Why does James Dashner say that vanity press can be a good thing?

"I am a big believer in all avenues to publishing," Dashner stated. "Everyone was telling me, like on threat of death, 'Don't ever give money to a publisher.' But I did. And it was the best decision I've ever made because that started the process . . . That lead to my Shadow Mountain deal, which helped me get into conferences and to make connections, and eventually, that lead me to meeting Sarah Zarr. Sarah Zarr then introduced me to her agent, who is now both of our agents. I have never, ever, regretted in the slightest what I did."

Do you realize that, according to this blanket term, Amazon's ever popular CreateSpace is a vanity press? Just as you would with any other vanity press, they charge authors to publish. Amazon will "print your grocery list for a price" and there is no content quality control.

Why aren't authors outraged by this? 

Amazon and other vanity presses have successfully rebranded this vanity press service as Print on Demand. Amazon offers convenient services and pricing to fill the ever growing need of indie and self-publishing and provide a top brand name that authors trust. In reality, they offer the same or often less services as many vanity presses. (Some vanity presses out there that do quality control, author education, marketing and distribution, etc.)  

It all depends on your individual personality, needs, and resources. It worked for James Dashner because he's an extremely driven and resourceful author and businessman. He knew what he wanted, educated himself, and worked hard to get where he is. If you have his skills, work ethic, and the money to do it...why not? 

Please remember there is no one-size fits all in publishing. Do your research and decide what best fits your own style and needs as an author. The important thing is to do what works best for you and to just get your work out there!  

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"There is no book on how to be an author. Your publisher doesn't give you a handbook. You're left in the dark a lot and have to find your own way a lot. You feel like such a noob when you start out. Network with other authors. Find out what to expect." - Peggy Eddleman

"Very rarely does it happen on your timetable." - Tyler Jolley

"It's a very crazy rollercoaster of ups and downs, rejections, exceptions, fans, etc." - Tyler Jolley

"Thinking that you accomplished one thing doesn't mean that you don't have to worry. It doesn't matter where you get, there's still things you stress about." - J Scott Savage

"There's a fine line between having realistic expectations and letting yourself be a little jaded. There are some depressing statistics. When they say that only one out of a thousand people get published who submit manuscripts, you've gotta say, 'I feel sorry for those other 999 son of a guns, because I'm going to be the one that gets published." Maintain some realism. It may take a while, but my favorite quotes is, 'There is one word for a persistent author: published.' It may take you five years, ten years, fifteen years, but it will happen if you improve your craft, improve your skills, and you keep doing what you're supposed to (in terms of submissions and seeking feedback), you will get published." - James Dashner

"Don't compare yourself to other writers. You have your own journey." - Heather Moore

"It's best not to get too attached to your title or cover." -Peggy Eddleman

"There are times when you say, 'Here's my input, do your job.'" - J Scott Savage

"Remember that your cover designer probably hasn't read your book. Don't tick them off. You have to have confidence in them. They know what's going to sell." - Tyler Jolley

"I have a very good relationship with my editor at Random House. We obviously both have the same goals, so she's always seeking my advice on covers, but I'm also very aware that I never have that final power or final say. In the end, you have to trust the marketing and sales people, they know what they're doing." - James Dashner

"Bestselling authors constantly have doors shut in their faces. They keep working and submitting. They're always growing their craft. They're always helping other writers. Be a nice person who is easy to work with. Authors who get published the most are those who are always working and are willing to make changes." - Heather Moore 

"I cannot stress this enough. I know for a fact that the number one factor in my career that has made me take these little baby steps to success has been the professionalism side of things. Do not burn bridges. Everything you do, pretend you are not a writer. Be a CEO. In any industry, people want to work with people they like." James Dashner



James Dashner is a New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publishers’s Weekly,Indiebound Bestseller, and author of The Maze Runner series.
Website: http://jamesdashner.com/
Blog: http://jamesdashner.com/blog/

Heather Moore is the USA Today bestseller and award-winning author of more than a dozen historical novels and thrillers under the pen name H.B. Moore. She also writes women’s fiction, romance, and inspirational non-fiction under Heather B. Moore, including The Newport Ladies Book Club, the Amazon bestselling anthology series A Timeless Romance Anthology, the Aliso Creek series, and the USA Today bestseller Heart of the Ocean. 
Website: http://www.hbmoore.com     
Blog: http://mywriterslair.blogspot.com

J Scott Savage the author of sixteen novels including the Farworld series from Shadow Mountain, the Case File 13 series from Harper Collins, The Shandra Covington mystery series, and the new Mysteries of Cove series coming September 29th. 
Website: http://www.jscottsavage.com/     
Blog: http://www.jscottsavage.com/blog/

