How
did you first learn about self-publishing? Tell
us the story behind your self-published book
“Lip Service.”
I
knew about self publishing from reading biographies
of Anais Nin and D.H. Lawrence in college.
When
my agent hit a wall in selling my novel Lip
Service, I started to think about those authors
I'd read about - Virginia Woolfe and Mark Twain
included and more - who'd also struggled to
get published and stuck out on their own.
In
my case, despite editors loving my work, the
publisher's didn't know how to market it.
I
write books that don't fit a category. A little
too erotic, a little too commercial to be literary,
a little too literary to be commercial. And
on and on. So I started to think that maybe
I'd try an experiment.
It
was 1998 and no one was talking ebooks or POD
or marketing books on line. But I had an idea
to put up an electronic version of the book,
market it online, and see if I could sell it.
The plan being, to prove to the publishers that
there was a way to market my fiction. At some
point I also printed up about 3000 books because
far more people wanted a printed copy than an
electronic download. We didn't even know the
phrase ebooks back then. And there were no POD
companies - I used a traditional printer, hired
a real art director, had the book professionally
designed, etc.
After
six months of working at marketing the book
on line, six days a week, six hours a day, the
book picked up buzz and was discovered by an
editor at the Doubleday Book Club and Literary
Guild. She bought it for the clubs - two first
- the first time they'd bought a self published
novel as well as the first time they'd bought
- or anyone had bought - an ebook to take to
print traditionally. My agent then took the
book out again and three weeks later Pocket
Books bought it.
Looking
back, what would you have done differently?
What lessons did you learn?
Not
a thing. I never expected anything that happened.
I just wanted to see if I could figure out how
to market the book. It never occurred to me
I'd be the first person to cross over from e
to traditional, or the first person to use the
Internet to successfully market a work of fiction.
The
main lesson I learned was to trust my instincts.
And never give up.
The
other lesson I learned was that people look
down on self published writers. They did then,
they do now. Independent film makers get awards,
independent authors get sneers. Despite that,
I do see that traditional publishing companies
are picking up about 20 self pubbed books a
year. Look at Zane - who started out self pubbing,
look at the book Eragon - this years huge bestseller.
That was first self published. The publishers
know we are doing some of their marketing for
them in testing the waters. And they are responsive.
Did
self-publishing “Lip Service” give
you any advantages when it came time to publish
your other books?
Not
directly, but I covered e-publishing for Wired.com
for four years and have written over 150 articles
about publishing and all that gives me advantages
of knowing a lot about publishing. Yet sometimes
knowing a lot is a problem, too. I get depressed
from all the bad news.
What
precautions would you give to writers who are
thinking about self-publishing a book?
Can you share some "inside secrets"
that you have learned along the way with regard
to self-publishing?
To
self publish or Not
Reasons
to do it:
Your
are an author with an out of print book - use
the authors guild program to get your books
back into print.
You
have a book you intend to sell /give to friends
and family - a memoir, a book of all the grandkids
poems - a cookbook you are going to sell at
the church fair as a fund raiser etc.
You
have a fiction book, have had an agent and have
gotten great rave rejections but everyone thinks
the market is too small and you want to test
the waters and go on line and do a lot of work
marketing the book to see if there is indeed
a market.
You
have a non fiction book that appeals to a niche
audience - and you are a speaker who can sell
books at all the conferences you do - but the
market isn't quite big enough for a publisher
to bite.
What to watch out for -
While
over 50 self published novels and even more
non fiction books have gone from self published
to NYC traditional houses in the last few years
- not one got there without the author him or
herself doing all the marketing work.
POD
and self publishing companies do tend to see
authors as consumers and "sell" to
them, playing to their dreams. So don't do the
expensive marketing and press packages they
offer. They don't help. NYC publishers like
Random House and Harper Collins can't even get
reviews and sales for all their books.
You
can market a book yourself - but you have to
do it yourself and plan to spend at least six
months doing it. Never has this phase been more
true than in this area - if it sounds too good
to be true, it isn't true. The marketing and
press the companies offer fall on the deaf ears
of the reviewers and book sellers. Caveat Emptor.
Do
you feel that self-publishers should look into
getting an agent or publicist?
Yes.
Self publishing, in my opinion, should be a
last resort, especially for a fiction writer.
What
has been some of your most successful book marketing
techniques?
Get
involved with people as a person - not a marketer
or an author - but as a friend and people will
be interested in your book.
What
are your thoughts on POD publishing?
POD
is a method of printing. Its not a form of publishing.
And as a method of getting books printed its
fine. Random House, Simon and Schuster and more
use print on demand with some of their back
list books. The problem is for authors to think
that Xlibiris, iUniverse, Authors House or any
of these firms are publishing companies. They
are not. Use them as printers, hire your own
editorial and design services if you want a
totally professional product. Do your own marketing.
Does
the “poster girl” of e-publishing
have any good advice about eBooks?
E-books
are not an end in themselves. They are merely
a form. There are hardcovers, trade paperbacks,
audio books, mass market books and there are
ebooks. I don't think anyone should only publish
an ebook without a paper counterpart unless
you have a damn good reason - like it's an interactive
book that only works online. I think novelists
- especially - make a mistake in this area and
think that there are more ebook readers out
there than there are.
In
what ways do you see the Internet changing the
way self-publishers publish and market their
books?
It
changed everything and made everything possible
but so quickly it has become far too crowded
- with over 75,000 self pubbed books a year
fighting for competition, it's very very very
very very hard to make any noise.
In
what ways has your Website helped you with promoting
your work?
It
helps promote my backlist. Someone reads one
of my books and likes it and goes an looks me
up at my site to find out what else I have for
them.
For
the writer out there who has a great idea for
a book, what are some recommendations for finding
out its marketability? What steps should they
take after their book idea has been tested and
found worthy?
Get
an agent. If you can't get an agent, I wouldn't
pursue the book. The thing is agents are in
business to sell books. They are looking for
books. They take on new writers every single
day. They may not sell the book, and then you
can turn to self pubbing. But without being
able to find an objective person in the business
of knowing what might work, don't assume that
cause your mom and your sister like the book
it has legs.
Then
let the agent try to sell it. And only then
turn to self pubbing.
Once
there. Do as much as you can yourself and don't
buy into the expensive marketing packages that
the POD companies offer. You are a consumer
now, act like one. Talk to other writers who've
succeeded at this. Take some classes - online.
I even teach one at www.writersweekly.com/wwu.
Buy some books, lots of books, I even have written
two - How to Publish and Promote on Line by
M.J. Rose and Angela Hoy and Buzz your Book
with M.J. Rose and Doug Clegg. Also read Jacqueline
Duval's Publicize your Book.
Join
online communities, learn, be patient.
Remember
its damn hard to do this well. But it can be
done.
And
at the end of the day, there is nothing like
getting a letter from a fan telling you how
much your book meant to them, how it changed
their life, or lightened their load, or made
them think about something differently.
We
are communicators. Books are the way we do that.
My advice to writers is focus on the writing,
the writing, the writing. Don't quit your day
job, and do this because you love to do it.
And get pleasure out of every small step. Also,
read and buy books. Please. Support the business
that you want to be part of.
Contact
Information:
Rose
can be reached at MJRoseAuthor@aol.com
Visit http://www.mjrose.com
