This is a guest post by Phil Simon, a technology expert, speaker and consultant, who has used social media and networking to fund and publish a successful book. He’s in the process of raising funds and awareness for his fourth book, The Age of the Platform (Kickstarter link). This is the story of how he used technology to write about technology.
I’ve been called many things in my life. Patient is not one of them. In this post, I explain how writers can take control of their own destiny and circumvent traditional publishers. People want to read and learn as soon as possible-and it’s easier than ever to circumvent old-school gatekeepers.
Background
In April of 2011, I had written 20,000 words of the manuscript of my fourth book. I was still toying with different publishing options, including going the traditional route. My third book
Now, I am no newbie to publishing, having written three books. I am well aware that, as an industry, book publishing — and book publishers — remain behind the times. Many publishers are clinging to antiquated methods of doing things. To boot, they’re less and less relevant these days. Finally, while a broad generalization, the industry as a whole often rejects books deemed to be too risky.
But it doesn’t hurt to see what’s out there, right? Why not browse? You can always say no.
Interest from traditional publishers was strong, but they all said that they would put the book out in the spring of 2012 — at best. Big names were interested, but I kept coming back to one thing:
I’m not a patient person.
Control
There was one other sticking point to working with a traditional publisher. Many first-time authors don’t understand that, when they sign contracts with publishers, they are writing for publishers. That is, your editor has final cut. If she doesn’t like the direction of the book, she can change it. Publishers can dilute the message of a book.
Does this mean that all publishers are evil?
Of course not. Suggestions to improve the book are one thing; but corralling the central theme of the book to make it more “mainstream” increases the risk that a book will not be unique and great. I believe that I have written a great book and don’t want its fundamental message altered. For instance, while social media is one component of the book, I will not have my book repurposed into “me-too” social media book.
Not on my watch.
Kickstarter
Author angst is nothing new. But now we have an outlet: the Internet. It’s never been easier for anyone to reach the masses via books, blogs, music, or video. No longer do creative types need the imprimatur of traditional gatekeepers, especially with the help of the Internet and some pretty neat sites.
I found out about Kickstarter back in May of 2010 via Seth Godin. The site allows creative types to fund their projects, be they books, CDs, movies, works of art, or new toys. I was intrigued enough to give it a shot last year and, in short, it worked in spades. The results of my first Kickstarter project were amazing. After about a week and a half, I met 40 percent of my goal! I hit 90 percent after 28 days and locked in the funding in a little over a month.
I’m doing the same thing again this year and am off to a good start. I am using the site to raise some of the funds required. Costs include:
- editing (around $3,000)
- cover design (around $1,000)
- proofreading (around $1,000)
- book production/interior design (around $2,000)
Producing a quality book means using good people–and good people cost money.
With funding in hand, I will once again go to Lightning Source (LSI), a print-on-demand company that handles older titles from big-time publishers. LSI is a professional printing company used by traditional publishers for their back catalogs.
This begs the question: Why avoid subsidy presses like AuthorHouse or Lulu?
While there are exceptions, I have found that many self-published books look unprofessional. Mine won’t. The New Small is a case in point. It turned out great. To make that happen, you need to hire professionals: a cover designer, an editor, a production person, and a proofreader. I’ll also build the site www.theageoftheplatform.com (not yet up and running) and spend money on public relations.
Maybe you’ve heard the bromide: Fast, cheap, and good: pick any two of the three.
I chose fast and good.
(photo by arquera, on Flickr)