Crowds of people rushed into the bookshop to buy your book. It’s the latest must-read title – a sizzling hot best seller, climbing and dominating the charts for weeks on end. Or that’s how the story goes.
Getting published off-line is something I’ve thought about a lot over the past few years. You? Have you ever thought of getting published off-line? If so, why? It’s a large undertaking and I’m curious as to why people do it.
I would love to discuss this topic with you in the comments.
Mountains of opportunity
What are your thoughts?
Are you thinking of getting a book published? If so, why?
If you’ve already had a book published, how did it go? What did you learn?
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44 Responses to this post
July 25, 2010 at 5:19 pm |
Hi Robin,
I’ve often thought of writing a book … even got as far as setting up a folder on my computer to start storing chapter ideas.
For me, the biggest difference of being published ‘offline’ vs online is one of credibility … to have a publishing house endorse your work sufficiently to be willing to publish it … that would be, for me, the ultimate acknowledgment that I *do* know what I know … and what I *know* adds value.
Ridiculous notion in a lot of respects … as my clients & tribe affirm for me regularly that they value my knowledge, wisdom & insights … something about being published though just adds serious credibility (at least in my model of the world). Adding to the lunacy of my thought process, for a publishing house to pick up a book, it’s not about the knowledge the book contains, it’s about the ability to sell volumes … so that ‘reputation’ that I’m looking to validate presupposes a mass-market-readership … so yes, I know my logic is flawed
Am I willing to do what it takes to have a book published? Mmm … now that’s a good question. Because even as fantastic it would be to see my book on the shelves of Dymocks, Angus & Robertson & Borders, I’m not sure I’m willing to do what it takes merely for the ego-stroke. I’d need to know it was a financially profitable investment as well …
I’m not sure my ambivalence helps your thinking process … but maybe my thinking sparks more ideas for you
Cat
sparking your peak business performance
July 25, 2010 at 7:17 pm |
Thank you, Cat. I really appreciate your inputs here. Your logic makes a lot of sense to me. From a strictly commercial perspective, the decision to publish off-line must be supported by a viable business case.
Here are some interesting thoughts:
a) All things being equal, you get about $1 per book sold (from the publisher);
b) Publishers are moving away from advances for new authors;
c) A best-seller moves around 10,000 copies – a good performer – over 5000 (assumes a solid publicity campaign);
d) Publishers increasingly expect the author to add muscle to the PR effort, especially for ‘unknowns’. This obviously costs you time and effort.
Hmm.
Thoughts?
Robin
July 26, 2010 at 10:38 am |
Hey Cat
I agree – an offline book certainly adds a weight of perceived authority and stature. I’ve been asked to send a proposal for a book, and my issue is that I don’t know where to begin with referencing and reading up on supporting material, etc.
Ultimately, I could get my book for free to my intended readers, as well as crowd source their content for it, all for my time and without any advance financial cost.
The single reason why I am still debating the issue? Ego.
I’ll admit it: ego is a play here, because I *do* want the stature of having a book published. I’ve also worked with Publishers for almost 18 months so I know a bit about the process, etc.
Robin, your points are good:
a) All things being equal, you get about $1 per book sold (from the publisher);
So, we can make more than that online really can’t we!
b) Publishers are moving away from advances for new authors;
I didn’t know that, but it makes sense. If an advance wasn’t offered, I’m not sure if I’d still publish.
c) A best-seller moves around 10,000 copies – a good performer – over 5000 (assumes a solid publicity campaign);
Correct. I think I could shift 500 with my network, ebook style.
d) Publishers increasingly expect the author to add muscle to the PR effort, especially for ‘unknowns’. This obviously costs you time and effort.
Yes – this is a massive new drive, and you almost wonder, given the figure above of $1 whether it is better to go in alone…
Scott
July 25, 2010 at 6:51 pm |
Very interesting thought provoking subject,
I have been so busy on other business building tasks I hadn’t really entertained the idea of an offline book. Not being one to write lots of copy I had ALMOST dismissed the idea entirely as something more literary people would do.
When I look at my area of expertise I realise how much I respect the people who have put ‘pen to paper’ and written books about WordPress. Lisa Sabin Wilson for example has become a demi god for her ‘WordPress for Dummies’ books and if she had not written them to me she would occupy a different level of authority in my mind.
I also think a book would force me to explore more areas of my field in more depth than before so I would expect to come to the other side a more learned practitioner.
So for someone who wasn’t considering writing an offline book before this post I am beginning to think that the balance sheet would be well in the black for the time invested in such an endeavour.
