Contributed Article
Self-Publishing Analyzed
A letter received from
Alex Gabbard
Hello et al,
I thought you might be interested in some statistics: I've sent e-mails to several dozen agents with reference to the Amazing Authors Showcase listing my bio, short story (Of Emperors and Pontiffs - as a synopsis for a novel), and the first three chapters of my novel (Da Vinci's Epitaph) as a work ready for publication. I have received little interest. Perhaps it's too soon, just three months. I've long been a computer advocate and can see how the writer/agent/publisher interface can become very efficient for everyone who uses computers, but I've been amazed by the responses. Such as:
a. one agent said to snailmail the material to her - she didn't print from computer. "I don't do that," she said.
b. several agents have put me on their mailing lists to pay them for reviewing (editing) my work.
c. most agents simply didn't respond.
d. three agents expressed mild interest, but when I inquired if they had read the Showcase, none responded.
e. to date - no agent or publisher contact has been made.
(I teach a writing and publishing course at a nearby college, so I'm interested in statistics for illustrating the real world writers enter.)
My solution to the unpublished writer dilemma is - self-publish.
Some useful data: Authors who want to be published can waste their time and money trying to attract an agent/publisher, or they can produce a quality product at a fair price, their own book, that they can market and make a lot of money while gathering author accolades in spite of the traditional writer/publisher empasse. You can publish a 240 page trade paperback book for about $4000 for 2000 copies. That's $2/copy. With a retail of $15, you make $13/copy profit. If you sell wholesale to book stores, say 40% discount ($9.00), that's $7.00/book profit. You sell 308 copies retail, and you've recovered your investment. You sell 616 books retail, and you've made enough to publish your next book. Note that re-prints are much cheaper (all set-up costs were paid for in the 1st printing), and your profit is higher.
Strategy: Aim for the long term; aim to be famous in 10 years; aim to produce at least one book/year; aim to pay as you go; aim to build on success one book at a time; aim to grow from your local readership to continually wider readership; aim to produce quality work at market price; aim to ignore the traditional writer/publisher empasse. By the 4th book (with each one listing the books you have previously written on the author bio page), you will likely be generating repeat buyers who look for your previous books. Sell your books to local book stores to begin with, then work outward. Warehouse you books at home (it's no cost). At wholesale, you should be able to place 6-12 books in each local book store. (One country store has sold about 400 copies of one of my books!) Promote yourself - do signings with book stores, writer events, any events you can get invited to or can be a part of (such as your community heritage days, etc.). Promote yourself - send sample copies to newspapers, magazines, anything you think may provide publicity (your local newspapers for sure). Promote yourself - offer your books free to your local NPR radio station during their annual contributions drive, a free author signed book as a gift to pledges. (I was on the air for 3 hours once!) Promote yourself - if you are traveling to another city, contact their radio station(s) about getting on the air, talk shows, etc. (I live in Tennessee and I've been on radio Newport, Rhode Island for an hour while on vacation!). Let newspapers of other cities where you travel know when you will be in town, they might be interested in doing a story on you.
Self-publishing, how to do it: Do as much of the writing/layout/design/art as you can yourself. Otherwise you pay very high prices for others to do it. Do your own work and you get better and better at it. 1. polish your manuscript to publishable quality (hire a copy-editor, work with other authors on an exchange basis, or go it on your own. 2. computerize yourself. Use Microsoft PageMaker (recommended) or Quark (widely used) for page layout. It's much easier than you think. 3. put your manuscript into typeset format on Zip discs. 4. Contract a local printer/binder. (Select a book you like and use it as an example. You don't have to know the jargan at first, you'll learn.) Be prepared to pay 1/2 of cost up front and balance on pickup of books. Don't bulk ship your books - that's why you want a printer/binder close by. Pick them up yourself - much cheaper! 5. place copies of your book in beauty shops, barber shops, doctor's offices, etc. where people congregate and have to wait. You'll get exposure. 6. Give copies to libraries and ask for new release display. 7. Take advantage of any opportunity to promote and sell your work.
Example: One of my books, self-published, has sold 11,000 copies, 5 magazine features, 4,000 T-shirts and sweatshirts, lots of photos, made me an authority on the subject, given me radio and TV air time (at no cost to me), provided credibility on subsequent books, and is now going into its 2nd editioin - you guessed it; 240 pages at $4000 for 2000 books. Has it been profitable? How much can six digits buy? That same book handled by an agent through conventional publishing would have netted about $6,500 to me. Which would you rather have? (Not one of the publishers I contacted about doing this book had the courtesy to respond. Now I only smile.)
Conclusion: You don't need an agent or a publisher. Be your own, you will do a much better job of marketing yourself than they will. Self-publishing is viable and profitable, but you must produce good work. Junk doesn't sell in any market. And you must market; books in the garage sell only if you sell them. (They make great gifts, too!)
Benefits: Being a business involves some not so pleasant record keeping and tax reporting, but you can expense your travels, part of your home, part of your utilities, part of your car, and any costs of doing business. In ten years with several books out there, you will be an old pro. I've sold over 100,000 books with more in the works. You can too!
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