And although I have been organizing tours for clients—and myself—for a while, this is still a relatively new promotional tool, so I figured Dana’s book would have plenty of additional information that would be helpful. She did not disappoint.

After perusing the detailed table of contents, I headed straight to section three, “Research and Recruit the Best Tour Hosts” since this is (in my mind) the most difficult aspect of organizing the virtual author book tour. The book includes great tips for where to find potential tour hosts, including blog directories to research and book review blogs to contact, as well as how to conduct a Google search that will net good results. It also offers suggestions for finding highly ranked sites and tracking the results of your tour.  (Don’t discount the first two sections, however; “The Magic of Virtual Book Tours” and “Plan for a Successful Book Tour” are both informative parts—particularly if you are new or new fairly new to the whole concept.)

Subsequent chapters provide details communicating effectively with your host, creating good content for your tour, and using contests and giveaways to build buzz. This brings us to another ultra-important chapter: “Promoting Your Virtual Book Tour.” The section includes great tips including how to get yourself organized, how to get your hosts to promote your tour, as well as a daily tour routine (I’ll definitely be using this for my own book tour coming up in 2012).

Other chapters cover what to do post-tour, as well as how to avoid potential tour pitfalls. Dana also provides suggestions for repurposing your content, something I really hadn’t considered. In addition, there is an excellent case study (“Do Tours Really Work?”) as well as resources for authors and publishers.

If you are an author planning your first—or fifteenth—virtual author book tour, this is an indispensable guide ensuring that your tour goes off without a hitch. Definitely a must-have for the savvy author’s virtual bookshelf.

Here are some of the most common:

1. Setting unrealistic goals. In spite of recent success stories in the news, you probably won’t become rich from your publishing venture. And you probably won’t sell a million copies of your book. Keep in mind that a book that sells 10,000 copies—whether self- or traditionally published—is generally considered to be a “success.” Another thing is that too many authors also believe that just putting their work out there is somehow going to result in sales, so they neglect putting together a marketing and promotions plan—which leads to the next item on the list.

2. Failing to think about marketing before the book is published. This is a biggie. I know that writing a book is no easy task, and authors tend to get caught up in the process before thinking of the next step, which is ensuring your book reaches your audience. I frequently speak with authors who have had their books out for months and have generated few sales. When I ask what they’ve been doing in terms of marketing, I often get a vague response. Or I have authors call me in September, asking to help them plan a promotions plan for the upcoming holiday season (which they should have started long before fall). It’s never too early to think about promoting your book and building your author platform. You’ll definitely want to have a plan in place well before the book’s publication date.

3. Not knowing your audience. Perhaps your book does have wide appeal, but not “everyone” is going to read it—even if you think they should. Also, consider your competition: Does your book offer something new and unique to potential readers?

4. Going the vanity press route and thinking you’ve self-published. If you pay a publisher to publish your book, and that publisher uses its own ISBN on your book, you have not self-published. And chances are, if you’ve got a vanity (or subsidy) publisher imprint on your book, reviewers won’t give it the time of day. Although the stigma is diminishing for true self-publishing (you purchase your own ISBN prefix under your own publishing company name and assign a number to your book), it still exists for vanity and subsidy publishing because editing is often nonexistent and interior and exterior designs are usually templates that look substandard. So if you hire a “self-publishing service,” make sure the end result is a well-done book that is truly self-published—by you.

5. Thinking you can do it all yourself. You can—but the end result will likely be an amateurish book that is riddled with errors. Even the best writers need good editors. And unless you are a book design professional, you want a pro to design your interior and exterior so they don’t scream “self-published.” Too many times I see authors in writers groups who post a book cover designed by themselves or a family member—and they almost always look it. Surround yourself with professionals who can help ensure your book reads well and looks good. (Get recommendations for professionals from other self-published authors whose books you like.)

6. Being stingy with review copies. Reviews are an essential part of any book promotions plan, so budget the cost of review copies in your original promo plan. I have worked with authors who were opposed to sending out “free” copies of their book—and the number of reviews they received suffered for it. It’s not unusual to hear some successful authors reveal they sent out a hundred or more review copies.  

