Writer Unboxed

About a year ago, I concocted a proposal for a writing craft book based on content from my blog, Flogging the Quill. I came close with Writer’s Digest Books—they considered it for about three months, asking for additional material along the way. Rejection finally came because the editor who liked it and the one who didn’t couldn’t agree. They said to come back when I had published a novel.

So I’ve decided to self-publish, and then some. I could have just sent the manuscript to one of the POD outfits like iUniverse, but POD books tend to not be accepted by bookstores, which seems terribly limiting to me. So I’m forming my own publishing company. Here’s some of what this effort entails.

First, the book: Jump-start Your Novel with Kitty-cats in Action

While you can sell a non-fiction book on the basis of a proposal, you can’t publish one that way. So I had to write the book. It’s now an entertaining and enlightening 62,000 words. Copyediting was next. I hired a colleague who’s really good at that, and have gotten another non-fiction writer to lend fresh eyes. It’s amazing what they catch.

But a manuscript a book does not make, so I designed a book in an 8 ½ by 11 format because there’s a workbook section. Those are big pages to fill, so I’ve included a fair amount of photos and artwork, including some of my cartoons, to illustrate it.

I’m pretty good with Word, so I used that instead of a design program. To print, all I need to produce are PDF files, and I can do that with Word. And I’ve designed a cover, using Photoshop.

Oh, the obligatory photo. I hired a freelance photographer to get some head shots for the book and the website.

Books have to have an ISBN number. These can be purchased by the batch, but I used another avenue. Lulu.com, with their Publish it Yourself option, can set you up with an ISBN number and basic distribution for a relatively low cost. And their services are valuable in another way, which I’ll get to.

I’ve also gotten a Library of Congress number, very useful for the library market. I’ll make an official copyright application even though the book is automatically protected.

Next, the company

I’ve formed Flogging the Quill LLC to publish under the imprint of FtQ Press. But that involves:

• Legal formation of the company in my state. An LLC allows little folks like me to avoid being held liable for debts and actions of the company, especially valuable in publishing.

• Getting a business license.

• Setting up accounting software.

I hope this will not be a one-book company. I’m going to be open to submissions for non-fiction on the craft of writing, may publish a couple of my own novels if they fail to find representation, and will be open to fiction by other writers.

I’m creating what I call a “Partnership Publishing” model for outside writers. In essence, the author and I/my company put in the same amount of sweat equity and dollars, and then split the proceeds evenly. This is not vanity publishing because I won’t take on a book unless I think there’s a real market for it. Details will be on the website.

And then there are the functional details: a checking account; a way to sell online directly (a PayPal account); a PO box; etc. Details, details, details.

Next, the marketing

I need a new website. While I have a viable platform in the blog, it’s not really designed to promote a book. And remember, this is a publishing company, not just a one-shot, author-produced book. That means buying a domain name and setting up a site with a host. And designing the site, too. I used software called NetObjects Fusion, a program that I’ve used before.

Blurbs: blurbs can be invaluable for an effort such as mine, so I’m reaching out to writer/editor/agent people I’ve met through the Internet. Thus far, the generous people who have agreed to review the book for blurbs include: authors Tess Gerritson and M.J. Rose; editor/publisher Lou Aronica (formerly of Berkley Books and Avon Books); Laura Abbott, managing editor, Amber Quill Press; literary agents Jessica Faust and Miss Snark.

ARCs: to get blurbs and reviews, an Advance Review Copy has to exist (though Miss Snark just wanted an electronic copy). Here’s where Lulu.com comes in handy again. For a cost that won’t kill me, I can produce enough good-looking, real books to send out (though I’ve added a “not for sale” line to the cover). This week I’m ordering a batch of ARCs to send to the above-named kindly folks and a few others. It’s not cheap, though, and I’m being stingy about the number I can afford to print and mail. If I can do it with an electronic copy, I much prefer that. This is a mom-and-pop operation.

I’m considering M.J. Rose’s AuthorBuzz marketing program to reach booksellers and librarians. Otherwise, I’ll be doing my best to utilize the Internet by contacting fellow bloggers and asking my blog readers to lend a hand in spreading the word.

Release date: as always, things take longer to do that you want. I’d hoped to have the book ready to release before Christmas, but I doubt the blurbs will be in soon enough to do that. However, I’m looking into a pre-order approach that includes me sending a gift card to lucky recipients, and the book will be sent in January. There will be details on the website.

Next, the distribution

I’m just getting to this part. First, I need to print enough books to supply distributors and bookstores that request the book. I researched printers who do offset printing, but discovered that the Lulu.com price for a short run of 500 books is competitive, so I may go there.

I’ll set up an Amazon Advantage account, which is designed to help small publishers market their books on Amazon. And then I’ll contact distribution companies to see if they’ll take my book on (which I doubt).

Whew. That’s the gist of what it takes, in my limited experience, to set up a publishing company. If you’re interested in receiving a notice of when Jump-start Your Novel with Kitty-cats in Action becomes available for ordering, please e-mail me ray at editorr dot com. And tell me, if you will, if you’re interested in the pre-order-for-Christmas option.

Thanks.

Ray Rhamey is the author of five novels and one craft book, Flogging the Quill, Crafting a Novel that Sells. He's also an editor who has recently expanded his creative services to include book cover and interior design. His website, crrreative.com, offers an a la carte menu of creative services for self-publishers and Indie authors. Learn more about Ray's fiction at rayrhamey.com.

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