Editing Stages

Once the publishing contract is finalized, one of the first questions authors ask is what’s next. A very valid question and one I’m afraid most publishing houses forget to explain.

This explanation of the editing process comes from my own experience and can obviously differ from house to house or even editor to editor. However, these are the basics of what you should expect your book to go through once you turn in that completed manuscript.

Step One, Revisions: Once you’ve turned in your manuscript you should expect to hear back from your editor in about 6 to 8 weeks. I know that seems like a long time and, frankly, it is, but editors are busy and they need to be realistic about how long it can be. Unfortunately, I’ve had some editors take upwards of six months and others never give revisions at all. Again, every editor has their own technique. When you do hear back from your editor it’s going to, hopefully, be with revisions. And these can be all over the place. I’ve had editors ask that the book be completely rewritten, while others simply requested some touch-up work. My hint to you: the longer the revision letter the fewer the changes. Short revision letters tend to include things like “the Doctor is too mean and I don’t like her” or “there’s just not enough suspense here.” While long revisions letters can say things like “on page three the color of her eyes change from blue to brown” or “the dialogue on page 25 feels forced, its not like the characters I was reading earlier.” Letters can be one short paragraph (the scary ones) or fifty-some pages. I think my longest was 35 pages.

Revisions are the most critical piece of the editing process. These are the changes that will make your book as strong as you can possibly make it.

Step Two, Line Edits: Once the revisions are complete and the editor is happy with what you’ve done (and by the way, some revisions can go multiple rounds), it’s time for line edits. These are the little inconsistencies the editor wants to make sure aren’t missed. Things like eye color changing, poor word choices, stiff dialogue, or awkward writing, etc. Minor things that can usually be fixed with a word change or two. Often and usually the editor does line edits on the manuscript itself and sends the entire package off to the copy editor without you seeing them. That’s fine, line edits and copy edits really go hand-in-hand.

Step Three, Copy Edits: Copy edits are typically done by hand (although that is beginning to change) on the original manuscript pages. Most copy editing is done by a freelance copy editor outside of the publishing house, although managed by someone in the copy editing department. The copy editor is someone I greatly admire because it’s certainly not a job I could ever do. The copy editor looks for things like typos, grammar errors, punctuation errors. The copy editor makes us all look good. That’s their job.

After copy edits are completed the entire manuscript is sent back to you for review. Here you can stet changes (maintain your original wording rather than the editors’), answer any questions or concerns and make any necessary changes. Your last big chance to fix the book and add or subtract anything you might have missed.

Step Four, Page Proofs: Once you have reviewed, fixed or corrected the errors from the copy edits the book typically goes to the typesetter, and again, this is still amazingly done by hand. The typesetter takes the design given to them by the publisher’s design team and makes sample book pages. These are often call page proofs. They are printed on regular 8.5 x 11 paper, but designed to give you an idea of what the book will look like. If the book is a trade paperback you will usually get one book page per printed page. If it’s a mass market paperback you’ll get side-by-side pages on each printout.

These page proofs are then sent to you for one final review. These are not meant for major edits, but primarily to make sure all of the changes from the copy edited manuscript got into the final edition and to correct any new or missed typos. The page proofs are what are referred to in your contract when you are not allowed to make changes that affect more than 10% of the manuscript, otherwise you are charged for the changes. This of course does not refer to any errors that were caused by the typesetter.

Note: the page proof stage is also when copies are sent out for review. The publisher and reviewers know that some mistakes might be found, but the essence of the book is there and ready for review.

And once you send those page proofs back you have officially signed off on the book. The next thing you’ll see is a beautiful finished product with a shiny new cover and your name on top.

Total time, 6-8 months. 

Pitch Lines That Don't Work

When going through the stack of submissions I received an inordinate number of pitch lines come up that I’m sure the authors thought were clever, but for some very obvious reasons they didn’t strike me the right way. So below I’m going to share some of the pitch lines and the thoughts I had when reading them. Keep in mind, these lines are just a small part of a greater letter and using one of these doesn’t necessarily mean automatic rejection.

... My book has all the ingredients necessary to make it a best seller and a blockbuster hit. 

I can bake a cake with all the ingredients necessary to make it delicious, but if I don’t put them together correctly it isn’t going to taste good.


On a bet, I wrote a romance novel for some friends (not my usual cup of tea) . . .
Wow! On a bet I represent authors even though reading books isn’t my usual cup of tea. Seriously, I don’t have time to work with people who are only writing things on a bet, and don’t have the respect for their work (or mine) that’s required to make it in this business.

As for my novel, I won’t go into story details . . .
So what exactly are you going to talk to me about?

the book is a really rough edit so far. when I land the money deal I can move forward to make it complete
Again, please at least give me the courtesy of taking my job seriously.

I am interested in writing a fiction novel and I wanted to speak to you about the idea
I am interested in selling your novel/book only when you have a proposal.

I am glad you love my story. I'll work with your ghost writer, but I want you to pay for it. I also want you to buy the recorder, and tapes.

Are you for real? 

I think what really gets to me about most of these lines is the casual manner in which they are presented and their lack of sincerity. This is a business, one I work very very hard at, and if you can’t respect that and respect the work that all authors do to get published, then don’t waste my time.

Book Proposal for Fiction Writers

For fiction writers a proposal if fairly easy compared to what nonfiction writers have to do. And keep in mind, if you are writing narrative nonfiction, like a memoir, you should think of your work as fiction. In other words, publishers and agents will expect the work to be completed before you even start to query.
 

Most fiction writers have the book written, polished, and edited before they even start to query, putting the proposal together is really about collecting materials, but since you can never have too much information, I thought you too would like to know what goes into your proposal (sometimes called a partial).

1. Query Letter. Yes, you’ve already submitted the query, but don’t forget to do it again. Every bit of material you submit to agents and publishers should include a reminder of what they are getting. So in the letter you are sending with the proposal mention that you’ve received a request, that this is requested material, include the blurb that first grabbed the publisher’s interest and include everything else in the query that grabbed the agent’s interest.
2. Chapters. Unless you are told otherwise, include the first two chapters (and yes, a prologue is a chapter), but no more than 50 pages of your book. Yes, make sure the chapters are full chapters, make sure they are the first chapters, and yes, if the chapter ends at page 51 send 51 pages. If chapter three ends at page 80 then you only send two chapters. Just use good judgment. Publishers really like authors with good judgment.
3. A Synopsis. I’m not picky. Whatever you have on hand works for me, but do make sure your synopsis is complete and strong. In other words, the synopsis should tell the ending, it should include all key plot points, and it should read in the tone of your book. In other words, if you’re writing suspense, I should get a sense of suspense from your synopsis. If you’re writing erotic romance, I should get a sense of the sex.

