I cried on my colleague's shoulder and she gave me the number of an editor!!
Now it's a matter of quanti costi, and hopefully she'll allow me to pay it down in installments, but I've been pining for an editor more than once in this whole process. There's only so much a couple o' soulmates and my mom can spot. We need a stranger to the family to take a look.
Woodhill's library now holds a copy. Goodie.. wheels are still turning, though the spanner yesterday made them crunch frighteningly. Guess nuclear drives and solar sails are hard to pull to a stop. The momentum is amazing! (In motion: Momentum. Stationary: Inertia.)
And on 24.com, people are commenting on my book scene posts, and a short story I posted on "Writer's Club". I love the comments, they bolster my ego of course; oh mon, that plus 3 St John's Wort plus the beaming smile I got when handing a gift copy to the librarian... definitely is fixing up the damage that happened yesterday to the process.
Chinzz up and avast we go... duh corny!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Bookshops
Attentie, Tzigan!
Yesterday a book distributor of a major bookshop chain contacted me, on my request to have my book listed / stocked at that chain. She informed me of a few interesting things meant to - no doubt - prepare me better and give me an idea that I should stick to submitting to agents and forget about self-publishing.
I'm very thankful to that lady that she took the time and effort to speak to me, whom she's after all only met in a short email. She is a true lady.
What crystallized out was some very good information. Take this, like everything else, with a pinch of salt as once again it comes (as yet) from only a single source. Telling, nevertheless.
A new book is a business project. Correct?
And ANY business project takes 6-12 months before it's even in the running!
Advertising takes 3-6 weeks for people even to look up and notice! (Longer on the Net)
How in hell is a guy who is good at writing (introverted, thinker, dreamer) and brand new in the business world, going to sell 3000 copies in 3 months from zero? This is a tried and trusted recipe for failure!
(Because remember, they only "stock". They don't raise publicity for you. They are really only a display case - and not a very good one because all that displays is the spine, between thousands of competing books.)
Who gives ANY business venture only three months to get up to full steam?
Unless they MEAN for it to fail! Unless the INTENT is that the book fails!
I learnt a lot yesterday.
This is at best horrific; at worst, sinistah!!
BUT. That's the thing. Bookshops, although the most convenient outlet for books, are by far not the only one any longer. The Internet has seen to it that their era is passing. I very nearly ordered a book from Kalahari yesterday because the process was so easy. Click, click. Delivered to your doorstep. You can browse, right in your comfort zone. And the cost - same ballpark. I'm going to check out the book's pricing in shops today or tomorrow and if it's the same, I'll rather order it from Kalahari. To test the process.
But even without internet there are many ways of vending a book in this our Free Country. All the channels we were looking at for marketing now become more important as the bookshops (at least that particular chain) fall away. (Possibly other chains don't have the same kill-the-newcomer attitude.)
The point is, I made a promise.
Basta.
Yesterday a book distributor of a major bookshop chain contacted me, on my request to have my book listed / stocked at that chain. She informed me of a few interesting things meant to - no doubt - prepare me better and give me an idea that I should stick to submitting to agents and forget about self-publishing.
I'm very thankful to that lady that she took the time and effort to speak to me, whom she's after all only met in a short email. She is a true lady.
What crystallized out was some very good information. Take this, like everything else, with a pinch of salt as once again it comes (as yet) from only a single source. Telling, nevertheless.
- Editing. (I knew this and an editor is on the charts for the book - but not at the murderous rates they charge!!!! Eish!!) A book needs professional editing. (R20 000 later. No kidding. That's what they charge, online and freelance. Good business.)
- Cost per copy. Get this: SEVENTY PERCENT markup from the cost price to the selling price, plus VAT... Sheesh, don't tell me books aren't a rip-roaring business! What freeks me about this is the following. R66 is R40 more than R26. A book costs R26 to mass-produce; it retails at R100. Ok, fair. A book costs R66 to produce - it doesn't retail at R140 or even R160 but at R300!! Tell me what that is, if not plain greed? If this is actually correct, then that's the single greatest deterrent for me from offering the book in stores. Nobody would want to buy it at that price!
