Writing Childrens Books

Publishing Success Steps
Even if your best friend owns a top publishing company, giving you an immediate "in," this does not guarantee publishing success. First, you have to write a quality book that has a clear target audience. And your book must answer a common problem or need that audience shares. Then you have to develop a marketing plan, and stick to it for at least two years. Let's begin with the process that should commence before you write your first word. Begin by reading A LOT. Read both books you passionately love and books you can't seem to make it past page five. Then figure out what the author did in the book you loved, and what was wrong with in the book you couldn't finish. Write down these points so they are crystal clear to you. Read other people's books for inspiration and to discover what you should avoid as a writer. The next step is to plan out your book. Narrow down your subject, and then divide it into chapters. Each chapter should address a specific aspect of the problem your book is going to solve. In each chapter, break the specific aspect down into several parts. This will help your readers take in your information a bit at a time instead of overwhelming them with every bit of information clogging up the pages until they feel like they're about to go blind. It's not quite spoon-feeding the information to your readers, but it's close. The next two steps are obvious. Write your book and then revise it. And then revise it again. And perhaps again. Of course, writing is extremely hard, and writing a book can seem like an impossible task. There are many books out there that give you guidelines to help you become familiar - and even love - the process of writing and revision. Find a number of books about writing. Better yet, find a number of books about writing the specific type of book you aspire to write. These can serve as roadmaps on your writing journey. Once you've written your ebook and revised it at least twice, show it to someone else whose opinion you respect. If you're lucky enough to know a good editor, see if you have something to barter for him or her to go through your manuscript. Or join a writing group and let the other members critique your work. Then take all these ideas from other people, and revise your manuscript one last time. And then stop! Put down that pen! Get your hands off the keyboard! One of the most important steps to actually producing a book is to know when to stop writing and tinkering with it. You've finally written your ebook! Pop open the bubbly! Give yourself a night out on the town! Okay, now that this necessary celebration is out of your system, what do you do next? How to turn your ebook into Profits Ebooks are a revolutionary way to publish your book without incurring the costs of print production. All you need is a relevant and targeted subject and some inexpensive software, and you can transform your manuscript into a book. The problem, in terms of actually seeing any profits from your ebook, is that the market is overwhelmed with ebooks, and many of them are not worth the time it takes to download them. Just because the ability exists to easily produce an ebook, doesn't make it good writing. Make sure your book does not simply rehash old material. You will injure your credibility as an author by claiming to offer valuable new insights and disappointing your audience with material they've read a zillion times before. So spend enough time writing and revising your book to make sure it's of the highest quality and presents the most current information. A good book will eventually sell itself; false claims about your book will make it extremely difficult to sell any future books you may write. Assuming you have determined that you do indeed have a quality product that answers some question or need of your target audience with NEW information, how do you know how much to charge for it? Rule number 1: Set a price for your book equal to its value. An under-priced book will only give the impression that your book isn't worth very much. To figure out a fair price, estimate how much time you put into creating it and how difficult it was to transform the necessary information into understandable and engaging writing. Figure out how much your time and effort is worth, and then price it accordingly. The goal is for you to be adequately compensated for your talent, your time, and your effort. Once you've figured out a price that is high enough to convey the value of the book, but not so high as to be out of the reach of your target audience's mean budget, then it's time to offer it for sale on your website. To attract sales, you will need to develop a promotional campaign, particularly if you are an unknown author. There are multitudes of books about self-promotion that will guide you in your efforts. Choose a plan that is both creative and professional. Learn how to write a catchy yet informative press release, and send copies of your ebook to sites that specialize in ebook reviews. Learn how to write powerful sales copy, or hire someone to write it for you. This is an essential. You absolutely need excellent sales copy to sell your book. Make sure the copy includes all the reasons your target audience needs your book, and the benefits they will derive from buying it. Use graphics in your promotional materials. Beautiful graphics have the power to instantly convey the quality and value of your ebook. Graphics can also convey the amount of valuable information the book contains, and your careful attention to detail. Professional graphics sell professional books. They reassure the customer that the product is what it claims to be. Consider excerpting chapters for articles. You can offer these tidbits for free on your website as a sort of demo of your book. Include an order form for your ebook at the end of the excerpted articles. Finally, when you set-up your download link, make sure to simplify the process. It's a good idea to offer a few bonuses that make your book even more enticing to purchase, but make sure the bonuses are valuable and high quality. Too many bonuses that are basically a load of useless stuff will compromise the impression your audience has of your ebook. The goal is to convey to your audience that they are getting a quality product for a good deal. That means applying restraint, especially when it comes to adding bonus items. Too much free stuff offered diminishes your credibility. Make sure your book is a quality product. Make sure it is relevant and current. Develop an effective marketing plan that includes excellent sales copy and excerpted articles. Then offer your book for sale, and wait for your audience to discover you!

