How to Get Affordable Publisher

In the basic scenario of book publishing, a writer finishes a book and then finds an agent who helps sell the book to a publisher. When someone asks, "How do I find a publisher?" they're often looking for the details of this scenario. But let's backtrack a little. The answer to this question has to do with what you as a writer want out of the publishing process as well as what the publisher wants. It's best to be as clear as possible on both counts. Here are a few things to consider.


What exactly do you want for your book? It's possible that your answer can save you a lot of time and heartache. Here's an example. A writer recently emailed me about wanting to find a publisher for his book on dealing with sickle cell anemia. He said he felt it was a really important book and that people would be interested in the information. That's great, but if his main goal is getting his book into the hands of those coping with the disease, he doesn't have to go with a big traditional publishing house in order to do that. He can self publish and take the book directly to doctor's offices, support groups and sickle cell organizations.

Do you want a book that tells a family story that will be a legacy for your children? Do you want a book that will establish your expertise and help you get started on the speaking circuit? You can accomplish these things by self publishing. A prominent ghostwriter recently published a book about his trade and landed a television interview where he discussed how politicians get their books written. The author was introduced as a "ghostwriting guru" and his book was prominently displayed at the end of the story. There was nothing that would have told you the book was self published. It didn't make a difference that it was. He still got the notice, was still seen as an expert.

Do you want to go for the whole enchilada--traditional publishing house, book tour, the status of having the validation of a publisher? That's fine too. Which brings us to...

What Publishers Want

Publishers are reviewing tons of manuscripts daily. How do you get your submission package to stand out from the others? By giving what they're looking for.

They want good writing. That's a given, but how do you deliver? First of all, be in a mode of constantly learning about your craft. Take classes, workshops, join a writer's group. Next, hire someone to help you. There are many editors who assist writers in getting a manuscript ready for submission. Some agencies even provide editing as part of their services.

The next part is harder. It has to do with that magical term "platform". Everyone these days talks about how publishers buy on the basis of your platform. In fact your submission package, fiction or non-fiction, will be all about showcasing your platform. Here's what they're looking for and how to demonstrate it.

Who you know and who knows you: Have testimonials and blurbs from known and noted people featured in your package. If you have a few big names behind you, that's more power for your marketing machine.

Do you have a following? If you put out a newsletter or other regular media you'll want to show how many subscribers you have. If you have a killer website, tell the number of hits you draw each month. If you sell a product, give sales figures to show you know how to produce what your customers want.

How can we find top publisher services?

Go to writers’ forums and websites and quiz individuals on their publishing experiences. Then go to publisher websites and read the testimonials. But, remember, they will not print any of the critical author emails they’ve received. And, by all means, Google a publisher too. Don’t take all the positive reviews seriously and don’t believe all the cries of “Scam! Scam!” But thoughtfully consider all the reports and balance them out against each other.

You’re Not Just a Dollar Sign When it comes to great customer service, again, it pays to ask former authors about their experiences. Also, note carefully when you ask questions on a publishing site or mention interest in filling out an application---what kind of attention do they promise? Too many publishers are wonderfully attentive until you sign on the dotted line and send your money. Then, suddenly your manuscript is just an item on an assembly line. Will they offer you a real live author rep to accompany you patiently throughout the entire publishing process? Can you actually reach the rep by phone or email or do you have to wait hours or even days on end for a response?

They Offer Genuine Publicity Five hundred bookmarks and a few postcards does not a PR campaign make. Does the publisher help you get your manuscript out to book reviewers? Do they give you a custom book cover that will really grab readers? Do they help you advertise your book to targeted blogs, ezines, and directories that cater specifically to your topic or genre? Do they set up your book for Google searches and do they include benefits such as the “Search Inside” feature on Amazon? Do they have an active distribution program through a reputable distributor such as Baker & Taylor? Do they offer such features as the religious publisher that offers contact information to thousands of pastors and churches? These are truly valuable publicity methods that can really help.

They Coach Authors Long-Term the typical commercial publisher tends to push a book hard for 1-3 months. Then they have to move on to other books. Most print-on-demand publishers don’t individually publicize a book for much more than one week. They primarily set certain features in place that enable the author to help publicize it. However, there are a few publishers that truly assist authors for months or even years after they’ve published. One such publisher is Outskirts Press, which offers an email coaching program that continues for at least two years after publishing. This is invaluable to not only inform writers but also motivate them toward success in a very tough and competitive field.

Magazine subscriptions services

Have you ever thought about why people use a magazine subscription service? The idea of getting magazines at a substantial discount is very appealing. Really though when you think about it magazines are a great way to relax. Even moreso, magazines are a fantastic way to get the latest information. Books are fine when the topic is older; however, they are not necessarily the most up to date when it comes to the latest trends. If you are a constant traveler like me then you like a variety of reading choices.

Publisher reserves the right of final approval of both the form and content of each contribution from the Author. Publisher may, as it deems desirable, adapt and edit or authorize the adaptation and editing of each contribution. Publisher may or may not publish a contribution at its sole discretion.