Peggy Eddleman is the author of SKY JUMPERS (a Bluebonnet Nominee, a Beehive Nominee, a Golden Sower Nominee, a South Carolina Children’s Book Award Nominee, an American Booksellers Association’s ABC Best Book of 2013, a NYPL’s 100 Books for Reading and Sharing selection, and a Kids Indies Next selection) and its sequel, THE FORBIDDEN FLATS. 
Website: http://peggyeddleman.com

Tyler Jolley is the author of The Lost Imperials series. 
Website: http://jolleychronicles.com/     
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6438572.Tyler_Jolley

Don’t be so eager to get published that you accept any contract. As many authors and lawyers have said, “Some contracts aren't worth the paper they’re printed on.” Read the entire contract before you sign anything, and have an attorney take a look at it (it’s less expensive than you’d think and well worth the investment.) 

Publishers don’t always give their authors the same contracts, and not everything is set in stone. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or to negotiate for what’s fair. Being rejected is better than a bad contract.

During the contract duration, who will own the rights? Which rights will you sign over or retain? (Read more about rights here.) Who owns the ISBN? You won’t want all of your work to be tied up in a *non-compete clause; avoid them!  


*Non-compete clause — Part of a contract that says that an author cannot publish anything with a different company within a certain timeframe. 

Read about what you should be investing in your book.
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Finding the right editor can be a stressful part of the author’s journey. Sometimes personalities don’t mesh or the editor’s skill level is lacking, or sometimes the author doesn’t know where to begin looking. Hopefully these tips will help.

1. Ask your author friends for recommendations. It’s one thing to hop online and find an editor’s website, but talking to someone who has worked with that editor will tell you more than the website will.
   
   
2. Talk to the editor via e-mail or on the phone and get a feel for their personality and work ethic. If you want someone who’s friendly and outgoing or if you want someone who’s more reserved and professional, these conversations will be invaluable in helping you find the right match.
   
   
3. See if the editor will give a sample edit. Some will do a few pages for free or they’ll offer twenty pages at a discount so you can get a feel for the kind of work they do. These sample edits should come with no obligation to you to hire them—if you don’t like what they’ve done, you should be free to go elsewhere.
   
   
4. If you have concerns, don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions.  A good editor will explain their process or address other issues you may be having. I emphasize “don’t be afraid to ask” because some authors feel that they just have to accept what the editor says with no explanation, but often, a quick Q & A exchange makes all the difference in the success of the relationship.
   
   
5. Keep in mind that you’re not married to your editor. If you find someone else you like better, it is all right to take your manuscript somewhere else, once any agreements have been reached or resolved.
   
   
6. Also keep in mind that editors are human, and no one editor will find every single mistake. That being said, there are some mistakes an editor should never let slip past them, and as you’re auditioning a new editor, you’ll want to evaluate their skill level and make sure that they are really doing a good job for you.
   
   

Finding the right editor can seem a little bit like going out on a blind date, but as you talk to friends, converse with the editor, and get a feel for their work style, you’ll have the information you need to make a good decision.


Tristi Pinkston
Freelance Editor
President of Trifecta Books


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This article is meant to be a wakeup call for the many aspiring children's book authors out there who need to know what they're getting into. The first thing you need to know is that it's the most competitive, expensive, and least accessible part of the publishing industry. Most children's books cost more to make than the author will ever get back. Does that mean you shouldn’t bother? That depends entirely on you—how much you want it, how much you're willing to invest...how determined you are. If writing children's books is your dream, then it is absolutely worth it! Here's what you need to know.

In the cutthroat world that is children’s literature, the harsh reality is that, unless they are self-published, most children’s books will never be printed. That’s one of the biggest reasons many authors go indie. Independent publishing has a lot going for it. You have more freedom than being under the thumb of a publisher, profit margins are higher, and you are your own boss. However, you also have to pay for the costs of your book on your own upfront, whereas a publisher will take those costs out of your royalty check after your books start selling. 

Children’s books are expensive! To many of us, it seems like these books should cost less, after all, they don’t take as long to write, editing costs less, etc. The biggest cost is getting your book illustrated. On average, a decent professional illustrator will charge $300 or more PER illustration. The average children’s book is anywhere from 24-62 pages. That’s $7,200-$18,600 just for illustrations, assuming you get a low price, and that there’s only one picture per page (many books use more than one.)  Now ad editing, formatting, printing, advertising and marketing costs…. Do you have sticker shock yet?

If you have more questions about children's book or illustrations, contact author and illustrator Deirdra Eden, she is an expert in this field and absolutely wonderful!

