Comments on: Should You Consider Self-Publishing?

By: kkcoolj

kkcoolj — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 03:49:30 +0000

It is interesting that Thomas Nelson and others are launching new imprints to attend to the self-publishing model. It is good news for self-publishing authors as the lines/credibility gap gets blurred when major publishers embrace this segment of the market. At the same time, LuLu, Amazon and other services that helped "user generated" content get published in the same form factor makes it increasingly enticing.

I think having a complete picture of all inclusive costs is one of the major hurdles for someone that hasn't gone through the entire process. $999 seems steep to the first time author to pay upfront without knowing if you'll also have to pay for cover design, editing, formatting, etc.

By: Self-Publishing Review — Blog — Thomas Nelson Forms Self-Publishing Partnership With Author Solutions

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 01:01:38 +0000

[...] Other websites and threads of interest to this story are Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent, who blogged here and has had some great reader feedback, including comments from Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson. You can also read Michael Hyatt’s own recent blog entries on this storyhere. [...]

By: Lynn Dean

Lynn Dean — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:25:50 +0000

Another situation where self-publishing may make sense is if your material is of interest to a small, but active, niche market. For example, about 10 years ago I self-published a state history curriculum for homeschoolers. That project would never have been profitable to a traditional publisher, but has sold very well in its niche. A similar example might be a book that appeals to hobbyists–perhaps a manual on how to break horses or a hiker's guide to trails in a particular region. There is no expectation that these books would appeal to a large market, but they can generate interest within a specific readership.

By: Thomas Nelson and Harlequin? « Future Tense

Thomas Nelson and Harlequin? « Future Tense — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:54:40 +0000

[...] CEO Michael Hyatt said, “For nearly as long as I have been in the publishing industry, the term “self-publishing” has carried with it a certain stigma. Publishers who specialized in it were branded “vanity presses.” We hope to change that perception with the announcement of WestBow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson.” Read the entire announcement here. [...]

By: apostleron

apostleron — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:09:47 +0000

Just think about it for a minute. How many times have we gone to a terrible restaurant and rushed back to try another meal? I would say rare to never. Why would we? What we expect is the same slop we got the first time and we are not going to spend our hard earned money on that again. If we went to see a movie by a certain director and it stunk up the theatre we would be very hesitant to ever see another one by the same director. This is why it is crucial for actors and directors to carefully evaluate any script before they agree to participate. The future of their careers depends on it!

We would not want to eat a cake before the timer sounds telling us it is finished. I am not interested in dealing with anything that is half done and neither is the rest of the world. Many times a new writer’s work is just that. It takes time to create something worth reading. The process takes perseverance, practice and passion.

By: apostleron

apostleron — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:08:46 +0000

I am very surprised that with the newest surge of self publishing companies out there that nobody has mentioned that one of a literary agent’s top priorities is to protect a writer from being read before their time. In my position I have had the misfortune of reading some self published works that have made this the most obvious purpose in any agent’s career. There are a lot of potentially great authors out there today. People with wonderful imaginations and enlightened souls, but they just are not ready to be read and it is a cold hard fact that they never will be read again by me. When an agent tells us no it is to protect us from damaging our name or our brand. Brand image is the most important thing in publishing and for that matter in just about anything else. If a writer is serious about having a career as an author I highly recommend working at their craft until they get to the point where they can acquire a good agent.

By: apostleron

apostleron — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:07:37 +0000

I called literary agents filters. They are just that and the big time publishers know this well. In fact, they count on them to present them with the best of the best. If an agent continually pushes through inferior work he/she will find themselves pushing at closed doors sooner than they would like. You see, they will lose the respect of the publishers who get hundreds of manuscript per week and have little time to read works that just are not up to par.

I understand the temptation that exists within the mind of a would be author to just tear off the bandage fast and submit their manuscript, but I highly recommend holding off submitting anything until the work is as good as it will get. By the way, literary agents and publisher do not want completed manuscripts; they are looking for a book proposal. If you don’t know what that is I strongly recommend that you Google it as soon as your done reading this essay. Please, do not send a complete manuscript. A good agent will generally receive about one hundred of these per week and have little chance to look at them even if they chose to.

By: apostleron

apostleron — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:06:11 +0000

Many times it is the literary agent who acts as a filter. A good agent will be totally honest with a writer about their work. The best agents will encourage a want to be author to continue working at their craft. Ten thousand hours is roughly the amount of exercise required to reach the optimal condition in any profession. Persistence is the key. The more we work at the things we are passionate about the better we become at being passionate beings that are ready to be all that we are created to be.

I think the first step in the life of any writer, preacher, teacher or any other professional is to get the Ego right out of their way. Protecting our ego only serves to hinder our growth and halt our progress in the field of choice. Let’s get things straight; we are never the best we can be right out of the gate. Being fantastic at anything takes initiative, persistence and passion. We must understand that we always have more to learn.

By: apostleron

apostleron — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:04:57 +0000

Recently there has been a lot of talk about self publishing. Although I do believe it is wonderful to be able to publish what we want when we want, we must be certain that our reasons for publishing are valid and compatible with this means. Why are we publishing? If the answer is because we want to make truck loads of money or become a famous well read author than I am afraid that self publishing is by no means the way to go.

You see, self publishing, vanity publishing or partnership publishing are rarely going to give a writer incredible results as far as money and fame go. However, if the writer really has something important to say; it is a wonderful way to help others. Often as we move away from the traditional route we can really lose track of what it takes to become a well read author.

By: Conflict… « Scita > Scienda

Conflict… « Scita > Scienda — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:46:56 +0000

[...] it sharky, this vanity business? Or just the evolution of the industry? People seem pretty happy with Thomas Nelson, overall, which speaks to Mr. Hyatt’s name/brand trust. On the other hand, [...]