- Ok. So you mass-produce to bring the ridiculous retail price down. Do a print run at R60 000 to R100 000. You pour your life's savings into it (remember that's after the editor - R20 000. Writing "courses" also charge R7000 for a weekend). You get it stocked in bookshops. First-timers ATTENTIE:
- THE BOOKSHOP (at least the chain in question) GIVES YOUR BOOK THAT THEY'VE FORCED YOU TO MASS PRODUCE VIA PRICE MONGERING, EXACTLY THREE MONTHS. After that, the thing gets returned to you if it didn't "sell" (i.e. didn't sell enough copies - and how many are "enough"?). And after this? No bookshop or publisher will touch that particular book ever again. It's "damaged goods". The author is "damaged goods" and will struggle to publish anything else.
A new book is a business project. Correct?
And ANY business project takes 6-12 months before it's even in the running!
Advertising takes 3-6 weeks for people even to look up and notice! (Longer on the Net)
How in hell is a guy who is good at writing (introverted, thinker, dreamer) and brand new in the business world, going to sell 3000 copies in 3 months from zero? This is a tried and trusted recipe for failure!
(Because remember, they only "stock". They don't raise publicity for you. They are really only a display case - and not a very good one because all that displays is the spine, between thousands of competing books.)
Who gives ANY business venture only three months to get up to full steam?
Unless they MEAN for it to fail! Unless the INTENT is that the book fails!
I learnt a lot yesterday.
This is at best horrific; at worst, sinistah!!
BUT. That's the thing. Bookshops, although the most convenient outlet for books, are by far not the only one any longer. The Internet has seen to it that their era is passing. I very nearly ordered a book from Kalahari yesterday because the process was so easy. Click, click. Delivered to your doorstep. You can browse, right in your comfort zone. And the cost - same ballpark. I'm going to check out the book's pricing in shops today or tomorrow and if it's the same, I'll rather order it from Kalahari. To test the process.
But even without internet there are many ways of vending a book in this our Free Country. All the channels we were looking at for marketing now become more important as the bookshops (at least that particular chain) fall away. (Possibly other chains don't have the same kill-the-newcomer attitude.)
The point is, I made a promise.
Basta.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Publicity
Blogging!
This is really silly of me - it's so obvious but it escaped my notice for a seccie. Another way of creating publicity is of course blogging! This smacked me in the face when a friend of mine, an author too, built up a really active readership and now wants to quit blogging! That's sort of self-defeating.
If I think about it, one of the first and best pieces of advice for internet marketing another good friend of mine gave me was to blog - but with a link in your signature. Haven't done that yet.
This is really silly of me - it's so obvious but it escaped my notice for a seccie. Another way of creating publicity is of course blogging! This smacked me in the face when a friend of mine, an author too, built up a really active readership and now wants to quit blogging! That's sort of self-defeating.
If I think about it, one of the first and best pieces of advice for internet marketing another good friend of mine gave me was to blog - but with a link in your signature. Haven't done that yet.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
keep the ball rolling
I did say that self-publishing is for the weak of backbone...
... so okay, today I emailed several different bookish distribution places, gave them the name and ISBN of my book and asked if they'd like to carry the book in their lists. I realize the publicity is up to me but by the time I do I want to tell people, "you can go into any bookshop and they'll order it for you... quite a few have stock... get it through the net too... or at my email..."
f
... so okay, today I emailed several different bookish distribution places, gave them the name and ISBN of my book and asked if they'd like to carry the book in their lists. I realize the publicity is up to me but by the time I do I want to tell people, "you can go into any bookshop and they'll order it for you... quite a few have stock... get it through the net too... or at my email..."
f
Saturday, August 8, 2009
A good kick....
Sorry Crew...
Was sick this week. NOTHING got done on the poor book. Iain sold a few (I think, 2). Still waiting for feedback from that bookshop, will now (I mean NOW, 1:29 am on Saturday night) email the next agent for Exclusive Books. Is 1 week long enough for someone to check their inbox? I mean their business inbox??
SIGH. Been thinking. That's a bad habit. And I've been editing "The Morrigan", sheesh the whole book needs a rewrite. The story is intact, the scenes are logical, the dialogue is fast-paced and there are a few giggles in there but the feel is missing. Can't have that book without a feel. It's like playing Bach pitch-perfect and bone-dry. Listen to Pablo Casals to get what I mean
Anyhow LOL.
