Out of the blue...

[Disillusioned]

Just out of the blue today, one of the women from another department walked up to me during break and asked me how I published my first book by myself, so I told her. No real attraction between me and her, but there might be between her and my foreman... both are younger than I am and they've both beaten the Big C.

[laRubiaBonita]

is it that you really expect that any woman who talks with you Must have some sort of attraction/ interest in you?

 

 

or was this one of those twitter type comment posts?

 

like- i just ate an apple. it was good.

[MinstrelsKiss]

is it that you really expect that any woman who talks with you Must have some sort of attraction/ interest in you?

 

 

or was this one of those twitter type comment posts?

 

like- i just ate an apple. it was good.

 

lol...

 

And for Disillusioned, don't make mountains out of molehills

[Shakz]

So how did you publish your book yourself? I've submitted several times to publishers. Got one rejection because my manuscript was in the wrong damn font. What's your secret?

[Disillusioned]

is it that you really expect that any woman who talks with you Must have some sort of attraction/ interest in you?

 

That's not what I said. You're reading things into my post that aren't there.

 

So how did you publish your book yourself? I've submitted several times to publishers. Got one rejection because my manuscript was in the wrong damn font. What's your secret?

 

Well, there really aren't any. Luck doesn't factor into it either, unless you feel lucky to have accidentally found someone who did it already.

 

1. Don't deal with publishers: they're only interested in making money for themselves off your book.

 

2. Go to the US government copyright office online, create a login for yourself, and pick the form you need... VA is for visual arts, TX is for printed texts, SR is for sound recordings, and there are a few others. If your book has a lot of illustrations, buy 2 copyrights for it, TX and VA. One copyright costs around $40 online, but about $10 more and 2 months if you snail-mail them the form.

 

3. You can BECOME a publisher by buying your own ISBNs and barcode packages from isbn.org (this is not a government agency). This consists of little more than logging in and assigning the titles you want to any of your barcodes. If you have separate hardback and paperback editions, a revised edition, or a foreign language version, each one of those will need its own barcode. At least 10% totally different info is needed to meet the legal definition of a revised edition (a few authors put out a revised edition to get out of contracts with publishers who they feel haven't treated them fairly). Barcodes are now available for $50 a pop, but they're cheaper in quantity. $325 buys you 10, I forget how much buys you 100, and $1600 buys you 1,000. You can in theory be designated the publisher if you form your own group of writers.

 

4. You'll need to find a book printer who can handle the job you want them to do. Look for POD (=print on demand); DO NOT go with "self-publishing services" if you want control over how your title gets distributed! Lightning Source is a good one, and I've heard Booksearch is good too. You may be given the option of uploading your book files to them and paying for submission online, or burning your files to a CD and mailing it to them with a check. I paid about $135 for the submission, archiving, and proof copy, after that I only need to buy copies from their archive to sell in person. The important thing at this point is to get your files exactly the way you want them before you send them in. Your printer will not edit your work for you. If your spelling and grammar are not that great, you need an editor... this is why it's such a good idea to join a writers' group. Many writers themselves are pretty good at editing. Once your text file and cover image are exactly the way you want them, convert them to pdf and burn them onto the CD, along with your barcode. Don't deal with printers who want something in a format other than pdf.

 

5. Join a writers' group which goes to trade shows and conventions, has book signings, etc. It's expensive, but it will pay off quickly if you have a talent for selling or you can hook up with another writer who does. But be careful when joining these groups... warning signs include organizers who want to dictate what form your writing should take, amateur editors who want you to pay them up front, or groups which aren't interested in doing shows.

 

6. Buy a copy of the Everything Guide to Writing a Novel by Joyce & Jim Lavene. It costs about $15 new, and it will help you get your work into the kind of shape an editor and a reader want to see (can't help you with nonfiction, though...).

 

7. Lastly, don't hope you're going to become the next J.K.Rowling. In fact try to AVOID letting your title get picked up by a major NYC publishing house, because they'll only give you between 4 and 10 cents on the dollar for each one they sell. If you feel you must sell them the rights to your work, make sure they pay you what you think it's worth. A story is like a tool, it can be well-made and serve you well, or it can be badly made and become a waste of your time and money. Do your best. Remember, you're not selling books, you're selling entertainment.

 

Hope this helps, and good luck.

[Shakz]

Hope this helps, and good luck.

 

Thanks man. I had no idea. That's doable.

[tman666]

The other day, I put a bowling ball in the oven for an hour. Nothing happened.

 

Hope this helps!

[Shakz]

The other day, I put a bowling ball in the oven for an hour. Nothing happened.

 

Hope this helps!

 

You have to turn the oven on.

 

It helps.

[tman666]

You have to turn the oven on.

 

It helps.

 

Dammit! I knew I should have written the instructions down!

[laRubiaBonita]

That's not what I said. You're reading things into my post that aren't there.

 

Just out of the blue today, one of the women from another department walked up to me during break and asked me how I published my first book by myself, so I told her. No real attraction between me and her, but there might be between her and my foreman... both are younger than I am and they've both beaten the Big C.

 

not trying to be difficult, but that was what i read.....