How To Get A Book Published - The Competition Is Tough In The Book Publishing Industry
By Kathy Austin | November 18, 2008
How difficult is it to get a book published by a commercial book publisher? Well the odds are better gambling in Las Vegas. It has been estimated that 25 million people in the United States consider themselves writers and only 5% have been published anywhere. At any one time 5 to 6 million manuscripts are looking for a publishing home.
Most major book publishing houses, and many small presses, will not accept submissions that aren’t represented by a literary agent. During the research of The Publishing Primer: A Blueprint for an Author’s Success, we asked literary agents how many unsolicited query letters/proposals/sample chapters, they receive. For the typical agency it is close to 5000 per year. On the average these agents accepted only 11 new clients, that’s about 1out of every 500 submissions.
It has been estimated that the five large book publishing companies, Random House Inc., Penguin USA, Simon & Schuster, Time Warner and HarperCollins, account for nearly eighty percent of all book sales in the US. This has occurred for the same reasons any other industry goes through consolidation: by combining certain administrative or staff functions, costs can be reduced and profits increased. Publishing, relative to many other industries, has not enjoyed a high Return on Investment (ROI) for investors. Now, book publishers are much more focused on having every single book they publish be profitable. This means a more risk averse philosophy, with a preference for publishing authors with successful track records–a sound business strategy.
Topics: General Book | No Comments »
Audio Book Myths Or The “Audio Book Phobic“ People
By Tera Warner | October 21, 2008
I have interviewed some of them recently and collected the so called reasons that separate them from the audio book world. I have proven to each one of them that those reasons are only myths and even succeeded in persuading some of them to try those threatening audio books. Here are the main myths I have encountered: I believe audio books are expensive – wrong. In fact, there are free downloadable audio books online. Audio books on mp3 files are usually cheaper than the same title in its book version. Audio book on Cd and books on tape could cost more but are still not expensive. I think that audio books will never be a good substitute for the “real” books – Right. Audio books’ publishers do not see audio books as potential books substitutes. They are only an extension for the book concept. You can learn foreign languages or learn history by listening to audio books – You will enjoy it more this way than reading a book about it. Audio books are intended for the times of the day when you can not read books. I have no time to listen to audio books – Wrong. Most of the people listen to audio books driving, cleaning the house, jogging etc. You can not read books in these times. Did you know that the average annual delay due to traffic congestion has more than tripled since 1982 and that More than 19 million commuters travel more than 45 minutes each way to their jobs. In fact, More than 97 million workers drive alone to work each day. To sum up, to all of you “audio book phobic” people who claim they can not afford audio books. Listen to me; you can not afford not listening to audio books.
Topics: Other Books | No Comments »
The E-Book Fairytale
By Ralph Serpe | September 25, 2008
That’s not to say that there aren’t also nuggets of gold out there but you’ll have to go to the end of a lot of rainbows to find them. The key to building any kind of successful business online always has been and always will be information. The reason the internet has taken off the way it has is because it allows anybody from anywhere to access information about what interests them and whether you are buying a new TV or subscribing to a newsletter what you want is the best information available to help you make the right decision.
Firstly not every quality piece of information is for sale. There is tons of great, free advice available. You may think that no one would really give away high quality info for free but you’d be wrong. In fact many people use exactly that method to establish themselves as leaders in their fields and encourage you to visit their sites. Testimonials are great and can give you an insight into what the literature has helped other people to do but remember, nobody is going to put a bad review of their product on their site so the best thing for you to read is actually an excerpt from the book. Some authors will actually circulate a page or 2 of their work to encourage new readers. If you can’t find anything then you can always just ask and if their work is as great as they say it is then they should have no reason not to show you a page or 2. Once you have purchased/downloaded the e-book make sure it does what it says it does. The content of the book should be exactly what the title and sub-headings claims it will be. If you find it going off on a different tangent then it’s a safe bet that the information will lead you off in different directions too. Lastly pay close attention to the little things like punctuation and grammar. It may not seem important but think about it: If a person hasn’t taken the time to make sure that their work is professionally presented what else might they not have been bothered to do? In the multi-national world wide web there will always be some discrepancies for example the differences between UK-English and American-English spellings, but other than that there really is no reason why the work should be sub-par. If you are ever in doubt about the advice you’re receiving don’t be afraid to ask for clarification. Check with people you know, ask in the forums even email the author of the book and ask them for more information. If you’re still not sure then follow your instincts, put the book down and move on to the next rainbow.
Topics: Electronic Books | No Comments »
Personalized Children Gifts
By Avril Harper | September 24, 2008
More4Kids Inc. is a Tennessee company specializing in personalized gifts for children. The products include homemade personalized baby bibs and blankets, personalized books, music and software.
The majority of More4Kids’ personalized gifts are made and assembled, right here in the U.S.A. All the bibs and blankets are created and hand-stitched by Julie, a co-founder. More4Kids takes great pride in the work and the timely shipments. More4Kids’s goal is a smiling child for every one of the gifts.
Topics: Children Books | No Comments »
Books for Children
By Fred Peters | September 5, 2008
There has always been a lucrative market for books for children. Parents will know that the bedtime story is an opportunity for parent and child to bond. For some reason, human beings need stories and children particularly need that parallel world. Fairy stories, as well as being entertaining, also served to teach good moral values in the child. Then, books for children tended to split into stories for boys and stories for girls. This demarcation line is more blurred today. Boys have always tended to read adventure stories involving pirates, explorers, and soldiers. Girls were apt to read about ponies, finishing schools, and training to be a nurse. Occasionally in books for children, there would be a tomboy such as George in the Famous Five books. The past told of an idyllic world where children could safely play all day in the woods or on the river, unsupervised by interfering adults. In today’s books for children, the girls get stuck into dangerous situations as much as the boys. Take Hermione from the Harry Potter books, for instance.
The modern reader may think the classic books for children from yesteryear to be a little quaint, but that’s part of their charm. Reading them is similar to snuggling in front of an old black and white movie. It’s a comfort blanket. The world of Peter Pan and Wind In The Willows is reassuring. The Harry Potter books seem to appeal as much to boys and girls. Boys who had never expressed any interest in reading voluntarily now await the next Potter book impatiently. Some critics say there is no place for religion in the Potter world, and children should not be exposed to the dark arts of magic. Read any of the Potter books for children, and the child will learn about comradeship, loyalty and courage. Not bad values for any of us.
Topics: Colouring Books | No Comments »