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| Outreach and Marketing Table of Contents |
In 1991 I had an idea for a Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT but back then it was still RET) based self-help book. I even had a title, It's Not as Bad as It Seems: A Thinking Straight Approach to Happiness. I would walk through bookstores and see hundreds of self-help titles by non-psychologists and often non-therapists. With so many self-help titles available, I concluded that writing and publishing a well researched, theoretically sound, and user friendly book and getting it published by a major publisher must be a snap. Over the next year, I researched, wrote, and revised (and revised, and revised ad nauseam) my book. I sought input from REBT/CBT oriented colleagues and revised some more. I used a draft of the book as a patient workbook in an inpatient adult psychiatric program, and received positive feedback (and suggestions) from this consumer group. I revised some more. Now I will just send it to a major publisher, have it accepted, get it published, sit back, and get rich and famous. NOT! After sending the draft to thirty or more publishers and getting rejection letters but usually getting no response and contacting agents who indicated that self-help books were a difficult breed of books to get published, I started looking for other options. I contacted local publishers and found some to be receptive to publishing my book, but I would be required to bear all expenses. I selected a publisher after talking to several authors and bookstores who were familiar with the company. I carefully reviewed the contract, but did not have an attorney review it (and I will address that later). I signed on the dotted line, and two months later the book was delivered. I sent copies to friends, colleagues, newspapers, and soon reviews were coming out, all of which I am happy to say were quite positive. In less than eighteen months, the 1500 or so copies were gone, and it was time for a revision. Albert Ellis, Ph.D., had read the first edition and agreed to write a Foreword for the revision. Since the publication costs of the initial printing were reasonable (around $2.00 to $2.50 per copy depending on quantity) and I was quite impressed with the quality of the finished product (excellent paper grade, well constructed 6 X 9 format that did not fall apart, and many books do), I contracted with my publisher for the "Revised Edition," and decided this time to have around 2500 (if I remember correctly) printed. The revised edition continued to sell well, more good reviews, and all's right with the world, right? NOT! I want to pause and address some of the pitfalls and benefits of self-publishing method described above before discussing another option. Benefits include: almost complete control over the project, more profit margin for the author, and freedom to discount the purchase price in order to make it more appealing to bookstores. However, the cost-benefit ratio includes numerous perils and pitfalls. Remember those 2500 hundred copies? One day a tractor trailer truck arrived at my office, and I had to find space for 45+ boxes with 55 copies each of my book. That's a lot of boxes each weighing more than 50 lbs (good workout however). A bigger problem was that distributors (e.g., Ingram's) are often disinterested in carrying self-published books and my publisher did not maintain a relationship with major distributors. This meant carrying my book around in my car trunk and going bookstore to bookstore begging them to carry it, and few would because of corporate requirements about bar codes on the back cover, etc. Then there was the hassle factor. IF bookstores or people interested in the book learned that they could contact me (my publisher stopped fulfilling orders midway through the life cycle of the revised edition) for copies, I had to create an account with bookstore, prepare an invoice, and package and send the book(s). For individual sales, I had to collect sales tax and file quarterly sale tax returns. I had a separate entity just for book sales and had to file tax returns on that entity. Some stores would return unsold books requiring me to write them a check and do more paperwork. HASSLE, HASSLE, HASSLE! Fast forward to 1999. The book was still selling well, more reviews, more praise, but still no majors were interested and I am tired of the hassle factor. And, now I learn that printing costs have gone up, and what had previously cost $2.50 per copy would now be closer to $6.00 or $7.00 a copy. I did the math and realized that this self-publishing option had suddenly become very expensive. I start looking around and find companies who describe co-op arrangements in which the author bears a share of the costs but the company will produce, warehouse, distribute the book, and all I have to do is get the checks based on the sale of books. I find a company, contact their authors, send the contract to a friend who is a well-known Ph.D./J.D. and author who reviews the contract and says it "looks good." I request copies of some of their books, am satisfied, and send them my check for $2000. Months turn to many months, nothing happens and finally learn they went bankrupt! No book and $2000 poorer. I find another company, speak at length with the owner, iron out the details and costs ($2000 again), review the contract (industry standard), and am about to sign. But, wait! I asked to see examples (at least three) of books the company had published. The books arrived. The cover ink came off on my hands, the text ink was noted to bleed through on some pages, and in short, not the quality I would hope for. No thanks, I'll pass. I only have about 100 copies of the revised edition