AUTHOR RESOURCES

The previous article in this series talked in greater detail about the pros and cons of vanity book publishing---what it is as well as the pros and cons of the approach.

In this article, we'll dive into the final of three main forms of book publishing: self-publishing.

I'm obviously a wee bit biased, given that I've been a self-published author since 2003, but I also consider myself to be an open minded person, and I appreciate that there are pros and cons to nearly anything. Self-publishing is no exception.

Pros of Self-Publishing

Full Control over Publishing Timeline

There's no doubt that having control over the publishing timeline is one of the greatest benefits of self-publishing.

I didn't think it was a secret--but perhaps it is--that with traditional publishing, the amount of time between finding an agent to represent your book and holding a published copy of your book in your hands ranges from 18 to 36 months (and is usually on the longer...

The previous article in this series talked in greater detail about traditional book publishing---what it is as well as the pros and cons of the approach.

In this article, we'll dive into the second of three main forms of book publishing: vanity publishing. 

If we were going to go deep into the weeds, it's true that vanity publishing can be broken out in a variety of approaches. But, for the purposes of this article, we'll keep things simple and state that, at the highest level, vanity publishing is a publishing arrangement whereby the author pays a publishing house to publish their book.

It's also important to note that said publishing house is usually not terribly discerning in terms of which books they are willing to publish. (In other words, if you are willing to pay them, they are willing to publish your book.)

As with all three publishing approaches discussed through this series, there are pros and cons to vanity publishing.

Pros of Vanity...

So often, I hear authors ask, "How do I get a big publisher interested in my book?" By "big publisher," they mean publishing groups such as Penguin, Harper Collins, and Chronicle Books.  

I love this question because it allows me to dispel some myths when it comes to traditional publishing. It doesn't take long for the author to respond, "Really? I had no idea!"

To be clear, I have nothing against traditional publishing. If the right opportunity came across my own desk, I'd absolutely consider it. But it's critical to know how it all really works in order to make the best decision for you and your book. 

If you haven't read the first article in this series, which gives a high-level explanation of the 3 most popular types of publishing (traditional, vanity, and self-publishing), you can read that article here.

Let's now explore the pros and cons of the traditional publishing approach.

Top Reasons to Publish with a Traditional House (pros)

NAME...

Perhaps you're at the beginning of your book writing journey, wondering how to get all 87,367 thoughts out of your head and onto the page. (If that's the case and you'd like to get a strong start in under 50 minutes, check out my newest free training right here.)

Or, maybe you're writing or even in the editing process and you're wondering, "What's next?"

Do you try to get a traditional publisher interested? Do you work with the self-publishing arm of a traditional publisher or employ the services of another vanity publishing house? Do you self-publish? What even are the differences between each approach?

If these are the questions that swirl in your head, this series has you covered. I promise.

In the first part of the Book Publishing 101 series, I'll talk about all 3 publishing approaches at a mile-high level just to help you get clear on what each actually is. From there, we'll explore the pros and cons of each approach in greater detail.

While I self-publish my own books and...

Is something still holding you back from getting started (or continuing on) with writing your book?

While I can't know exactly what your roadblock is without chatting, because my goal is to do whatever I can to help you GET THAT BOOK WRITTEN, I thought I'd let you in on an impromptu training I recently did for the 33-Day Book Writing Bootcamp course members.

(I tend to put together these ad hoc trainings, especially when I hear that bootcamp members are struggling with a similar challenge).

In the third of four segments from my initial Black and White Conversation with Markiss Stone, we dove into some deeper topics.

We discuss:

- Suggestions on the how of changing people's hearts (or at least opening them to a different perspective)

- Suggestions for moving forward through dialogue and action

- How to have the "right" conversations with the "right" people (and when)

- How the emergence of black programming (BET, Blackish, etc.) has affected perspectives

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Are you writing a book? Do you want to write a book?

If you're ready to FINALLY get the book written, I invite you take the next step (it's about moving the needle just one click each day) and sign up for my newest FREE masterclass.

You'll discover:

- How to assess whether there is a demand for your book (aka "Will anyone want to read it?") 

- Why the notion that you aren't a writer doesn't matter. At all. 

- How to manage your fears that someone might judge or criticize...

“I’M WAITING FOR A SIGN.”

What I'm about to say may come across as unkind, and I wish there were a better way to say it. Put bluntly, "waiting on a sign" is ridiculous.

And, to be clear, I've waited on "signs" myself. It was ridiculous. 

 In the second of 4 segments of my initial conversation with Markiss Stone about race, social injustice, and the current state of our country.

In this episode, we touched upon:

- Why we NEED to see race

- The difference between overt and covert racism (plus, which is more hurtful short- and long-term)

- Why "I understand what you're saying BUT..." is one of the most ineffective ways to respond to someone when it comes to truly moving our individual and collective understanding forward.

- Why "All Lives Matter" and "Black Lives Matter" are two entirely different statements.

- Why "Talking to the right people at the right time" has such profound impact when it comes to having the tough conversations. 

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Are you writing a book? Do you want to write a book? If you're ready to FINALLY get the book written, I invite you take the next step (it's about moving the needle just one click each day) and sign up for my newest...

Story. Experience. Perspective. It's what books are all about. 

My friend Markiss Stone and I got together to have a black and white conversation about current events in this country. 

Unbiased and with no agenda other than moving the conversation forward through understanding. 

It's time for everyone to feel comfortable telling their stories and connecting with the right people at the right time so we can all move to a new level of understanding. 

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Within Part 1 of this 4-part interview, we discuss:

• What piece of information is missing across the world right now (and suggestions on how to fill that void) - what know WHAT'S going on, but WHY is it going on?
• The importance of gathering new perspectives. Dialogue is nothing without comprehension and a plan for moving forward toward something better.
• The value of logic versus emotion in decision-making and ways of responding
• The problem created by well-intentioned posts such as,...

"What does a great book editor do...and what don't they do?"

Great question, and truly understanding the role of an editor in the process is critical to most effectively partnering with this critical asset!

There are 3 main points to keep in mind when working with an editor:

1. Not many changes = Not a great sign

2. The editor/author relationship is a PARTNERSHIP

3. "I suggest that you leave this in and take this out" is direction you want to expect to receive from a developmental editor.  

Overall, if you spend much time talking with me about publishing, you'll quickly learn that one of my mantras is "Not Editing is Not an Option." After all, if NYT bestselling authors still require editors, who is any one of us to think that we don't!

We are each simply too close to our work to be objective about issues with flow and content, we see words that were in our head but didn't make it to the page, or we fail to identify the instance of "there" that should be "their."

As...