| Let's say you're a writer who has written a few things | | | | managing to find your way through some of this, you |
| that you've tried to get published. Let's say you've | | | | are elated to be able to set up a web site to display |
| even had some success. You've submitted your | | | | your book, which you transferred from your attic trunk |
| novels, short story and poem collections, or magazine | | | | to the web.Wonderful.It's now in front of the public, just |
| articles to New York publishers.After receiving enough | | | | like you'd hoped. You congratulate yourself that you |
| reject slips to cover the walls of your two bedroom | | | | have succeeded in getting past:- New York Editors. |
| condominium you finally managed to place something in | | | | - New York Agents. |
| an obscure publication located 500 miles away from | | | | - The US Postal Service (since you didn't have to mail |
| New York.Don't break out the champagne yet. It may | | | | your manuscript out 500 times). |
| or may not be a start. It all depends on:- how well it | | | | - Your attic trunk (where you've been depositing your |
| sells | | | | unsold manuscripts). |
| - what your next "masterpiece" may be | | | | - Your garage, which is not filled with 5000 unsold |
| - how well the editor thinks that it will sell.You may | | | | copies of your book.And your manuscript is now "in |
| soon discover that your first piece didn't sell well and | | | | front of the public" who are eager to pay for it, |
| the editor spent so much money on it she's not | | | | download it and read it. Or is it?Oops...we forgot a few |
| interested in buying another one from you.And you still | | | | things.- How are they going to find it? |
| haven't "cracked" New York.Your initial elation at | | | | - How are they going to pay for it? |
| having "finally published" drops rapidly into the | | | | - How can they get it into their hands to be able to |
| psychological gutter, and you find that you really | | | | read it?Once again, not to belabor the point, but we |
| haven't "left the gate" at all. You're almost worse off | | | | writers want to be read. Not being read is like having |
| now than if you had never published in the first place. | | | | ...uh... without ...uh...Ok, forget that analogy.To be read, will |
| Other editors may shy away from you because you | | | | you give them what they want?But there's one other |
| are not writing "salable" material.Before you raise a | | | | thing I forgot to mention. Does the public want to read |
| disdainful eyebrow at this scenario, let me assure you. | | | | what you want to write about? If they don't, then you |
| This has indeed happened to more than one writer.If | | | | are back to you where you were with the New York |
| only I had one"Hah!" you say. Or maybe it is "Ah hah!" | | | | editors...trying to sell somebody something they don't |
| That's the reaction of discovery. For scientists it's the | | | | want to read or aren't interested in.This is the hardest |
| word "Eureka!"You elicited this reaction when you | | | | thing we writers have to get through our heads. Just |
| discover that real, published authors all have literary | | | | because the Muse strikes, she doesn't always strike |
| agents, and that nobody in New York seriously | | | | with something somebody else wants to read. |
| considers a book that is not presented by one.You | | | | Somehow, we have to "find the secret" of doing both: |
| have also made the depressing discovery that the | | | | writing what we want to write about, and slanting it in a |
| creations you sent to publishers like Harper and Row | | | | way that will appeal to the public.We have to give |
| weren't rejected by the top editors of Harper and | | | | them what they want to read, or we won't be read. It's |
| Row, but by an 18 year old high school graduate sitting | | | | that simple.Somewhere in the Swamp, the Revelation |
| in a small cubicle. Her desk is surrounded by stacks of | | | | Strikes (Good Thing It Wasn't a Hungry Crocodile)By |
| manuscripts mailed to her by hopeful writers. The | | | | now the revelation should have struck. If you are going |
| stacks nearly reach the ceiling.After finishing reading | | | | to write, bypass the middle man, and get your |
| your manuscript, putting a canned reject note in the | | | | cherished work to the public you are going to have to |
| SASE you provided, and tossing it on top of the other | | | | be able to do the "whole thing" -- the whole |
| stamped manila envelopes overflowing an outgoing bin, | | | | shillelagh.You are going to have to be:- The Market |
| she climbs up on a stool to reach the next manuscript, | | | | Researcher. You will have to find out what the public |
| located on top of the nearest stack. Three months | | | | wants to read. |
| ago, yours was at the bottom of that stack.That's why | | | | - The Writer. You are already that, but you need to |
| it took so long to get your reject slip.To get your | | | | be a flexible writer. You are going to have to slant |
| manuscript past this girl and to one of the top editors, | | | | what you want to write so they will want to read it. |
| you realize you need a literary agent. So, after | | | | - The Editor. You're going to have to ruthlessly edit |
| submitting your manuscript to several prominent New | | | | your own stuff to make it as clear and easy to read |
| York agents you discover -They only take already | | | | as possible with no typos and misspellings. |
| published, famous authors. Ever read the novel | | | | - Design and Layout. You are going to design your |
| Catch-22?Guess what? I've got bad news, which for | | | | book to make it as attractive as possible. |
| you, probably isn't news at all...The Self Publishing | | | | - The Publisher. You will price the book and put it in a |
