Professional Speaker: February 2008 Archives

Today's interview is with Mike Flannery, an editor who works with people to help get their books (and other information products) polished and published.

Mike, why would an author choose to self-publish their book or information product?

I have found that people who choose to self publish (versus going with a publisher) do so for reasons of: speed, control, artistic license and money (it costs less and the profit potential is higher).

But isn't it better to have a "real" publisher if you can?

Some of the reasons to go with a traditional publisher include: credibility, ego or just to 'see if you can'. This route can be slow and expensive. You'll have the benefit of the publishers editing and marketing team behind you, but you'll also have less control (i.e. other people will be telling you what's okay to do and what's not).

In your experience, are people happy with their self-published book?

In most cases, writing a self-published book exceeds the authors' expectations. Having a book says you are the expert and it forces you to step up your game and become one. Often, this can help alleviate the 'inner fraud' factor. The process of publishing is also a learning opportunity.

How many books can a self-published author expect to sell?

When you're setting goals keep in mind your market niche - in some cases selling 1000 books may be seen as a huge success. Quite often the authors I have worked with have set goals, but not hard and fast ones and it does take time to reach them. But if the goals are realistic, they are often be exceeded. Remember too, that not all authors want tons of book sales. A lot of them are looking for the sales that occur AFTER the book: workbooks, multimedia products, consulting, coaching and speaking opportunities, etc. The book shouldn't be relied upon as a profit maker, rather a sample of the rest of your offerings. Keep in mind, sometimes it's not so much how many you sell, but who you sell the book to.

How does the printing and distribution actually work?

My clients use a 'print on demand' service that does fulfillment. They usually use Amazon. Other well-known 'print on demand' services are Trafford.com and Vervante.com. To find other self-publishing companies just do a Google search for "self-publish book" or "print on demand book". You may also want to check out these sites which provide easy tools for formatting your book yourself.

Lulu.com
Blurb.com
CreateSpace.com

How do self-published authors get the word out about their book?

Try book festivals, virtual book tours, press releases, book launch parties in person, book signings, etc. In the online world, the consensus is that the biggest 'sales generator' is joint ventures.

What else would you like authors to know, Mike?

• Build a database BEFORE you write the book.
• Don't get hung up on having tons of content. Great books make people think, they don't just provide information.
• Make sure your book has a GREAT hook or concept - this is where most of the 'heavy lifting' is done. Once you've got your concept, the writing of the book should be easy (okay, relatively speaking)
• Do it quickly - don't over analyze.
• Don't skimp on putting up the money for typesetting the inside of the book. Make it look great, to match your awesome cover.
• If book consultants don't deliver, fire them quickly.
• Get it to market.
• Oh yes - titles matter!