Other tidbits to consider:

• Page numbers. Everything should be numbered.
• Order. Place the synopsis at the end of the package. Do you really want people to read this first or do you want to wow them with your chapters first.
• Have others proofread your synopsis to make sure it makes sense.

 This is it. When requesting a proposal, this is all we ask for.

Book Proposal for Nonfiction Writers

One of the nice things about being a nonfiction writer of self-help or how-to books is that you don’t need to write the entire book to find an agent or a publisher. However, writing that proposal can be just as difficult as writing the book. Writing the proposal is all about marketing and positioning and sometimes not so much about the book. But what is a good book proposal? What do editors and agents expect and what can help make your proposal rise above the rest?

What is an overview, author bio, sample material, and a table of contents (toc).

In no particular order and definitely in your own voice and style, a nonfiction book proposal should contain the following elements:

1. Overview
The overview tells, in brief, what your book is about. If you are writing your overview in paragraph form I would suggest you write no more than one or two pages. While it’s true we want to give the reader as much information as possible, you also want them to know that you can be concise. Think of advertising. We don’t want to read pages and pages on the new Apple iPod. An advertisement grabs our attention because it highlights only those most intriguing points. Your overview is really an advertisement for your book.

If one of your biggest marketing or advertising points is you as the author (which it should be), your credentials and the work you do (in other words, your platform) should be part of the overview. In fact, it should probably be one of the biggest pieces of the overview.

Other good points to include are:

• Timeliness of the topic—is it something that’s in the news a lot lately?
• The market—there are ___________ (how many) potential buyers for your book?
• The one thing that makes your book stand out from all others.
• Details about the approach you intend to take.
• Special features such as charts, checklists, photos, etc.

2. Author Bio
This could quite possibly be the most critical piece of your book proposal. If there’s one reason, more than any other, that publishers are using to reject nonfiction, it’s because of the author’s platform, or lack thereof. When writing your author bio it’s critical that you have made yourself look like the Dr. Phil of your particular subject. We no longer live in a day when freelance writers can make it big writing books. It seems that everyone wants an already established author. Someone who can make this book a bestseller.

Again, this is a sales piece, and because of that it’s important to organize your author bio with the most intriguing and exciting information first. it is nice to know that you went to Harvard, but we want to know if we can sell this book to thousands of people. Therefore, who are you and what makes you an expert on this subject, and, most important, what gives you a national platform? Do you give workshops? Presentations? Do you teach at Harvard (much different than having attended)? Have you been featured in national magazines, on TV or radio? Do you have a number of major media contacts interested in your subject? Teach at a local community center? Mention as much as you possibly can and highlight the big stuff—the stuff that gives you national recognition. We would rather have you mention too much and have you edit it down than find out after the proposal has already gone out that you are a regular columnist for Time magazine and simply failed to mention this to us.


3. Marketing
Next to the author platform and subject, this is probably the third most important piece of your proposal and actually goes hand in hand with your platform. Not only does the publisher want to know whether or not there is a market for the book, and how big it is, they want to know how you can bring this book to that market.

Some of this might be a repeat from the author bio; however, it should be written more extensively. While you might have mentioned in the author bio that you speak nationally, in the marketing section you are going to expand on that and tell us how many people you speak to and on what subjects. Do you have a speaking schedule for the upcoming year (or two)? Make sure to include it with your proposal. Have you already been featured in major national magazines and newspapers? Mention this and include clips.

Don’t waste a lot of time talking about what you could do or what the publisher can do. Mention instead what you are already doing. It’s easy to think that we can all write articles for major magazines, but unless you’re already doing that there’s no guarantee that you can get published in them. Just because you think your idea should get attention from media sources doesn’t mean they’ll agree. Everyone can make their book a bestseller if they get on Oprah, but don’t even bother mentioning this unless you’ve been on Oprah before. Everyone will take the time out to do whatever publicity or talk show circuit the publisher can get for them, so this doesn’t make you special. What does make you special are the things you’ve done or the columns you write that already get you noticed.

In addition to showing what you can do to market this book, you want to prove that there is a market for this book. Statistics can help. Do you have a Web site with 100,000 subscribers? Did Dateline do a piece on just the topic you’re discussing, or on you? Was there a Newsweek article on you or the subject? Are there organizations all over the country that your book pertains to?

Other things to consider mentioning regarding market:

• Statistics on the size of the market and the extent to which it’s growing.
• Demographic information.
• Media sources you have a connection to—reporters, columnists, etc., in your Rolodex.
• Do you have a foreword writer already—a big name?
• Do you know of an organization that’s already agreed to buy copies of the book when it’s published? Include this information and how many copies.

4. Competition
Probably the second biggest reason an publisher will reject a nonfiction book proposal is because of lack of competition or too much competition. Are there other books on the market similar to yours? Don’t be afraid to talk about that fact, but most important, prove how your book stands out from them. When doing this it’s important to see it from the editor’s point of view. I know that we all think your book is different, but the truth is that bookstores are going to shelve it next to other, similar books. So how is your book going to distinguish itself from others? In other words, if readers are only going to read the title and back of the book (probably something similar to your overview), what makes your book shine? Look back to your bookstore activity and the number of books next to yours on the shelf and use this as a guide.

While it’s not necessary to name every competitive title, it is probably a good idea to list the top three or so and show how your book is different. The key here is to present your differences. If an publisher likes your book their next job is to present it to the rest of the editorial staff and sales department and convince them that your book is worthy of publication. By giving them ammunition, such as the point of difference between your book and others, you are helping them sell your book. In addition, doing a comparative analysis shows the publisher that, in fact, you are an expert and know your competition. They will assume, as we will, that you know all of these books intimately and have read them.

*** Don’t ever think that by not mentioning competitive titles you will trick the publisher into believing that there aren’t any. Publishers who buy in a certain genre "yours" knows the market and know just as much about the competition as you should. They read the books and reviews and regularly scour bookshelves. Therefore, it’s better to be up front in your proposal and prove why your book is different rather than leave it to an publisher's imagination.


5. TOC and Chapter Summaries
The TOC (table of contents) might seem obvious, but it’s amazing how many people will submit a proposal to us without one. This is a simple way to give an publisher another overview of the book. It’s also the first thing most readers (and publishers) will look at when they open a book. If you feel that your TOC warrants cute titles, that’s great. We always want something that makes your book stand out, but it’s important that the title headings clearly describe what the chapter will be about. We shouldn’t have to try to guess. When writing your TOC don’t forget to include any appendices or other supplementary material you intend to include (charts, sample forms, etc.).

Chapter summaries are chapter-by-chapter breakdowns. Including this allows the publisher to see how you intend to approach the material and also gives them an idea of your writing style. Chapter summaries are what allow nonfiction writers to submit on proposal rather than with the entire book. When writing your summaries remember to include all of the information that makes your book different and intriguing. If you intend to include charts or photos in a particular chapter, mention that, and, if possible, mention what they will be of.