7. Not looking at self-publishing as a business. Once you’ve decided to self-publish, you are no longer just an author; you are also a business owner. And just as a commercial publisher looks upon any new book as an investment of its resources, so too do you.

Book Review

Title: Online Book Marketing: The Least Expensive, Most Effective Ways to Create Book Buzz

Author: Lorraine Phillips

If you’re looking for some ideas on how to create online “buzz” for your book, I recommend you check out Lorraine Phillips’s book Online Book Marketing: The Least Expensive, Most Effective Ways to Create Book Buzz (360 Books, 2011; 224 pages). This simple, easy-to-use guide is user-friendly for even the least experienced online marketer.

Phillips, who is an experienced publishing consultant who coaches and advises authors and publishers on the best practices for online book promotion, has a nice writing style that is succinct and direct. There are lots of headings and subheadings in the books, as well as items formatted in list style. This makes it each to quickly flip through and spot the topic you are interested in. There is also a comprehensive table of contents that includes the specifics to each chapter, as well as a subject index in the back. Whether you read it cover to cover or home in on those areas that are pertinent to your own project, you’ll be able to navigate the pages with ease.

The chapters are divided up within four sections. The first, Your Brand, Your Book, and You, is pretty self-explanatory and sets the stage for the rest of the book. Phillips does a nice job explaining in very simple terms the importance of a professional cover design—and suggestions on where you might find a cover designer—and what message your cover should convey.

Part II covers the basics of your author site and blog (something I believe every author should have), including why you need to hire a pro (which I don’t necessarily agree with since options such as WordPress exist for those who are somewhat computer savvy), keyword strategies for your site, as well as backlinks and search engine optimization.

In part III, Phillips addresses my three favorite social media sites—Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. If you are a novice to social media networking, this section will help get you set up. Part IV goes on to discuss other online marketing options, such as articles, emails, podcasts, videos, and press releases. There is also a chapter covering book awards, which I think is an often overlooked aspect of book promotions.

I would have liked to have a seen a list of recommended reading, which is one of my favorite sections of any nonfiction book. It’s especially lacking in this book as Phillips describes herself as a voracious reader, so I would be very interested to see some of her faves—particularly related to this subject matter.

That said, though, one of the best things about this book is its lists of resources. Not only are there comprehensive appendices—including questions to ask your web designer, essential WordPress plugins, and 100 subject line spam filter triggers—but there is also a glossary that clearly defines online terms that are still unfamiliar to many. Throughout the book other resources are included as well; for instance, Phillips lists web tools for your blog, sites for free graphics and images, and so on. The lists alone are worth the price of the book—which at $21.95, is a bit hefty. And which, oddly, is not listed anywhere on the book itself—at least not where I could see it.

Overall, I give this book a thumbs up and highly recommend it for your author bookshelf. I’ve already gotten a few tips from it myself, and I anticipate referring to it again and again in the future.

I was stuck in Professor Uptight’s class against my will. It was a mandatory class I needed to obtain my degree, I was in my second to the last semester before graduating, and the time it was going to be offered the following semester just didn’t work. So I couldn’t drop it like my instincts told me to after the first day of class when I suspected our personalities were not going to mesh well.

The class was a literary criticism class, which, as an English lit major, came pretty easy to me at this point in my college career. But regardless of what I wrote, Professor Uptight hated it and graded accordingly. When I made an appointment to discuss this with him–after all, this was my major and I could not afford a C or a (gasp!) D in the class–I will never forget the way he looked with disdain at my outfit (early glam rock circa 1985) and my Walkman (the cassette version, for those of you who even remember those) upon learning I was listening to Billy Idol (he asked!). I kind of knew right then and there that I didn’t have a chance in his class.

My point after this long-winded narrative? As the old adage says, you just can’t please all of the people all of the time. As an author now, I am learning that there are people who will criticize my work—some of them like to do it over and over again. They will have a list of reasons–some of them valid, I admit–why my book sucks. So what to do when they tell the world about it?

