sensasi: [Self-Publishing] Re: To PDF or to Publish?

Senin, 25 Februari 2008

[Self-Publishing] Re: To PDF or to Publish?

Thanks again to you all, :-)

> A traditional publisher would be less interested in material that
has been previously published, unless that previous publication has
shown a considerable market interest.

This surprises me because if a work was electronically published,
and sold -- let's say -- only 20 units, I would think a publisher
would still consider publishing that material if their financial
gurus thought it might sell much better with better packaging &
advertising.

Maybe I will be making a mistake to self-publish electronically, but
I suppose my attitude is:

I'll probably electronically release my material, then keep writing
more, and hope one day if I build up a reputation, a traditional
publisher will consider reprinting and repackaging that previous
work despite the fact it was initially self-published
electronically. I feel like at least I'm taking my destiny into my
own hands instead of waiting to get "discovered" out of a slush
pile.

Plus I realize the reality: what are the odds I'll make a ton of
cash even if a traditional publisher does release my work in maybe
2010 or 2011. I feel like maybe I'd be better off just putting my
work out there today electronically, then I will challenge myself to
set the bar higher and produce something even better instead of
waiting for lightning to strike.

Thanks again for the great advice. This is a fascinating topic. I
wonder how the publishing biz will change as we move further into
the 21st century. It seems to be moving in new directions even as we
cyber-speak.

Best,

Rob Steibel

--- In Self-Publishing@yahoogroups.com, Pete Masterson <aeonix1@...>
wrote:
>
> On Feb 25, 2008, at 7:26 AM, Robert Steibel wrote:
>
> > Re: To PDF or to Publish?
> >
> > Okay, I do have one more question, and again my thanks to
everyone
> > for being so generous with their time. :-)
> >
> > If I form a small business, purchase a block of 10 ISBNs,
> > and "publish" (1) my novel, (2) my collection of short stories,
as
> > well as (3) my thesis, all as PDF files, and make the material
> > available as a download on a website such as Amazon.com -- would
> > this make it more difficult for me to actually get a legitimate
> > print publisher?
>
> A traditional publisher would be less interested in material that
has
> been previously published, unless that previous publication has
shown
> a considerable market interest. It has been said that sales of
5000
> to 10000 copies of a book that appears to have broad appeal might
be
> "interesting" to a larger traditional publisher.
>
> The short answer, probably yes, unless you sell a _lot_ of copies
> this way.
>
> Note that a thesis may have some copyright ties to the university
> that is sponsoring your advanced degree. Check with the
institution's
> administration or review the written instructions regarding the
> thesis project.
>
> >
> > In other words, would I be wise to send out the manuscripts
double-
> > spaced and in courier via snail-mail to various magazines,
journals,
> > agents, and publishers first -- so that they have exclusive
rights
> > to the material -- or would I be better off simply putting the
work
> > out their electronically as a PDF file so that I have some
presence
> > in the marketplace and can begin the process of publicizing my
work.
> >
>
> Well, no... first you need to use Literary Marketplace (available
at
> most libraries) to narrow down the list of potential literary
agents
> or publishers -- there's no point in sending your proposal to
agents/
> publishers who are unlikely to be interested in your type of
> material. Note that larger publishers encourage use of literary
> agents rather than direct submission of proposals. Medium and
smaller
> publishers may be willing to accept submissions directly. Always
> verify the potential reception by checking the web site of the
> publishers or agents. (Some agents or publishers may limit the
> acceptance of unrequested proposals. There is a reason that such
> proposals are often called "the slush pile" -- and such are
usually
> assigned to the most junior staff editorial assistant to reveiw.)
>
> Then you need to send out book _proposals_ with a sample chapter
or
> two. Here is a link from a literary agency that describes a book
> proposal. There are also books on writing book proposals that you
can
> obtain. (I don't necessarily recommend this literary agency, but
it
> seemed to have a fairly decent description of what's expected in
a
> book proposal.)
> <http://www.shepardagency.com/writing_proposals.html> (this is
> focused on a non-fiction book proposal.) There are some links at
the
> bottom of the page that might be of further interest.
>
> This link is a little better as it has further links to both non-
> fiction and fiction book proposal instructions: <http://
> www.manuscriptediting.com/proposals.htm>. It includes this link
to
> instructions for a fiction proposal:
> <http://www.junecotner.com/Apr2003PTM.htm>
>
> Disclaimer: At first glance, these referenced links seem to have
> relevant information for the question asked, but I can't
guarantee
> that their instructions are universally acceptable. You should
always
> check the web sites of potential literary agents or publishers
for
> submission guidelines.
>
> ===============================================
> Pete Masterson, Author of
> Book Design and Production: A Guide for Authors and Publishers
> Aeonix1@...
> Aeonix Publishing Group http://www.aeonix.com
> ===============================================
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>