Thanks once again Robin for expanding my vision in business.
kind regards
Tony
July 25, 2010 at 7:21 pm |
You’re very welcome, Tony. Thank you for this input. Your points are well made and present strong arguments in favour of offline publishing.
Best, Robin
July 25, 2010 at 7:48 pm |
Hi everyone,
that’s a good question to ask, Robin.
If you haven’t already done it, I highly recommend listening to Seth Godin’s talk on the Independent Book Publishers conference (http://sethgodin.typepad.com/files/publishinggodinkeynote-1.mp3).
If his numbers are correct, now there are about 170,000 books being published each year. And everyone’s trying to make each one a bestseller. Now, how many bestsellers are there each year?
That said, I think many of you are already in a good situation, having a well-known blog, are recognised as experts in their field, are connecting (to) people, these are aspects that can help you spread the news when you’re ready. Advertising won’t.
If you write a book only to have it sit on a shelf, don’t be surprised if sitting on a shelf is all it does. On the other hand, if you write a book to provoke, to empower, to revolutionize, to inspire — that’s something people will seek out more likely.
Best,
Erik
August 3, 2010 at 9:32 am |
Very nice distinctions, Erik. Thank you for the link. You’re a strong ideas person, will you write a book?
Robin
August 3, 2010 at 10:08 pm |
Thank you Robin.
Is “strong ideas person” a euphemism for “all hat and no cattle”?
Well, I do believe that ideas don’t have much value unless they’re executed. That said, there’s not a lot of credit on my line so far, and obviously this can lead to a lack of credibility. Which again is no a good starting point for publishing a book.
As Scott has pointed out in his spot-on post (http://scottgould.me/i-dont-talk-down-to-you/), there’s a huge difference between interacting/engaging and broadcasting, which is, whether I like it or not, what I’m currently doing with my blog. This might be the nature of every new blog, but the critical point is, I believe, to make the transition from broadcasting to interacting. This is my next middle-term goal, because I want to know what’s on people’s minds in the context of what I’m writing about. Does it matter? Does it help? Does it do good? Because if it doesn’t and I don’t provide any value, I better start doing something different. What do you think, regarding this specific question?
Nevertheless writing has its own magic and is not always easy. Inspiration is not always easy to find, sometimes there’s almost too much of it, not every idea you’re drafting makes it…some posts take hours of research just to make sure you’re not going from wrong assumptions to wrong conclusions. This is an interesting process in itself. And yes, I thought of publishing a book someday, but only when I know I’m writing stuff people care about (or, at least, I’m so convinced that people *should* care about it). Otherwise it’d just be a waste of time for everyone.
Guess that’s where I am at the moment.
Erik
August 3, 2010 at 10:29 pm |
Thanks for responding, Erik. I’m not one for euphemisms, but love sharing ideas.
Should you do something different? The only thing I could say to that question is to keep doing things differently – keep experimenting, testing and trialling – until you arrive at a point that adds value to the people around you AND is creatively satisfying.
It’s about finding your voice in a way that others can hear, appreciate and respond to.
I appreciate you sharing you thoughts.
Robin
August 3, 2010 at 10:57 pm |
Excellent feedback, Robin.
Thank you.
July 26, 2010 at 12:16 am |
I’m not thinking of publishing, I’m GOING TO PUBLISH a book. For the past five years, I’ve followed the steps to get my book written and revised. From taking classes, attending writers conferences, working with two editors, learning the craft, taking PR classes, blogging, giving presentations, volunteering at the library with their author series, becoming involved with two southern California writers groups, getting my name out there and networking, I think I am on my way to getting a book published. I would prefer a traditional publisher despite the $1/book return. Self-publishing offers you more return, but upfront costs can vary, average around $12,000 for a professional looking book cover. The problem is distribution, and you really have to understand the whole publishing business, and be excellent at marketing yourself, to get your book out there.
August 3, 2010 at 9:34 am |
Your attitude is contagious and your thoughts around working with a traditional publisher really resonate with me.
All the best with your book. Please stay in touch about your progress.
Good luck!
Robin
July 26, 2010 at 9:52 am |
Hi Robin
I am in the process as we speak of writing two books. One with a medical professional friend as a self help book, the other an erotic novel for female readers.
I am looking to have both published, purely because as a reference guide, readers can take a look a number of times and hold on to the hard copy.
I have in the past purchased online books, but found them a little frustrating as it’s just like reading online, but I feel lost without having something in hard copy I can read at any time.
I think even the sitting on the shelf option is like leaving footsteps for the future, instead of something electronic and eraseable.
