The Lollipop Road

Archive for the ‘Publishing’ Category

When we last left off, you had just finished editing your guide and you were ready to get it in the hands of eager readers. Hold on…you’ll need to design a cover. You have two choices, contract this out or do it yourself. A third-party designer could cost several hundred dollars or more. However, if you choose to do it yourself, you’ll need some patience, skill and a photo or other cover art to work from.

We chose an existing photo that we felt reflected the essence of a cruise, then spiced it up with a cartoon cruise ship, which we had to pay a royalty to utilize. Using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, we brought the images together with the text and background to make a three-part cover, which we then imported into InDesign. I know, I just made it sound so easy…the reality was a bit different.

When designing a cover, be sure to be aware of bleed and spine width before finalizing your design and layout. Most reputable publishers will provide a detailed template with instructions.

You’ll also need to consider the size of your book, headers and footers (including chapter name, section name and page numbers) and index layout. Although we are addressing these items at the end, may I suggest making all of these decisions upfront, because it will save you time and reformatting. Again, look at competing publications and decided what would make the most sense to your reader.

By now, you should have chosen a publisher or printer for your book. The self-publishing business is very much controlled by Amazon’s Create Space, although several other options do exist, including Outskirts Press, Lulu, Author House and iUniverse, just to name a few. However, because we wanted full control over domestic distribution, international distribution capabilities and a wide range of e-book options, we chose to go with Lightning Source. They are a part of Ingram, which is one of the leading book distributors, so they provide quite a wide network, including Amazon.

Each publisher will put forth a lengthy set of requirements, including file format. Review all of this information carefully and ask questions before submitting your work…it will save you time and money. Believe it or not, many publishers still offer paper submissions, but it will cost you extra. The most common submission, however, is an Adobe PDF or a Postscript file. If you utilize InDesign, this is a rather simple process. The technical aspects will be covered at a later date, but let’s just say that you would be wise to choose a publisher and understand the requirements sooner rather than later.

If you wish to have full control over your publication in the future, I recommend applying for an ISBN number (or a block of numbers). The ISBN is the barcoded number that you will find on the back cover of all books. This is a requirement for any book that will be in distribution. Some publishers will provide an ISBN, but if you ever decided to leave that publisher and choose another publisher, you’ll be required to obtain a new ISBN (ie. the old publisher has the exclusive right to distribute the old edition with their ISBN). For that reason, I highly recommend springing for the cost of an ISBN. If you are going to publish your guide in print and e-book format, you will need two ISBN numbers (except when publishing with Create Space).

Now, you are ready to submit your files and wait for a proof! Once you have reviewed the proof copy, you are ready to release your book for purchase. You’ll also need to take care of a few lingering requirements. If you purchased your own ISBN, be sure to update it online to include all of the title information. You must also file an application, along with two copies of your book, with the Copyright Office at the Library of Congress. In the event of an intellectual property dispute, this will be the record of your unique work. This must be completed within 60 days of publication, otherwise you could be subject to a fine.

Now, it is time to sit back, relax and wait for your first sale! Okay, maybe not – the hardest part is yet to come – marketing. You’ve locked in the widest possible distribution and created awesome content. However, if you have short-discounted the book (provided for a 47% or lower discount to wholesale purchasers), you probably won’t find your book in local bookstores. If you don’t accept returns, you definitely won’t find it in bookstores. So, who will carry your book? Amazon for sure, most likely Barnes & Noble online and any outlet that you personally contact for placement.

You will also need to decide if you want to offer the book for sale directly to consumers. We created a website with resources for our customers, so we do offer our book and have had early success, although long-term, we expect other outlets to produce more sales. In the end, much of your success will depend upon luck. Create a valuable resource that you believe in and proudly talk about it every chance you have. The rest will fall into place in time.

Congratulations! You’re now a published author.

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You have an outline, vague chapter titles and a vision…what do you do now? Well, write, of course! For many of us, much of what we write will go directly from our brain onto the screen. Perhaps that isn’t such a bad way to start, but don’t get too far ahead of yourself. Just because you may be an expert on your particular topic doesn’t mean that you know everything, or that your knowledge is up to date. Start by writing an introduction or preface. This is your opportunity to tell the reader why you are writing this guide and what you intend to tell them. Most mass-market guides today are impersonal, but you is what will make your guide special.

I’ve already jumped ahead of myself. I’ve made the assumption that you will utilize technology to write your new masterpiece. Although not critical, it will ultimately be necessary to get it into electronic format. If you’re reading this, you likely have the ability to immediately go from thought to keyboard. However, you will need to know what to use and how to use it. By that, I mean software. Many writers will just begin typing into whatever word processing software that they have on their computer. That is probably the easiest way to accomplish your task, short-term. If you do intend to self-publish, you should consider utilizing a soup-to-nuts package, such as Adobe InDesign, which allows you to create nearly every aspect of your book right on the screen, then spit it out with the push of a button (okay, maybe a few buttons). Be warned, this process is not for the faint hearted. For that reason, most self-publishers wind up using the word processing approach and let a self-publishing house, such as Amazon’s CreateSpace, do the rest. That will cost you control and profit. Don’t be discourage, there are ways to go from a simple word processing document to a published book. We’ll tackle all of the tech stuff at a later date, outside of this series. If you have immediate questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

So, you’ve written an introduction, or preface…what now? Well, we recommend saving some of the more mundane items for toward the end (ie title page, publishing information and a table of contents) so that you can dive directly into the meat of the guide. We began our guide with a section entitled “About Cruising With Kids”. This was our roadmap to help readers understand the layout of the guide, as well as some of the jargon that we use. This section is not required, but it does help to set the tone for the entire guide. Now you are ready for Chapter 1!

