A-ha!

Amazon Bullying POD Writers and Publishers Unfairly

This news is circulating the net as I write, and no one seems to know how true it really is. The report came to me via Twitter, where someone mentioned Angela Hoy's article, "Amazon.com Telling POD Publishers - Let BookSurge Print Your Books, or Else..."

I hopped over to see what the hullabaloo was about and, frankly, I'm shocked! WHY would Amazon do such a thing? Is it possible they feel they're being left out of the POD profits the big guys like Lulu and Blurb make? I cannot believe that. Is it that...they're the 800lb Gorilla in the room so...they figure they can do what they want? (IMHO, we all know what eventually happens to bullies...)

From Angela's report, "Some Print on Demand (POD) publishers are privately screaming "Monopoly!" while others are seething with rage over startling phone conversations they're having with Amazon/Booksurge representatives. Why isn't anybody talking about it openly? Because they're afraid - very, very afraid." Um...afraid of what, Angela? Getting shut out of Amazon? They aren't the only game in town...

Over at TechCrunch, the comments section is flowing with a dozen different opinions on this issue. Self-published authors who have printers they trust, POD printers, are furious. Other commenters are curious - about the truth of it all. And still others are calling for an Amazon boycott.

Workboxers at B5Media quotes Angela, but also has links to others who quote the Wall Street Journal article.

I like PaidContent's title, "Amazon Tightens Noose on Print-On-Demand Publishers; Insists They Use Company's Own Service." To quote from that article, "Here's how an Amazon spokesperson sees it: 'What we're looking to do is have a print-on-demand business that better serves our customers and authors. When we work with some other publishers, it's not truly a print-on-demand business."

What!?! Creating hardship for authors is good customer service? What if I don't want to use YOUR POD service, Amazon? What if my brother or uncle or sister runs a great POD shop and I want to use him or her? What gives YOU the right to call them "not truly a print-on-demand business?" (please don't pull the 'self-published books aren't professional' whine out of your hat - that's as patently untrue as assuming books published by the big boys are all literary masterpieces!)

What IF... POD publishers and authors just move all their content to Barnes and Noble?

That's what's being whispered (sometimes quite loudly) across the net. I have to agree.. If you're a self-published writer and you are happy with the POD printer you're working with, why not move your business to Barnes and Noble? Amazon can have the BookSurge authors. All the rest of us will use our God-given American right to CHOOSE the print-on-demand publisher we want, and we'll get our books distributed at B&N, and independent book stores and a good number of online venues.

In the end, if we don't stand up for ourselves, who else will?

Writing Your Book: Begin at the Beginning

I've had a number of people ask me how to get started writing their book. For instance, a lot of people, when they find out what we do, say, "I've always wanted to write a book, but I don't know how to get started."

The easy way is... to start. The hard way is... to think about it day after day, and to put roadblocks up, like saying, "I don't know how to get started."

Truth is, putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard is the best way to begin. If you have the idea already, great. The words will flow and you'll have your introduction or chapter one in no time.

What seems to hold people back is the worry that - they aren't good enough to write a book. That writing a book is a hard task, or a long task, or an arduous task. In reality, it's a task. Much like anything else. There is a beginning, a middle, and an end. Just like the book... a beginning, a middle and an end.

Sometimes I suggest doing a little bit of research. Visit Amazon and see if there are millions of other books on the same topic. That will tell you to make sure you have a new approach or a unique view to write about - one that will set your book apart from the millions of others on the same subject.

Next, visit a Barnes and Noble store and look for books relating to your topic. Don't limit yourself to books about the actual topic - expand your horizons and look at books about relating topics, or books about the opposite topic. In other words, check out your competition.

Don't ever believe your idea is so original that you have no competition. Even Harry Potter has competition.

Do you know what that is?

Thinking you're so original, so unique, so special that readers will want only what you're writing, is a recipe for failure. The key is to write what you know, but also, to know who else is writing it.

So, get started. Today is the best day to begin...

Michael Drew and Publishing

Just stopped over at Michele Miller's Wonderbranding (stuff that's good for you) and found this exciting post on Creating a Bestseller.

She's writing about Wizard Academy partner, Michael Drew, and his new resource on the world of publishing: Beneath the Cover. I took a look at the site and it has some excellent content on it. (not enough women, though... Michael, call me... I'm ready to help out).