You have two basic choices: You can ignore it. Or you can pay attention to it. (Well, I guess the third choice is to freak out about it, but I definitely don’t recommend that!)

I like to pay attention to it. My book is nonfiction, so I tend to respond (literally) to critical reviews when I can because I have real hard time keeping my mouth (keyboard?) quiet. I often agree with some of the criticism (my book was traditionally published, so some of the points of contention are about things that were out of my hands–a testament to one of the reasons why self-publishing can be a good idea), and I will generally mention that. Other points I will adamantly disagree with, and I like to say so. But I keep my tone professional, and I don’t bear a grudge against the reviewer. If you are going to put a book out there, you need to put on your big girl panties (er, big boy boxers?) and suck it up when someone doesn’t like it.

Another reason to listen to harsh criticism is because you can learn from it. Try to see your book from the reviewer’s point of view. There are probably areas you can work on in your next book. Essentially, a reviewer might be providing a valuable service in helping you improve your writing and your next book.

It’s tough not to take bad reviews personally. But it’s helpful to remember that the review is (usually) about the work not the person. You can’t be all things to all people, and neither can your book. Plus, reviews (like grades for literary criticism papers) are subjective. Repeat. Reviews are subjective. Just because one person doesn’t like your work doesn’t mean it’s bad or that everyone will dislike it.

Incidentally, I got a C in Professor Uptight’s class; it was the only C I got in any class in my major and brought down my entire college GPA. I got an A in Professor Flannel’s class. But I also learned a valuable life lesson beyond the course work: You cannot control a person’s perception of you, but you can control how you react to it.

Shannon says: Research your choices.  There are lots of self-publishing companies out there these days.  CreateSpace, Lulu,  iUniverse, BookLocker, Xlibris, and Authorhouse are just a few.  Some are totally free, and some aren’t.  For those that aren’t, check out their contracts or packages that they offer.  Know what you are getting for your dollar up front….

I’ll add: Keep in mind that going through many of these companies is not true self-publishing. AuthorHouse and Xlibris, for instance, are both owned by vanity/subsidy giant Author Solutions. If you intend to sell books and make a profit from your venture, it is recommended you not go this route. (I recently blogged about the different publishing options.)

Shannon says: Know your budget.  If you use a POD company that charges for a package, which package can you afford?  You should also plan on purchasing review copies.  How much money are you willing to invest on other marketing?  Don’t forget postage and shipping supplies!  Are you paying for editing services or for book cover design?…

I’ll add: Make sure you have a budget! In my opinion, you need to have your manuscript edited and you need to have a professional cover design, at a minimum. Yes, there are “free” services out there, but the adage “you get what you pay for” is certainly true. In terms of marketing and promotions, there are plenty of things you can do for very little or no cost, but if this is not your forte, you’ll want to set aside money for promotions. You can write the best book in the world, but if no one knows about it, no one will buy it.

Shannon says: Be prepared to invest in review copies!… 

I’ll add: Absolutely. I have seen more than one author’s attempts at promotion fail because they do not want to send out free review copies. We had one author, in fact, ask us to set up a virtual author book tour for her, but she neglected to fulfill review copy requests. The tour was a failure. My co-author of The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing, 5^th Edition, Marilyn Ross sent out some 500 review copies for her book Jump Start Your Book Sales; it was a valuable promotions tool and she attributes that as the number one reason the book enjoyed excellent sales.

Shannon says: Invest in a decent book cover…. Most POD companies have some sort of automated book cover design program with stock images.  Don’t use their stock images!  If you do, just know there will be other books out there that have the same cover as yours…. Research your options or hire a graphic designer for assistance.

I’ll add: I wholeheartedly agree with this. The templated covers put out by these so-called self-publishing companies scream self-published. Not only will there be other covers out there with your exact same image, but these amateurish-looking designs do nothing to generate interest in your book. I would also venture to say that a professional graphic designer with book cover design experience is essential.

