It is a confusing time for authors, but there again, it always has been.  We have moved from a time where publishers ruled the world of books to a time when the power is now rightly back with the author. But power without knowledge has left many authors in No Man’s Land and unsure of what is in their best interests. There are multiple ways to get published, and multiple organisations that would love to partner with you – and we all know that there is no such thing as a free lunch!

What few people talk about is that the book in only half the picture. If you look in the bestsellers in the airport, the biggest words on the front cover is the author’s name. The title of the book is smaller. People buy the author, because they know the name. You might not have that public awareness yet, but you need to be working towards it. People buy People first, then whatever it is they are selling. You need to be raising your personal profile as an expert or a storyteller, well in advance of releasing your book. You need to be building a following and profile so have potential buyers waiting for your book when it is released

It is easier than ever to get self-published and to do everything yourself. However, this only works if you know all of the many steps you need to take along the way. The danger is that you will hit a point where you genuinely don’t know what to do next. So many excellent books fail to reach their full potential because of a lack of knowledge, rather than from the quality of the book.

So which way to turn? If you have a Literary Agent who is able to promote your book to one of the big publishing houses, even they will want to know about how much publicity you are generating for yourself and the size of the following you. If your own activities are not enough for them, you won’t be considered.

There are numerous hybrid publishers who will take on any book and offer to do everything for you at a price.  Abdicating you book to a hybrid publisher might work perfectly for you, but when somebody does everything, you don’t learn how to do it yourself. If you want to be self-sufficient, self-contained and knowledgeable, this might not be the route for you.

So what is it that you are actually looking for? Here is a checklist;

• You need to be in control of your book project
• You need to own all of your rights in all media and territories. This included overseas translation rights. Your publisher should not do a ‘rights grab’ when you sign your contract
• You need to be consulted about every aspect of you book, the design, layout, price and marketing. You are in charge of your own book!
• You need the guidance and advice of a knowledgeable publisher to help you with strategy, planning, media contacts, distribution, supply chain and to give you one-to-one support throughout the process.
• Nobody owes any author a living. Writing and selling a book is not a charitable venture, it is a means of sharing your thoughts and creativity with people interested in your book – and for them to pay for this experience. You should expect to pay your way!  Books are paid for not by the author or the publisher but by the purchaser. Your book will make a profit if sufficient of them do so! You need to prime the pump to make this happen.

Publishing your book is a marathon not a sprint, and you will encounter many potholes on the way, but it is worth it!  You may not feel that you are the best writer in the world, but maybe he was too lazy to get out of bed today, and it was your posts and blogs that were the ones that were seen instead of his.  If you are passionate about sharing your message and are a mission to make a difference, all you are seeking is a little bit of timely information to open the door and let you fly!

Chris Day

Consultant Publisher. Managing Director, Filament Publishing.  +44(0)20 8688 2598