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Where Can I Publish My Book?"If you write without getting published, then there is no use in writing at all.” Those are words of wisdom from someone who wants you to seriously consider publishing your book.But before you really do so, you will do well to consider these questions: 1.Have I actually written a best – seller? 2. Do I believe that people will read my book? 3. Is my theme such a timely one that the public should know? 4. Am I expecting responses from my readers? 5. Will I benefit in one way or the other from the publication of this book? 6. Will I be contented even if I don't make money? If you answer in the affirmative to one or more of the above questions, then do not hesitate to listen to the above advice to publish. It will, therefore, be nice for you to know different publishing channels available, so as to enable you make an informed decision. Trade Publishers Also called commercial publishers, these are the big fish in the publishing industry. They include Longman, Macmillan, Heinemann, Random House, Houghton Mifflin, Doubleday Books, Little Brown and Co., and Brace Jovanovich, among others. They publish without asking for payment from authors. My advice to you is that if you are pre – published, if you are a new writer, do not waste your time submitting your books to these elephants. Because they will not publish you! Yes, they have published a few unknowns like Eric Segal (LOVE STORY) and Kathleen Winsor (FOREVER AMBER) But what about the countless others who got the polite rejection slip: “We are sorry your book does not meet our present needs. Good luck.” I am among that number. I got a rejection slip from one of them, one year after submission! Can you imagine that? Twelve calendar months! And in the end, you would have to pray to the god of good luck, to get a publisher. And after another one year, another rejection slip. Another prayer. So you would have to spend a lifetime looking for a publisher, after months or years of hard work, writing your book. The point is that they don't have the time to read your book. Or they can't recognize a good book if they see one. Or, they can't afford to risk their money publishing a new comer like you, without hope of getting huge profits. Or, all of the above. But consider: If you were a great writer, perhaps a Nobel Laureate who had written a magnum opus. Or, if you were some celebrated politician with a memoir about your dalliance with some red – lipped prostitutes. Or, if as a scientist, you had written a book about how time travels backwards, titled THE THEORY OF BACKWARD MOVEMENT. And you even promise to take your readers in a space ship to witness some epochal events –- pick your choice -– the fall of Carthage, (history), the splitting of the continents (geography), Noah's flood (religion), and the real thing -- the Big Bang (Science). Do you know how the publishers would react? All of them, the above ones I have mentioned, and others not named, would rush to dangle certified Bank checks with ten digit figures before your smiling face! But try sending your unsolicited manuscript, you unknown writer; and be damned! Let's illustrate this point further. Do you know Jerzy Kosinski's THE THIRTY – NINE STEPS? Yes, one writer had that best – seller typed, and submitted, as a manuscript by a new writer, and waited for an answer. And what reply did he get? All the trade publishers rejected it. All the agents told him, “no way'”. And to worst the experiment, Random House which originally published the book, threw it out as an insignificant book. Yet, this was a National Book Award Winner. Even, some other best- sellers were “randomly” rejected. Like THE JUNGLE by Upton Sinclair. Like Thomas Paine's COMMON SENSE. Like MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION by Lloyd C. Douglas. Do you now understand what I mean when I say you should not go to them? But you have another chance. Subsidy Publishers Also known as private or commission publishers, subsidy publishers are a better choice; if you can pay to get your book published. And they pay higher commission or royalties, than the trade publishers. They include Vantage Press, Minerva Press and Avon Books. Now, paying for book publication has a long history. Many great writers started that way. Edward Fitzgerald financed the publication of his monumental work, THE RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM. Thomas Gray paid to publish his classic, ELEGY. And what about Edgar Allan Poe? He sponsored the printing of the book of all times, TAMERLANE AND OTHER POEMS. And Leo Tolstoy doled out money to pay for the publication of the best novel on earth, WAR AND PEACE. The list has not ended. What about Thomas Hardy, Alexander Pope, T.S.Eliot, Alfred Lord Tennyson and many others? They did likewise. Why not submit your book to one of these subsidy publishers now? But suppose they don't appeal to you. You have another choice. Self Publishing Yes, you may decide to do it yourself. Print and publish your work. Go round, promote and distribute your book. Become your own manager, accountant and clerk. And more! Then ask yourself: How far can I go? Do I have the time? Do I have the experience? Can I bear the health and physical risks? Well, it is up to you to decide. And remember what Hippocrates said: ”Ars Longa: Vita brevis -– Arts is long, but life is short.” If none of the above appeals to you, you are not to tuck away your precious manuscript in the attic. And go bungee jumping! Life after all, “is not a roller coaster” someone says. So, why not try the exciting world of Internet Publishing. Internet Publishing Did I say exciting? Yes, of course. The world had been dragging until some whiz kids got their magic boxes together and said: “Let the computers be connected!” And there came the Internet. And the dot com bomb. So, at the touch of the button, you have the world at your feet. Isn't that exciting? You, the writer has so much to gain from the Internet. You can do your research there, read all kinds of books, and do the ultimate –- publish on the Internet. I am not going to do a dissertation here because I do not know so much about the subject (pardon my ignorance.) I even understand that there is going to be a “new” kind of Internet, soon (pity me.) The first thing I will tell you though, is that dragons live there. The second is that many dot com companies are closing shop. And the third is that there is no hidden secret to success in the net than hard work, as in real life. (Is Internet not real?) The fourth is that the Internet is your shortcut to success. Do you want to find out? Why not visit the experts as you read on. Two publishing opportunities are open to you on the Internet. What are they? you may ask. E- BOOK PUBLISHERS Just as you have the traditional publishers, so you have the electronic or e- book publishers. But be careful! Many of them out there don't know what they are doing. And remember, you are going to do business with someone you don't see. So you will have to ascertain the credibility of your publisher. These are the categories of E- book publishers I have observed from my own personal experience. Which is your preference? 