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ABC's of Publishing: Big Business of Books
by Lisa Hood

As a writer I spend countless hours laboring to find the right word, writing, rewriting, and researching to bring my imaginary characters and story lines to life on the page. Steeped in creative juices, it's easy to forget that publishing is a business: a big business. According to US Census Bureau, 2003 bookstore sales were $16.18 billion, with Barnes & Nobel, Borders, Amazon and BN.com accounting for $10.14 billion. The Open eBook Forum trade group tallied e-book sales of $3.23 million for first quarter 2004, a 28% increase from previous quarters.

When I write, I don't write to satisfy the market, but myself, and I consider myself successful, regardless of how many books I sell.  Of course, I dream of that bestseller, with my name on the spine, my face on the back cover, my list of dedications to family and friends, acknowledging their loving support.

How is it that some writers, of varying talent, make it, while others don't? It's no accident when a writer makes it big. They understand that selling books is a big business and they don't loss sight of these fundamentals:

Marketability

The first consideration of an editor is the marketability of a work. According to Susan Rabiner and Alfred Fortunato, authors of Thinking Like Your Editor: How to Write Great Serious Nonfiction -- and Get It Published:

When editors look at a book proposal, no matter how much they like the writing, they must eventually ask themselves the following questions:

"Can I imagine the type of buyer who will hear about this book and want to go to the bookstore to check it out?"

"When that buyer does pick up the book, will he or she find the writer's treatment of the topic to be such that he or she decides to buy the book?"

Why do book editors think this way? Because a book purchase is a relatively expensive enterprise, both in dollars and in the time invested in reading it."

You must know your target audience.  Readers have very specific tastes, so while your book may have cross over appeal, you should commit yourself to a one genre.  You must familiarize yourself with that genre, and subgenres, research best sellers list, learn what readers want and give it to them.

Rabiner and Foruanto advise "find the common denominators among readers of books in the category in which you choose to write in order to make sure that you are in sync with the core audience for books on that subject. That's how editors do it. They read and read and read in one category until they feel they understand the reading needs of those types of readers."

Self Promotion

Once you've accomplished the seemingly impossible task of selling your manuscript to a publisher, you may think your work is done.  In fact, you are largely responsible for the success or failure of your book once published.  Of course your publisher wants your book to sell, but they will have a limited marketing budget to promote your work. It's up to you to generate a buzz.  You can do this by joining organizations, speaking at events, participating in book signings, requesting reviews, sending a blurb to your local newspaper, doing interviews on radio stations, and above all, never giving up on your book!

According to Astrid Cooper, Sci Fi, Fantasy and Romance author, "Many writers believe that once the book is printed their 'work' is over and it is time to focus on a new project. This might be true if the writer is a lead title author, where the enormous marketing resources of the publisher are put behind the author's book. They do not have to pay for advertisements, nor do they have to send out press releases and 'beg' for a morsel of media attention.

For the rest of us mere mortals, we have to make sure our books are brought to the attention of as many people as possible. Book sales equate to royalties, but more importantly, book sales - good book sales - will ensure that the publisher will look favorably on more proposals that we submit to them. Book publication time - bookshelf time -- It is sink or swim for the beginner and mid-list author. It is up to us to ensure that we do as much as we possibly can to maximize book sales and publicity."

Rabiner and Foruanto advise that you get in good physical shape. "If your book attracts attention from the press, your publisher may decide to put you on tour -- that is, the publisher may be willing to send you to several cities to do media appearances. That's grueling work, especially for someone out of shape. Just as important, line up an appropriate wardrobe of clothes that will not wrinkle easily."

Resilience

In order to succeed, you must believe in yourself and don't rely on others for validation.  When you submit your work to publishers, you will be rejected. The most successful writers tell how they persisted despite rejection:

Jonathan Kellerman: "[I] didn't publish my first novel until I was 35. In between were enough rejection slips to paper my house and 8 unpublished novels. I suppose I just finally got good enough."

Brad Meltzer: "I got 24 rejection letters on my first novel. I got 24 people who told me to give it up. It doesn't mean they're wrong, it doesn't mean I'm right -- it's a subjective industry and as I was once told, it only takes one person to say yes."

You must temper your confidence with open mindedness: listen to constructive feedback, and recognize opportunities for improvement, while staying true to your voice.

Books are big business, but writing is so much more. I think Stephen King says it best, "Writing isn't about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it's about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well."

Resources

Rabiner, Susan, Fortunato, Alfred: Thinking Like Your Editor: How to Write Great Serious Nonfiction -- and Get It Published, 2002, Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc. New York, NY

Cooper, Astrid: Marketing and self-promotion, Retrieved Nov 2004, Twilight Times @ http://www.twilighttimes.com/ACooper4a.html

Authors on the Web, Retrieved Nov 2004

King, Stephen: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, 2000, SCRIBNER, New York, NY Copyright © 2000 by Stephen King

© Copyright 2004 Lisa Hood. All rights reserved.

Lisa Hood is the author of "Shades of Betrayal" and "Shades of Revenge". She has been writing for over 10 years and is presently working on her third suspense novel, "Shades of Jealousy."  Other articles by  Lisa Hood can be found at http://www.bookjobber.com/articles.asp http://www.BOOKJOBBER.com is an Internet based company, which publishes and sells fiction and non fiction e-books.