May 21, 2013

ASK RON: Do you think I should use a Christian publisher to publish my Christian title?

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I run into this question quite a bit and it doesn’t have a simple yes/no answer. Over the years I do not think I have hidden the fact that I am a Christian and run my business and personal life, guided by Christian principles but I don’t believe that I have ever asked someone to work with me solely for that reason. I don’t believe you should … [Read more...]

ASK RON: “Why do you believe that the vanity press publishing model has been so successful?”

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There’s a line from one of my favorite movies, “The Usual Suspects,” that goes, “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.” Well, the greatest trick that vanity press publishers try to pull off every day is claiming that vanity press publishing is self publishing. Now that Author Solutions … [Read more...]

ASK RON: What do you think about Penguin purchasing Author Solutions?

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Gen. Douglas MacArthur paves the way for the purchase of Author Solutions by Penguin Books. I held off answering this question for a bit until I could develop a solid opinion. At this point I’m not even sure if the check has cleared and Penguin isn’t showing any of their cards. The way I see it, this could either be a really good move for … [Read more...]

ASK RON: What is the most important thing I need to understand about Self-Publishing prior to publishing my book?

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The most important thing that an author needs to know, prior to self-publishing is the function of the ISBN and why it is so important that it be owned by the self-publisher. I recently gave a seminar at the Unicorn Writers Conference on this as well as many other of the “basics” of self-publishing. The seminar is only an hour and is presented … [Read more...]

The Printed Book is Here to Stay – A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Ohio

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As many of you know, I have been a bit “under wraps” since this time last year. Over that year, there have been quite a few technology changes … all seemingly pointing to the demise of the printed book. Within a few short days and about 5 hours hanging around airports, I’m convinced that the printed book is here to stay. About two weeks … [Read more...]

ASK RON: “How in the world do I know what a good price range is when considering publishing options for my book? So far the cost has been between $550-$2000.”

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This is probably the most common question I’m asked by new authors wanting to self-publish. How much? The answer to this lies somewhere between “How much is a car?” and “How much is your $14.95 muffler?” Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of what you are going to find on the Internet falls into the later. Before I get into the … [Read more...]

ASK RON: “My Books Are Not Right!”

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“My Books Arrived From the Printer and They Are Not Right. What Can I Do?” The first thing that comes to mind when someone asks this question is a concept dating back to Ancient Babylon and shared by most of the world’s religions commonly known as the “Golden Rule” … “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This holds … [Read more...]