The likes of Bryan Eisenberg and Roy H. Williams are included in the contributor's list. There's a link for guest contributors, but the only one that I can see is David Meerman Scott. (the site is new... and the content is outstanding, so... they will likely add guest contributors in time)

Of course, they have a blog, Push the Key: Improve the Book Industry, While Improving You. It's off to a  good start. As with our blog, here at Aha! (authors helping authors), they seem to be focusing on education, not marketing.

It's important to learn as much as you can about the process of writing and publishing, if you really want your work to be a success. As Michael Drew says in his June 29th post, "Bestselling book promotion experts Rick Frishman and Robyn Freedman Spizman suggest that you'll get the attention of publishers if you speak their language - and that's the language of profit and loss."

The title of the post is, "Publishing is a business"... which is exactly what we try to explain to our authors, time and again.

Why Publishing Costs So Much: Part II

Today, following up yesterday's start of Why Publishing Costs So Much, we'll look at those fixed costs. Dave has outlined the details nicely.

Costs of Publishing: Fixed Costs...by Dave Young

Administrative Costs include reading manu­scripts and returning those not suited to the publisher's needs. When a good manuscript is identified by the first reader, it is passed to an editor who must read it and convince upper management, which controls the flow of cash, to allot the up-front money needed to publish the book. The editors need offices and salaries.

Assuming a go ahead, the editor must interact with the author while preparing the book for publication. All of this takes time and must be done in a facility that requires light, heat, rent, phones, etc. All of which costs money.

The editor must obtain ISBN and Copyright forms, complete them, and file them with the proper agencies. Eventually, the publisher will send copies of the finished work to the Library of Congress.

To be sure all the above happens on a rea­sonable schedule, while other books are also in process, the publisher must establish a job file to track progress and location of the elements (e.g., manuscript, data file, printing plates, approvals, etc.) during and subsequent to manufacture. Also, it will be necessary to establish procedures and paperwork to see that everyone gets paid for their contributions and that money owed the publish­er as a result of book sales is collected. All this costs money.

While the editor is at work, several things must be done, and each has associated costs. The book's cover must be designed. This involves preparing artwork, selecting appropriate typefac­es, and layout of the cover elements all of which affect eye-appeal and sales. Words must be written and illustrations prepared for the book jacket and inside-jacket flaps.

Why Publishing Costs So Much: Part III

This is the last part of our series on Why Publishing Costs So Much, written by my colleague, Dave Young. Today we'll look at Variable Costs.

Variable Costs...by Dave Young

Book manufacturing has its costs, too. Book printing is generally done on large printing presses, some sheet fed, others fed by rolls of paper (web presses). They're large, costly to buy, and must be operated by skilled craftsmen. The press occu­pies space that must be rented, heated, and otherwise maintained even if the press is not operating. Consequently, owners of these large presses try to keep them busy 24 hours a day by selling their services to several customers, just as a restaurant tries to keep its tables filled with paying customers.

A publisher must get in line to use a press. Then, if something delays the early stages of publishing, such as an author refusing to make requested changes, everything downstream of that event is affected. If the publisher cannot get the work to the printer on schedule, the press may sit idle at the publisher's expense. Then the publisher's book is moved to the end of the line, disrupting promotion and delivery sched­ules. Delays cost money.

In addition to assuming the risks of schedul­ing, the publisher must pay for several print­ing costs. Plates must be made. Press time must be paid for. Paper must be ordered in time for it to be manufactured, then it must be stored prior to printing. All of the elements used in publish­ing a book must be kept track of so that if a second press run is required (don't you wish!) these items can be found quickly and reused. All that costs money.

Printed paper is not much good until it is bound into books. The bindery folds the press sheets into signatures, typically 16 pages of text each. The signatures must be trimmed, then gathered in sequence and sewn (or glued) to the book's spine. (The process is only slightly dif­ferent for per­fect binding used when mak­ing paper­backs.) Cov­ers, wrapped around cover boards, are printed sepa­rately, assembled, possi­bly em­bossed, then wrapped around the signa­tures.

Large publishers do the book printing and manufacturing in-house. Smaller publishers act as contractors, managing the entire process and farming tasks such as printing and binding to specialty companies in the same way that build­ing contractors hire carpenters, plumbers, elec­tricians, and masons. Like a good juggler, they must have several balls in the air at one time if they're to make a living.

But, we're not done. The finished books must be packed in cartons ($5.00 to $10.00 each) and those books don't just jump into the boxes. Somebody's got to put them in there, seal the boxes, then move them into storage, perhaps in another town, until the books are shipped to the stores, creating more labor and storage fees.