One of my favorite magazines, Robb Report, provides the finest luxury items on the market today. Sometimes, the products are so new that they are not even for sale, yet. It's easy to get lost in your dreams when you read a magazine like the Robb Report. The beautiful cars, like the newest Ferrari, or the hottest getaway spot for the rich and famous. Just because you have money doesn't mean that you want to waste it. That's one of the beautiful things about magazine subscriptions when you use an online discount savings service, you don't pay retail prices and you can save money for the luxury items you pine for.

In consideration of the services performed by Contributor hereunder and the rights granted and assigned hereunder, Publisher agrees to pay to Contributor, subject to the terms herein, an amount as set forth in Exhibit B.

Again, that's pretty straightforward. The question is, what's actually written in Exhibit B and what kind of "kill fee" is detailed, if any. And here's the final clause, in Exhibit B, that punctures a hole in any sort of argument that the publisher may have with the author:

Payment for each contribution shall not be made until such contribution has been approved for print in the magazine. In the event that a contribution is not accepted for print, the contributor shall not be entitled to payment.

My reading of this is that it's an all-or-nothing contract. There's no legal provision that gives them the right to withhold partial payment for any reason: either the terms of the contribution are met as detailed in the Exhibit, or they're not, in which case "the contributor shall not be entitled to payment."

If the difference is more than a miniscule amount I would suggest that you call up the publisher and say that upon further reading of your contract, you do not see that they have any basis for withholding 2/3 of your payment and that you'd like to see a check issued for the balance of the article payment immediately.

Directory database services for Publisher

Directories and databases have traditionally been a distinct and separate segment of the larger publishing industry. Initially built from the circulation database or by the publisher’s ability to attract classified advertisements, directories have usually been the 13th issue of the magazine and are now recognized as the most under-utilized assets within the publishing industry.

The content offering needs proprietary, in-depth content as well as aggregated ‘commodity’ content to make this an industry destination as well as develop granular distribution channels for this content.

What is needed to make a Sourcing Guide the indispensable tool for buyers, is to add enough data to enable the buyer to create an informed short list. The data will vary depending on the industry but will often include terms and conditions, geographic coverage, delivery times, resellers and other intermediaries.

Once buyers use the Sourcing Guide as their primary reference, vendors will be willing to pay for solutions that bring the buyer more intimately into their systems. These solutions include pricing catalogues, inventory search, and delivery tracking and so on.

Tools that provide an intuitive search on content is today a basic expectation and not considered as value add. The challenge for building subscription-based revenues is in providing additional content and technology value add to the subscriber against traditional competitors, as well as the high availability of public domain information on the Internet. There is also an increased user expectation for the quality, periodicity and depth of data.

The content offering needs proprietary, in-depth content as well as aggregated ‘commodity’ content to make this an industry destination as well as develop granular distribution channels for this content.

What is needed to make a Sourcing Guide the indispensable tool for buyers, is to add enough data to enable the buyer to create an informed short list. The data will vary depending on the industry but will often include terms and conditions, geographic coverage, delivery times, resellers and other intermediaries.

Once buyers use the Sourcing Guide as their primary reference, vendors will be willing to pay for solutions that bring the buyer more intimately into their systems. These solutions include pricing catalogues, inventory search, and delivery tracking and so on.

Tools that provide an intuitive search on content is today a basic expectation and not considered as value add. The challenge for building subscription-based revenues is in providing additional content and technology value add to the subscriber against traditional competitors, as well as the high availability of public domain information on the Internet. There is also an increased user expectation for the quality, periodicity and depth of data.

Of all the credentials desired by professional service providers, perhaps the most coveted is authorship, publishing a book under your own name. A book conveys solidity, credibility and expertise; in the mind of the marketplace, it often distinguishes the serious players from the also-rans.

Best Publisher database Services

The book publisher directs authors toward specific editing services or gives authors’ names to these services, with the caveat that if the author hires the editing service, their book will be published. Every book needs editing. It is part of the publisher’s job to provide that editing at no cost.

The book publisher offers a contract where the author has to pay for part of the publishing costs. The acquisition editor will sometimes say that the publisher’s list is full for that season, but the author’s book has so much going for it, they would still like to publish it. However the publisher’s resources are fully committed and the author will have to share in the costs.

Some book publishers offer contracts that are unfair, such as they obtain rights that should remain with the author of the work. Some book publishers’ contracts contain a clause that if the author says anything negative about the book publisher, there is a monetary fine. There are also book publishers who hold the rights for a lengthy time period, regardless of whether the book is still in print or selling.

Thinking of starting your own magazine or newsletter? If you do have a good idea that you want to market, be sure to do your homework so that you can be well prepared for a magazine launch. To help you succeed, you may want to enlist the services of a magazine publisher who can help you with many of the details of publishing a magazine.

A magazine publisher can help with many of the startup, marketing, production, and distribution tasks that need to be taken care of for a magazine's launch and longevity. They can provide sound advice based on years of experience, and help you avoid pitfalls along the way.

Before you decide to look for a magazine publisher, it's important to have a well thought out business plan in place that clearly outlines your product and audience, marketing strategy, financial plan and analysis, your management team, industry analysis, and competition. Once you have your business plan, you can determine what startup capital you have available to work with, and you also have a clearly stated plan that you can use as a basis for future discussions with various magazine publishers.