I am the owner of E-Books Download , I sell ebooks and software and templates and lots of digital downloads.... http://www.e-booksdownload.com

Instant Article Wizard
Have you ever found yourself writing an article on a subject that you know less about then you're expected to? Or you just need that one final phase that sews up the whole theme, or your standing in front of 250 words when you need 750, or your missing huge chunks of content. And for those who write to generate (some or all of) there income, this can be a big problem, Have you ever wondered if software could simplify your writing projects, well it can, and for me it does, you'll find it easy to create powerful content rich articles rapidly, without stress. The value of an article is based upon it's content and the better the content, the better the perceived value of it's author. If you're a professional or an aspiring freelance writer Instant Article Wizard can help you to make more money in less time than you ever thought possible.

I have many passions in life, my family, la France, I'm American, and have lived in France for 19 years. It's strange when I speak to an American now sometimes I have to think in french to find my english vocabulary

Successful Self Publishing-February 2007
Successful Self-Publishing
Issue 2: February, 2007


Inside this issue:
How to get your book into stores.
Pitching your book to retail bookstores and chains can be a time consuming and frustrating process. In this issue, we help prepare you for increased chances of success. Read more.

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How to get your Book into Stores

Getting your book successfully onto the shelves of a bookstore is easier said than done. Major bookstore chains are notoriously difficult to win over. Even smaller bookstores, where your chances of reaching the person with the purchase authority are more likely â€" are still very choosy and cautious. Especially when presented with new books from unknown authors.

Without the representation and backing of a major publishing house, you will be entirely responsible for every aspect of this process. Promoting your book to stores is not complicated. But it can be a long and disheartening process that requires persistence, staying power, determination, conviction and total
belief in the ‘great read’ quality of your work.


Identify your targets
The key to successfully selling into a bookstore is to start small. Identify and target smaller local bookstores and boutique stores specific to the topic of your book. Aim to saturate your entire local market place. Having a measure of regional success will also help in convincing larger chain stores that your book is a worthwhile commercial product, suitable for a national and even an international marketplace.


Develop and prepare your pitch
Initiating contact and approaching bookstore buyers in the right way is essential. Sending an initial ‘sales package’ followed up by a polite phone call, is probably the most effective platform for getting your foot in the proverbial door. The package should be based on a carefully developed sales letter, accompanied by a complimentary copy of your book.

By sending a package through the post, you are allowing the bookstore buyer time to absorb and consider your book and proposal. When you call a week later, you are then ‘warm calling’ rather than cold calling â€" as they have already had initial contact from you. They are a lot more likely to be receptive and interested. Getting your sales letter right is vital. Keep it at two pages maximum, and ensure it contains all the following core points:

* Introduction: introduce yourself and your book, and state that your reason for contact is to enquire as to their potential interest in purchasing your book
for stock.
* Book summary: a short (one paragraph) summary of the core plot of the book
* Book commercial impact: state who would want to read your book (target audience) and why (USP)
* Your credibility: clarify any background and experience you have in writing, or your specific experience and authority in the subject matter.
* Pricing proposal: put forward your proposal for the retail price of the book, and bookstore commission or preference for outright purchase.
* Business development: state that you are engaging in a comprehensive marketing programme for promotion of the book, and that the marketing plan is available for them to review.
* Guarantee: state that you will offer a full refund for books purchased outright, that do not sell within a specified timeframe (8-10 weeks)

Know what the bookstores want
Referencing to your marketing plan within the sales letter is important. It indicates your proactive and professional business approach to the sale of your book. Bookstores will want to know what you are actively doing to promote your book. They do not like to sit on dead inventory. If they feel confident that any books they buy from you can be promoted and sold through marketing and promotional activity directly driven by you â€" they are more likely to purchase.