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Facebook seems to be a favorite among authors, including author Holly Kelly, who said, "I promote in Facebook groups (lots of them, daily). It's free, and I've sold thousands of copies of my books - so it has worked for me."

Blogs
Author Kathleen S Harsch, like many authors, suggests that "Being a guest author on a well-read blog." This method is used often in blog tours (read more about it here.)

If your book isn't listed on Goodreads yet, either you or your agent aren't doing your job. With over 10 MILLION users, this site is a must for every author. Get your book on a Listopia list asap, you're missing out on a lot of readers who are looking for great books!
There is also a giveaway feature that authors swear by. 

Several authors, such as Patricia Kiyono, have mentioned EReader News Today. "Once you get ten Amazon reviews, EReaderNews today is phenomenal for getting your book out there. Your book needs to be 99 cents (my publisher will lower the price for this promotion) and then you pay a percentage of the sales generated from click-throughs. I've had three books featured on their daily lists and ALL have ended up at #10 or higher on Amazon lists!"

askDavid.com is a review site that focuses on books and does free book promotions for authors, the only requirement is that your book has to be listed on Amazon.com

Special thanks to Florence Osmond for sharing this!

indiebookoftheday.com features one indie book per day, which is awarded their "Indie Book of the Day" award. This book is featured on the front of their page with its blur, author bio, and Amazon review. Read their selection criteria before submitting your book.

Special thanks to Florence Osmond for telling me about this!

Kindle Direct Publishing lets Prime members borrow your book for free for one month (which give you a LOT of free advertising), allows you to set free and sale prices for giveaways, and give you a bonus for being a KPD member. The downside is, you sign to exclusively sell that ebook on Amazon. 

"I thought it might be a good idea to run the giveaway the week before Christmas and then return my book to $2.99, on the 23rd right before the sales boom. So, I set my five days up and held my breath. The result was tremendous. I gave away 2200 books in 5 days. I got a ton of reviews, sequel notification emails and Facebook friends. My book rating sky-rocketed (from 15,000 to 6,000) and I began selling quite a few more titles each day. I went from selling five books a day before Christmas to selling 15 a day after the promotion. And the wave still hasn't peaked. This month I am selling twenty-five books a day with little to no promotional leg work." - Katie French 

I was suspicious of authormarketingclub.com at first, but I've done quite a bit of digging, and this site is legit. It has helpful resources like *marketing tutorials and lists of Amazon reviewers you can submit your book to. 

Most features of their site are free to members (email address is required for sign up), but they do offer a premium membership that costs money.

*Disclaimer: I have not gone through their marketing tutorials yet, so I don't know about the quality of their information, I'm just going on what other authors have told me. 

digitalbooktoday.com does free and paid book promos. I cannot recommend the paid options yet, as I've not heard much about them and their subscriber numbers are relatively low for such, but the free option is a way to get your book seen by 9,800 daily email subscribers.

Listmania and "So You'd Like" by Amazon

Both FREE, you create lists of things that people will like if they like something similar. These lists show up as people are browsing on Amazon. You MUST read and follow Amazon's instructions! 

For example, you can put a competing book on your list, and let others know that if they like that, they may also like your book. Their readers can be your readers. It's simple, free, and VERY effective!

Wattpad is a community where authors of all levels can share what they've written, and readers can see it, comment, critique, and vote on it, for free. While some authors do and have acquired huge followings, you don't have to post an entire book for free. They also offer a Featured Book option that costs $25. Personally, I consider this to be a great deal because your book will be well advertised to many of their approx. 25 MILLION users per month. 

Costing $3-$6, The Fussy Librarian is an amazing way to get your ebook out to 13,500 daily email subscribers, and potentially into schools! 

Requirements: Must have 10 4 star Amazon reviews (or other, see requirements here), must cost $5.99 or less (the prefer $2.99), and have a quality cover.

Almost everytime I hear an advertising discussion among authors, BookBub comes up. As far as advertising resources on this list, this probably the most expensive and highly rated. 

"BookBub charges by genre and book price and it's fairly expensive, though I only know one person who said she didn't make her money back and then some."
- Author Alexez Razevich

Read about how BookBub chooses which books to feature. (Thanks Cindy Ferreira Whitney!)

Paid social media and google ads
For a small cost per click, you can run an inexpensive and highly effective marketing campaign targeted directly at your perspective readers. These ads can be run my anyone, and you can learn to do it yourself, but the best results will come from a social media marketing specialist. 

The benefits of using a professional are many, but most importantly, you get the services of someone specially trained to help authors reach their readers, which is much more cost effective since you're not throwing your money at people and shouting, "BUY MY BOOK!" 

