CITIRIA BOOKS

An alternative idea

As you can see, it's virtually impossible for an emerging writer to get any attention from agents, let alone major publishers. What does this leave?

Two possibilities: Independent Publishers ("Indies",) or a leap into the future: Self Publish, promote, get great reviews, build a reputation, and then use that rep to pry open the doors of agents and larger publishers.

If you go the "indie" route, you proceed the traditional way, except instead of papering the walls with agent's rejection slips, you might with a bit of luck find an indie publisher willing to take on an emerging writer.

The indies - mainly - are still willing to read submissions. But you have to be careful which indie! Some of them offer terms which are daylight robbery ... in particular, be especially careful of ebook publishers, and of those, watch out for those in the romance market - some are great, others stick you with a rights grab and take most of the earnings.

Another way forward is to self-publish and build a reputation, with a view to using your new status to open doors that were previously closed to you.

It will be hard work - though no harder than the work you'd have to dp promoting yourself with an indie - but once you've got favorable reviews going for you and a hot book in your hand, you could find that agents and studios are a lot more willing to listen to your next proposal than if it were coming from "Mr/Ms Wannabe #1,875 of the year-to-date".

And meanwhile, at the very least, you've achieved author status - it won't look at all bad on your resume!

FAQ

1. Do I really need an independent editor?
     Not necessarily ... but probably. The vast majority of self-published books, unfortunately, are full of errors; problems with spelling, incorrect word usage, bad grammar, no index (or improperly indexed), poor contents list, badly organized, and badly written. This has given self-publishing a bad name and explains why many reviewers are reluctant to accept self-published books. Your partner, friends, and aunt May are not reliable judges - you should ask for an independent, professional, opinion.

2. Can't I use MS Word or MS Publisher to typeset my book?
     You could, but the result is going to shout "amateur" to anyone who opens it.

3. What are my chances of getting an agent?
     Probably about the same as winning the lottery. Agents are inundated with proposals from people who believe their novel or nonfiction book are simply wonderful. The agents have seen it all before - many, many times. On the Web you can find hundreds of "can't fail" query letters "guaranteed" to work. The truth is this:
     An agent has to "fall in love" with your book or proposal, for you to stand any chance. Great writing, great content, great plot, a great cover idea, a wonderful blurb, a tight synopsis . . . none of this works. The agent has to look at your book and go "Oh my, I simply have to have this! It's wonderful!" for you to stand a chance.

4. How many novels does it take to 'break through'?
     There was a survey recently. Some first novels 'made it' - not very many. Rather a larger proportion of second novels succeeded. Mostly, it was the third novel. That means you shouldn't waste your time endlessly rewriting and resubmitting your first novel. As authors we grow, we mature, we develop a unique style, by the simple act of writing stories. Put your first novel in a drawer and write another. Pull it out a year later. Is it really any good?

5. How much does an author, published by a major publisher, receive per book?
     About $1 is typical.

6. How much discount does a bookstore require to stock my book?
     40% is the normal bookstore discount.

7. How much discount does Amazon.com normally require?
     55% is Amazon's normal discount. However, if you sign up for "Amazon Advantage" Amazon will request not only 55% discount, but you will also have to ship inventory (physical books) to them, at your shipping cost.

8. How can I maximize the amount I earn from each book?
     The best profit you can make is to sell it at retail price from your own Web site, via a built-in shopping trolley. Paypal makes this an easy option.

9. What do I need to do to sell my book?
     You need to show the book to people who might be interested in buying it. This could be on-line, or it could be physical. For instance, say you wrote a book about keeping salt-water aquarium fish. It would make sense to visit as many aquarium shops as possible to see if they would stock your book. Also, you could join online groups dedicated to the hobby and (tactfully) promote yourself.

10. You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, right?
     Wrong. Books sell, or fail to sell, based on their covers. One of the most common mistakes made by self-published authors is to spend years writing a great book, only to use a cheap, or even free, "template" cover with a simple title. If it took such an effort to get the words right, why would you want to put a cover on that shouts "cheapskate"? The cover is the single most important thing you should get right.

11. How much will a great cover cost me, and how do I go about getting one?
     You can find a first class graphic artist or illustrator from $300 - $500. That buys you the main image. Then the cover has to be laid out; see Citiria's prices for that part, and compare with prices from other self publishers. When you're ready to look for an artist, we recommend you check out the Web - there are lots of sites out there that have 'catalogs' of work by illustrators - check them out and pick out a style that's suitable and relevant for your book. Original art is more important for fiction; nonfiction often uses photos and / or drawings.

12. How long does it take to deliver a copy of my book, once it's in the database?
     The book usually ships within 24 hours of the order being placed. Online bookstores such as Barnes & Noble often maintain a stock of a few copies, once a few orders are taken.

13. How do I deliver a book ordered directly from my Web site?
     You simply place an order for the book with Citiria. We instruct the printer to ship directly to your customer, saving time and shipping charges.

14. How important is an ISBN number?
     If you want to sell your book through bookstores, an ISBN is essential. In the USA, ISBNs are allocated via Bowkers.

15. Will my book be reviewed by Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and the New York Times?
     Very unlikely. The major reviewers and print newspapers have an "attitude" and only review books from the six main publishers. You'll need to be creative to attract reviews. We can help, though.

16. Will I sacrifice any of my rights if I publish through Citiria?
     Absolutely not. You retain all rights to your work.

17. What books do you recommend about self-publishing?
     Dan Poynter's "Self Publishing Manual" is useful but a bit out of date - it tends to assume self publishers are going to use print runs rather than Print On Demand - and "1001 Ways To Market Your Books" by John Kremer. We recommend you read and use both of these.