One important note about chapter summaries: They are the first real impression the publisher has of your writing style—so make them shine. Chapter summaries should be fun to read an exciting (as long as you intend for your book to be fun to read and exciting). Please don’t start each one with, “Chapter one will include . . . ” Put your voice into it and make the publisher read as if they were the chapters themselves. The most successful book proposals read like the book, not as a boring outline of what the book could be.

Chapter summaries should be anywhere from one paragraph to five pages long (each).


6. Sample Chapters
Sample chapters are the icing on the cake, and we all know that bad icing can ruin a cake. We should probably stop using the word “sample” when describing the chapters you intend to send out with your proposal. While these are meant to give the publisher a sampling of how your chapters will be written (style, voice, and tone), they should be submitted as if they are going straight to publication. In other words, they should be perfect. Like the rest of your proposal the grammar, punctuation, and style should be impeccable. There shouldn’t be any typos and the tone you’ve written the samples in should be indicative of the tone your entire book will be written.

When choosing which sample chapters to write don’t just automatically go to the first. What chapters are your strongest and most intriguing? Write those. After all, your goal is to grab someone’s attention, so why would you submit the most stagnant chapter?

At a minimum, your proposal should include two to three sample chapters or two sample chapters and an introduction. Of course, what you submit can always change depending on your proposal. It might be helpful to discuss this with your agent before getting started. Whatever you decide, think of this: we have seen publishers reject a proposal because there wasn’t enough material submitted. From an publisher’s perspective it looked lazy, as if the author was unwilling to do the work required to sell the book—which doesn’t bode well for the future. It’s always better to have too much material than too little.


7. Publicity
This is obvious. Supply your agent with newspaper and magazine clips, tapes of radio and TV performances, copies of articles you’ve written or been interviewed for. Etc. Again, it’s better to send too much rather than too little. Your agent can always weed through it and decide what are the most important pieces.


Extra Things to Consider
When all is said and done there are a few extra little tidbits we’d like to add:

• There’s no right or wrong to writing a proposal. Use this as a guide, but don’t forget to add your own personal touch. We’ve sold many, many books and no proposal has truly been like the one before it.
• Page numbers—make sure your proposal has page numbers. I’ve actually had my staff complain about this.
• Spelling, typos, and grammar. We can’t stress this enough. If you don’t think you are a strong enough writer or self-editor, consider bringing in someone else to work with you. If you need suggestions ask your agent.
• Extras—do you have an author photo? It can’t hurt to include it.
• Do you plan to include photos or illustrations in your book? Mention that and roughly how many. And always, always include samples.
• Sample news pieces—Did Newsweek do a cover story on just the topic you’re writing about? Include a copy.
• Title—this is the very first thing an editor looks at when reviewing a proposal, so let’s give them something that grabs their attention and yet says clearly what the book is about. Believe it or not, we've been very interested in books, but before even bringing it to an editorial meeting we called to see if we could change the title. This might be something you and your agent can brainstorm on together.

Books can Sell More With a Foreword Written by a Known Person

In today’s competitive publishing world, each new book must be carefully nurtured to be successful. One of the ways you can help your new book sale is by writing a Foreword.

To be effective, the you should try to find someone that is known to write your Foreword, and  who is respected by, your potential reading audience. You want a “name” so you can use it to help promote the book. Ideally you have developed a relationship with key individuals in your topic area. This is one reason to continually network within your industry. Attend national conventions and regional workshops where you can reach opinion molders. Use social media to make contacts with heavyweights. 

Follow up these meetings—both virtual and in person—with personal notes and keep up a dialogue.

Once you identify who you want to contact, the challenge is how to reach them. As mentioned previously, social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn can open doors that would otherwise be closed.  If you can’t find them there, try Google.

Now you’re ready to launch your campaign. Put together a powerful one-pager to these people telling why your book is important, different from others, and why it will be of special interest to them. Customize each note to give it personal appeal. Invite them to read your book and give you an advance comment. You’re not asking for a Foreword at this point. Ask only for their feedback. Include the table of contents, introduction, and promotional material to titillate their interest—and offer to send an advance review copy of the book.

When you get a positive response, then approach that person about writing a Foreword. This shouldn’t be a saga: one to three pages is normal. People have often asked me whether they should pay for a Foreword. No! This is not accepted industry practice. (But you should make sure to spell the word correctly. I often see the erroneous “Forward” used all too often!)

What sometimes happens is the expert is too busy to accommodate your request and read the book. Is all lost? Never! You might say something like, “Why don’t I put together a few paragraphs for you — subject, of course, to your approval or revision?” He or she will usually quickly agree. Yes, you will write the Foreword. This gives you more control over both the content and the turnaround time.

Just how do you proceed once you’ve garnered this precious gem? First, get a permission to use the information in connection with the "BOOK ONLY", then promote the heck out of it! Splash the names of any notables boldly across your cover and promotional materials.

Of course, the brief advance comments (often called “blurbs” in the industry) you collect from other famous people can be put on the back cover of the book, added to the very front of the book before the title page, and interwoven in promotional materials. Third-party accolades win sales. Blurbs also lend credibility to your work. A statement carries more clout if it comes from someone other than you.

So when you’re looking for ways to help your book stand out from the crowd, get a Foreword, and a few blurbs. It can give you added visibility, credibility, and profitability.

Insight to Publishing Companies

Here's what you should know about how most - not all - publishers work:

• They're not doing it for the love of your book. Publishers want something that sells. Just like bookstores want something that sells. Publishers and bookstores are the same as in they want a book that sells early, sells often, and sells for a long, long time. If they don't think your book will sell, they won't pay much attention. 

Here at VIP Ink we're interested in "YOU". I'll explain. Satan himself could walk in here and say "I want to write a book. I have billions of followers, and I will sell just as many books as the Bible." While I do agree, Satan has billions of followers, his book is not something we want in our catalog. Get the picture.

• Conversely, if your book will sell, it doesn't matter what you're writing about. It's not about any high-minded ideals of literature, or craft, or changing the world - publishers and bookstores want something that sells. Drop any illusions about spending time with book lovers; this is business. Sad I know.

• When you approach publishers with an idea, your main job - truthfully your only job - is to explain very clearly why the book is going to sell. (Here it really helps if your last name is Clinton, or Bush.) If you're not a known author or celebrity who can guarantee some sales, then it's best to come in with a clearly defined, market-tested book idea. Don't B.S. people, we seen and heard it all, let the book and marketing idea stand alone.

•  Be mindful, talking to a publishing company about an original idea can cost major money. "Original" means "risky", which to publishers and bookstores means "it might not sell." 

• If you do get a publisher interested in your idea, you should know now what the deal will be. You write the book, you promote the book - in other words, you create the product and sell it - and in return, the publisher will allow their name to appear on the book jacket. Oh, and the publisher keeps most of the money - since, they'll remind you, they assumed all the risk in the project. 