Create strong relationships
The founding principle behind successfully selling anything is by establishing genuine and positive human connections. Taking the time to initiate and
cultivate lasting relationships with bookstore owners and buyers will dramatically increase your chances of getting your book on their shelves.

Even if initially, they feel your work is not right, by presenting yourself as a professional and credible author and self publisher â€" they are significantly more likely to be open to being pitched on any subsequent projects you may develop. Even if they do say no the first time, keep the relationship open and positive. Send a short follow-up email or letter thanking them for their time regardless. It could pay dividends in the future.

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This article has been written by Terence Tam, CEO of Book Pal, a self publishing and book printing company based in Brisbane, Australia. Terence is a self publisher himself and is a keen supporter of experienced and budding self publishers. He also specialises in print on demand books. Terence can be contacted at terence@bookpal.com.au . Also, please visit http://www.bookpal.com.au

Top 5 Shenanigans of 5 Print-on-Demand Publishers
5) Cosmetic corporate connections

Publisher B has a new corporate overlord in Amazon, but offers no carriage with Ingram, which means no order availability through many bookstores nor major website listings with competitors Barnes & Noble.com, Powells.com, Bamm.com, etc.

Hint: Find a publisher that offers wholesale distribution through Ingram (which includes listings on Amazon, too). Publishing is already competitive enough; your distribution channels shouldn't be.

4) Disavowing any knowledge

Publisher P calls itself a traditional publisher, even though it uses the same on-demand technology as other PODs. They require an exclusive 7 year contract (twice as long as most traditional agreements) and absorb all your rights before you discover the truth.

Publisher L doesn't call itself a publisher at all, but rather a conduit toward publication. It even features a picture of a machine "publishing" your book for you. Do you want a hot-water heater handling your pride and joy?

Hint: Sign a non-exclusive contract that you can cancel in 30 days written notice and pick a publisher that uses real live human beings to format your book.

3) “Free� on-demand publication

Free things require no commitment, which is a harsh finale for a book you labored to write. We have heard of authors who "published for free" and then the author forgot who published their book! As Vince Lombardi says, “The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.� Getting what you pay for was never more appropriate, as authors of free services can attest.

Hint: You get out of something what you put into it; choose your publisher accordingly.

2.5) "Free" publishing that isn't actually free

I have to slip in this bonus shenanigan. Publisher T claims they will publish your book for free, yet require a $3,985 investment from the author. Last time I checked, that wasn't free. Their justification? They reimburse the payment to you once your book sells its 5000th copy.

Hint: Ask them the percentage of times they actually reimburse their authors. Ask for the titles of the books and author's names. Then get the contact informaton for every one of those authors and confirm it.

2) Traditional publisher affiliations

Traditional publishers make the lions share of profits because they take a gamble on every author. Publisher U has executives from the traditional publishing industry; which means they know how to take an author's money up-front AND in the long run on the back-end.

Hint: If you pay to be published, make sure you make a higher royalty than a traditional publisher pays. And make sure you don't confuse "20% net profit" with a "20% retail royalty".

1) Charging to be profitable

In this competitive publishing environment, publishing is hard enough without having your publisher charging you for things that should be free. Publisher X recently introduced an option for $249 that lets you set your own retail price. And when you see this bar graph comparison, you will understand why: http://outskirtspress.com/marketing/case-owp.gif

Hint: Having pricing flexibility is certainly better than not having it, but you shouldn't have to pay for it.

Learn more about publishing your own book with a free e-book at <a href="http://outskirtspress.com">www.outskirtspress.com</a>. Brent Sampson is the President & CEO of Outskirts Press and the award-winning author of "Self-Publishing Simplified". A free ebook edition is available at <a href="http://outskirtspress.com/publishing">http://outskirtspress.com/publishing</a>.

