“If I have to promote my book, what does the publisher do?”
I recently served as a guest-presenter in a seminar titled “Writing for Youth Ministry” at the National Youth Workers Convention in Dallas, Texas. Ginny Olson, publisher for Youth Specialties (Zondervan print) was the speaker, but she asked David A. Zimmerman (Editor at InterVarsity Press) and me to join her speak about writing for the niche market of youth ministry and how the writing business is changing. And, wow, is that business changing!
Ginny and I did a similar seminar in San Diego earlier where we detailed the amount of work that an author has to do to first sell his/her book idea to an agent or editor. We followed that by discussing what is required of authors to then promote the books and how publishing companies will usually invest very little, if any at all, to market the books beyond their sales distribution. In fact, more than ever, nonfiction authors (unless they’re known well) have to make the case to publishing companies that they will market a book well.
It was no surprise then that an aspiring author came up to me afterwards and asked, “If I have to do all of that work to publish a book, what does the publisher do?”
At first blush, it’s a legitimate question. And it’s gaining legitimacy with some as more people in the industry are asking it and as E-publishing gains momentum. Traditional retail publishers are producing less titles and are investing less (if any at all) in marketing the lesser known titles on their list. It makes the prospect of getting published more daunting for enthusiastic authors as publishers will take the ‘for-sure’ author who will guarantee sales just because of his/her name.
The changes to the publishing field prompt a few questions that would-be authors need to consider. I think these questions may help those looking to write a story or book that’s been rolling around in their imagination for a few years.
Do you want to be published, make money, or get your story/idea out there? The growth of E-publishing and self-publishing has provided authors with options. The Kindle, Nook, iPad, and tablets have changed how a growing percentage of the population reads books. They’ve also flooded the market with options and increased the ‘noise’ from titles competing for readers’ attention. Literary agent Rachelle Gardner discussed this recently on her blog (which is a “must-follow” website) and she also explains how the money works with self-publishing. The reality is that less titles are being published by major publishing houses and that means that better writing with more recognized authors are getting the slots.
Are you willing to face some of the realities necessary to get published? Writing a book is one of the most demanding tasks a person can take on (see this recent post by Ed Cyzweski). It requires creativity, diligent perseverance of seemingly unlimited capacity, humility, and willingness to revise. And revise. Super-agent Steve Laube (literary agent for my colleague, Chad Meister) adds that if you’re writing a nonfiction proposal, it’s about platform - a good idea isn’t enough.
Are you developing a platform? Most nonfiction writers (the type of writing we do in youth ministry) don’t realize that how crucial this is. People learn to trust authors over time and if few know who you are, then they’ll be less interested in buying your book to hear what you have to say. Credibility matters and building a platform helps you to establish that.
Your own authenticity and credibility matters. In youth ministry circles, this one is critical. Even though you’ve built a platform, have 1000 followers, blog every day, and have business cards, folks will still peek in a bit closer to see if you’re living out your message – if there’s a history of fruitful ministry and leadership behind your work in ministry. Frankly, for many this is the silent tripping point.
So what DOES the publisher do? Despite the negative lean in the title of the post, the answer is quite a lot actually. They help design and produce a book that is marketable. Publishers promote books to their salespeople who in turn promote the books to bookstores. They offer catalogs to distributors. They take care of inventory and handle special sales. I think they also help books in fields like youth ministry to give customers confidence and a sense of reliability. Many consumers will see a book’s title, author’s name, and then check the spine for the publisher. They do this because they know that a publisher’s logo means it’s more likely to be edited, fact-checked, and through a few committees before it’s produced. The process that makes it so difficult to be published is the same process that consumers want in place to better guarantee quality and usefulness.
And yet, in spite of the daunting prospects, each person who gets published once worked through these barriers, accomplished the necessary steps, and were diligent in their writing and editing to get their work published. So, if you endeavor to get your ideas or stories out there, don’t give up! It may take a long time to see it all through, but you’ll be glad you gave it your best work.
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