Meanwhile, with the other hand, the publish­er is advertising the book to book dealers and taking orders. Advertising in catalogs, which must be printed and distributed, and advertising in space ads, which are printed and distributed by others, all cost up-front money.

Copies of the book are sent to reviewers, who may or may not review it. Still, the publish­er must write, edit, and print cover letters to include with the individually packaged and mailed reviewer copies. That mailing must be attractive, and the packaging is unique to the book.

Orders must be solicited from major dealers. That usually means more printing, mailing, and possibly even paid sales staff to call on the dealers.

Major distributors, who fulfill orders to libraries (a large market), must be catered to as well. They will require sample copies for their own review before placing orders. And take a hefty share of the profits for the privilege of distributing each title.

Distribution (fulfillment) will require paper­work to assure sending the right quantities to fill orders, packing slips, and invoicing. Dealer support services may include designing, printing, and distributing sales aids, like signs and flyers.

Returns must be planned for. Dealers accept copies on the condition that after a certain num­ber of weeks they may return the remaindered copies for refund. That's more handling, book­keeping, and warehousing. On average, 20% of books shipped to dealers are returned.

At this point, the publisher must find ways to unload the returns and unordered copies of the book. Storing them for a rainy day is out of the question; storage isn't free. They may be sold at a price below the cost of manufacture just to free up the warehouse space, which has ongo­ing costs.

Traditional publishers know the ropes yet they often fail to earn enough from a book's sales to cover the up-front costs. It's a gamble. But, profes­sionals win a few more than they lose so, in the long run, they remain profitable.

Why Publishing Costs So Much

This week I'm presenting a series of posts on Why Publishing Costs So Much.

A respected colleague of mine, who has been in the book business a bit longer than I, and who has seen times change dramatically over the years, wrote this and gave us permission to use it on this blog.

Dave Young is an editor living here in Rochester, NY. If you would like to connect with him, after reading this excellent article (to be presented in three parts), please visit the RPCN website and click to his name. His contact information is there. If he gives me permission to, I will include his email address in the second part of this series.

Now, let's see Why Publishing Costs So Much...by Dave Young:

There are four ways to get a book published: sell the manuscript to a traditional publisher, use a vanity press, work with a print-on-demand publisher, or print and sell it yourself.

When an author approaches a traditional publisher, and finds that the publisher wants to buy the manuscript outright, then award the author only a tiny percentage of the sales re­ceipts, there's often the urge to go elsewhere. What could possibly make a publisher want to take such a large percentage of the sales reve­nue?

Come to think of it, what could be so hard about self publish­ing? The manuscript file is in your computer, all you have to do is format it, get copies printed, and sell it.

Over the years several companies, called vanity presses, have offered to help authors. They'll professionally print, bind, and deliver to your garage hundreds of books (for thousands of dollars). "Surely," you're probably thinking, "I can sell the books via the internet or at meetings where I'll read and promote my book." Then again, what if you don't?

Other companies point out the high up-front costs of printing books in quantity and offer printing on demand (POD) as an alternative. They prepare the book for printing and, when you need ten books, they print ten books. Twen­ty years ago, you couldn't do that, but today's digital printing and binding equipment makes on-demand publishing possible. When you contact a POD publisher, you will discover it will often cost from eight to ten thousand dollars before the first book gets printed. Why? We'll talk about that tomorrow.

Of course, there's the option of doing it all yourself. You've got a computer and a printer, why not?

Before you choose, let's look at some of the details that get swept under the carpet when you make broad, general statements like those I've made in the paragraphs above.

Johann Gutenberg invented moveable type in 1455; that made book publishing practical. His invention started what has become traditional pub­lish­ing. Authors sold their manuscripts to publishers who had the skills and capital needed to manufacture and sell books. It's worked for 550 years.

The introduction of computers in the 1970s changed a lot of things, but traditional publishing is still alive and well. It's what the big publish­ers use to produce and distribute books.

The costs of publishing

When a traditional publisher produces a book, there are several costs involved. Some costs occur only once per book. These are fixed costs such as editing and cover design. Other costs vary as the quantity of books varies. Print­ing, binding, packaging, and distribution are examples.

Tomorrow we'll cover a quick overview of the fixed and variable costs associated with publishing any book, regardless of who publishes it. Stay tuned.

How to Write a Book

The most frequently asked question I get from folks who find out we're a publishing company is, "So, how, exactly, does one write a book?"