left. I have hired a graphics artist ($500) to redo the cover and the graphics throughout the book. What to do, what to do! A friend suggested that I consider a print-on-demand publisher. What in the world is print-on-demand (POD)? After doing some (compulsive) research, I learned that POD companies create electronic files and then will digitally print the books as copies are needed. In other words, the company literally prints only the number of copies needed. Which brings us to the possibilities section of this article. I know that there are many psychologists who are competent, well-respected, and leaders in their field. Many of these psychologists have either written or have ideas for excellent books. But, too often the publishing marketplace is not interested. Is print-on-demand self-publishing the answer? After considering the costs involved and my bank account, I decided that this was a viable option. I contacted a company who readily embraced my objectives, vision, and so on. In May of 2000, I electronically submitted my manuscript, and after numerous delays, the final product was released in February, 2001. From my perspective there are significant pitfalls and possibilities. First the pitfalls. As with any organization, there are efficient and less efficient employees, and it is the luck of the draw the individuals with whom you will work. My book was delayed twice because of a publishing associate who assured me in writing that my book was in production, only to learn three months later, it had never been processed. A second associate seemed to have a problem with follow through which delayed the project for another three months. Finally, a publishing associate took charge and production was finally completed. However, I am certain these problems are experienced by authors working with major publishers. The second consideration and potential pitfall is the amount of work and time required from the author. While manuscripts can usually be submitted by mail, electronic submission is often preferred. This means entering information following a template used by the company which can be time consuming. Third, it is unlikely that for the price of publishing (usually between $99 and $499 which includes cover design if needed, setup, subsequent printing, and from one to five free copies) there will be assistance such as proof reading. In reviewing the first proof I received I found over 300 errors related to their publishing software importing from my software with resulting errors. Six reviews were required before I was satisfied, and each of these was a major time commitment. However, the possibilities and benefits far outweigh the pitfalls and perils. The cost is reasonable. More importantly, once the book is completed, it is usually listed with at least some of the major distributors which means the book is readily available from most if not all bookstores. Third, while the company maintains certain rights, the author usually (and should) maintains copyright and often has the ability to go with another company if the opportunity presents itself. Fourth, minimal hassles once the project is completed. No books to store, no sales tax to pay, and fewer accounting details to which to attend. Fifth, in my case at least, the finished product is quite impressive. Cover work turned out well (and the company I worked with will provide design ideas but I had already paid to have my cover created) and overall quality is on par with other books on the shelves. What about service after the sale (so to speak)? Usually the author has the responsibility for promotion. While tips are available, I have the responsibility of contacting bookstores, getting reviews, getting on Oprah's recommended list (just kidding), and so on. Links are available to publicists if such is desired. My goal is not to get rich (and unless Oprah does get a copy and recommends it, I won't), but royalties are substantially better than some of the "majors" offer. Royalties can range from 20% to 30%, which I am told is not bad. On the first two "editions" of my book, I could make from $3.00 to $9.00 a copy, but the hassles and my time probably cost me more than the 20% to 30% available through straight royalties. [The royalties are paid on sales other than sales to the author since author discounts range 25% (1-20 copies), 30% (21-99 copies), and 35% (100 or more copies), at least with the program that I selected. Competitive discounts are also offered to bookstores.] For me, it is far more important that the book be widely available than it is to make a higher profit, and with the print-on-demand option, it is. One aspect that I like about the company I selected (iUniverse.com) is that potential buyers can actually browse and read sections prior to purchase ("Browse Before You Buy"). This means that I can provide a link (http://www.iuniverse.com/marketplace/bookstore/book_detail.asp?isbn=0%2D595%2D14168%2D4) so that interested parties can get an idea about the material. If they like what they read they can order directly from iUniverse.com or from a local bookstore, and if they don't, they have not spent any money. I share this journey with you in hopes that if you have that "desk drawer" self-help book or even great American novel, you will pull it out, dust it off, and consider the self-publishing option. When you do, keep these suggestions in mind:
Above all else, have fun with the project. It takes time, but I think it is worth it. Also, NEVER get your ego invested in the project. As I emphasize in my book, our worth as humans is independent of love, approval, acceptance, and this includes whether people like or dislike our books! Take a chance, and good luck. |
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