If
you want to publish a book, you have many options, including the following:
-
Getting
a literary agent to sell it to a publisher
-
Self-publishing
as print-on-demand
-
Self-publishing
as an e-book
-
Self-publishing
a short print run as a hardcover, or trade paperback, or mass market paperback
-
Making
it available in installments or serialized pieces, perhaps on a blog or as an
app
-
You
can get a publisher to produce your book and then agree to buy a certain number
of copies from them
You
can choose other mediums or augment the e-version with:
-
Audio
-
Video
-
Photos
-
Illustrations
You
can sell the translation rights to scores of countries. In short, your book could be anything you
want it to be, published however, wherever, and whenever you like. The publishing process has never been as
easy, as cheap, or as diversified as it is now.
But no matter how you publish what you created, what still counts is
content. Quality materials that are
timely, useful, interesting and unique will always be craved.
You
can publish a book with:
-
A
university or academic press
-
A
trade publisher
-
A
non-profit or professional group
-
A
small press
-
The
Big Six: Harper Collins, Macmillan, Penguin, Random House, Simon &
Schuster, Grand Central
Books
should be written from the heart, from the creative mind, from experience. They should move readers and stir their
passions, hopes, and dreams. Writers
should inspire, inform, enlighten or educate.
They should also entertain us.
But they must also be written with the consumer in mind. For books to sell well, and to gain media
attention, they will need a hook. Every
book has a headline in it. When you
write, think of how to support whatever that headline is
Content still counts -- no matter how or who publishes it.
Content still counts -- no matter how or who publishes it.
Interview With
Author Verity Marshall
What
type of books do you write? In another incarnation, I write short
stories. Nice little animal stories, with innocent, happy-endings. ‘Hard
Money-Naked Truth’ is a major departure from my well-worn and familiar genre.
Growing up in the quintessential, middle class Australian family, without the
trials, and tribulations of many writers, I have no issue to examine, or
translate into my work. Having been privately educated, and marring at a young
age, I have lived a somewhat protected and insular life. Conversations with a
friend, who has been living a diametrically opposite lifestyle, stirred my
imagination. Thus began a curiosity with
all dysfunctional behaviours, fortunately our society abounds with dysfunction!
Therefore, it was only a matter of paying attention, and keeping a record of
the activities of others, to find inspiration for my latest book.
What
is your newest book about? “HARD
MONEY - The naked truth behind the red light”, is a 'fly-on-the-wall' peek at
the behind-the-scene activities of authentic Sydney prostitutes and their
clients - all employed/patronising the brothel described at the time of
research.
The book is a collection of graphically
written short stories (with humorous undertones), facts, observations, and
anecdotes. The information gleaned from the sex workers and their clients via
interviews and simple surveys, has been interwoven with fiction - the real and
fake names have been changed to protect 'the-not-so-innocent' - and crafted
into the scandalous short stories.
What
inspired you to write it? During
the 1980s, a childhood friend inherited a suburban brothel from her former
husband. After listening for many years to her wild and bizarre tales, I
decided to chronicle the conversations and use them as the inspiration for Hard
Money.
My friend arranged for me to speak with a
‘madam’ well known to her, Miss Lulu. The madam’s immediate enthusiasm for the
project enabled me to tap into a wealth of material. I was invited to sit in
the girl’s lounge room to hear the gossip and assigned a small office area for
interviews and surveys.
The pivotal character of Hard Money is the
madam of the brothel, Miss Lulu, who takes an unusual approach to running a
business notorious for its use of heavy-handed tactics. Miss
Lulu is a kind and caring employer who
often puts her employees’ happiness and harmony before profit making. Her
co-stars in this theatre of social deviancy are an eclectic group of women who,
during their working day, accept a reality of life that most people prefer to
ignore.
The story The Girls’ Room features candid
conversations between the prostitutes while they’re discussing customers. Other
stories include recounts of the physical machinations the workers experience
during bookings and their emotional reactions to them.
Each story is graphically recounted and has
a humorous undertone. In crafting the commentary, I’ve attempted to give
readers an insight into the motives of both sex workers and their clients. The
stories range from titillating to the weird and comical. The characters have a
diverse range of personalities, moral beliefs, and ethnicities, and are far
from stereotypical. Throughout the book are ‘factual inserts’ of interesting
statistics and general observations of the people I interviewed. I include many
happy endings, not always the expected one!
What
is the writing process like for you? For me it is a compulsive mechanism, although definitely a pleasurable
one!
What
did you do before you became an author? I was previously involved with technical writing, ghost writing, along
with poetry, children’s stories and short stories for magazines.
How
does it feel to be a published author? As an Indie author it mostly feels like a lot of hard work!
Any
advice for struggling writers? Write
about subjects that interest you personally, or about which you have comprehensive
information – in other words…know you’re subject….research, research, research!
Where
do you see book publishing heading? With the recent success of Indie publishing, I see
a continued growth in both traditional and independent publishing, which is
exciting and encouraging for all writers.
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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2013
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