***This happens ALL the time, we do not work this way, we feel the risk is equal.***

• Don't write a book for the money. As the author, you can expect to make about a dollar on every copy that sells. The publisher makes several times that, so they make a nice profit with as few as, say, five thousand copies sold. Books that sell ten or fifteen thousand are rare, and considered strong sellers. So let's say you strike gold. After working on your book for a year or more, are you going to be happy with a payday of ten to fifteen grand? 

• Incidentally, don't expect your royalty check right away. The publisher gets paid first, by the bookstores, and the publisher may then hold on to your money for several months before they part with any of it. Yes, this is legal: it's in the publisher's contract. Not getting paid may be a bummer for you, but it's a great deal for the publisher, since they make interest on the float (all the money they owe to their authors) - which is another profit stream. They'll claim one reason for the delay is the sheer administrative challenge of cutting a check within three months (so many authors to keep track of! so many payments!)... a less ridiculous reason is that they have to wait to see whether bookstores are going to return unsold copies of your book for a full refund (an arrangement that I describe more below).

**Most of the time publishers pay two times a year if your lucky. We pay every month once the checks start coming in.**

• As for how you get those sales... that's your job, as I said above. Wait: you thought the publisher was going to sell and distribute your book? No no no. Their job is to put their name on the book, fulfill orders and accept payment from bookstore orders (which come from your sales efforts), keep most of the money, and then, several months later, cut your small royalty check. Once again, a sad part of the business. 

**We don't work this way. We do help in all aspects of sales, we push just as hard as you do.**

• Another way to sell your book is to get it into physical bookstores. This isn't the best sales route, but it's worth describing. Two ways into a bookstore: (1) pay the bookstore for placement - you didn't think those books were displayed prominently because the store employees like the book, did you? ... or (2) convince the buyer for the bookstore chain that your book will sell, sell, sell, and so she should place a big order for your book.

**I know another sad part of the business**

• The buyer is the one single person who determines what's on the shelves in all of the stores in a chain, for a given book type. The business section in every Barnes & Noble store in the country takes orders from a single buyer. Wal-Mart has a buyer. Even so-called "indie" bookstores have a (single) buyer for that category. I'd guess that over 90% of the business books on the shelves in all the bookstores in the US are chosen by a half-dozen people.

• If you can convince the buyer to carry your book in their chain, you'll have some distribution. (Not sales, to be clear, but a step closer.) But how do you contact one of those half-dozen supremely important people? You need entry. The buyer doesn't have time to talk to every individual author in the US about their half-baked book idea... there needs to be a gatekeeper to filter for surefire sellers.

 

• You can guess who that gatekeeper is: the publisher. If you sign with a good publisher, you have the chance - not the guarantee - of getting some - not necessarily much - distribution in some - not necessarily more than one - national chain, where customers will have the chance, on a shelf somewhere in the store, to come across your book and maybe buy a copy. As I said, it's not the best sales route. 

**Getting a publisher that has distribution is key**

• What's more, publishers have limited resources for the (usually) enormous list of authors they sign, so publishers focus only on a very few A-list authors. The majority of their list gets very little support. And if you have to wonder whether you're one of the chosen few, you just got your answer. (Why, then, do publishers sign so many authors, if they can't support more than a few? Same reason gamblers play the numbers in roulette - you never know which long-odds bet might win big. Besides which, authors are signing on to write and sell their own work, so it's a pretty good deal for the publisher anyway.)

**Once again, sad part of the business. We don't take on just anyone. We want to give our authors the 100% they have earned.**

• Incidentally, if the book sits too long, unsold, on the bookstore's shelf, the bookstore will return it to the publisher for a full refund. Once again, distribution is not the same as sales, although it can be a step in the right direction.

• If you do find an interested publisher, they'll hand you a contract. Read every word of the publisher's contract, and get your lawyer to do the same. Many things in the contract are negotiable, though the publisher won't tell you that upfront. But you'd be a sucker to sign the first draft of the contract.

• Up to this point you will have been talking to an editor at the publisher, and if you're at the contract stage you probably have a good rapport with him or her. Such a nice person, the editor wouldn't try to shaft you, would they? Well... they don't write the contract; that's the job of the contracts manager. This is someone who's never met you, who doesn't particularly care whether your book gets published or not, and whose responsibility it is to secure the very best terms for the publisher. Furthermore, their job is to write contract after contract, day after day, ad infinitum, and so anything you ask out of the ordinary, any change from their best-terms-for-publisher template, will be a major pain for them. 

**Again, sad part of the business. We don't work this way.**

• Years ago, before I was fully educated about publishers, I let two different books die at this stage - because the contracts manager couldn't (or wouldn't) fix some truly boneheaded wording in the template. I'm glad I made that decision. If the contract process doesn't go well, walk away. This is the most attention your publisher will ever give to you - remember, after this, it's up to you to write and sell the book - so if they can't be reasonable in the contract, it's really not going to go well later, when it's time to publish the book.

• You can also hire an agent to seek out and negotiate with a publisher for your book idea. This can shield you from some of the hassle of contract negotiations, but the basic arrangement is still in place. You write it, you sell it, and the publisher keeps most of the money. (The agent, for their efforts, gets a percentage of your royalties.)

**Agents get about 15%, I have seen some get 20%.**

• You may see now the author's dilemma. Publishers and bookstores are in it for the money. But you, the author, can't be in it for the money - it doesn't pay enough. You should write a book because you believe in it. And that's the trouble: what you love isn't necessarily what publishers believe will sell. If you can find a topic that you love and that will sell in the market, well then, go forth and type. You're one of the lucky ones.

I know what your thinking. It can't be this way? It is. Although there are publishing companies that don't work this way, it is becoming harder to find them.

What Does a Ghostwriter Charge?

Since many authors that write bio/life stories are too busy to write their own book, they want to explore the opportunity of working with a professional ghost writer. Working with a writing coach and project manager (someone that over sees the process of writing the book), it’s part of their job to interview ghost writers and find the best writer for the job. But before they can even move to that stage, one of the first things you should know and understand is, What does a ghostwriter charge?

Unfortunately, there’s there is no one set answer to this question: writers’ fees are all over the map, and there are no fixed industry standards. A preliminary Google search turns up fees anywhere from $1.00 to $10.00 per page for a 250 words per page for an average-length book (300 printed pages or 60,000 words). Yet online job sites show writers accepting work for as low as $500.00 a book. Some employers offer even less; just today I saw a job paying $2.00 per 500-word article.