Also, if you have a specialist who knows her/his business, you can easily use such campaigns to get your book on the radars of libraries, schools, newspapers, and publishers.

Before you try any or all of these methods, take this advice to heart. "As far as advertising goes, I feel the same way about advertising as I do publishing. Every author must find their own way. For some authors, standing in front of a crowd of Jr. high students won't work for them. For others, they love this and have the energy and charisma to entertain a bunch of media zapped teenagers. Some authors can really social network through blogging, and for others, they like to go to fairs dressed up at their main character. Some find a niche like church groups, medieval fairs, children being hospitalized for cancer etc. These groups are very specific, but chances are you will get a higher sales rate." - Author Deirdra Eden

For more information, check out this great eight blog post series: 
BOOK MARKETING: WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T 

More info on this topic will be coming in a future post. In the mean time, sign up for my email updates so you'll be in the loop! 

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Special thanks to those who provided images for this post:
Amazon.com
www.sx1000.biz/
TheDrum
BookBub
The Fussy Librarian
Wattpad
The Midlist
The Author Marketing Club
indiebookoftheday.com
askdavid.com
EReader News Today 
Goodreads
Facebook
Blogger

Whether you're traditionally or self-published, profit or non-profit, your book is your business. You invest time, money, creativity, effort, and, hopefully, heart into your work. Why wouldn't you do your best to make it successful?

Regardless of whether you're in it for the money, if you're publishing a book, you want people to read what you've written. To do that, your book needs to be good quality, and people need to know it exists. There are some key investments you need to make in both traditional and self-publishing. This article by The Cadence Group does a great job of pointing out the cost of publishing that many don't think about.

Once your book is written, you need professional editing, formatting, a great cover, and a business plan. Yes, you do need a professional cover design. Think about it this way: Let's say you just started a gourmet restaurant. You wouldn't serve this perfect food to your guests in a used dog food bowl, right? How about on some paper plates? Why not? Of course, it's bacause the quality of the presentation doesn't match the food. It's an instant turn off.

Readers pay for a quality product, just like any other consumer. When you package your book in substandard material, your customer's expectations drop. If your cover looks like your cousin made it in beginning art class, or worse, that you made it yourself with little or no experience, readers will expect the same quality of work on the inside. Yes, we actually do judge books by their covers. Don't jeopardize the success of your book by not investing in an amazing cover.

Let's assume that you did the smart thing and invested in a profession cover design. Now that you've grabbed your reader's attention and they've started reading your book, what will they find? Not to be redundant, but let's go with the restaurant analogy again. Your customer has been seated in your professionally decorated gorgeous restaurant, and their mouth is watering as they wait for their food. They savor each bite, it's so satisfying...until they discover a bug in their food. You might find a few people willing to eat around it, but their opinion of your fine establishment just dropped. We avoid this by getting our books professionally edited. Critique groups are amazing, use them! But when they've helped all they can, hire a professional editor to do the rest, or your readers WILL find bugs in their food.

At last, you have the world's best book, and you're ready to change people's lives. Time to throw it up on Amazon, the book's so great, it'll sell itself! Dead wrong. With very rare exception, the only books that sell themselves are porn. If you don't believe me, just think about it. If you want your book to be seen, you need to make it visible. Yes, of course I'm going to talk about marketing, I'm a marketing specialist, it's what I do.

Do you know that, in the publishing industry, a book that sells one thousand copies is considered to be a success? How successful do you want your book to be? What are you goals? Is that one thousand your dream number, or do you want more? If that number sounds good, then you can probably sell most of them to family and friends. If you want more, you need a marketing professional and a professional marketing plan. You can't just spam, "HEY! BUY MY BOOK!" if you want to sell. People don't like things thrown in their face. This is where the strategies come into play.

Again, your restaurant just opened. The food is exquisite, the place is amazing, but no one shows up. Way too many authors experience this, it's the main reason I started this website! I understand that, for most of us authors, money can be tight, but you can get creative. I promise to write more about this later.

I could go on forever, and you know I probably will later, but I'll leave you with these thoughts. There's a famous story about Dr. Seuss talking to a brain surgeon. The surgeon said that someday he should take a month off and write a book. Dr. Seuss replied, "Maybe someday I should take a month off and try brain surgery." Forgive me if I didn't word it exactly right, but I hope you get the point. Every aspect of writing and publishing requires expertise. Do NOT attempt brain surgery if you're not a surgeon.

When you invest so much to write your book, why would you sabotage it by not putting enough into getting it published? Remember, no matter how emotionally attached you are, your book is a business and must be treated like one.

More info on this topic will be coming in a future post. In the mean time, sign up for my email updates so you'll be in the loop! Get exclusive content when you follow me on Twitter and Facebook!