Article Submission are more then just content and backlinks
The Internet is known as the "Information Super Highway" and for good reason. The Internet holds a huge amount of information. This information is growing and an extraordinary speed. It is being flood with new information some of it fiction and some non-fiction. Some content is valid and useful while other content is utterly useless.

Content on the Internet has become a way to promotes ones business or services. People are creating content in hopes of building an image and creating more sales. Which is fine. If you can offer some useful information or insight on a particular subject then then benefits to the reader are great. In turn the knowledge you have shared will create a buzz about you and your business. You will be on the road to branding your name and business. Which is why the quality is so important. I have been writing content on an off the Internet since 1998. I trying my very best to put together a masterpiece every time. I tend to fall short of that from time to time but I am only human. The reason for the content is not only to share my knowledge with the reader. It is also to show that I do know my stuff. To keep my name in front of people as much as possible in hopes the see that I am capable of helping them. It also builds trust with the reader. People will get to know me through my writing. It is building a bond with them. It is this bond that will build lasting readership and sales. This brings me to my next point.

Content is now a way from people to build backlinks to their site. Using programs that generate content. These types of software hold no value. Why would you want to associates your product or service with poorly written articles. You give people who read your content a bad perception of you. They may come to your site to see what type of site you have just so they know in the future to stay away from it. Even if you were into spamming and offering those Viagra pills or other bogus get rich programs on the net, these articles will just show people how much of a fraud you really are. If people thought your service or product was bogus you could try to plead your case with well written articles.

What if you can not write well. There are plenty of services out there that can help you with content and write outstanding articles about your business. If done write articles will accomplish three major things.
1)Brand your company or name as a lead in your field and separate you from the competition.
2)Drive quality traffic to your site. Someone reading your article and the going to your site increase your chances of a sale by 55%.
3)You will also build quality one way back links to your site. Which will help increase your Google Page rank.
So the next time you think about where you should spend your advertising dollars on remember this article. A well written article will not only drive in high quality traffic but I well written article can spread like wild fire on the Internet. The life expectancy on an article of this quality can last for years on the Internet. Longer then any paid advertising you will ever do.

To submit an article visit http://www.articleuniversity.com There you can also try our article writing, submission and editing services. To get a free seo evaluation, purchase SEO services, listen to a podcast on SEO or read articles on SEO visit http://www.Mr-seo.com

Casino Blogging â€" A Fast Free Way To Promote Casino Affiliate Programs
Open yourself up to the profitable world of casino affiliate programs with a blog account. Start to experience income just for writing messages. Anyone can do it, why not you? You do not need a lot of internet or computer experience to sign up as a casino affiliate or start a blog account. Both are free. It will cost you absolutely no money to try it. Why wait? Free casino affiliate and blog accounts are all over the internet. For casino affiliate programs you can click over to http://biglistofcasinos.com/webmasters.htm and for a free casino oriented blog click to http://www.biglistofcasinos.com/wp-login.php to begin. Other blogs may not allow links like this, but that casino blog certainly does. Just do not clog it up with a bunch of standard text. You are more likely to get results with messages in your own words. In a blog format, an informal conversational tone is best. Avoid the usual advertising hype and you will be much more likely to attract players. Do not think that you can just dump in a bunch of copied text. Your messages must be original. Otherwise, no one is going to read them and no search engine will likely bother with them. Be sure you include your casino text links in your message. If you are new to html, the blog format is a good place to start because it has that icon that looks like a “link of a chain�. Merely type in your text, highlight the text and then click the link icon. In the popup window you enter the casino code that you were given at the casino affiliate site. You need the http portion with your code, not the image portion with the banner. It is best to write about something that you are familiar with and enjoy. Besides giving you a good source of things to write about, you tone and enthusiasm will show through in your writing. That is the key to effective blogging. You do not need any special skills or talent to write a blog. Your writing does not have to perfectly grammatically correct. Of course, words like “dese� and “dem� will not suffice either. If you have never liked writing before, you may never have had the opportunity to write about something you enjoy. There is big difference between writing a book report and writing about casino gambling. The allure of gambling and the excitement it invokes, may be just the incentive you have needed. If you have ever been to a casino, or even want to visit one, you can write about that. Write anything you want about any casino, gambling, lottery or game that you want. You are the boss, so do what you want to do! There are bloggers out there that earn enough money to do it full time. There is no reason you can not be one of them. All you have to do is start.