The 'how to write a book' question is fraught with emotion. When I hear it, I pause a moment to gather my thoughts, all the while observing the person who asked it -- because it's in that observation that I learn the true question behind the spoken words. Often, it isn't confusion over how to write a book -- the easy answer, of course, is -- sit down at your keyboard and type [or grab a pen/pencil, a legal pad, and begin) -- the confusion is actually in organizing one's writing to become a book.

I'm putting together a simple, straightforward how-to called THE 'How to Write a Book' Book with advice and personal experiences -- from a number of folks who have written books. Many of the contributors are first-time authors. I asked them to write about their experience, about what inspired them and kept them working until the project was done.

This book will grow, over time, as I hope to add more author essays. For the time being, it will be a free download on the WME Books website. When it gets to -- oh, 100 pages or more -- I will ask a small contribution of say $5.95, where 50% will be gathered in a fund for aspiring writers to apply for, and the other 50% will be given to a woman's charity since I write a great deal about women over at my other blog and much of that (including my current book) has helped fund WME Books.

The people who so generously contributed to this book will be thanked profusely, by myself, of course, but also by the folks who download (or buy) the book. I just think it's more powerful to read the experiences and thoughts of writers who have gone before you, than it is to pick up a Writer's Digest magazine and devour article after article on character development, or citations, or voice.

Writer's Digest is a worthy publication, don't get me wrong. I recommend it highly. In fact, it was instrumental in opening my eyes to the 'active voice' issue. And, I learned to 'show' not 'tell' by reading it. So, don't think I'm trashing any of the great publications, magazines and/or books already written to help new writers learn their craft. I'm merely saying, I'm taking a different approach. I want to show you how, not tell you how.

Over the last year, WME Books has seen some hard times, as any new start-up will. We've also seen many happy times. We've met some outstanding writers, lots of really talented people, and over the months we've learned that being flexible is key to our success. We maintain our belief that all would-be authors deserve respect and consideration, just as much as established authors.

Currently, we are going through a transition, redefining our approach to print-on-demand publishing. This comes from interaction with the numerous contacts we've made this year, via the net and via referrals in our local community. We aspire to excellence -- which means -- we will work with our authors to make sure their book is everything they hoped it would be. We will not publish each and every book that comes across our desk. But, we will tell the authors openly and honestly, why we choose or do not choose to publish their work.

For those few authors, and there are only a few (so far), who do not meet our standards (we need to feel confident we can market the book successfully; it does the author no good and WME Books no good, if the book is not marketable) we offer training -- which costs money, yes. We also give advice, suggest other publishers that might suit their needs better, and we offer encouragement, because the act of writing and presenting that writing to someone for a review, deserves applause, in and of itself.

I hope YOUR publisher is doing as much for you.

Stay tuned for the announcement on our THE 'How to Write a Book'  Book -- COMING SOON!

Changing Trends in Book Publishing

I've known writers who say, "I don't care if I ever get published. I write because I like writing."

To them, I say, "Hogwash."

I've known writers who say, "I just want to get published. I don't care if I make any money."

To them, I say, "Hogwash."

I've also known writers who say, "This is a good book. It should be a best-seller."

To them, I say, "Right on!"

High aspirations are healthy. Deluding yourself into thinking your hard work is not worth... a) being published (and that's what you're saying when you say you don't care if it ever gets published), or... b) selling well enough to make you some $$, maybe a lot of $$, is foolishness.

In the over 20 years I've been a writer, and in the last 10 where I've actually been published -- for $$ -- I have come to the realization that writing is hard work, and no one will pay me for my hard work, if I don't ask for payment.

Where does that leave the book writer? If the big publishing house won't return his calls?

Luckily, today's technology puts the answer right in the author's lap. Today's innovative print-on-demand technology gives everyone the option of becoming published. That's a good thing, and a bad thing. The trend is in citizen publishing -- take a blog, for instance -- several folks have written books on their blogs. For those who still prefer secrecy, websites like Lulu.com will take just about anything offered to them, and turn it into -- well, into something THEY call a book.

I call it -- false advertising. Why? Because many uninitiated writers (new authors) overlook the importance of a captivating cover, of page layout, of an introduction or an index, of paper stock and back cover testimonials; all parts of selling your book, parts which Lulu.com doesn't offer-- without a hefty added fee.

In order to understand how far publishing has come, we need to travel back to the previous century, where self-publishing was done on an offset printer -- and cost upwards of $10,000, for which an author might receive 5,000 books. That's $2/book, for the math-challenged. Not bad. Generally, one would expect to turn around and sell his or her book for -- well, at least $5, wouldn't you say? That's a fine profit.