Be mindful, they are Independent Contractors, and as a writer they will need to pay taxes, maintain equipment, and pay a finder’s fee to a job site or agency, if that is how you found them. Even at $500.00 a book, a writer is working for less than minimum wage. Who’d work for less than minimum wage? Believe it or not, young writers just starting out, so they frequently do, which is unfortunate for the more experienced writers. It’s common sense that a fledgling writer isn’t as skilled as one with a number of published books under their belt and 20 or 30 years of experience – and I don’t only mean experience with writing. A person who’s been around the block a few times is familiar with a wide variety of subjects, and probably has at least some passing knowledge of your field of business. You do get what you pay for in this world!

With so many writers working freelance, it can become confusing to decide who to hire, especially sight unseen. Ideally, you’ll want to, at least, see some previous work to find out if you like someone’s writing. A legitimate writer is glad to provide samples, and on sites like Guru.com or Elance.com (I have no contact to either)you can access them before you even contact the writer. These sites also post feedback on the writer’s performance from previous employers. Here you might even get an idea of the kind of pay the writer is accustomed to – frequently less than what they initially asks for. Hidden resentment from an underpaid writer can lead to conflict during the work process. On the other hand, a happy ghostwriter is a good ghostwriter, so paying well is in your best interest. Which brings us to:

FAQs:
How much does it cost to ghostwrite a book?
The fee for a 200-300 page manuscript to be completed in 3-6 months starts at around $2,000.00 and goes up to about $10,000.00-plus. The more you provide in the way of extensive notes, outline, or rough draft, the lower the cost. Other variables include timeline, length, and publishing assistance. If the writer has to conduct research, for instance, the fee will be higher.

For subjects that require knowledge of specialized language, such as finance, law, or any other specialty, cost is normally higher: $3,000.00 – $20,000.00. If the client has a written draft, the price will be on the lower end; if more time is needed to produce a book based mainly on verbal communication, it will be higher.

What does the ghostwriter’s fee cover?
The fee to ghostwrite your book covers all interview time between writer, client, and any other participants necessary to obtain the required information. It includes all research time, writing, editing, rewriting, and it can include finding an agent to represent you, or even finding a publisher. The ghostwriter’s fee does not include travel or lodging, although travel time is included. I still think if you get the right one, you can do a flat fee for all. So keep looking, they are out there.

How are fees paid to the ghostwriter?
Most writers require an initial deposit of one-third the total to begin work, another third paid at the mid-point of the project, and the final third upon completion. Some writers prefer monthly payments after an initial deposit at the start. Also, get a agreement just in case things get funny, it happens, you want to protect yourself no matter what.

How long does it take to complete a book?
A well-organized, average-length book could take from three to six months to complete. A faster turn-around may be possible, but can also raise the fee, and be a sloppy book. If you have a draft of your book, or extensive notes and sketches, the work can go faster and easier. If a lot of research is involved, then more time is needed.

Does a ghostwriter use a contract?
The ghostwriter is an Independent Contractor who usually wants a signed contract with the first payment. The contract should include the working title of the book, amount and schedule of fees, copyright agreement, and confidentiality. Additionally, stipulations are usually included regarding termination of contract, arbitration in case of disagreement, and miscellaneous matters such as complimentary copies and deadlines for portions of the book, if any. If the writer does not have her own contract, one can be obtained from a writers’ organization like the National Writers Union or the Editorial Freelancer’s Association. Read this SLOW.....Get it looked at by a lawyer before you ink anything.

Know the Difference Between a Ghostwriter, a Developmental Editor, and an Editor?

In the publishing industry, different titles are given to different positions, each having a different set of responsibilities. Some of the most common positions are ghostwriters, editors, and developmental editors. Each plays an important role to the author who needs their services. Let’s take a look at each of them and define their contribution to the book writing and publishing process.

• Ghostwriter: A ghostwriter is responsible for writing a book. In exchange for a fee, the ghostwriter completes the manuscript based on the client’s message, material, and ideas. They are usually experienced writers who have knowledge of the publishing industry and help their clients convey a compelling, interesting, and appealing message to the reader. A ghostwriter can be asked to write a book without any input from their client, or they can be asked to communicate often, obtaining the author’s unique message to use as content for the book. The ghostwriter’s byline usually is not included on the book cover, and the author often doesn’t give credit to the ghostwriter for his or her services. However, some ghostwriters are given credit next to the author’s name, using “with the ghostwriter” or “as told to” the ghostwriter.

• Developmental editor: A developmental editor does not write the book, but he or she is responsible for assisting the author with the organization, layout, and delivery of their message. A developmental editor advises the author on the next logical step in the presentation of the material. It’s common for developmental editors to add or eliminate characters in a fiction story, ideas or concepts in a non-fiction story, and to assist the author with the story line. A developmental editor might suggest moving entire chapters or presenting them from a different perspective. They are fundamental in the overall development of the book, but while some do contribute some level of ghostwriting to enhance the flow of the material, they are not usually responsible for the actual writing of the manuscript.

• Editor: The editor is the last person to receive the manuscript. When the author has completed writing his or her book, it is then sent to the editor, who polishes it and checks it for accuracy. The editor proofreads the book, checking it for spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors, and also ensures consistency throughout the story, correcting any areas which conflict. For instance, if the author stated that the main character had brown hair, but later changed that to blonde hair, the editor would catch that and correct it. The editor also ensures proper word usage, verb tense, and consistent tone is used throughout. They look for areas which lack clarity, or are choppy or redundant. They are adept at making sure the book follows a consistent pace, flows well, and transitions between thoughts and ideas. Some editors perform a minimal level of ghostwriting to meet these ends, and some provide suggestions to the author for alternate wording or layout of chapters; however, they are not expected to totally rewrite and/or rearrange the content of the book. When the editor is finished, the book is ready to be formatted for print.

While most authors will not use the services of all three of these professionals, each is valuable in the book writing process, depending on the author’s needs. As an independent publisher and book coach, I help my clients find the services that best suit their needs

The Truth About Bestsellers

We all would love to be a bestselling author.

The publishing world often seems focused on bestsellers and bestsellers only. How many copies a book sells, who is on bestseller lists, and it seems they are the only ones getting the attention. Publishers, and authors, talk about the big hits, and huge numbers all the time.

The small world of publishing seems to be following a similar theme. When my books came out I posted my numbers. I think this kind of transparency is good.

But the message is getting to hyped. I've shared my numbers to only show writers what is possible with a smaller publishing company.

I don't share my numbers to show how many books I'm selling than you are. And I've never stated that a book has to sell X number of copies before it is considered a success.

According to a recent article in Publisher's Lunch (no link because it's a pay site), 11 authors that went with a smaller publisher made the NYT List in 2011. I haven't read the article, so I don't know if it is slanted that 11 is an amazing number or a disappointing number. In reality, it is 11 people that did not give away to much, and got more in royalties than authors that inked a deal with lager publishing companies.

The smaller publishing company revolution isn't about how many bestsellers it produces.