1. Targeted Publishers These ones publish selected books targeted for special audience. They publish How-To's, books on Business planning, web site, search engines, Net Etiquette, humor and others. If your book is on these subject matters you are free to submit. 2. Submit, ready to sell. These publishers would want you to submit your formatted E- book ready to sell. But the manuscript would previously have been submitted for approval. And you would not be asked to make any financial commitment in this case. If this appeals to you, submit. 3. General Publishers Submit your finished manuscript of any genre to these E- book publishers. Pay for the publication and go to bed. They will handle everything from formatting to publishing and promotion. Your book will even be available as an E- book or Rocket E – book, paperback book and audio book and in several, other forms (as you may desire.) Interested? Then submit! PRINT-ON-DEMAND PUBLISHING Your book can now be published in paper back or hard cover and be made available to be ordered online anywhere. This technology is known as print-on-demand (POD). The copies are as good as the ones from the traditional printing houses. And there are no unsold copies. For a list of publishers, simply search the following on the Web: Trade publishers Subsidy publishers E-book publishers Print-on-demand publishers But if these do not appeal to you, and you have the training and computer experience, you may play Stephen King—publish yourself! Arthur Zulu is an editor, book reviewer, and author of Chasing Shadows!, How to Write a Best-seller, A Letter to Noah, and many other works. For his works and FREE help for writers, goto: http://controversialwriter.tripod.com mailto: controversialwriter@yahoo.com About the author: Arthur Zulu is an editor, book reviewer and published author. Circulated by Article Emporium 35 Quick Tips for Writing A Press Release Quick Tips for Writing A Press Release... Layout 1. 1-2 pages in length. 2. Double-space. 3. 1.5 to 2 inch margins. 4. Use company stationary with logo and slogan. 5. Avoid bright or dark-colored paper. 6. Center "News Release" at top. <... Battling Internet ADHD: Ten Tips for Writers Write for a reason Get to the point. One of the basic references for Web design is Steve Krug's, Don't Make Me Think. My book for Web writers (not yet available in stores) will be called, Don't Make Me Yawn. The Great Democracy that is the Web has spawned far more spam and... Where Can I Publish My Book? "If you write without getting published, then there is no use in writing at all.” Those are words of wisdom from someone who wants you to seriously consider publishing your book. But before you really do so, you will do well to consider these questions: ... Writing Good Screenplays (Part Two) Last week we reviewed the three basic elements to apply in order to become a successful screenwriter. The first was discipline which revolved mainly around sitting down everyday for an hour or less and write anything. Research has shown that a habit is picked up or broken after 21 ... Searching for the best sourced assistance with reference to sportswear. When you are looking for high-class information about sportswear, it'll be complex unscrambling quality advice from reckless sportswear suggestions and advice so it's astute to know ways of moderating the information offered to you. Branders.com: Promotional Apparel... Online Poetry Community Begins Topic Slam Competitions www.urbanlivez.com, underground hip hop poetry forum is looking for poets, rappers and lyricists. Atlanta, GA, July 20, 2004 — The Urbanlivez.com online urban poetry community has jumped on to the band wagon of the popular hip-hop, rap battle forum trend. But with a twist... Writing Tip - Have You Established The Conflict In Your Story Immediately? In essence, your story will be about the conflict¡¦s history. Where it began, how it began, how it will unravel, how it will end. And because the conflict is our story, it will need to be established pretty much in the beginning. You probably would¡¦ve gathered by now tha... Ad Copy Tips What percentage of prospects come your way as a result of your ad copy? What percentage of sales do you close because of your ads? Well, increase both percentages with some of our tips, tailored to your own ad campaigns. 1. ERRORS – It's tough to have 100 percent perfect ... Your Book and a Great Website Build a great Website. I can't state this often enough or strongly enough: you must have an attractive, easy to use Website that lets your visitors do four things: a. Buy your book. b. Register and download sample chapters or get your e-newsletter. c. E-mail friend... Seven Secrets of Writing a Book that Sells It's one thing to write a book, it's an entirely different thing to write one that's a saleable, viable, marketable product. Ensuring the success of a book is something even the biggest publishers have never been able to guarantee. Mitigating circumstances, flash trends, and world ... Finish Your Book Already! I owe the completion and success of my book to a big cardboard box that saw me through the entire process. I found this box and filled it with any and all information I could find on my topic ‘advanced presentation skills for speakers and business presenters.' I printed out article... If you are chasing the most up-to-date opinion pertaining to love poetry. If you are chasing the most up-to-date opinion pertaining to love poetry. When you're seeking the best information about love poetry, you'll find it hard unscrambling quality advice from inexpert love poetry proposals and directions so it is wise to know how to moderate the in... How to Create a Media Frenzy for Your Book Prepare talking points before making media appearances. Many new authors spend so much time and energy trying to get in the newspaper or on radio that when they get there, they don't know what to say. But if you take an hour to prepare concise, compelling comments about yo... Writing For The Web: Where To Get Article Ideas A friend and I were talking the other day about writing. He liked to write, but even so his biggest problem was finding things to write about. My friend was astounded at the volume of writing that I do - at least one article and something as many as six, per day... The 10 Laws for Writing Letters that Get Results The following is a letter in response to a question about how to write sales letters. This is something you could model in layout, tone, and ideas, to write your own letters. By the way, this is where your letterhead should go. Dear Fellow Chicago Seminar Attendees, <...
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