But -- wait. Let's look at the details. First, the author would have to find a reputable printer, she would have to produce a manuscript with the exact specs the printer needed, and then, she would have to be prepared to pay the printer for all of the books at once. After receiving her books, she would then have to sell them -- herself.

I'm here to tell you that a lot of books got left in their boxes, and sat in people's dining rooms or car trunks -- because authors published this way and then -- could not sell their work. Not many writers are good salespeople.

The reason authors took this route was because they got tired of waiting for their agent (if they were lucky enough to get one) or the editor at a large publishing house, to get back to them about their cherished manuscript (this still happens today, sadly enough).

Other authors got burned -- their manuscript got accepted, whereupon the big publisher had the author sign away ALL RIGHTS and then -- after years of waiting (sometimes as many as 3 years) the publisher changed its mind, deciding NOT to publish the book after all. In fact, some authors' books did get published, but -- because it had taken so long to publish them, the market could no longer support them and the publisher -- gave the book back to the author, right? Not! The publisher sent the printed copies to a warehouse, where they would eventually -- be discarded. And the writer? Well, he or she had signed away her rights to the book -- it was gone, never to see the light of day.

That was then. This is now. Now, there is a way to become published that doesn't cost as much as the old-fashioned self-publishing, and doesn't cheat the author. It's called print-on-demand. But, this method is also fraught with difficulties, to the uninformed.

My experience with print-on-demand led me to start my own company, because I did not receive the respect, nor the attention, I thought I should get for my book. Essentially, I ended up paying to have my book printed -- and when I contracted for additional services, I was denied because of the title of my book. Even though my publisher KNEW the title, and that it was a double-entendre, all along.

After my unlucky experience, I recognized the weaknesses in many POD companies -- they help authors get PRINTED (not published), and then -- they turn their attention to the next client, never caring whether the author sells her work.

In the past 2 years, I've come across numerous companies online that profess to explain print-on-demand. None of their explanations serve the author well. Some are blatantly false, others are misinformed. Some companies are just what they say -- print-on-demand printers. That's to say, they print documents and books. They seldom offer design advice or expertise. Occasionally, they have partners which offer cover design. Occasionally, they include editing and proofreading, at an additional cost. In the end, they mislead authors into thinking their printing services are all the author really needs.

Other POD companies I've come across offer package deals, attempting to cover all the bases. The author is then offered anywhere from 10-100 books, with the option to buy more at a reduced price. Sometimes, these companies will offer to write press releases or they will include a booklet on marketing to their authors. When all is said and done, the author is left, once again, to fend for herself.

Here's the skinny -- print-on-demand is not new anymore. Lots of companies do it. Most of them treat the project as a printing project. Some actually attempt to act like publishers, but they are few and far between at this point.

Authors can do very well using print-on-demand -- especially if he or she truly wants to break into the big publishing houses. Because those big NY and CA houses are watching POD very closely. Some are even partnering with POD companies -- to help save costs on book returns. True POD only publishes a book when someone orders it (after the first, initial print run). The key is to hire an author services company.

And, to understand that most POD books are sold online, via Amazon or other independent book sellers who do business on the net. They take the lion's share of the profits, too. You won't see your POD book on the shelf at a Barnes and Noble store, and the chances of it turning up at the library, are slim -- unless YOU or your publisher do the work to get it there. You won't see POD books reviewed in Publisher's Weekly (though they say they give consideration to some).

An author hoping to have his or her book become a best-selling tome, had better be prepared to... a) work very hard selling and marketing the book, and/or... b) spend some $$ on professional help that can help sell the book. When you're researching POD companies, and author services companies, keep that in mind.

After all is said and done, is the company you choose going to help you SELL your book? Think that over very seriously. Then, think about this: the average first-time, print-on-demand author sells about 75 books. Not even enough to cover the print costs. If you're serious about your work, and you should be, get serious about producing a professional book that your publisher can help you sell. And then, get serious about selling it. You should expect to sell at least 500-- a respectable amount. A thousand would be even better -- just think of the possibilities if you sell 5 or 10,000.

Think big. Work hard. Be happy.

Advice for the Blog-lorn

Good information over at Debbie Weil's blog BlogWriteforCEOs on her book deal with Penguin Portfolio. Note the timeframe involved from first contact to contract signing. And, when the book will actually be out. This link to Elizabeth Wales' agent information is invaluable.

We congratulate Debbie on her accomplishments, and recommend her advice to all. While we promote self-publishing using an author services company, and the quick turn around of Print-on-Demand, there is something to be said for having an agent and getting a book contract from an old-fashioned publisher.

