increase your potential sales dramatically. That publisher will ask you some tough questions, like to whom your book is intended to sell, who your competition is, why would anyone buy it, and dozens more questions. By the time you finish your "fishing" for a publisher, you might decide not to write it.
6. Vanity publishers are bad, or good. They're bad, because they charge you to get your book published, then wash their hands of you and your book. They're good if you truly have an overlooked niche that has millions of potential customers, because all they will charge will be the printing and editing fees, and you get the remains. And they WILL publish your book, even if it's full of misspellings, not very attractive, and has a target population consisting of you and your family.
7. There are dozens of other questions that you should have, and I don't have the time to answer them. One thing you might do, if you have a potentially popular book of, say, the Harry Potter sales potential, is to employ an agent. Yes, they will take money from your proceeds, but they can negotiate contracts that contain benefits that you never thought of.

Now, gun guru, do you still want to write a book? This should give you a gut check.

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