Shannon says: Edit!  Most POD companies offer some sort of editing service, but it can be quite pricey.  If you can’t afford to hire an editor, at least have a smart friend or two read over the manuscript and look for mistakes and misspelled words.  Don’t think that your own eyes will catch everything, no matter how many times you read your own book. I’m guilty of doing that myself, and readers were quick to point out my mistakes. Sure, traditional books even have mistakes in them and some are always going to slip through, but if your book is full of mistakes and errors it can be a big turn off to the reader, and to reviewers!

I’ll add: The POD companies offer sub-par editing that is not worth the (usually expensive) price they charge. And don’t count on friends (unless they are professional editors) and don’t think you can self-edit. (I have been an editor for more than two decades—and I still needed an editor to read through The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing. The editor found plenty me and my co-author had missed.) Find yourself an editing professional whose style meshes well with yours. Ask for a sample edit of a chapter or so to determine whether the editor can edit your work without changing your voice. Where to look? Ask around writer’s groups (on Facebook or LinkedIn), tweet about your needs on Twitter, or look into groups such as the Rocky Mountain Publishing Professionals Guild, which provide listings of editors (and, incidentally, the other pros you may need in your self-publishing venture).

Shannon says: Format your book properly and follow the rules!  I have never, never, NEVER seen a traditionally published book that lacked right margin justification and I’m tired of self-published authors telling me that they did it that way because it’s easier to read.  No, you didn’t follow the rules because you didn’t do your homework, or you don’t know how….

I’ll add: I generally recommend that authors do not attempt their own interior designs. Unless they are well versed in a design program such as Adobe InDesign, they are probably not qualified and the results may not be pretty—or professional. However, if they want to do their own page layout, they should read websites such as The Book Designer so they can learn the elements of what makes good design.

Shannon says: Understand that physical bookstores are not your friends….  And never, NEVER call a bookstore and try to promote yourself over the phone!  They don’t have time to talk to you. Almost all bookstores expect a discount so that they can sell a book and make a profit.  With almost all self-published books, companies charge all customers list price so there is no discount for bookstores.  Or there’s no distribution of your book through wholesale channels for chain bookstores to be able to get your book anyway.  And if there is, the book is usually sold non-returnable so a chain bookstore will require pre-payment….

I’ll add: It is often an author’s ultimate goal to have their book on the bookstore shelves. But Shannon is right; this is really not the most lucrative way to sell books. Although you can get into the trade distribution system by printing with Lightning Source (owned by Ingram, one of the largest wholesalers in the country), you will be expected to offer a deep discount and a returnable product. However, I think it is worth it to have your book available at the bookstores, so this is another reason why I believe going the “POD self-publishing” company route is not a good idea. As Shannon says, companies charge customers list price so there can be no discount. Self-publish the proper way, and you can offer a discount and still make a profit.

As usual, it all comes down to educating yourself about the process and doing the most professional job you can. Your book’s success and your own reputation are on the line.

Before you write it

1. Have a unique approach to a relevant topic. There are a lot of books published every year. Make sure yours stands out from the crowd for the right reasons.

2. Decide why you are writing a book. To make money? To establish expertise? To see yourself in print? All are valid reasons that may impact how you publish as well as market the book.

3. Make sure you have an audience for the book. And make sure you know how to reach them. If you plan to market strictly online and your audience is made up of non–Internet savvy readers, you may have a problem.

4. Build a following via social media sites. It’s never too early to start making connections with potential readers and relevant professionals via social media. There are many sites out there, but Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are the most common. You may also want to check out sites such as book marketing expert John Kremer’s Book Marketing Network.

Before you launch it

5. Create a website that features your (forthcoming) book. This one is a no-brainer.

6. Start building your email list. Publish an ezine and offer a free report, free chapter, or some other bonus for people to opt-in with. When you attend events, collect business cards and email addresses. Send them an email or a copy of your ezine, and invite them to opt-in. 

7. Start blogging. This is the best way to keep your website content fresh. It’s also a great way to stay in touch with potential readers and professionals within your industry. You can also use it to establish your credibility well before your book is published.

