Publish and Perish, Part One

Kevin Coolidge



Being in the bookselling business, I receive numerous emails every day. These emails come from both veteran small presses with great niche books, as well as first time writers who are inexperienced with marketing and how the book business works. Here is an amalgamation of those emails…

From: Desperate Writer To: Independent Bookseller,…
Subject: My self-published magnum opus

Hello booksellers:

May I have the contact information for your purchasing agent, or would you consider supporting me by buying my book? I have just finished writing my first novel! It’s the first of an exciting trilogy, and there will be at least seven more books to come. My paperback book is available online for just $24.95, or from my publisher with a regular discount available for bookstores. I am also available for book signings, radio and television interviews, and the Oprah Winfrey show. Please buy my book now!

Sincerely,

Desperate Writer

From: Frazzled, Independent Bookseller To: Unproven, novice writer
Subject: Your self-published work

Hello neophyte author:

Congratulations on finishing your first book. As you know, writing is hard work. It takes patience, persistence, lots of time, an appreciation of the process, and that’s the easy part. What do you do after you’ve written a book?

After numerous submissions, after quite a few attempts at finding an agent, after hearing that your vision doesn’t quite work for the editor or it’s not what he’s looking for at this time, you have decided to self-publish.

I felt compelled to email you back, as I doubt you will receive many replies with your email. Bookstores get dozens of emails from self-published authors every day. I do wish to congratulate you on finishing a book, but book promotion is not just getting your novel into bookstores. As a bookstore owner, I want to know what you are doing to get people into my bookstore. People come in for Stephen King, James Patterson, and Nora Roberts. Why are they going to come into my store and pay $24.95 for someone's first novel when established, proven writers’ books sell for less? That’s what I need to know.

I did check out your book with my wholesaler. It lists for $24.95 at a net discount. That means as a retailer I get no discount. So, to make any money, I would have to increase the price of what is already almost double the price of a typical trade paperback. I haven't read your book. It might be the next best thing ready to happen, but you really need a better approach. I was just going to delete this email and go about my day, but I thought I'd give you the perspective of a bookstore owner, and that it might grant you some insight to your goals.

Good Luck,

Kevin Coolidge
From My Shelf Books
www.wellsborobookstore.com

So, you’ve written that novel, self-published, and now you are wondering what you are going to do with those 500 books you bought at author discount, currently stacked in your garage? Tune in next week for some promotional ideas to get your books into the hands of readers who aren’t your neighbors or relatives.

Publish? Or Perish? Email me at frommyshelf@epix.net Last week didn’t quite work for you? Miss a column? Don’t despair; visit our blog at http://frommyshelf.blogspot.com for previous submissions. Hobo started his journey as a self-published cat, his children’s book “Hobo Finds A Home” originally was published by the Hobo himself, because sometimes if you want something done right, you just have to do it yourself…