Some Snippets on Publishing Alternatives

With my migraine gone, I woke up eager to attend today's workshops.  The first on my list was the Author Master Class, hosted by PNWA's very own William Kenower.

I climbed into my Jeep and turned the ignition key.

CLICK-CLICK-CLICK-CLICK....

My paraphrased expression was something like this:  Oh, crap.  My day is fudged.

I managed to get the engine running (by stomping on the gas) and tried contacting, then searching for my girlfriend, who lived in a nearby town.  After swinging by her place I found her car at a nearby Fred Meyer.  I didn't go inside because I was afraid to shut the engine off.  As it was nearing 9 AM, I headed over to Les Schwab. 

My girlfriend finally got my frantic message and the Les Schwab mechanic told me all my Jeep needed was a new battery, which would be replaced within an hour.

The twist this ordeal was:  I planned to have the battery examined the following week during my oil-change appointment.

So I missed all of Bill's seminar and most of Alternatives to Traditional Publishing, hosted by Adrian Liang and Colleen Lindsay.

For several minutes a sat in my seat fuming and unable to pay attention.  But after scrawling a rant on an entire page of my notebook, I actually felt better. 

Somewhat.

Here's what I managed to glean from this seminar:

--Despite the on-going technological revolution, traditional publishing companies are powerhouses in distribution. 

--There is no "right way" to publish your book.

--Before you self-publish, ask yourself:  How much control do you want in your product?

--Conduct research on Print On Demand (POD) companies, because they make most of their money by selling books back to the author!

--POD primarily caters to non-fiction, businesses and people writing family histories, or other "vanity books."

--Technical and editorial support is often spotty, so the presenters recommend paying for eidorial help and packaging.

--Once the books are printed, Adrian and Colleen suggested you get to know the local booksellers, because they may put your books on consignment.

So, by all means, get your book out there into the hands of your readers--but know what you're getting into.