8.  Use your blog to ask for feedback on your book’s content. Then promise to acknowledge everyone who comments in your book. These people will feel an “ownership” in your book and will help spread the word after it launches.

9. Create a list of important bloggers in your field. Start interacting with them by commenting on their blogs.

10. Get testimonials and endorsements from pertinent people in your field. These are great promotional tools that can then go on the book cover and/or inside the book. Post them on your website and use them in news releases.

11. Approach associations relevant to your book’s content. Suggest ways you can work together. Perhaps you can put on a workshop or seminar, speak at an event, or write an article for their newsletter or blog.

12. Set up Google alerts. Stay abreast of industry news by setting up an alert in your name, your competitors’ names, and other key terms. This will enable you to jump into the online conversation in a timely manner.

13. Have your manuscript edited by a professional. Ensuring that your content is top-notch will go a long way in making your reputation is top-notch.

14. Have your book cover designed by a professional. Don’t skimp on this very important sales tool. A professional book cover designer will ensure your book stands proudly next to any other book on the shelf.

15. Create your own competition. Create a competition on your website or on Twitter (Tony Eldridge has written an excellent book on Twitter contests) with copies of the book as prizes. Follow up with those who entered but didn’t win and offer them a discount to purchase your book.

16. Offer the book as a prize on other websites and blogs. You should have already put together a list of blogs and websites where your book could potentially be promoted. Offer the blogger or website owner free copies of your book to be used as competition prizes.

17. Send out free copies of the book. Don’t skimp on this important aspect of promotions. It’s a great way to garner reviews and endorsements. Send out copies to influential bloggers and journalists. 

18. Pull out excerpts of the book to use as articles. Post them on free article sites that are available all over the Internet.

19. Create and post videos. Keep videos short and sweet (under 10 minutes) and publish on YouTube and your own website, as well as other sites. 

20. Schedule a launch day. Pick one specific day and make sure plenty of activity is planned around this day. Notify your email list, post some videos to YouTube, hold a webinar, plan some guest blog posts. All that activity should go a long way in creating momentum.

After you publish it

21. Offer a chapter as a downloadable PDF. Post one of your book’s chapters on your website as a free, downloadable file. Encourage readers to share it with others. Include a summary of the rest of book to encourage people to buy it.

22. Publish the book’s table of contents on your website. Include a brief overview about each chapter. Optimize the page for search engines.

23. Organize an online virtual book tour. Touring the country to physically visit bookstores is cost prohibitive for most authors—and not all that effective unless you are a celebrity.  Arrange a tour online with virtual stops at websites and blogs. You’ll gain maximum exposure for minimum costs.

24. Encourage people to write a review of your book on Amazon.com. Ask everyone who gets a copy of your book to publish a five-star review of your book on Amazon.

25. Publish reviews and testimonials of the book on your website. Include reviews from Amazon.com and other sites where your book has been reviewed, as well as any testimonials you’ve received.

26. Arrange interviews with bloggers in your genre and radio hosts interested in your subject matter. This is a win-win since it provides them with valuable content and you with valuable publicity. Include these as part of your virtual author book tour initially, but you can continue to schedule interviews even after your initial publication. As long as your book is for sale, the promotion push should be ongoing.

27. Makes sure you always have copies of your book with you. I’ve had clients sell 20 or more copies out of their trunk or waiting in line at the post office. One author I know gave away a copy of his book to an executive, who ended up ordering dozens of copies for his company.

And don’t stop with this list. There are dozens more things you can do to promote your book. Get creative, be persistent, and watch your book sales go up.

Title: Get the Most Out of a Self-Publishing Company

Author: Michael N. Marcus

Back cover synopsis: It’s possible to get a high-class book, at a reasonable price – if you choose the right company, carefully check its work, maybe do some work yourself, and consider independent service providers such as editors and designers. Don’t buy services and trinkets you don’t need. Pay the right prices for what you do need. Let the publisher do the work that you don’t want to get involved in. Concentrate on the creative process. Make a good-reading, good-looking book which you can be proud of and maybe make money from.