During the writing process, you will undoubtedly add, consolidate, rearrange and eliminate chapters, sub-chapters and topics. Be mindful of both flow and consistency. Take your reader through each topic in a chronological or flow-of-thought order. By this, we mean that your text should flow from one thought or topic to another in a logical pattern. Also, be sure to break your flow of text with headings, sub-headings, text boxes, indentations or textual features (italic, bold, etc). Some authors may choose to insert photos, tables, drawings, maps or other visual objects. Keep in mind that each page in your guide will cost you money. Don’t add unnecessary objects just for the sake of having them. Each photo, map or visual object should have a specific purpose that benefits your reader. You can publish a useful and interesting guide without photos!

During your months of writing you will likely become discouraged, feeling that everything you have written to date is pure rubbish. We all go through it – you are not alone. Take a break. You’ll be amazed at how a fresh look can provide new inspiration. Once you have completed the core of your writing, you’ll have much left to do before you’re ready to publish. Do you have appendices to construct? Detailed data that doesn’t fit within the context of your chapters or would disrupt the flow should be placed in an appendix. For example, we have appendices that provide gratuity guidelines by cruise line, a list of ships, additional resources and even a glossary of terms. Focus on providing supplemental data that is both critical and useful to maximizing your reader’s experience.

The final section that you construct will most likely be the index. Did you just cringe? This is where software, such as InDesign, comes in handy. You should set limits for your index. For example, our index is eight pages of three columns on each page. Focus on quality rather than quantity. Design it from a reader’s perspective. Once you’re done, test it, use it and tweak it. Now, you are ready to construct your table of contents and the ancillary pages at the front and back of your book. Keep it simple.

Now, here comes the hard part – editing. You have two choices - send it out for professional editing at a cost in excess of $1,000 or attempt to self-edit with the help of one or more capable friends and family members. Remember, you’re not just looking for grammatical or construction errors, but factual errors and updates, as well. In the months that you’ve spent writing your guide, information may have changed, you may have changed your point of view or you may have contradicted yourself. Reading your entire guide several times will be a critical part of the editing process. Don’t be afraid to rewrite entire sections, but learn when to put a period at the end and move on. If you choose to self-edit, I recommend an online product called Grammarly. It is an inexpensive and useful tool that will help you through most of this critical step. The editing process will take much longer than you anticipate, so don’t be discouraged – you’re almost there!

In our final installment of this series, we’ll talk about designing a cover, preparing your book for publication, publishing options and how to actually get into print. Don’t wait any longer…start writing!

Disclosure

It has been almost six months since we published our first family-friendly travel guide – Cruising With Kids: A Guide To The Perfect Family Cruise Vacation. In that time, many people have asked how we were able to write, edit and publish such an extensive guide without the resources of a large publishing house. We usually start out by saying that it wasn’t easy – and it wasn’t, but sheer determination and a belief in the end product led us to the accomplishment of an amazing feat. In this three-part series, we’ll talk about the arduous process, as well as reveal some of the perils and pitfalls of self-publishing.

Most aspiring authors start with a vision – what their book will be about. For those without a vision, who are just looking to write a book, you should choose a topic that brings forth your passion. Selecting a topic that gets you excited will make it easier to continue writing through the highs and lows over the coming months. Write about what you know. Don’t try to write a 400-page book about traveling in Thailand on the cheap if you have never actually traveled to Thailand. This may seem rather obvious, but you would be shocked at how many people allow their vision to obscure reality.

Before you dedicate an exhorbitant amount of time to your project, research your guide’s potential market. A guide to traveling Alaska during winter likely will have a smaller audience than a guide to exploring National Parks of the Western United States. If you are intending to make money on this publication, be sure that your audience can support the cost of publishing your book, plus any profit that you’d like to make. Start with visitor bureau and Chamber of Commerce visitor statistics. For more general publications, you can utilize broad travel statistics that are published by organizations such as AAA. Don’t forget about your competition. Is there another guide that provides the same or similar information? What makes your guide unique?

Once you’ve decided to take the plunge, put together an outline that summarizes how you’d like the book to flow. Think about how a reader might research your topic and organize chapter topics in a chronological fashion that makes sense. Take a look at other leading travel guides for tips on what to cover. Next, begin thinking about your guide’s format. What do you like about competing publications? What don’t you like? You have the opportunity to design the perfect guide, so don’t follow traditional publications just because you think ‘that is the way it’s done’.

Now that you have an outline, it’s time to make a final determination on the feasibility of your publication. You’ll need to make an estimate of the total number of pages in your completed guide. Why is this important? Size will drive cost, which in turn will drive your cover price. A 200-page book will cost you between $4 and $6, whereas a 400-page guide might cost between $6 and $8. Of course, this will depend upon your choice of printer and distributor. We’ll discuss this in more detail in the final installment of this series. Does your anticipated cover price allow for an acceptable profit after subtracting your fixed cost, discount (25%-55% of cover price, depending upon your distribution model) and one-time costs (research, setup, publishing and marketing)? Alternatively, is the required cover price competitive?

Now you are ready to begin the months-long process of researching and writing your guide. In our next installment, we’ll discuss the ins and outs of practical writing techniques, along with the tools that you’ll need to begin your newest endeavor.

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