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Digital Poster Printing for Growing Business
With the modern complexities of life now days, it is but important to be abreast with the latest and the more effective ways of advertising and promoting your services and products to let your business grow and be wide known popular. That is why poster digital printing is recommended for a sure win advertisement for your growing business. It can be noticed that in poster digital printing the pictures, images and illustrations are clearer and sharper because of the modern way of doing it. Even the smallest detail in the poster could be understood by its viewer. Large format printing from your digital files, photo enlargement from your own slides and negatives are just some of our latest innovation to attain that effectual poster digital printing for your growing business. Poster digital printing is recommended for growing business that wants to be more known by its target customers, for their digital poster will already build good impression for their company. For the demand in continuous innovation of poster digital printing, commercial printing companies specially those that specialize in poster printing made sure that they are powered by creative team and skillful workers that conceptualizes and prints the digital posters for your growing business. Here are some of the choices in poster digital printing that you can choose from to have your goal attained for your growing business. We are offering pigment based inks for large format printing and glossy paper for heavy weight materials. Since it is not good to look at it on a matte paper for the density of black ink on it is not very high. Also, dye based inks for large printing is recommended for prints will be clearer and sharper with the use of glossy paper again. That is why if you want to have the advantages in poster printing, then it is the right time for you to try on poster digital printing afterwards access its results in your growing business. Our poster digital printing has an improved resolution that would impress your target clients and eventually would stop at your business. After all, that is the primary purpose of your poster to attract customers for your business to grow even more. It is true that poster digital printing costs a bit higher than the conventional posters that we have yet are we going to sacrifice the good quality that would ultimately draw-in customers for your growing business. More often quality really matters for it will be the first focus of the interested clients since just after the accepted invitation of the prospect clients would made their decision to go with the business or not. After all, if you will have poster digital printing it is guaranteed that your expenses will be given back to you by the customers that were hooked up and it can even be higher than that. Competitive price for your poster digital printing is what we’re offering and satisfaction guaranteed for your money spent will be regain.

With the modern complexities of life now days, it is but important to be abreast with the latest and the more effective ways of advertising and promoting your services and products to let your business grow and be wide known popular. That is why poster digital printing is recommended for a sure win advertisement for your growing business.

Powerful Book Pricing Tips for Authors
First let's provide definitions for the 4 terms covered in this article: Retail margin is the difference between your book’s wholesale price and your book’s retail price. For example, a book with a cover price of $10 and a wholesale price of $5 has a 50% retail margin. This is the profit enjoyed by the retailer. Wholesale price is the cost of your book to a retailer. To use the same rudimentary example, a book with a cover price of $10 and a retail margin of 50% will be sold to a retailer for $5 wholesale price. Retail price is the same as cover price or selling price or list price. This is the cost of the book to the end consumer (the reader). The retail price is typically printed on the cover of the book and also “embedded� within the barcode on the back. For example, a book with a wholesale price of $5 and a retail margin of 50% will have a retail price of $10. Trade discount is the percentage off the retail price that a wholesaler (not a retailer) pays for your book. Since the retail margin is always a portion of the trade discount, the trade discount always exceeds the retail margin. Distributors typically expect between 50% - 70% in order to provide an acceptable margin to the retailer. A book with a retail price of $10 and a retail margin of 50% might have a trade discount of 60%, and therefore the wholesale price is $5 and the trade discounted price is $4. Confused yet? Don't be. Understanding book math is what separates successful authors from unsuccessful ones. As you can see, retail margin, wholesale price, the trade discount, and retail price are interconnected. MAKING DISTRIBUTION WORK FOR YOU The higher your trade discount, the greater your level of distribution. Think about it - distributors want to make money, too. While your book's trade discount is but a piece of your pie (albeit a big piece), it is the entire cake for distributors and retailers, who together must split the take. The greater the trade discount, the larger their piece of the pie, and the greater incentive they have to distribute your book, sell your book, and market your book, etc. The proper trade discount depends upon the author's goals, and can vary from author to author just as readily as from book to book. Typically, the higher the retail margin, the higher the cover price, so authors interested in maintaining the lowest cover price possible will often opt for a lower retail margin. This may be okay, and even preferred, if the book's largest market is through on-line sales. Conversely, those authors who long for the best distribution possible will elect a higher trade discount, even though their cover price will increase accordingly (or their profit will decrease accordingly). Non-fiction or niche-markets are less affected by higher retail prices. Additionally, greater distribution is often advantageous in finding those niche markets. Suffice it to say, a non-fiction book can almost always sustain a higher trade discount than a fiction book. Trade discounts can be as low as 20% to successfully get listed on Internet retailers like Amazon.com, who manage to make a profit with such low margins through EDI (electronic data interface) with distributors like Ingram and on-demand publishers like Outskirts Press. By comparison, trade discounts can be as high as 75% - 80% when dealing with a niche wholesaler, or when attempting distribution for a book that does not have a proven market. In these cases, the distributor may be padding the coffers a bit in anticipation for a "harder sell" and perhaps, also, in preparation for offering an increased retail margin to close the deal. INDUSTRY STANDARDS Industry standards for retail margins are difficult to define because, ultimately, it comes down to negotiation between all parties involved. Publishers have the power to negotiate with distributors, who have the power to negotiate with retailers, who have the ability to negotiate with the reader, but the typical trade discount is around 55%, which allows for a typical retail margin of 40%. Publishing-on-demand is removing some of the participants in this little dance, and as a result, the same piece of pie is being divided among fewer people, resulting in more money for the remaining players (especially the author). This is particularly true if the author is going after online sales exclusively, which allows the author to set a much lower trade discount with little to no repercussions when publishing via a flexible on-demand publisher such as Outskirts Press, who lets authors set their own pricing. Now you have the flexibility to do it and the knowledge to do it right.