| Non-SolutionMaybe, just maybe, you can self publish. | | | | format that can be downloaded and read on people's |
| There are all kinds of "Vanity Publishers" out there, and | | | | computers. |
| some do it on a "print on demand" basis, receiving their | | | | - The Distributor. You will have to set up your site so |
| orders over the web. Maybe you are foolish enough to | | | | that your customers can pay for it and download it. |
| have gone this route, in which case you now have:1. A | | | | - The Copywriter. You will have to write advertising |
| garage full of unsold books you must distribute | | | | copy that will sell your book. |
| yourself. | | | | - Store owner. You have to set up your own |
| 2. A "published" book just waiting to be printed as | | | | bookstore where your readership will come to buy it. |
| soon as somebody requests it. | | | | You have to sell it to them and collect their money. |
| 3. Reviewers who won't take you seriously.While | | | | - Promotion. You will have to promote your book so |
| option #2 is more desirable than option #1 (since you | | | | that people will want to find your store and buy it. |
| didn't have to spend $10,000 for the first run of 2000 | | | | - Customer Service. You will have to handle returns |
| copies) waiting for somebody to discover your book | | | | and customer complaints. |
| so they will request a printed copy isn't exactly your | | | | - The CEO and CFO of your own business. You will |
| idea of "writing fulfillment".And, with option #3, there | | | | have to take care of finances, taxes, and the |
| "ain't no hope" of getting your book recognized by | | | | law.That's not too hard, is it?Deeper Into the SwampBy |
| magazine reviewers and getting publicity that | | | | now the will-o'-the-wisp has appeared. That's the |
| way.Sadly, nobody takes a self-published author | | | | apparition of big time profits resulting from big time |
| seriously.The By-passable Middle ManAnother "Ah | | | | sales (the legendary 6 Figure Income).To follow the |
| hah" (or is it "Eureka"?)You spend a few weeks in | | | | wisp, if we want to write and market our own books, |
| frustration, with or without "writer's block", as you | | | | we are going to have to carefully place our feet on |
| contemplate the madness and unfairness of the | | | | each of the stones that lead to the goal. No missteps |
| publishing world, hereafter referred to as the | | | | and no skipping.The ghost precedes us, keeping just |
| "information marketing world".We just renamed it ... | | | | out of reach, leading us deeper and deeper into the |
| because the "AH HAH" reaction came when -You | | | | swamp, and we soon realize the task is a lot bigger |
| discovered you could publish on the Internet!Dancing | | | | than we thought it was.And we also see that we |
| around your computer with joy, you realize that the | | | | need a guide -- somebody to show how to build an |
| Internet allows you to dump all New York editors and | | | | entire business that will be a one person show.The |
| agents. They no longer control your destiny. Whether | | | | Teachers and the ProductsThere are teachers out |
| or not your book sells and is read is now ENTIRELY | | | | there who have products designed to help you |
| UP TO YOU.You can go directly to the public.For | | | | understand and accomplish each goal, but none of |
| copywriters ... people who write advertising copy ... it | | | | them put it all together. You might say, there's a |
| means you can "write copy without a client". You don't | | | | specialist at each stage, but none of them seem to be |
| have to "cold call" 300 direct marketing advertising | | | | a guide that will take you from start to finish.(Note: |
| companies in the hope of finding somebody who will | | | | There are mentors, and maybe you will want to |
| let you write your copy "on speculation".This term | | | | connect with one of them. But for the most part they |
| means to write it, send it to them, and hope they like it | | | | are very expensive.)That's why I put up my website, |
| well enough to buy it. And sometimes it results in the | | | | to identify each of the tasks you must master to |
| discovery that not only did they reject it ... they stole | | | | become an Informational Marketer and to serve as a |
| it.You can write salable copy and put it directly in front | | | | map "through the swamp".For each of these tasks |
| of the public, who will then buy what you have to | | | | there is a book or a software program designed to |
| sell.Or can you?Still Stumbling Through the Info | | | | show you what to do or provide you with the |
| Marketing SwampStill high on elated euphoria, you try | | | | resources you need at that stage.The goal, of course, |
| to learn as much as you can about putting up a | | | | is to have a monetizing website where you actually |
| website, only to find that the web is a daunting, | | | | sell your new book as fast as you can ... and finally |
| confusing place full of unexplained and esoteric | | | | grasp the elusive goal of true publication.And the |
| terminology.You soon discover that as well as being a | | | | satisfaction that comes with it.© John Young All |
| writer, you may have to become a programmer ... you | | | | Rights ReservedJohn Young is a 62 year old writer |
| are going to have to learn something about the | | | | with a programming and scientific background. He has |
| mysteries of "domains", "hosting", and "search engine | | | | an affiliate website designed to help Informational |
| optimization"... along with an alphabet soup of | | | | Marketers find the products and software they need |
| technologies: cgi, php, html, asp, etc. and etc.After | | | | to grow their business. |