Writing and Publishing Options for First-Time Authors

Phil Simon!President and Founder!Motion Publishing!!June 7, 2013!InNEVation Center!

•  Author of five non-fiction books!•  Founder and president of Motion

Publishing!•  www.philsimon.com!•  www.motionpub.com!•  @philsimon!•  [email protected]!

•  9:00 – 10:30: Introduction & Publishing Options!

•  10:45 – 12:00: The Writing Process!

•  12:00 – 1:00: Lunch!•  1:00 – 2:15: Cover, Design, and

Marketing!•  2:30 – 4:00: Myths, Potpourri, and

Q&A!Publishing Seminar, # 3!

•  Who are you?!•  Where are you from?!•  What have you written

before?!•  What do you hope to learn

and achieve today?!•  Favorite movie?!

Publishing Seminar, # 4!

“The future ain’t what it used to be.” !

–Yogi Berra!


•  Option 1: Traditional publisher.!

•  Option 2: Using subsidy press (read: AuthorHouse, Lulu, etc.)!

•  Option 3: Using a micropublisher.!

!Publishing Seminar, # 6!

•  Traditional publisher – small advance!

•  Subsidy press – Anywhere from $2k to $5k, depending on options!

•  Micropublisher – $10 - $15k, depending on options!



•  Option 4: Self-publish, build a tribe, and then move to traditional publishers. !

!

It depends on:!•  The type of book you’re writing!•  Your platform!•  Your goals!•  Your budget!•  Your timeframe!•  Your experience!

!Publishing Seminar, # 9!

"Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working." !- Pablo Picasso !


•  500 words/day!•  100 days!•  50,000 words!


•  Get it down before you get it right.!

•  Get it down before it gets away.!

•  Myth: Your book has to be on an original topic.!


•  Mistake: Concurrently working on multiple books.!

•  Writing is a skill.!•  When you finish your manuscript, it’s

time for editing.!


•  Types of editing:!•  Developmental!

•  Proofreading!


•  Copyediting

@aarongoldfarb www.aarongoldfarb.com

Selling books is hard.!!Really hard.!


•  Cover mistakes:!•  DIY!•  Too many words!•  Print too small!


•  I can should design my own cover.!•  I can edit and proofread my own work.!•  I can design my own book and ebook.!•  It’s easy to get my book in B&N.!


•  You get what you pay for.!•  With design, err on the side of

simplicity. Less is more.!•  Write what you know.!


•  I can/should start marketing after I finish my book.!

•  I can do all of my marketing and promotion in my spare time. !

•  PR firms can guarantee success.!•  Ignoring book reviews.!


“All publishing is self-publishing.”!Seth Godin!

•  The author’s platform is paramount. !


•  Traditional publishers market their authors.!

•  The quality of your writing and idea are paramount.!

•  Books are a “special” business.!•  Selling books is easy.!


•  All self-publishing is created equal.!•  Getting into Barnes and Nobles is easy.!•  I don’t need an online presence to sell

books.!!


•  LightningSource!•  BookBaby!•  Lulu, AuthorHouse,

iUniverse!•  Square iPhone/iPad app!


•  KindleDirect!•  99Designs, oDesk, FivErr, !•  GoodReads!•  Dan Poynter books on

self-publishing!•  MotionPub.com!


•  Writing gets easier over time.!

•  Don’t be afraid to take a break.!

•  Carry a recorder or pen and paper with you at all times.!


•  Writing is inherently fun and rewarding.!•  Writing well is hard work.!•  Writing is one of my favorite headaches.!•  Writing is in many ways just like every

other business (read: risk vs. reward).!



Thank you for coming!!

Writing and Publishing Options for First-Time Authors

Education

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