The small publishing company revolution is about authors--all authors--being able to make money on their work without having to jump through hoops, or not be published at all.

You don't need to make the NYT list to be a success. You don't need to make $100,000.00 in three months to be a success. And the significance of this revolution isn't based on what the legacy publishing machine thinks is successful.

A writer doesn't have to sell 10,000 books a day. They can sell 10,000 books a year--(only 27 a day)--and because they keep a large chunk of the royalties, that can make a huge difference in the quality of their life.

Even 5000 books a year, with royalties at 99 cents, (here at VIP Ink we pay way more) is an extra $150 a month. Money used to pay bills. Buy groceries. Make things a little bit easier.

In the legacy world, if an author didn't make big money, they got dumped. But VIP Ink doesn't have the overhead a NY publisher does. Smaller sales may not impress the legacy world, but who cares? They're bloated, unwieldy, antiquated, inefficient, and wasteful.

Let NY try to support itself. Our authors need less to support themselves. We don't need to hit a home run like NY does. We can hit a bunch of singles and do just fine.

Bestsellers have always been an anomaly. The real story is about the mid list, and how many writers can get paid. And right now, more writers are getting paid for their writing than at any other point in history.

I'm thrilled for the thousands and thousands of authors who are making ends meet because they achieved their goals with a smaller publisher with their books.

Any writer who puts food on the table with their writing is a successful writer. It doesn't matter if it is a box of mac and cheese, or caviar and champagne. Taking your career into your own hands, giving it your best shot, striving to do better...now that's the American Dream, baby.

Bestsellers? Who needs them.

Don't let me, the NYT Times, or the pinheads in legacy publishing make you feel inadequate because you aren't a millionaire yet.

You are part of a revolution that is going to change how the entire world reads.

Authors that work with us will continue to earn money, forever.

Publishing Basics, Part 3: Movie Rights

Admit it. You dream of a movie deal.

Maybe because of the money, which is rumored to be considerable--at least compared to advances and royalties--or because you think you'll get to go to the premier with the stars.

Movie rights are part of sub rights or subsidiary rights. The clause in the contract tends to describe them like this: "In the case of dramatic, including film, television, radio or other broadcasting rights..."

Depending on your agent and your publisher, you may get total control of these, in other words 100%. Or not. Sometimes publishers insist on a cut, maybe 10%, maybe 20%, maybe 50%. It depends.

Production companies/producers, if they actually decide they might--key word "might"--want to make a movie based on one of your books, they typically offer an option. Here's where it gets tricky. And here's the disclaimer: although I've had nibbles, I've never had a film option so this is going to be kind of general.

Let's say a production company decides they want the rights to make a movie based on your book. They'll offer an option. Let's say the option is, just to keep the numbers simple, they will pay you $100,000.00 for a one-year option.

What that means is they have one year from the signing of the contract to get a green light from a studio or some other source of money to actually do something with your book. They probably spent some money having a script based on it (maybe), but then they've shopped that around and studios or people with money have said, "no way" or "sure." Or, in the case of Hollywood, probably, "Oh, I love it, it's fantastic, I can see George Clooney as the lead, I'll get back with you." Then they don't.

So, ready to spend that $100,000.00?

Don't. Because you probably won't get it. You'll get a percentage of it, a sort of down payment on the $100,000.00. About 10%. So you'll get $10,000.00. That's good. A nice chunk of change. Except your agent gets a percentage of that, and it is higher than the 15% he or she gets to sell your novel to a publisher. Maybe 20%. And your publisher could get a cut as well.

Movie contracts can be a mess and unless you have an agent who specializes in movie contracts, your agent might suggest hooking up with a film agent or entertainment attorney, who will either get a flat fee or perhaps another percentage. This is something that can happen within the industry, and is so, the entertainment attorney would get an additional 5%. What the hell, it's currently only imaginary money. (Just don't forget the way this is getting carved up, though. That $10,000.00 is now down about 35% and we haven't even taken into consideration taxes. Pretty soon you'll be lucky to walk away with $3,500.00).

Okay, so far so good. Now, if in that period of time--one year, for instance--the producer gets a green light, you get the rest of the money. If they don't, the producer may ask to renew and you get $10,000.00 minus everybody else's cuts all over again. In some ways this could become be the route to take. A number of authors have had books optioned year after year after year without the film actually getting made. The first one off the top of my head is "Catch Me If You Can." That book was optioned about 20 times before Spielberg made the movie with Tom Hanks. The author commented it was great, he kept getting about $20,000.00 a year for a book that wasn't really selling any more.

Now, let's say they actually get a green light and go into pre-production, which is some time from actually starting to shoot a film. You should get the rest of your $100,000.00.

Depending on the wording within your contract, if the film actually gets made, you would probably get more money. Maybe even a royalty based on how much money the film makes. I have no clue how much that would actually be. I know that the late Jim Cash, who co-wrote films like "Top Gun" and "The Secret of My Success" and "Dick Tracy" with his writing partner Jack Epps, commented once that for every videotape of "Top Gun" sold he got about 5 cents. For the writer my guess is that royalties based on films comes to a percentage of a penny. For instance, 1/10th of a percentage point. That's okay, since a moderately successful movie can make millions of dollars. Be mindful, stories of the Hollywood accounting departments are legendary, so even if to all extents and purposes the movie is wildly successful, you might get paid unless you sue the studio for it.

Like I said, There is no direct experience with this. Let me just throw out a few things I have read or heard about authors who've had movies made based on their books.

It takes time. David Morrell's novel "First Blood" was published in 1972. The Sylvester Stallone movie came out in 1982.

If you write series fiction, ie., novels based on a recurring character, there's a common clause in a film option that means that if Producer A has an option on Book A starring your character, Producer B, C, D, or E cannot option Book B, C, D, or E as long as Producer's A option is still current. This happened to John Sandford and his Lucas Davenport novels. One movie was made for TV starring Eric LaSalle as Lucas Davenport. (Interesting casting, isn't it? Not quite as interesting as Whoopie Goldberg as Lawrence Block's Bernie Rhodenbarr, but interesting nonetheless).

Along those lines, a successful adaption of a series character's novel can make future options quite easy to do. Take Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels and Jesse Stone novels. Spenser was a successful TV show starring Robert Urich, there was a spin-off about Hawk called "A Man Called Hawk" and then there were made-for-TV movies based on the Spenser novels starring Joe Mantegna. The Jesse Stone novels have been made into made-for-TV films starring Tom Seleck and just Sunday night one aired that wasn't based on the books but was based on an original script not written by Robert B. Parker.

On the other hand, a movie was made out of one of Sarah Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski novels (titled: "V.I. Warshawski") starring Kathleen Turner. The idea was it would become a series of movies starring Turner. The movie did not keep my interest, and no other movie has been based on it since.

