Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.” William Shakespeare
One of the greatest aspects of being a writer today is that we have so many routes to publication. But sometimes the very thing that makes the process exciting also creates dilemmas. It pays to do your research.
There are pros and cons to each route. Here is an excellent article on factors to consider when deciding to go with a small press: Vanity Press in Small Press Clothing.
Preditors and Editors is another valuable resource for writers and authors seeking agents, editors and publishers.
My Decision-making Process:
I tend to suffer from an ailment which I will label “paralysis of analysis.” The only two times in my life I did not honor this well-practiced modus operandi was when I decided to get married. But I digress and that’s the subject of my first memoir Ever Faithful to His Lead: My Journey Away From Emotional Abuse. I took an uncalculated leap of faith and ended up falling into an abyss I had to climb out of.
Any other big decision—having a child, choosing a college, deciding on a career change, retiring from my nursing career, etc– had me writing out lists of pros and cons, talking endlessly to family and friends about the decision and losing sleep.
But (and it’s what comes after the but that counts), this process has served a valuable purpose. When I do finally reach a decision, there is no question. There is a sense of rightness and finality. There is no turning back.
I have struggled with my decision on the best route to publication for my memoir.
To be honest, my favorite route is Indie publishing for the independence, efficiency and sense of satisfaction in having creative control over my work. I feel strongly that anyone who self-publishes has to work twice as hard to maintain the same level of excellence as the author of a traditionally published book. If writers maintain a commitment to excellence by creating their own team of professionals—editors, cover designers, formatters, etc- there should be no difference between an Indie published book and a traditionally published book.
We are entrepreneurial authors in charge of our works.
And, no matter which route to publication we choose, there is no easy way. It’s all hard work, both the writing and the marketing.
As authors, we take the responsibility for learning our craft and promoting our book.
Like any other major decision in life, I had to factor in individual issues such as chronic illness, age, family life, time. I’ve been more aware of the passing of time lately. I don’t mean that in a morbid, negative way. Rather a life affirming way, where my time with my family and friends is precious. I don’t want to lose sight of what matters the most in my life. Writing is a passion for me but I am aware of how it keeps me from being present to my family and friends.
After months of deliberation, I have made a final decision based upon what I feel is best for me, for now. I have taken the time to get to know a small publisher whom I have grown to trust and value for his sound advice and for his experience in the publishing world. I have found a partner to assist me in the process of launching my “baby” into the world and I couldn’t feel more satisfied.
About Paul Burt and Pen and Publish, Inc:
His name is Paul Burt and he is the Founder/President of Pen and Publish, Inc. Pen and Publish was established in 2005 to work with schools and nonprofits to professionally publish student collections. They have added adult titles and collaborative/traditional-hybrid imprints Transformation Media Books (body/mind/spirit) and Open Book Press.
They also provide publishing services for small presses and individual authors.
Paul reached out to me on social media. He found me when I left a comment on Dan Blank’s WriterUnboxed post ,then he visited my site and left a comment on my post. So goes the power of making meaningful connections via social media.
It pays to show up!
So why did I choose Pen and Publish out of all the options available?
Communication: It takes time to establish trust, especially in this current publishing environment where companies prey on vulnerable new authors. We both would be taking a risk so we had to spend some time getting to know each other. After several hours on the phone, and many emails back and forth, we forged a partnership. In the end, we were willing to take the risk on each other. Paul answered my emails promptly which was one of my criterion. Several other publishers were not as responsive.
Collaboration: Paul has taken the time to guide me in edits and marketing activities while leaving the decisions—title, book cover, marketing, crowdfunding– up to me. I feel like I have the best of both worlds, an experienced publisher to guide me and creative control over my work in progress. We are working together on a Pubslush pre-marketing campaign to help spread the value of the book. TBA
We are working on making this a win-win-win situation for him as the publisher, me as the author and, ultimately, for the reader.
Credibility: In his LinkedIn profile , Paul describes himself as a “social entrepreneur with a focus on win-win-win results.” He has fifteen years of book publishing experience as well as prior experience in nonprofit fundraising, printing industry sales and sales supervision. My conversations with Paul bore out these descriptions. I could have listed these attributes without reading his profile.
A Few Key Features of an Author Friendly Contract that factored into my decision:
*Gatekeeping services: access to editing, book cover designers, marketing plans.
*Quickly increasing royalty percentages linked to book sales.
*Print and Digital distribution with access to international markets and wider distribution channels.
*Upfront Costs: no fee to publish.
*Accessibility to publisher for ongoing questions/support.
*Copyright ownership maintained by author.
*Provision to cancel without cause.
Here are the lessons I’d like to share that may help you in your own publishing decisions:
1. Be clear on your publishing objectives: mainstream, POD, digital version only,etc.
2. Study available options. The market is saturated with how-to books. Here is a post with a list of resources that helped me.
3. Take time to be clear on your own needs related to finances, personal, time,etc.
4. Be realistic about the pros and cons of each route as it relates to your needs.
5. There is no one right way.
6. Honor your needs and make a decision that fits in with those needs.
7. Move forward in faith and hope, knowing you have been true to yourself and your prospective readers.
Find the best way for YOU to get your book into the hands of your readers.
We all have to find our own way through the maze of options. Best wishes on your journey to publication!
I’d love to hear your comments and am happy to respond to any questions. Paul has also agreed to be available for comments. Please leave your comments below~
Announcement:
Congratulations to Clara Bowman-Jahn for being the winner of Saloma Miller Furlong’s memoir, Bonnet Strings!
This week:
Thursday, 4/24/14: “Journaling as Seed for Memoir: A Memoir Moment”
