Authors Should Be Optimistic

A client wrote me recently and asked what I thought of his using a publicist to promote his book - to the tune of $4,000 per month. In my usual blunt fashion, I responded by telling him most self-published books never sell more than 100 copies, that 2000 sales is considered excellent in the industry and that the number of people who sell between 50,000 and 100,000 can probably be counted on one hand. I just wasn't sure the publicist would give him the facts, since said publicist stood to make a lot of money off this author, whether he sold a book or not.

After a while I started thinking that I'd painted a rather bleak picture of the entire industry and realized that while yes, many self-published books make very little money, there are exceptions, and his book - or your book, could well be the exception.

Success stories are not hard to find. There's MJ Rose for instance, who published her first book electronically and later sold it to Doubleday. Since then, her career as an author has taken off and she recently announced the sale of three paranormal thrillers.

One of my former clients, Paul Clayton, used Booklocker to produce his war novel Carl Melcher Goes To Vietnam and it was picked up by traditional publisher, Dunne Books. Likewise, Marnia Robinson whose Peace Between the Sheets, was also purchased by a traditional publisher after its release through Booklocker.

I had another client, also published through Booklocker, interviewed on both 48 Hours and Good Morning America. Yet another sold almost 1000 books in two days, although he did not use any self-publishing company and managed the project independently.

According to industry experts (read: those who stand to make gobs of money if you self-publish) there's little chance that a new author will be able to sell a book to a traditional publisher in today's market. At least one company owner will quickly assure you that even if you do manage to sell your book, you won't get a large advance, if you get one at all. Perhaps. Whether it's true or not, this certainly wasn't the case for 27-year-old Marisha Pessl whose first novel recently sold at auction for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The fact is that if you have a good book and there's a market for it, there's no need to let others dissuade you from trying to find an agent or traditional publisher, if that's the way you want to go. There are also many reasons to self-publish (particularly if you have a niche market). Just make sure the advice you're receiving is unbiased.

Cathi Stevenson is a former newspaper writer and editor who has more than 2,000 published articles to her credit. In publishing since 1981, she opened her own book cover design company in 2000 and since then BookCoverExpress.com has created more than 650 book covers for independent publishers and presses of all sizes. Read more of Cathi's articles about publishing at: http://www.thoughtblog.net

---

Comments From A Book Reviewer

For the past several years I have been reviewing books... Read More

A First Time Authors Publicity Kit Materials

If you're a new author that has been requested to... Read More

Super Profitable Techniques for Selling Books By Mail

The total number of books sold by small, part-time mail... Read More

The Booklet Journey Opening a New World

1991 was a pivotal year in my life. My professional... Read More

How to Create an Amazing Author Website

Without a website, an author is unknown. Without a website,... Read More

Publicity for Buzz Marketing for Authors

Congratulations, you've written a book and even gotten it published!... Read More

Promote Your Books on Talk Shows and Make More Money

Successful authors are convinced that radio interviews are the very... Read More

Top Ten Ways of Why and How to Write your Books Sales Letter - Part 1

Authors/publishers are great at getting their books written. But after... Read More

How to Grab the No.2 Spot on Amazon for Advance Book Sales

When my first book was published way back ten years... Read More

Top Six Lies About Book Marketing: (And the Truths to Set Your Book Free!)

If you're like me, you have a book and the... Read More

10 Reasons Why People Attend Book Signings

This is the survey result of 325 people conducted by... Read More

Successful Book Marketing The Natural Way - Part 2

Is your mind muddy on book marketing? Do you wake... Read More

Top Ten Non-Techie Steps to Market your Book Online

Are you an author who is looking for new ways... Read More

Plays Well With Others to Become an Instant Author

You wrote a tips booklet. Maybe more than one. Oh... Read More

How a Book is Born: One Authors Story

Not all books come out whole, all at once. In... Read More

Dont Clone your Book or Business Marketing

Remember that the miracle of cloning sheep has its drawbacks.... Read More

Secrets to Selling Books by Mail

This is intended for informational purposes only. Selling books by... Read More

Extend Your Books Life With a Sales Letter

Authors, publishers and business owners are great at getting their... Read More

Five Tips To Consider When Choosing A Publisher

Choosing a publisher probably seems like a complicated task, however,... Read More

Book Talks: What to Say and How to Say It

Great! The Chamber of Commerce, or a similar group, has... Read More

How Many Ways Can You License Your Tips Booklet?

You've been thinking about writing a tips booklet. After all,... Read More

Interview with Book and Marketing Coach-Judy Cullins - Part 1

To know what to do at the right time in... Read More

Sell More Books With an E-mail Newsletter

NOTE: Because many words in this article are likely to... Read More

Book Promotion Myth -- The Best Place to Sell Books is a Bookstore

When authors think of their audience buying books they think... Read More

Spend a Little Time, Get Free Books Online

There's just something so gratifying about owning your own books... Read More

Why Testimonials are Number One in Selling your Book or Service

Even if your book or service is excellent, they won't... Read More

Writers: The Truth About Advertising, Publicity, and PR

Many of us are trying to do business and don't... Read More

How to Get More Readers For Your Book

Marketing your own book can seem like a scary task.... Read More

How to Market Your Unsold Books on the Internet: Its Easy

Your book expresses your wondrous information, your creativity, and your... Read More

Five Secrets of Winning Book Proposals

Working in the publishing industry comes with a high expectation,... Read More

How to Send Press Releases to Newspapers About Your New Book

There are over ten thousand daily, weekly and monthly newspapers... Read More

How To Get The Most From Your Free eBooks Marketing Campaign

First, your ebook needs to have an attractive title. The... Read More

Marketing for Writers When Writing Just Isnt Enough

Many writers write for the experience. Others dream of having... Read More