In this case, Debbie was already way ahead of the curve. Not only is she already a published author, she's personable, smart, talented, and in the know. All the qualities one needs to be an A-list blogger and famous author.

We know that the old-fashioned world of publishing is taking a long, hard look at us -- independent publishers who use POD. They're looking for good work, authors with talent, and places to partner with. If you visit Tom and Marilyn Ross's webpage on some high-powered self-published authors, you can see how this venue might be a good way to get started. Then, you can be just like Debbie Weil: writing great stuff and sharing insight into the way to a publisher's heart.

One of the best things about Debbie is her openness. She's blogging her book...how cool is that? No wonder she gets the right attention from the right folks.

Books and blogging: it's a match made in heaven, whether you're using an author services company or an old-fashioned publishing company.

Once Upon a Time When I Wrote a Book, Part II

Many weeks have passed since I wrote the beginning of what I'd hoped to be an on-going series of posts, revealing the disaster I experienced when self-publishing my book,  Dickless Marketing: Smart Marketing to Women Online, as a print-on-demand publication.

The weeks have been overflowing with work -- exciting work that has inspired me and confirmed my commitment to make sure other authors do not suffer the fate I endured, way back... when I wrote a book. The truth at hand here is the recognition that writing a book is the equivalent of giving birth. There is a prolonged development phase, where the author spends countless hours creating the work (often researching, writing, crossing out what was written, throwing temper tantrums, and more), then the production phase where the work must be turned into a manuscript -- and this does NOT mean a simple Word Doc. Last, the manuscript must be printed in a galley proof...something tangible for the author to view...and approve, or correct, or change, before final printing, equivalent to that last Dr visit, where the Dr says, "You're almost ready to deliver."

And then, the excitement of print...giving birth. Anyone who has written a book can relate to this metaphor. Anyone who has ever given birth or participated in the birth of a child, can relate to this metaphor. Writing a book and bringing it to publication is as time consuming, emotional, and exciting, as the birth process.

Let us not forget the ultrasound of the baby:the book's cover. During one or more of the phases above, a book's cover is created. When the galley proof is ready, that cover needs to be ready also...it is a true reflection of the book's content, and can make or break that book's success. (yes, Virginia, people do judge a book by its cover.)

When I was writing my book, I was mindful of the need to prepare a manuscript that would be print-ready. I had several covers designed by a professional, and then asked readers to choose the cover they thought would work best for my book. When we were all in agreement, the cover was set in stone. Meanwhile, the writing was moving slowly. My readers, professional writers all, were not shy about commenting on the work. To their credit, I do believe they saved me from several minor disasters -- to whit, when writing from the heart, about experiences in one's own life, one can occasionally be overshadowed by the memory of the experience -- memories and experiences which may have no place in one's book. So I learned.

Throughout the writing process, I followed the publishing company's requirements for page layout: they requested a Word Doc, so I wrote in Word (what a disaster that was-- yet, didn't have to be). They gave me the margins for the size of book I requested ( a six by nine) and they told me to make sure images were placed within the margins. I wanted my images and call-out boxes to stick outside of the margins, which should not have been a problem-- as it would have merely required resetting the margins -- but, I was told, "No, that can't be done." In my naivete, I complied.

And so, the book was written. The research that supported the insight into the women's market online was completed during and while I wrote, with occasions of revisiting a chapter to update content. The websites I visited and wrote about were both familiar ones and ones discovered through targeted searches. After many months of hard work, where I supported myself by taking out a home equity loan on my house (as well as writing for magazines and ezines), I was beginning to feel burned out.

It was time to send the book to the publisher. Off it went, via email, as requested. A galley proof was promised in three weeks.

Three weeks!! That was a bit of a shock. I suppose one of my many account managers (I had three) must have informed me that the galley proof would take so long, but I didn't remember that. I only knew that I had worked so hard, and planned so carefully, for this book to be out before Christmas, that discovering I wouldn't even get my galley until after Thanksgiving...was a major set-back.

But, what could I do? The publisher was not willing to discuss 'hurry up' tactics. The publisher said, repeatedly, through the account managers, "This is how it is. We can't do anything about the time. In fact, we are estimating 3 weeks. It could be four or five."