I was excited to get a copy of the recently published Get the Most Out of a Self-Publishing Company by Michael N. Marcus. I enjoy Marcus’s blog on the subject. He is blunt to a fault and brutally honest in his criticism of the so-called self-publishing companies (many of which are really vanity presses in disguise), and I was looking forward to his take on this ever-evolving industry.

The book is 362 pages, but lest potential readers find that daunting, rest assured it uses very large fonts throughout, so it really is a manageable size. It is divided into 54 chapters, which is also a bit misleading since many of the chapters are just a page or two. We are told up front it is broken up into four sections: chapters 1–12 cover setting up a self-publishing business; chapters 13–39 go over designing and writing; chapters 40–48 discuss what to do when you finish writing; and the balance of the chapters discuss a variety of topics such as book printing, reviews of other books, terminology, and so on. I found this setup to be a bit choppy for my own taste—it felt more like reading separate blog entries than an entire book—but it does make information easy to find.

The book provides a ton of information the well-informed author should know before considering self-publishing. It covers ISBNs, prices, distribution, returns, reviews, promotion—all from the standpoint of an author who has self-published and made plenty of mistakes (he is frank about that). It goes over how to put together your self-publishing team—and who should be on it. It discusses being realistic about how many books you can actually sell. Readers can save many times over the price of the book by avoiding the same errors Marcus himself made.

In addition, he reveals some well-kept secrets in the industry: Go to Lightning Source for your printing (you can, as an indie publisher) directly, and cut out a middleman like Lulu (because yes, that’s where they print too). Way too many “self-publishing” companies are owned by Author Solutions (and he lists which ones). Why “free” self-publishing isn’t “free.” Marcus also picks apart many of these companies’ package deals and tells you what you need—and what you don’t need. Basically, he’s done the legwork for you; simply get this book and you can avoid hours of research into which—if any—of these companies may be right for you.

One chapter talks about how reprinting photographs can be a crapshoot when printing POD, and the book is a testament to that. Most are pretty poor quality—and the majority seem unnecessary anyway. I really didn’t need the visual break of a blood pressure gauge on top of an American Express card or a recycling tub stacked with newspapers. In fact, it seems Marcus has an aversion to white space in general. There is none in the book; virtually every inch of every page (except the margins) is covered with something—including sidebar-type elements Marcus himself calls “space filler-uppers.” The information in these “space filler-uppers” is useful, don’t get me wrong; I assume this is just another example of Marcus’s quirky sense of humor as well as the fact that he must not like white space. (The back cover is more evidence of this since there are barely any margins. The left side, in fact, looks like it is in imminent danger of falling right off.)

Although the book is decidedly average in terms of presentation, I definitely give it an A+ in terms of content. It is a must-have for the reference collection of any author who is considering self-publishing. Get it before you even finish writing your manuscript to save yourself a lot of time, money, and headaches.

1. Stick to book topics that will appeal directly to your blog readers.

2. Ask for a review copy of the author’s book and read it ahead of time.

3. Decide whether you’d like the author to do a guest post, answer interview questions, or post a book excerpt. Let the author know if you have a word limit.

4. If you go with interview questions, develop a list of questions that will allow the author to discuss their book but which will also provide valuable content for your blog readers. Make sure you get these questions to the author so he or she has plenty of time to provide compelling responses.

5. Ask the author to provide a head shot, photo of their book cover, and a brief bio.

6. Add the author’s blog to your blog roll.

7. Decide when you’ll post the author’s “appearance,” and make sure he or she will be available that day to answer questions or respond to comments your readers post.

8. Find out whether the author has a web page listing all the stops on their virtual author book tour, along with the topics they’ll be discussing. If he or she does, post the link to this page.

9. Include a link to the book’s Amazon.com page; or if you are an Amazon affiliate, add a buy link for the book.

10. Remind the author to be sure to blog about the visit on his or her own blog—with a link back to your blog, of course.

11. Publicize the blog post once it’s up via social media groups you belong to, including any forums, discussion groups, and ListServs. If you’ve got an ezine, include a link there as well.

