It does not have to be the first book
you write, in fact it is probably best if it isn't. But if you want
to be able to call yourself a novelist, you need at least one
published novel. The good news is that because of the growing
popularity of E-readers such as the Nook, Kindle and Kobo the
publishing landscape has changed. 2011 is the first year that
e-books outsold hard covers. Digital books are more cost effective
for the publisher and can be more affordable for the readers.
Authors can even provide the reader with a more engaging experience
by adding audio or video clips which they call enhanced e-books. A
good example of this is the e-book autobiography by actor-comedian
Kevin Pollak entitled How I slept my way to the middle.
So now is a better time than ever to
break in as an author author as long as you embrace these changes and
let them work for you. Because publishing has gotten easier there
has been a proliferation of boutique publishers that price their
e-books to sell, meaning anywhere from 99 cents to $4.99. These
smaller companies are hungry for new authors and are much more likely
to accept your submission and publish your novel. The interesting
thing is that the major publishers have not yet relented, they do not
lower the cost of the e-books they release. This only helps
independent publishing grow, we up and coming authors salute you.
The first thing I suggest is to make
sure that your novel is the best it can be and that you have gotten
feed back from people before you submit it. This will give you time
to come back to your story and look at it from a new perspective
other than the initial fit of nirvana that comes with finishing a
first draft of anything. Have a well written query letter and make
sure that each one is changed in small ways that target the publisher
specifically. Do your research, does this publisher have a track
record, do they publish novels with the same genre and tone as yours?
I first contacted Wheelman Press
because they put up an online posting looking for novels adapted from
finished screenplays or produced movies. At that time we had just
signed with a distributor for Cam-Girl (AKA Web-Cam),
my first feature film. Serendipity hit me hard, that was a posting I
had to reply to. After seeing the trailer for Cam-Girl, the
publisher said a novel adaptation of this story is something they
would be interested in. The only problem was it did not exist. I
quickly let them know that and started writing immediately. I
finished the first draft in under five months and sent it out to the
publisher with my fingers crossed. This is when the waiting
begins. Be patient but if you don't hear from your contact with the
publisher send a friendly e-mail follow up once every two or three
weeks. Use this time wisely, design a sample book cover or a book
trailer, update your website that you will need to promote your novel
once it goes to market.
Then on one glorious day you receive a
proof copy of your book from the publisher. This is for you to
review and to provide notes if you want any changes made before your
book goes to print. The tendency is to rush through reading this
proof copy assuming the publisher would not change a word or make
formatting errors. You must resist this urge at all costs. The
biggest mistake you can make in life is believing that anyone is
infallible. I am amazed when I find glaring typing errors that
slipped through the edits of books by major publishers and authors.
So enjoy it, relax and carefully read your novel as if you were
just a reader who could put the book down at any second because they
have something better to do. This objectivity will keep you from
taking anything for granted as you check the spelling, formatting and
readability of the book.
I was impressed with what Wheelman
press did, the font choices they made for the title page and the way
they cleaned up the formatting. I gave them the notes on my proof
read a week later and then the waiting continues. Again, be patient.
Realize that the publisher has several books at different stages of
development. At this stage the publisher will also file for an ISBN
number for your book.
It is possible for the author to do all
of this themselves and sell through Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and
Smashwords but I do not recommend taking this option. Writing and
promoting your novel is enough work as it is without having to
publish it too. Also having a publisher adds legitimacy to your
novel and helps with the sales because the other books they sell can
bring attention to yours. An established publisher can get your
novel sold through more venders than a first time, self published
author could.
Buy Box Cutter Killer for the Kindle
Buy Box Cutter Killer for the Nook
Box Cutter Killer is a suspense Novel about a single mother who works as a web cam stripper and is pushed to the limit when held hostage by an unknown gunman.
Official trailer for Cam-Girl:
Official book trailer for Box Cutter Killer:
