Arizona Book Publishing Association

When You Are Both Publisher and Author

Thoughts on juggling when it’s time to switch hats

By Pamela Waterman, the Discovery Box Publishing

Are you one of the many authors who is thinking about self-publishing, or even publishing other writers’ works? This can be a rewarding step in many ways, but your progress will be smoother if you consider the steps involved and how your working life might change. Lest that sound too dramatic, let’s get specific about the times when your creative “author” side should defer to the practical “business” position.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PUBLISHER

Whether you have one title or several in the works, for each one someone must

• seek endorsement statements
• write up press releases
• design a book cover
• get an ISBN number and barcode
• possibly arrange for a photograph for the cover
• lay out the book’s interior
• edit the copy
• possibly create an index
• obtain printing-cost bids
• schedule the print run
• write up a flier or sales-information piece
• apply for a copyright
• design a book webpage
• send out press releases
• arrange for book events

That’s a list of fifteen tasks, yet only the first and last two items show up on the traditional author to-do list, because the traditional publisher took care of the rest. The task-list also does not include the following items that would apply if you want to work through a distributor, and/or hope to get reviews in major publishing magazines:

• send pertinent information to the distributor or distributors
• arrange for galley print-runs
• send galleys out for review
• ship books to a distributor
• be aware of distributor and bookstore “seasons” and act months ahead of time

In addition, if you have a book with many illustrations, or multi-media offerings, you’ll need to arrange for:

• photography
• how-to illustrations
• picture-book art, or
• audio recordings

Lastly, being a publisher also means fundamentally running a business. So whether you’re working on the first or fifth title, a successful publishing company (or one hoping to be) needs to:

• implement a business plan, including a detailed marketing plan
• establish relationships with media representatives (radio, newspapers, magazines, TV shows and prominent blogs)
• maintain an enticing and helpful company website
• create a brand image, especially for a series of books
• purchase such mundane items as ink cartridges, address labels, and office chairs
• mail or ship books ordered directly from you or from a bookstore, and
• do the paperwork for city and state sales taxes and transaction privilege licensing

However, you can outsource much of what needs to be done to create a book (or even a well-done e-book) that will sell at a profit to more than your family and friends. That’s how public relations companies, web designers and fulfillment houses stay in business, but you have to devise a time schedule that allows for their work, and clearly you have to have the money to pay them. You get to decide which tasks you can and want to do and which ones you can afford to hand off, but they pretty much still need to be done.

THE AUTHOR SIDE OF THE HOUSE

You got into this business because you wanted to write a book, and you did – congratulations! You’ve also probably heard the phrase, “Once the book has been written, the easy part is over.” Even in the purely author mode, you must turn your attention to this next list of tasks:

• write articles for the web, newspapers and magazines that either directly or indirectly promote your book
• establish and update profiles and blogs on Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia and other social media sites
• secure ongoing testimonials for your website and Amazon listing
• do book events at stores, festivals, group meetings, and even online
• pitch segment ideas to producers at TV and radio stations.

Since the writing and meet-and-greet aspect of these steps tap into your creative side, you may really enjoy them, so go for it. Where life can get tricky is when you feel there’s another book inside you, trying to get out, but again, all the other work must still be done.

There are only so many hours in the day, so you must make such decisions as, do I spend the day (or week) writing an article that expands on a chapter in my book (and send out query letters to magazines), or do I update my marketing plan in the hopes of convincing a distributor to carry my books? Do I add another entry to my blog, or do I teach myself that new accounting program so I’m ready to fill out those tax forms? Do I work on my next book, or do I shop for shrink-wrap and wooden pallets so I can ship books to my new distributor?

Thinking like a publisher involves a different mind-set than thinking like an author, but knowledge is power. Once you know what has to be done, it may be you just need a check-list on a whiteboard in your home office to organize your time. Just don’t stretch yourself too thin, and don’t be too hard on yourself if you find you can’t do it all. Publishing includes a lively world of interesting people with different talents, and sharing the work may help you switch your “author hat” to your “publisher hat” with more ease and enjoyment.