Your money could go down for sequels. At least it did in the case of David Morrell. In his book on writing he notes how the contracts for "First Blood" indicated the author would get 50% of each previous movie's option if sequels were made. He noted that since Rambo dies at the end of "First Blood" the novel he didn't think that was an issue. Surprise! In the film he lives and has since spawned 3 additional film sequels, and there is still talks of a 5th. I can't recall the numbers but the gist of it was that if Morrell received $100,000.00 for "First Blood," then he received "$50,000.00" for "Rambo Part II," and $25,000.00 for "Rambo Part III" and presumably $12,500.00 for "Rambo." The numbers do not get adjusted for inflation.

On the other hand, Morrell also talks about how there were merchandising clauses in his contract for "First Blood" which he thought was ridiculous, as was there a clause about animation rights. If you recall, there were Rambo lunch boxes and T-shirts and action figures and in fact there was an animated cartoon. So these things do happen and the money is there without question.

Other random facts: about 1 in 20 novels that get optioned actually get made into films. I don't have a number for the percentage of novels that actually get optioned, but I am sure it's really, really low, something like 1 in 1000.

If your novel is a thriller or a novel, the odds of an option go up. If it's sci-fi, I'm afraid the odds aren't as good. Although a hell of a lot of SF makes it onto the screen, not much of it seems to be based on novels, and the ones that do are based on SF written 40 years ago. Straight mysteries are a tough sell.

The hotter the novel, the more likely an option. John Sandford, optioned. Janet Evanovich, optioned. Rick Riordan, not only optioned for the Percy Jackson novels, but was made into a film. Christopher Paolini's novel whose novel about a dragon was optioned and made into a film as well.

Did you know, the "Die Hard" films were based on a novel by an author that was not a brand name whatsoever, so anything is possible.

A friend of mine had a novel optioned a few years ago. I e-mailed him to congratulate him and I could just tell he was shrugging when he said, "Yeah, well, it doesn't come to that much money, but it'll help pay a couple bills." I thought at the time he was being modest, but now I don't think so.

Jody Picoult described Hollywood this way: "New York publishers say, 'I hate you, I hate you, I hate you,' and then let you in grudgingly. Hollywood says, 'I love you, I love you, I love you," then does nothing."

My experiences have been almost identical. I would probably add that publishers not only let you in grudgingly, but as if they're doing you a favor. Hollywood's all rainbows and moonbeams and unicorns until they decide they're not interested and then that's it, goodbye.

With this in mind, keep writing, and never give up. 

Publishing Basics, Part 2: Royalties

As you can see from our last post royalties are all tied up in advances. A royalty is a percentage of capital that is paid to the author based on the price of the book. As stated before, that royalty can be based on the list price of the book or the retail price.

 Most agreement are as follows:

"...including but not limited to hardcover, trade paperback, and mass market in English and Spanish, in whole or in part, at prices to be determined by the Publisher, in return for which rights the Publisher agrees to pay the Author a royalty amounting to 10% for the first 5,000 copies, 12-1/2% for copies 5,001 to 10,000, and 15% for all copies thereafter of all moneys actually received by the Publisher from sales of said Work after all returns and allowances. Sales made at a loss such as damaged and imperfect copies sold for clearance, overstock or remainders sold at discount of more than 80% shall not be subject to payment of royalties by the Publisher to the Author."

WOW, kind of kicks you in the teeth.

These are more or less typical for trade paperback and hardcover, although 8% is not unheard of for the first print run either. When you get into mass market paperbacks it's not uncommon for the royalty percentage to be 6-8%.  This also brings us to print-on-demand companies that may be in the 25% range, which is also not uncommon in electronic publishing.

The point here is that although there are "industry standards" for royalties, there's typically always a range and that range is always negotiable. As you can see it's common for the royalty rate to go up the more books you sell. There are also "elevator clauses", that is more or less if your book suddenly goes and sells a million copies you'll get a bonus in addition to all the extra royalties. It is possible to have clauses indicating bonuses if they end up on various bestseller lists.

Second, let's examine this part of the clause: "..all copies thereafter of all moneys actually received by the Publisher from sales of said Work after all returns and allowances..."

Here you need to think a bit about how the book business works these days. A publisher prints the books, sticks them in a warehouse, then informs the distributors (Baker & Taylor, Ingram, et al) and bookstores that your book is now available. The bookstores order them from the distributors. The books are delivered to the bookstore. The bookstore pays for those books, somewhere in the range of 40%-50% of the list price of the book, and then tries to sell the book. If they sell the book, great, they take their profit off the top and pay their bills. If the book doesn't sell and they eventually decide they need to make room on their bookshelves for better selling books, they return the books to the distributor/publisher and get a full refund on the amount they paid.

So, back to that clause.

What this means is, when a publisher decides to pay you royalties--typically two times a year if your lucky, although some large publisher might actually do this quarterly--one of the things you might see on your nearly royalty statement is: "Held on returns". What this means is they're not paying you all your royalties. What the publisher is doing is holding back on some of the royalty money because they expect a lot of your books are going to get returned from the bookstores and they're going to be refunding money to the bookstores. This is often 20% ... although that's not a given. I was talking with an author friend and a few weeks ago and he was claiming that his publisher was holding back about 90% against returns.

I feel I also need to mention sell-through. Here's the thing about royalties that you really need to keep in mind. Ready?

Publishers don't expect to pay you any.

Yeah, I know. What? Are you crazy?

As mentioned in the last post, publishers base their advances--in theory--on how many books they expect to sell. Sort of. Because in reality, most books don't earn back their advances. "Sell-through" is the term used to describe the percentage of your first print run you sell, or, in other words, how much of your advance you earn back. And here's the key: publishers believe that 70-80% sell-through is terrific.

NOW, we should point out, selling all your books and going onto another print run. That's fantastic all right, it just doesn't happen all that much. Publishers increasingly look at an author--especially a first-time author--and evaluate his or her "success" based on sell-through. You sold 60% of your books, not so good. 70%, pretty good. 80%, great. Anything more than that, Hallelujah!

But how are royalties calculated? Hmmm...good question

Let's take two authors. One's book sells 1000 copies in the first three months of being on the shelf, then dies off completely and doesn't sell anything else the rest of the year. Author #2, however, whose book came out the same day, has a much slower start, but sells gradually over the course of the year and by the end of the year sells 1000 copies. Which author is more successful?

The one that sold 1000 copies in the first three months.

The typical shelf life of a book is about three months. This didn't use to be the case. But back in the 1980s or 1990s the government passed a tax law making it more difficult for companies to write off excess stock kept in the warehouse. This was meant to prevent companies like Black & Decker from keeping electric drills in the warehouse indefinitely, writing them off on their taxes forever. What it did to publishers was make them remainder books in the warehouses a whole hell of a lot faster and push to get those books off the shelf in about three months.