Maybe it’s because I have been around a little longer as an X instead of a the technology geeks of the Y’s and Z’s, don’t know. Just something I feel as important.
August 3, 2010 at 9:36 am |
Thank you, Robyn. Yes, having a reference guide makes total sense to me. It’s something I long for with my own material. It’s just going to be so useful to be able to give such a guide to a client, friend or colleague.
Best to you.
Robin
July 26, 2010 at 10:29 am |
I have published 2 books and both sold out. First had a print run of 7 hardback copies (private diary of a holiday). Second was 100 softcovers for a school reunion. I recovered print costs. In both cases, I was writing for pleasure.
In the business world, a common reason to publish is to get credibility. Rule of thumb: start with a short cheap book which gets straight to the point. That is low risk. (Remember Blanchard’s Situational Leadership?)
August 3, 2010 at 9:38 am |
Excellent contribution, Robert. Well done on your publications and thank you for sharing your wisdom.
Best, Robin
July 26, 2010 at 10:41 am |
Tony, I agree.
There is a stature with offline publishing that online publishing doesn’t replicate – mainly because anyone can publish online.
I wonder, Robin, whether we have to almost shelf our financial expectations (of course we break even, but large profit I mean), in aid of the PR that it does for us.
Trey Pennington famously (because I quote it all the time) said that “the book is the new business card”
Scott
July 26, 2010 at 3:10 pm |
Thanks Scott,
Enjoyed your post about ‘Fashion and Technology Adoption’ http://scottgould.me/video-fashion-and-technology-adoption/
Along that thought line I wonder where a book sits in the fashion stakes for potentially faster adoption of our goods or services based on a shorter time needed to build credibility.
August 3, 2010 at 9:40 am |
Thank you, Scott. That’s okay if you use business cards. I haven’t used one for years.
The financial plan would need to consider the book as an investment in brand awareness and demand generation for the high margin products you make available online.
Let’s discuss.
Robin
July 26, 2010 at 2:19 pm |
Hello everyone,
I’ve written a few small books to help parents “emotion coach” their children. They just developed organically as I sought wisdom about how to bring up my own children. I’ll be selling them in my behaviour management packages.
I wrote them because it’s something I believe in. If we give children a good start in life, they’ll thrive and are much more likely to succeed in relationships later in life.
I’ll be selling them on my website which will be live soon.
I came across this article which might be of interest:
http://www.howtosellyourebook.com
Frances
Helping you bring out the best in your child.
August 3, 2010 at 9:41 am |
Thank you, Frances. That’s a very useful contribution to this discussion. Love your sharewords!
Robin
July 26, 2010 at 2:21 pm |
Hi Robin,
Before our discussion last week, I’d never considered publishing an offline book. Why? Well I’m not sure I have anything to write about that anyone would want to publish and I’m not a writer. I’m not saying that I couldn’t publish a book due to these reasons, just that they’re the reasons why I haven’t considered it.
That said, I have self-published a book of my 80yr old grandma’s poetry as a surprise gift for her birthday and that was not only a great learning experience but also hugely rewarding.
From a commercial viewpoint, not sure I’d do it for financial benefit directly – especially now that I’ve seen the kind of numbers you’re talking about – but definitely for the non-financial benefits mentioned by Cat, Scott and others.
If you have interesting things to write about and someone willing to publish then go for it! I love books. I don’t mind ebooks. I think they have their place but there’s nothing like browsing through real books in real bookstores. Will be looking out for your book on the bookshelves
July 26, 2010 at 3:17 pm |
Hi Suellen,
Wow sounds like we are really on the same page here too, I see a lot of similarities in our comments on the subject at hand. Might end up with us all going to book writing workshops in the future at this rate.
What a wonderful gift you made for your Grandma, what a lovely process that must have been. Sounds like a true labour of love.
My favourite reading format is on my Kindle. I would suggest anyone thinking to publish to also have a kindle version available then you have both types of reader covered.
July 26, 2010 at 3:33 pm |
Hi Suellen
Isn’t publishing something special for your family an amazing experience! My dad had started writing his memoirs because he wanted to share them with his family. But his untimely death meant my sisters and I had to finish it and have it printed. We then had the pleasure of taking it to a large family reunion.
I think that with so much pressure on business people to write these days, we’re seeing some mediocre writing. However, we’ve probably all got something worth saying – it’s a matter of discovering what it is and finding the right people to help.
So many writing workshops are available – but we need to find one that ‘clicks’ for each of us personally and having confidence in the facilitator’s ability.
Tony’s comment about have both versions I think is wise these days.
