Besides Writing, You Gotta Learn the Biz...

Originally, I had several different dates in mind for when I wanted to have the official book in hand and ready to sell. When I first began, I had my sights on February 12, 2009. Well that date has come and gone as you can see. The second date I had in mind was October 9, 2009 and although its late-April, it would probably take an "Act of Congress" to actually pull off that date as well. Why?

In a few short months of researching the publishing biz, I'll learn some much. First-time writers and publishers, here's why you need to learn the biz. Do you know what OPD means or BBD? What about PCIP and PCN? Do you know what galleys are?

Okay, let's just look at OPD and BBD for a sec. OPD is your "official publication date". Your OPD should be 3-4 months after your BBD (or "bound book date"). The BBD is the date that you will have finished books in your hands - the ones that goes on the store shelves is what I mean.

Let's back up, even when you finish the manuscript, you should have it professionally edited. On average, this takes two to four weeks.

Then, you need to send your edited and proofed manuscript to the typesetter, which could take up to four weeks (that's a month).

Next, your manuscript needs to go to the indexer, which takes about two weeks. (Please get an indexer! I hate nonfiction titles that don't have an index. Without one, its so hard to quickly locate passages without having to reread the book or mark it up so no one else can read it.)

Then the cover designer and typesetter must be on one accord with the printers. Because in the end, the printing process will take four or five weeks. Even if you take the print-on-demand (POD) route, you are not exempt from the other steps listed above.

Let's jump ahead, if your title is something that appeals to the masses, then you need to start pitching your book, especially to magazines, at least 6-8 months in advance.

Now, let's jump back to while you are still writing, I haven't even mention the process for finding the cover designer, editor/proofreader, typesetter, printer, etc.

Bottom Line: I can't emphasize enough that you have to learn about the publishing business if you really want to reap the benefits. That's regardless if you're aiming to just be a writer and secure a big publisher to carry your work (which is rare for a first-time author), whether you're taking one of two POD routes - there's POD publishers and then there's POD printers (see Patricia Fry's book), or if you want to started your own publishing company, where you call all the shots, you gotta take the time to learn the biz even while you are still "writing your masterpiece".

There are two sides of this business: (a) there's the actually writing of the book and then (b) there's the publishing business itself. Once I start my self-publshing biz, I can already foresee people with manuscripts asking me, "Will you publish my book?" Unfortunately, the answer will be "No! But I will contract you the process for a fee." If they ask, "Why not?", then I rest my case. 'Cause if you don't know the biz then you might very well find your book somewhere on the shelf, but the royalty checks don't come or they're so small, you feel like you've been had. Until next time.....;-)

*************************************************************
Recommended Resources: Both of these authors have their own self-publishing business.

Bowerman, Peter. (2007). The Well Fed Self-Publisher: How to Turn One Book into a Full-Time Living. In Appendix C of this book is a timeline where I got a lot of the information posted above.

Fry, Patricia. How to Write a Successful Book Proposal in 8 Days or Less (2nd Ed.). This is where I learned about POD publishers and POD printers.

Short Book Description, Anyone?

The assignment for Chapter 2 of Patricia Fry's How to Write a Successful Book Proposal in 8 Days or Less is to write a one to two-sentence description. So, here's my mine:

"Overcoming the House of Jezebel" shares negative family values learned from my own upbringing; explains how those "values" have impacted me and others; and concludes with strategies and sound advice for replacing "Jezebellian values" with "faith-based values" that result in a life of renewed hope, deliverance and destiny.

### END ###

I am continuing onto Chapters 3. Both the second and third chapters focus on writing your synopsis. So, that's what I am working on now. Ttyl!

Sample Cover Letter for Book Proposal

According to Fry, you can borrow sections of your query letter for your book proposal's cover letter, which I have done below. In addition, the cover letter is accompanied by the actual book proposal and should only be sent at the request of the publisher/agent.

In other words, don't volunteer it if they didn't ask for it! By not doing so, it will save you time, money and other resources for the right publisher or agent that acutally does want it.

So, here's my sample cover letter:

Per your request, I've enclosed my book proposal for "Overcoming the House of Jezebel: How to Do It Right When You Learned It Wrong".

As you may recall, this is an inspirational, self-help book outlining real-life experiences of being raised in a single parent household where my maternal grandmother was my “parent”. Unfortunately for me, she embodied a personality that paralleled that of the biblical account of Queen Jezebel.

Starting with my present life and tracing back, I’ll share the story of key family members and how the house of Jezebel impacted their lives while also exposing negative family behaviors that would cause even “Leave it to Beaver” to be totally unprepared for adulthood.

Throughout the book, I will share negative family values associated with the house of Jezebel, how these “values” impacted me as adult-child survivor, followed by strategies and sound advice for replacing “Jezebellian values” for “faith-based values”. I also devoted an entire chapter to how these wrong values can “rack havoc” on one’s current family and future generations if left unresolved.

Let me know if you would like to see the entire book. I can conceivably deliver the completed manuscript to you by __________.

### END ###

Opening of a Sample Query Letter

Below is an excerpt of a sample, two-page query letter for sending to relevant publishers or literary agents. Although I am going to start my own publishing company, I thought it might be helpful to actually follow Fry's exerice and write the letter anyway. So, here is the opening of the letter:

Since the mid-70s, there has been an overwhelming increase in the percentage of households where children are raised by someone other than their natural parents. In the United States in 1997, three hundred and forty thousand (340,000) grandmothers were raising their grandchildren without grandfathers or the children’s parents present. Ten years later, in the Southern region of the U.S. alone, over 1.5 million grandmothers were living with/raising grandchildren under 18.

Parental death, lack of financial resources and even immaturity – are three common reasons why parents are not actively involved in their children’s lives. However, the ever important question is this - What becomes of the child?

Does he/she grow up to be a happy, healthy and productive citizen or do they find themselves, emotionally depressed or emotionally needed adults who can’t seem to get a handle on “what it is to be an adult”. What becomes of their relationship (or lack thereof) with their biological parents or even their parent-substitutes? Does the child know who their “real parents” are? Are the natural parents allowed to have a healthy, on-going relationship with their own children despite the fact that they are not raising them? Or does grandma prevent the parent(s) from knowing their child’s whereabouts?

Even more importantly - What would happen, if you, as an adult-child who had a bleak outlook on life and who constantly struggled with unfair life experiences, finally learned the real circumstances surrounding why you were raised at “grandma’s house”? What then? How would you finally pick up the pieces of your life despite your lost childhood or dysfunctional upbringing?

I'd like to propose a 40,000 to 80,000 word book: Overcoming the House of Jezebel: How to Do It Right When You Learned It Wrong.

### END ###

New Title & Subtitle Selected

As of today, I am backtracking and start afresh. First, I am going to working a book proposal, which is what I should have done from the start. So, from my local public library, they got me a copy of Patricia Fry's How to Write a Successful Book Proposal in 8 Days or Less.

As of this post, I am currently working on the assignments for Chapter 1, which involve (1) coming up with a title and subtitle, (2) find one or two relevant publishers, (3) write a cover letter, title page and table of contents (for your book proposal).

For #1, I have come up with a new title and subtitle:

Title: Overcoming the House of Jezebel
Subtitle: How to Do It Right When You Learned It Wrong

For #2, I will browse a few publishers, but for the most part I am going to establish my own self-publishing company.

I am currently working on question #3. Will post more later.