The Traps and Pitfalls Of Getting Your Book Published?

Well, I was declined by the last publisher I submitted to. I did not submit to very many, as most require an agent The one I thought I had the greatest likelihood getting to publish wanted to go with it , except for it's UK division. Dang Limeys.

So, now it looks like I will self publish. The editing is done, pictures are in place, I'm working on maps so all I have to do is format into book form and decide on a self-publishing house. Oh yeah, one more thing, come up with a little cash.

 

Glad that you've got a good one Kuno. Obviously not all publishers and printers are bad, it's just that I was unfortunate with my experience. Apparently the way to do it now is electronically via the internet. Don't ask me how as is it way above my techno abilities!! Just one click and you have a readership of millions!!
Lionboxer

 

So, now it looks like I will self publish.


https://www.createspace.com/

owned by Amazon. Generous royalties.
Amazon listing, ISBN and distribution.

Cost: Zilch, nada, niente £0 $0

it's now available in Europe too so
it's the way I am going with my book

best of luck

 

ok, have had a very clean experience with Kindle.

I would recco it to all of you, especially if you have
already been published in paper format. It is very simple
to take your books Word Document and publish it on Kindle.
All you do is upload it as a PDF and bingo, there it is, available.

I'm now waiting to receive my proof copy from Createspace of
the paperback (updated) version and then it will be available
on Amazon.

Again, a very simple process (PDF), the only complicated bit is
the cover design, but that is do-able (even for a techno-flump
like me!)

 

Great - if it's going to be available as a hardcopy, I will put it on the wants list! Give us a nudge when it's out.

 

Will do, and thanks very much for that

it's updated from the Kindle version as new images
have come to light (x7!) as well as more anecdotes
from recently discovered relatives of the soldiers.

I have also corrected all the embarrassing mistakes
that my word blindness missed!!

 

I am going to self-publish by a local printer. I expect it to go to the printer this week.

 

I put together a book describing the events from Sword Beach to Bremen. That was the tale of five service men that took part. All of them fell by the wayside, except a Sapper officer, the only one to reach Bremen.

The Title was "Cameos of War" in the end I had it published privately for my family and close friends only. It cost me an arm and a leg........

I have been prompted by many friends to publish...But the thought of searching out a publisher is a bit beyond me. I am too damned old, and tired.... But I did have the idea to publish and donate (after defraying expenses) the profits to a services charity. And that is exactly where it ended ......Unfinished...

 

Brian,

It is a great pity that your book was not published widely as I am sure that it would be a riviting read judging by your posted experiences.

Regards
Tom

 

Brian, if you still have it in a word format
it's a very easy process to have it printed
and sold by Amazon. They even give you
a free ISBN. Total cost = zilch

Happy to help you out, if needs be

Best of luck with your book too, Jeff.
Did you take a look at Amazon's Createspace
and what they have to offer?

 

Great - if it's going to be available as a hardcopy, I will put it on the wants list! Give us a nudge when it's out.

available now

Up The Hammers!: Amazon.co.uk: Elliott Taylor: Books

also available via amazon.de, .fr., .it and com

I cannot praise the service of Createspace higher.
My only gripe is that author copies have to be
printed and posted from USA, adding to shipping,
but any orders placed on .co.uk are printed in UK

Worth checking out their service - first rate!

 

Brian, if you still have it in a word format
it's a very easy process to have it printed
and sold by Amazon. They even give you
a free ISBN. Total cost = zilch

Happy to help you out, if needs be

Best of luck with your book too, Jeff.
Did you take a look at Amazon's Createspace
and what they have to offer?

I did everything myself and had it printed locally. Booksigning tomorrow.

I'm talking with distributor this week so that I can get into catalogues.

 

available now

Ordered!

But forgot to ask: is it any good?

 

I may not be the best person to advise you, since I was extremely lucky at the start. I got a grant from the Australian Army to do my thesis, and when it was done the grant people (Army History Unit) liked it well enough to get a book version set up with Cambridge University Press. So first of all you should make as many connections as you can in the historical community; in my case, one connection led to another and another, and that is often how it works. Making excerpts of your book available in an online or print forum is another good way to stimulate interest. I think it's much better to do stuff like that than to simply send your work cold to a publisher who's never heard of you; in this country, at least, unsolicited manuscripts go straight to what we call "the slush pile," from whence they seldom emerge. The best thing of all to do is to get an agent, but of course they cost money.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
excellent advise.
key points:
1. a lot of what is printed currently has been 'done before'. re hash is limited in markets.
2. there are good reviewing author sites- but authors shy away from review of 'war writers ' , as they often deal with oversize egos!
If you join a reviewing circle- be positive, be humble- don't get into review flame wars.
3. accurate historical fiction sells better than historical non fiction, & flawed historical fiction. Consider the genre. for example- there are very few regimental histories of the American war of Independence currently published- but 'the patriot' did well as a book & a movie

bonne chance!

 

'the patriot' did well as a book & a movie

But I thought you said:

accurate historical fiction sells better

 

But I thought you said:



+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I stand corrected....:p

'Semi accurate enough so that the steamy sexy stuff does not get eclipsed by history accurate..'

I.e., 'Hitlar son of Hitler ' did rather well in Pakistan as a book & movie...

 

Amazon's Kindle Publishing takes a little getting used to but I'm pleased with the result:

With Guns & Drums: Civil War Birmingham 1642-1645: Stephen L Wright: Amazon.com: Kindle Store


Steve W.

 

Cheapest and in my view the most satisfactory self-publish is achieved through e-Book or Kindle. I published History of Peebles: 1850-1990 with hard and flimsy covers in 1990 and is now out of print. As it was written to promote knowledge about my native town, I continued to make it available (apart from second-hand copies) and copied the pages to the internet and can be read on website History of Peebles. Proudly I dedicated it to memory of the 68 Peebles men and one Peebles lass killed in action during the Second World War, many were my playmates and school pals.

Now it is also available for reading on Kindle and as Amazon have occasional free downloads, this year the book has had 230 downloads in USA, 85 in UK, 1 Germany and 1 Denmark.

I agree with Kuno: forget about making loads of money. There is, however, satisfaction and fulfilment in getting your work on record and read by others and an alternative way of doing this is to construct a very authorative website.


Good luck.

Joe Brown.

 

Ordered!
But forgot to ask: is it any good?

Gawd nose, but at least it's finished!

And I gave your relative Pte Hassell a descriptive paragraph too

 

Kuno's post #5 was probably the most helpful
out of all the helpful replies. This world is a
changing and there really is so much possible
with print on demand 'POD' publishing. Whether
you decide on Lulu, Createspace or whoever comes
next, it is still a fantastic technological development.
The vast range of book sizes, types, available is at
times staggering

One other tip is regarding your marketing and it
should begin early. I used my 'Pals' blog to not
only give updates and reveal snippets of research
but it was also the quickest way to be found by
relatives of those involved in the story. They had
googled a unit name and bingo, found me. Usually
emailing a few photos in the process which added
to the book!

My marketing has been on a slow but constant burn,
simmering, since 2009. Now it is paying a dividend.

It's down to you how much coverage you generate,
how long you keep peoples interest. Identifying those
people helpful to your cause and making relationships
with them (even without a 'product') pays off. Journalists
in particular, but also marketing people, local businesses,
anything with a connection to your subject matter

I was very fortunate with my subject in as much as
although it is 'niche' (WW1) it has a hook (West Ham)
which is very wide. My next subject under consideration
(Burma) wont have that element, so should prove interesting!

But this is very much the way forward in my humble opinion,
self publishing really will alter things.


Best of luck, if you're on the road to writing!