August 3, 2010 at 9:47 am |
Hey Suellen, in my opinion, you’ve got a fantastic book waiting to be birthed!
Best, Robin
July 26, 2010 at 2:34 pm |
Mmm, my book to hold, to see in the bookshops, to be reviewed in the Saturday papers. Yes, that would be something!
And yes, the topic is there – an uncomplicated guide for Australian business writers (covering basic punctuation, grammar, word useage and writing strategies). I like a reference book that sits in easy reach on my desk; it’s often easier than going online.
I think I’d look at self-publishing – help is available from so many talented people in the publishing field. With something tangible in hand, I’d then look at working with a publishing house.
But, it takes commitment, and my time is being consumed by other things at the moment. However, I will continue to write short guides to give to clients (some are available on my website), then look at collecting them into e-books.
However, a published book remains a goal, something that writers will find useful and that will establish my credibility. Will it be profitable? Who knows?
I’ll continue to be inspired by my visit to Trinity College Library in Dublin.
August 3, 2010 at 9:46 am |
Thank you, Desolie. Yes, ‘to have and to hold’ is very appealing.
The great thing about getting a publishing deal seems to be the pure distribution muscle they bring to the table. You get your ideas in lots of people’s hands.
I hope you do write up your ideas, because I will buy your book!
Best, Robin
July 26, 2010 at 11:30 pm |
I have a mountain of unpublished material, and a weight of experience from which others could benefit. I am bursting at the seams with themes, yet feel speechless, dumbfounded even. Daily I ask myself, who would want my pithy themes.
The author of To Kill A Mockingbird wrote only one book, and won a pullitzer for her remarkable work. She now lives a private life in NYC, venturing out rarely for public appearances.
It’s to such a legacy I aspire, if fate should shine her theme on me.
Cheers
Catherine
July 27, 2010 at 5:52 am |
Oh Catherine
You write with such a melodious rhythm. No matter what ‘pithy theme’ you were to write about, it would be a work of art.
Let me know when your book will be available.
Desolie
August 3, 2010 at 9:48 am |
Moi aussi! Bring it on, Catherine. We’ll be your sales team.
July 28, 2010 at 12:57 pm |
Laughed out loud. This drawing deserves to be found in a cave in 100,000 years time…
August 3, 2010 at 9:49 am |
Thanks, mate! Thought of you when I drew it.
July 29, 2010 at 11:26 am |
Robin,
As you know, I’ve struggled with this question myself. I am a published poet (my book won the Steel Toe Books Poetry prize in 2004, judged by one of my favorite poets, Charles Harper Webb). That was an amazing experience: my editor was very supportive, I had a lot of input on the cover design, and I was able to get blurbs from some truly top US poets. That said, the book has sold somewhere in the neighborhood of 500-600 copies. Good for poetry, but pretty darn small audience.
What I’ve come to realize is that through a lot of social networking on the web, I could probably sell that many copies of a book myself. There are dozens of poetry prizes each year, yet so few people are really reading them. So it all comes down to this: why write? Do we write for the money, the ego, or to be read? For me, it is definitely the latter. It’s why I’d rather have a smaller blog with an engaged community than a mega-blog with shallow comments.
All that said, I’m still not ready to pull the plug and just publish my second book on my own yet. I don’t like the stigma associated with self publishing, particularly for poetry. So…we’ll see. I’m going to focus on editing this month, try one more year of contests, and if no luck, I’ll reevaluate.
One of the reasons I LOVE blogging is there’s none of this silliness. You write and hopefully people read it and comment on it. Best of all worlds I think.
Jen
July 29, 2010 at 12:28 pm |
Thanks Jen for your insights from a published author.
I have to mention your blog, I was blown away by the latest article http://everydaybright.com/2010/07/27/taking-charge-of-your-happiness/ and think that our sharewords community could learn a lot from the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan and their approach to GNH – Gross National Happiness.
Look forward to meeting you in the future.
kind regards
Tony
July 30, 2010 at 6:32 am |
Thanks, Tony! Of course, the only credit I can take on the latest blog post, which is a guest post by Rosemary Lichtman and Phyllis Goldberg, is agreeing to publish it! I mentioned on my own Facebook page that the most popular posts on my blog seem to be my guest posts. Maybe that means I’m a better editor than writer? LOL Either way I’m happy.
Thanks for the plug and I DO need to get over to the Sharewords post. I hate to admit I’ve been intimidated, but there it is.
Jen
July 30, 2010 at 2:25 pm |
Hi Jen,
Being a good finder of article writers is a worthy skill. You being a great writer means you can also find great writers for us to enjoy on your website too. Having guest writers is a great thing to do I think.