I guess for good measure I should try submitting the book to a few more agents too. SIGH to have my ego all bashed about again! Self-publishing is actually for cowards. But I made a promise, to the Crew, basta! Basta basta. Fini!
What's the next step? Emailing those ppl and 2) organizing events. Bookreading and -signing events. ay eesh!
s
Was sick this week. NOTHING got done on the poor book. Iain sold a few (I think, 2). Still waiting for feedback from that bookshop, will now (I mean NOW, 1:29 am on Saturday night) email the next agent for Exclusive Books. Is 1 week long enough for someone to check their inbox? I mean their business inbox??
SIGH. Been thinking. That's a bad habit. And I've been editing "The Morrigan", sheesh the whole book needs a rewrite. The story is intact, the scenes are logical, the dialogue is fast-paced and there are a few giggles in there but the feel is missing. Can't have that book without a feel. It's like playing Bach pitch-perfect and bone-dry. Listen to Pablo Casals to get what I mean
Anyhow LOL.
I guess for good measure I should try submitting the book to a few more agents too. SIGH to have my ego all bashed about again! Self-publishing is actually for cowards. But I made a promise, to the Crew, basta! Basta basta. Fini!
What's the next step? Emailing those ppl and 2) organizing events. Bookreading and -signing events. ay eesh!
s
Monday, August 3, 2009
Of ISBNs and bar codes
Ih yoy, to put it federitically!
a quick line. If you intend to generate a barcode from an ISBN number, there are x different formats for barcodes online! Get the right one - then it doesn't work on the rest of my system. This is frustrating, but my cat sitting next to me makes it better. Thanks, Ginghis!
And the printing place wanted R300 for the printing of barcode on stickers, be it for 50 or 1000 stickers! I stink not... I'd rather keep that cash for more books!
Learn, dear fictitious and future reader: You FIRST organize your ISBN before you go print!
. If
a quick line. If you intend to generate a barcode from an ISBN number, there are x different formats for barcodes online! Get the right one - then it doesn't work on the rest of my system. This is frustrating, but my cat sitting next to me makes it better. Thanks, Ginghis!
And the printing place wanted R300 for the printing of barcode on stickers, be it for 50 or 1000 stickers! I stink not... I'd rather keep that cash for more books!
Learn, dear fictitious and future reader: You FIRST organize your ISBN before you go print!
. If
Saturday, August 1, 2009
onna roll
Panama Canal in the spotlight
It was Saturday today. (Ok there are still 1 1/2 hours of today to go, but at least for business porpoises most is finished.)
I sold 4 copies today. Still to friendsnfam, so that's a limited pool. But 4 copies is 4 copies. Iain's out selling another 2 and doing like the computer sales force of the 80's, selling the sequel (it's not even printed yet!!). Well!! He also wanted to sell one for free but that's where I drew the line. I didn't buy those copies for free!
From the amount of commentary I get, I deduce I'm still blogging for myself - more or less like Radomir Lascek's Solar Wind Ship Log, it's just to keep the past organized and keep tabs on the process. That's okay. It would be nice to know someone is benefiting, except myself, but oh well. Maybe who knows, with this blog as a historical record of what I did, I'll be able to write a stepwise manual to self-publishing a novel (in South Africa, today), once it's successful.
Feedback from readers:
So far every single reader who absolved the whole book came back to tell me they loved it and want more.
Correction against bias: All of them are so far people who know me personally, and as they are on a good foot with me, they are unlikely to tell me the story stinks. However on the other hand there are one or two ace critics amongst them who'd really tell me if something bothered them. (Remember: Friends and family!)
Iain made me write these steps down for the marketing campaign:
Radio podcasts and interviews:
Radio Tuks
Jakaranda
702
Book clubs
A friend of mine, S
Find more book clubs
library
Try to get in at Leisurebooks!
Readings at
house concerts
libary
other devious means of advertizing:
Review by a well-known South African youth author whose daughter I know personally
Magazines - book reviews (find the operative person who writes them and send in a gift copy)
Newspapers: Record
Hot air balloon and small air plane with banner
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