Remainder is another publishing term meaning they unload their warehoused books for about a buck a copy to whoever will buy them--often the authors--who then try to sell them for a couple bucks. Those that don't get remaindered get delivered to a shredder where they're turned into attic insulation. At the bookstore you see these books selling for about half price, but the bookstores still run a profit on them. Now, if you look at the clause way up there above, you'll see that the author, however, gets nothing.

I know this is getting long, but I want to mention all the interest in electronic publishing, particularly as it regards the Kindle. Amazon is selling books for the Kindle at about $10 a copy. It's not very clear how these royalties are working out. The publishers are complaining that the price is too low, but Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon claims he's merely selling them at the price consumers are willing to pay.

With e-publishing there's no returns. There's no printing costs. Publishers are still whining that they still have expenses and overhead. This is the reason we modeled VIP Ink Publishing after that idea. As I suspect e-publishing is the wave of the future. I am very sure we'll still have paper books, but not as many of them. Just like e-publishing that gets rid of remainders and print runs and sell-throughs and holding against returns, we do the same at VIP Publishing..

Should You Hire a Book Publicist?

Independent publicist Lauren Cerand helped new authors answer a tough question: Should I hire a book publicist?
 

Cerand has worked with a variety of clients, including authors, booksellers, rock bands and publishing companies.

Here’s an excerpt from the interview: “I think there is less of a need to have a publicist on retainer who can broker high level major relationships for you … There are all these great places you can go online with a budget and you can say, ‘I want to learn one skill … Then you can decide, ‘Do I want to do a tour? Is there something I want to do that would make sense to have a publicist?”

Cerand continued: “Then you want to find a publicist in your price range by asking around. People can always contact me and I would be happy to point them in the right direction. You have to remember it is a custom project. Too often I see people with books about a subject that they are the absolute dead experts on and no one can touch their authority–because they have researched it all their lives. And they expect this junior publicist that’s in charge of their book to know better than they do about where they need to go to reach their readers. I think that’s a fallacy.”

She added: “You want a publicist who has a sense of what’s best for you strategically what’s important for you and who are going to open doors that you can’t. In the age of the Internet, we’ve largely democratized the process. For authors, I always say: It’s really about learning as many of these skills as you can. That’s what’s going to serve you best in your career, not keeping somebody on retainer indefinitely.”

Cerand concluded: “I’m really inspired by the flourishing of counterculture and independent publishing that happened in the 1920s, in New York especially. One of the things that has always interested me is that throughout time, artists have really done it for themselves. You can look at so many examples: Shipping heiress Nancy Cunard starting her own magazine to bring attention to social justice principles or people around the world who thought, ‘Perhaps I’ll go to Paris and see what else people are writing about’ in the time between the wars. Or the people who have sent a letter to someone who inspires them. We have to use our time on this planet to its greatest advantage, for human beings that always happens when we connect with someone else who shares some aspect of our own experience or who can teach us something we want to know.”

Should Book Publicists Post Reviews On Amazon?

Reader Views, a company dedicated to reviewing books and author publicity, has been banned from posting their reviews on Amazon.

According to an email from the company’s founder Irene Watson yesterday, Amazon has banned reviews from 15 sites. Watson explained in the email: “At first it seems it was just review sites like us but then it flowed over to removing reviews from individual reviews unrelated to any site or blog. There is no consistency except a stock email that says ‘you violated the guidelines’ but the specific violation is never disclosed by Amazon.com.”

Unlike a traditional media review, Reader Views, gets paid for some of its reviews through selling publicity services to authors. Their website explains: “We give free reviews but due to the overwhelming amount of submissions and high costs of processing we are limiting the number of free reviews we will give each week. There is no guarantee your book will be reviewed because the reviewers choose what books they want to read. For a guaranteed review we suggest one of our budget friendly Publicity Packages.”

Amazon itself sells reviews in Kirkus for $379-529, and Watson thinks the competition is why her reviews are being banned. She continued in the email: “My personal assumption is that review services like ours are in direct competition with Amazon.com for obtaining reviews since they are now offering outrageously expensive reviews through their own CreateSpace program.”

Should review services like Reader Views be able to post their reviews on Amazon? What do you think?

Publishing Basics Part I

Book advances.

It stands for "advance against royalties." This basically means a publisher advances you money when you sign a contract. However, this advance has to be earn back before you start earning any royalties.

Let's say your book will be published in paperback and will net -- (just to make this math easier)--for $10. If your royalty is 10% of the net, you will get $1 per copy sold. If you get a $10,000 advance, you need to sell 10,000 copies before you get any royalties.

The advance is based on how many books your publisher thinks it can reasonably sell.

Okay, that's the basics as it exists in a textbook format. Here's where things get a bit more colorful.

First, lets work this backwards.

The advance sadly is not really necessarily based on what your publisher thinks it will sell. It is based on what your publisher thinks it can get away with. I know shocking huh? If you're a bestselling author, they're trying to keep you happy, so they'll offer advances at your agent in hopes you don't go somewhere else. It has nothing at all to do with sales. It's more or less a bribe, a sweetener, whatever you want to call it, the publisher wants to make the author happy and they'll pay for the privilege, within reason. Publishers often lose money on celebrity books because they had to pay a large advance just to get the celebrity to sign the deal. It didn't have anything to do with the number of books sold.

Remember if there is no advance offered, it's okay for the writer to work on spec and gamble with their time, the publisher is in it to make money, so, when possible, they don't offer advances.

Your royalty is based on the price of the book ... sort of. This depends a lot on the language of your contract, and it gets into words like "net" and "gross" and "retail sales"  it can be confusing, but it does not have to. Here at VIP Ink Publishing, we make sure its not confusing for the author. Here is something else to think about.  Is your book discounted? Do you still get 10% of the price of the book if it's sold 30% off? Is the 10% actually on the price of the book or the price of the book as purchased by the bookseller from the distributor?

That last sentence is key, because that's often the case. In other words, your book is priced at $20, but the bookseller gets it from the distributor for, maybe, $10. Sometimes that's what your royalty is based on. Not 10% of list price, but 10% of retail price. This is where agents earn their money. They look out for these sorts of things.

You get your advance in one big chunk. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. If you've written your entire manuscript--first novel--and they offer it that way, yes. On multi-book contracts it's often a third on signing, a third on turning in a portion of the novel (or turning in all of the novel), and the final third on either turning in the completed manuscript or in some cases when the book is actually published. As Mr. Robert Benchley once said, "Writers are paid per word, per hour or perhaps."

I would also add that, publishers being publishers, accountants being accountants, and agents being agents, that you can turn in your completed manuscript, your editor can get around to reading it at his or her leisure before approving the remainder of the advance, which will then wend its slow way through the publisher's accounting system, then a check will be cut, mailed to your agent, who will cash it,  get their cut and send your portion on to you. Which can take some time, believe me