Now please come and join us on the sharewords post, I promise there is a lot of love and support waiting for you. Going through the process will reveal things about yourself and your business you can’t normally see. ‘Can’t read the label from the inside of the bottle’
Now here is the link to save you looking for it:
http://www.radsmarts.com/2010/05/sharewords-the-easiest-way-for-us-to-recommend-you/
See you there, today.
Tony
July 30, 2010 at 8:38 pm |
Tony,
Okay, okay, you’ve convinced me! LOL We’re heading out for my 20 year high school reunion, but I’ll join you there Monday/Tuesday. I promise. Thanks for the kick in the pants. We all need that from time to time…
Jen
July 30, 2010 at 11:36 pm |
Thats great to hear Jen,
I will be eagerly waiting for your post on Monday to sharewords.
Hope the reunion went well.
Tony
August 3, 2010 at 9:52 am |
Thank you, Jen. I’m really looking forward to reading your book of poetry. Where can I buy it?
Best, Robin
July 29, 2010 at 12:19 pm |
I have a children’s book, ‘The Duffy Chronicles, Duffy Finds His Family’, that I published through Mirror Publishing. It is POD, which some book sellers don’t particularly like, but I’ve done pretty well with it. Mirror was very small when we found each other and they only do children’s books. Now their list of authors is quite impressive. Which I attribute to their open and honest approach to how they run the company.
In spite of the stigma w/ POD, I’ll do it for the 2nd and 3rd books too (it’s a trilogy). My objective from the outset was to use the book as a fund raising tool for no kill shelters. I’ve raised over $400 to date. Doesn’t sound like much, but there are limitations on the time you can put into promotion. The same amt. of time a publishing house would expect from you, I have to say. So I do shelter fund raisers and local book signings when I can.
I finally got the amazon affiliate badge on my blog, so I could sell the book that way. (just today actually). It has been available through amazon and barnesandnoble.com since it was first published.
I’m almost finished polishing my 1st e-book, which is a journal I wrote while my husband was (successfully) battling cancer. A very savvy PR person told me that should be available in hard copy, too. It’s the kind of thing people want to give as a gift, and share with people. So I may do it both ways, and POD will definitely be an asset for that!
Sorry this ran so long! Thanks for the question!
August 3, 2010 at 9:54 am |
Thank you, Barbara. I really appreciate your input regarding print-on-demand. It’s something that I have certainly considered.
Best, Robin
August 3, 2010 at 11:13 am |
Great prompt/post Robin. Really enjoyed everyone’s comments.
@jen gresham –> so cool and weird to find you here.I read about your blog via Sun Magazine’s newsletter which mentions blogs that mention Sun Magazine. I left a comment. You responded. I don’t think I had a “public” account on twitter then. What is even more interesting is that just today I tweeted that Sun Magazine is on twitter!
The Web is indeed round. ha!
as for this question, I find the answers intriguing because they are not from the most “typical writer types” so the rationales for wanting to get published are different. perhaps that is a different question altogether: is there a difference between those who write for a “niche” (vomit–hate that word–only because the concept remains alien to me–abstract beyond infinity, my brain doesn’t register it. literally.) versus a “creative” fiction etc.?
Anyway, two links on point:
Why Knowing How To Get Published Is No Longer Enough
What Do Writers Really Earn
My primary reason being: very hard to hold part time gigs to pay bills when writing. Writing is hard work. Consistently putting out quality requires as much effort as when I was writing a researched brief during law days. However, getting published doesn’t per se mean a good income either.
So assuming it doesn’t necessarily guarantee money, then, my number one reason would be the ability for my stories to reach more people… But that too is not a guarantee I suppose. Aren’t book stores filled with authors in any and every genre that someone hasn’t read? And that is not a reflection of content?
Hence, you just write because you must and the rest unfolds as it does…
@catherine white—> props to you for mentioning Harper Lee. I have been booed on twitter by other “writers” for mentioning that as being a great way to go out of this world…. Happy to hear someone understands why doing it once and doing it right in any genre is awe-inspiring to say the least.
~a.
August 3, 2010 at 10:34 pm |
Thank you, Annie.
I love that you arrived at “Hence, you just write because you must and the rest unfolds as it does…”
You write because you can’t NOT write. It reminds me of drawing. I have to draw every day. It’s like breathing out for me. I carry pad and pencil everywhere I go. I study techniques, read about the masters, go to galleries and am forever in the art section of magazine stores and bookshops.
Find a way to fund your life until your art finds it’s way (i.e. if you ultimate intention is to commercialize writing).
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.
Robin
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