Four or five weeks...for a print-on-demand company to prepare a galley proof. I can tell you now that with today's technology, four or five weeks is absurd. A galley proof can be prepared within a week, or two, at the most, if the publisher is extremely busy with tight deadlines on dozens of other works. A publisher working with print-on-demand should be able to turn your manuscript around in one or two weeks, easily. If special circumstances apply, perhaps the three week window is appropriate, but, for most books, 100-300 pages, without a lot of color inside, three weeks means the publisher is not working with the author's best interests at heart.

And yet, the book is the author's heart and soul. Shouldn't the publisher be tuned in to that? Each and every time? I thought so. At the time, I was wrong.

At the time, there seemed no other recourse. I was not going to get my money back. I'd paid by credit card, up front. The service I'd received was less than satisfactory throughout the process, and now, as we approached print...I could not afford to pull the book from this publishing site and take it elsewhere. If only I'd known the real truth...

We will continue this saga another day. What happened next was, is, unthinkable. Incomprehensible. Astounding. But, most of all, so unprofessional, it convinced me to start my own publishing company.

Stay tuned. I will reveal all...in Part III.

Once Upon a Time When I Wrote a Book

I've been following a friend's experience becoming a published writer. David St. Lawrence of Ripples: post-corporate adventures blog, has been posting about his attempts to publish, in print, his book: Danger Quicksand: Have a Nice Day which is a free download off of his blog, to those who are interested. I even spoke with him on the phone the other day and he's such a warm fellow, inviting, personable, and full of energy-- especially for his book, that it gave me an idea-- to start a series of posts about MY experience writing and publishing my book: Dickless Marketing: Smart Marketing to Women Online.

Let's start at the beginning, and go on until the end-- which is how all good stories should be told. Even the ones which begin with a flashback.

Many, many years ago, when I was a child in second grade...oh, I suppose you don't want me to start THAT far back. You will get used to me...I can be a bit of a joker.

Ahmm....(that's me clearing my throat)....

Two years ago I was much like my friend David. I was disappointed with the path my life was on. I had endured corporate job after corporate job, over a period of close to 15 years. (before that I was a stay-at-home Mom.) In 1999, through 2002 and into 2003, I worked at several start-ups.

The start-ups were exciting--for the first few months. Then, they became bothersome. (David, and all who read his book, will understand.) They became bothersome because-- they refused to allow me to do my job. I was hired to write, but, more often than not I made coffee, opened mail, and watched the CEOs make disasterous decisions that, ultimately, would, and did, cost me my job.

No problem. After the third time, when the company I worked at actually seemed to value my input but refused to take my advice, I said, "No more. I'm not going to be an employee ever again!" And, I went out on my own.

I was, at that time, just beginning to earn enough money to live on-- as a consultant doing web content writing, with a few articles at paying magazines thrown in. It was heaven. However, there were a lot of people in my immediate world that continued to want to take advantage of not only my good nature, but my writing skills. These people, sad to say, were mostly men. Men who thought I would be thrilled to join their staff, unpaid, and do sales, marketing, or writing for them. Just to get my name in front of their customers. Customers, mind you, that most of them were desperate for!

<Big sigh.> Now, while this was going on, I noticed something interesting happening online. I noticed that the number of women online was outpacing the number of men. Women were moving beyond email and into shopping -- for the convenience, the choices, the free shipping, and many other reasons. But, no one was paying any attention to this important phenomena. Just like folks in the "dirt world," the Internet was ignoring the women's market.

At this time, I was expressing some frustration at yet another company that was trying to convince me to work for free, when a friend (a male friend) said, "If you could do exactly what you want, and not have to deal with these bozos who are out to steal your talents, what would that be?"

I thought about it for a few seconds, and I said, "I'd write a book. A book about marketing to women who shop online."

"Sounds like a good idea," he said. "I know what you can call it..."

I waited-- he was in marketing and had scads more experience than I, so I was very interested in his advice.

"You can call it: Dickless Marketing," he said, with a grin. "After all, you'll be teaching people how to get out of the 20th century Dick and Jane world, and into the new millennium."

After laughing for some time-- laughing so hard I was crying-- I heaved a sigh and shook my head. "I can't do that," I said. "I'd never be able to pull it off."

"Of course you will," he insisted. "You'll explain that Dickless means marketing to Jane, not to Dick. It's just common sense."

How true, I thought. In time, oh, five minutes or so, I came to love the idea.

The fact that the title of my book is provocative, has attracted both positive and negative comments-- but, in the end, it served (still serves) its purpose: to show people online that Jane is the gender who spends the most money. Jane is the one searching for your product or service-- for herself, or for someone she knows.

