At one of Dave’s favorite restaurants, he carefully looks over the chef’s featured dishes on the menu—the new side dish, an appetizer he hasn’t tried, the tempting entree—finally putting together exactly the meal he wants to eat. At another favorite eatery on a recent date, Dave told the waiter, “feed us.” His date was impressed. “How daring!” Dave could have spent more time going through the stellar menu with her, but his attention was on more than the meal. The symphony’s first notes were just two hours away and he was introducing his date to good friends there.

“Daring?” Nope. Risky. If the meal is great, Dave’s a genius. If it fails to impress, the waiter’s an idiot. If his date’s meal doesn’t agree with her, the evening’s a bust. I hope Dave isn’t in a hurry when he gets around to publishing his great American manuscript.

Yet, many authors who have savored the creative process and spent months or years meticulously writing and rewriting their manuscripts, settle on a publishing path that more closely resembles a fast food combo. Just order a #2—skip the professional editing and cover design, and have Amazon on the side. But are you likely to really be satisfied with your book product at the end of the process? Will you keep paying in ways you hadn’t anticipated? Or will you wonder what could have been if you’d made some different choices? By that time you’ve  already spent your money, so you live with the consequences.

The average number of units sold during the lifetime of a POD-packaged title is about one hundred-fifty copies. So much for the convenience of purchasing an all-in-one, combination publishing package. Maybe convenience isn’t worth the price you pay in the long run.

With thoughtful investments of a little time and energy, authors can design a publishing path that makes sense for them and equips them to publish a book that is more likely to meet their expectations and goals for success. RJ Communications and selfpublishing.com are committed to helping authors prepare and publish the best books they can produce, and get them to market with a better chance for greater success.

This is not a time to rush. As with any recipe, consider your book project’s ingredients carefully. What kind of book is this? Who are the targeted readers? How will you reach them? What kind of product will be most successful? Will you get help with editing by a professional book editor? (How will your audience respond if they find editorial errors in your book? How will it compare to other professionally published books if it does not meet editorial publishing standards?) Will you have your book cover designed by a professional book designer? (People do judge a book by its cover—as well as every single visual element that makes up the physical product.) Will your book have the single, most-important element needed for you to achieve your publishing dreams? (Most companies won’t even mention it because they can’t help you with it.)

In this economy it makes sense to get your money’s worth with every good or service you buy. In other words, instead of simply rushing to order the #2, slow down just a bit and allow yourself the time to check out your other options on the menu.  You may find a better value that is more appealing to you. If you’re going to invest in taking your writing to market, take a little more time to plan your publishing experience. Read through our online resources, talk to a Book Coach, and then choose the path that best matches your book and the goals you have for it.

After all of the time and effort you’ve put into writing the book, self-publishing your book in a way that is truly your own—rather than conforming to a combo publishing package—can be a rewarding experience. Introducing your book to the marketplace, knowing you’ve made the decisions and done everything you can to produce a sound published product—and being confident that you’ve got a product that will win sales and gain success? Priceless.

Phil Whitmarsh, Book Coach…conjurer of analogies.
Direct: 1-212-584-5464
Toll-free: 1-800-621-2556, ext. 5464

Last 5 posts by Phil Whitmarsh

• Welcome to the Coach’s Corner! - January 14th, 2010
• Welcome to the Coach’s Corner! - September 20th, 2009