12. It’s recommended that you put the post up early in the morning—shoot for prior to 8 am Eastern time.

13. Check the post regularly so you can respond to comments and answer questions. (Your author should be doing that as well!)

A few final notes: Remember to thank your author for including your blog on his or her virtual tour. It’s also nice if you post a review of the book on sites such as Amazon and GoodReads.

Sounds okay on the surface, right? Finally, PW is going to acknowledge that the tides of traditional publishing have turned, and there are merits to the self-published book. Its new quarterly supplement, PW Select, will announce self-published titles and review those they deem deserving. The listing will include the name of the author, book title and brief description, along with ordering information.

Even the $149 “processing” fee is somewhat palatable since it is offered with a six-month subscription (a $90 value, however dubious).

The processing fee does not include a guaranteed review. But ostensibly, this is because of their very high standards: “We briefly considered charging for reviews, but in the end preferred to maintain our right to review what we deemed worthy. The processing fee that guarantees a listing and the chance to be reviewed accomplishes what we want: to inform the trade of what is happening in self-publishing and to present a PW selection of what has the most merit.”

But wait: “…we’ll likely invite a few agent friends and distributors to have a look at what we’ve chosen. No promises there, just letting some publishing friends take advantage of the opportunity to see the collection.”

All right. Ick. “We’ll likely”? “No promises”? So basically this is just a way to squeeze some cash out of already bootstrapped self-publishers? I’m shocked that Publishers Weekly would sink to such a low. Are they that strapped for cash? PW Select is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to increase revenue without offering anything of real value. Call it what it is: a paid advertisement. Agents and publishers are not going to pore over these listings to find projects. And to attempt to mislead authors into believing this is the case is low. Really low.

I’m all for Publishers Weekly acknowledging that indie authors are becoming a major force in the world of publishing. But for them to do it this way leaves a real bad taste in my mouth. I can only hope that self-publishers—and I refer to those who have not gone the vanity route—will recognize this for what it is: just one more way the traditional publishing world is attempting to draw a distinction between traditional and indie publishing. And readers really don’t care who the publisher is, as long as they like what the author has to say.

But the more I thought about it, the more annoyed I got. His condescending and disparaging view of “self-publishers” started to tick me off. First and foremost, the “self-publishers” to which he is referring are really authors who are going the vanity press route. And those pay-to-publish authors have been mostly scorned from the very beginning. Clearly, Keillor does not understand the traditional self-publishing model, wherein authors start up their own imprint and spend quite a bit of time and money to make sure the book they produce is top notch. These authors often hire companies that provide author services (note that this is quite different from pay-to-publish) to ensure their manuscripts are well edited and their books well designed. (Shameless plug opp: Yes, services such as Self-Publishing Resources.)

Second, he is clearly assuming that all self-published authors go that route because they were not “good enough” for the trads. Nope. There are many good reasons to self-publish, including maintaining creative control, making more money (yup, making more money), and producing the book more quickly, to name a few. And heck—you’re going to have to market and promote your own book anyway (the trads won’t do it for you!)…you might as well be in charge of the whole process and pocket all of the profits from your efforts.

Is a manuscript better just because you “mailed it to a New York publisher in a big manila envelope with actual postage stamps on it”? Because you typed it on a typewriter? Because you enjoy an “aura of martyrdom”?  All that sounds kind of romantic, but the past is the past.

I do agree that there is a lot of crap out there right now, but most of it falls within the subsidy press category. Once people begin to understand the difference between vanity publishing and independent publishing, I think (I hope!) that will begin to change and we will see more thoughtfully produced books. As more and more book review sites begin to cater to self-published authors (whether they are pay to publish or truly self-published), even if they are not the New York Times, I believe honest reviews will start to separate the wheat from the chaff. One thing I do know: Self-publishing is not going anywhere. Neither is the Internet. Or the cell phone. Or the microwave.

And does anyone else find it pretty ironic and kind of hilarious that Keillor’s article is surrounded by ads about self-publishing??!!