Now you have the story of how the title to my book, Dickless Marketing: Smart Marketing to Women Online, came to be. In my next post, I'll talk about how I chose print-on-demand for my book, and show you why my new company was born-- out of that less than satisfactory experience with the POD company that produced my book.

Do not, however, expect confessions, secrets, or blatant accusations. The company that published my book is still in business. They have many customers. I don't know if these customers are happy ones, or not. I only know that I am not one of the happy ones and I will tell you why without insults or anger-- something I could not have done when I was going through the experience.

And I will tell you what I learned about print-on-demand.

I hope you will learn something from my experience. Just as David St. Lawrence is doing such a marvelous job showing others the way, I hope I can point you down the right road...maybe one that leads to Rochester, NY where print-on-demand began and where we, at A-ha!, do business.

We'll talk. Tune in later this week for Part 2. Until then, write something wonderful today. Even one sentence. Think of science-fiction writer, Ray Bradbury, who said, "Don't think! Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It's self-conscious and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can't try to do things; you simply must do them."

When Your Keyboard Doesn't Obey Your Fingers

We've all had it happen-- we're busily typing away, committing our thoughts to print, clickety-clackety, when suddenly...our word processor: usually MS WORD, starts throwing in green and red underlining.

"That's a spelling error," the computer is whining. "That's a grammar error," it so nicely points out.

Today, we aren't going to get into the finer points of what good grammar is, nor how to spell cinnamon or aluminum-- spell check can help you with your confusion over tongue-twisters and there will be posts in the future to talk about grammar-- but we do want to offer some solutions to battling the computer when it insists you've made an error...and you don't think you have.

We have several books ( don't see our book list? You have good eyes; we haven't developed it yet!) to recommend, and one particular website that we think you will find very useful: Common Errors in English.

Professor Paul Brians of Washington State University has developed a marvelous website full of all the common errors in usage...not grammar that we all make as we happily click along on our keyboards, or typewriters, as some writers still like to do things the 'old fashioned' way. As he explains in the introduction to his errors page,

What is an error in English?
The concept of language errors is a fuzzy one. I’ll leave to linguists the technical definitions. Here we’re concerned only with deviations from the standard use of English as judged by sophisticated users such as professional writers, editors, teachers, and literate executives and personnel officers. The aim of this site is to help you avoid low grades, lost employment opportunities, lost business, and titters of amusement at the way you write or speak.

Professor Brian has rescued this writer from many a faux pas...and has also been willing to exchange emails to answer a question not included in his writings on the site. We at WMEBooks.com hope you will visit this site and add it to your favorites...since we are certain it will come in handy as you commit your thoughts and ideas to paper.

Welcome to A-ha!

"The time has come," the Walrus said, "to talk of many things. Of shoes, and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings, and why the sea is boiling hot and whether pigs have wings."

And so, the Walrus, from Alice in Wonderland, was right. The time has come to talk of many things. Not necessarily of the things the Walrus discussed as he strolled along the beach with the Carpenter, on that fateful page in Lewis Carroll's classic novel.

No, we are concerned with other things on this blog. This is where you'll come to learn about: Books.

New books, old books, books our readers recommend, books WE recommend, books our clients have written, books our clients are currently writing, books WE are writing or have written; a multitude of books and information about books.

The WE of this blog are members of WMEBooks.com, an Author Services company founded by a writer to help other writers become authors. At WMEBooks we use the latest and greatest printing technology available: Print-On-Demand, a process which is often confused with self-publishing. As we move forward with this blog, we will be chatting about those differences-- and doing comparisons between self-publishing, POD, and traditional publishing, all of which have their pluses and minuses.

A-ha! is the acronym for Authors Helping Authors-- a dedication we give to you, our readers, that we understand the trials and tribulations of getting published, and that we are here to help make that process easier on you.

Today, on our debut, we invite you to look us over-- judge us not harshly-- and send questions. As the authors of this blog get more comfortable with their voice, we hope the content presented here will be useful to both new writers and existing writers. We hope readers will talk of many things, of shoes and ships, of sealing wax, of cabbages and kings.

Know that you are not alone. A community of men and women who write, who publish, who contemplate writing and publishing, exist here, at A-ha! A community that stretches beyond the boundaries of this small writing space -- to embrace words and pictures, in books all over the world.

Books written for education, pleasure, entertainment, knowledge, insight, motivation and more. Books to hold in your hand, to read on your computer, to share with friends. Books that speak in one voice: the voice of emotion. Because to write a book, is to touch a soul.

Welcome to A-ha! where ideas come to grow.