Brent Sampson is the President & CEO of Outskirts Press at <a href="http://www.outskirtspress.com">www.outskirtspress.com</a>, where the future of publishing is here, today. He is the award-winning author of "Publishing Gems: Insider Information for the Self-Publishing Writer" and "Self-Publishing Simplified" which is available on Amazon for an unbelievably low $5.95 or for free in e-book form at <a href="http://outskirtspress.com/publishing">outskirtspress.com/publishing</a>

Immortalize The Voice Of A Loved One. Hire A Ghostwriter.
Free the story trapped in a format indecipherable by most. Have the script rewritten into a manuscript, ready for self-publishing and self-promoting.

Imagine you’ve inherited the rights to a screenplay. You wouldn’t be alone. In fact, it’s trending -- understandable since forty thousand plus screenplays were written per year for the last twenty-five years. It was only a matter of time before they were resuscitated as last bequeaths.

Your imaginary benefactor’s eulogy glorified the dedication, the passion and the sacrifice with which words were capture to the page. Words, which in a unique style, voiced muses, meanderings and observations on life. Words which were this aspiring playwright’s most valued possession. Words which, for whatever reason, you now own!

Every writer has experienced the curse of an untold story. Haunted by one’s own ideas is aggravating enough. But to be reminded of a legacy-in-waiting at every family function is insufferable. What were once whispers of time ill-spent, have gossiped into a responsibility to the family name. ‘It’s a shame to think that the only credits her work earned were in her will’ will shadow you when all you want is more potato salad.

Whichever befits your character, a stoic answer to the call of duty or a dramatic capitulation with arms in the air, be prepared for the onset of reality. Your pen has just written promises it can’t keep. If you’re a writer, time is already rationed amongst personal projects. On the other hand, if you’re ‘narrative challenged’ (as she was) the task is a bit more foreboding.

So . . . who ‘ya gonna call? Ghostwriters!

Don’t dismiss the idea too fast. Appreciate that ghostwriting has been a guiltless yet respectable option for centuries. For as long as there have been speeches, memoirs or sequels, writing has been outsourced. The cultural handiwork of ghosts has not been limited to literature. Music and painting have a history of contributions by ghosts as well.

Does it honestly matter that ‘co-authored by’ or ‘as told to’ appears on the jacket, as long as the story is engaging? Odds are the book is better on account of it.

At the next visit to your favorite online bookstore, make a point to browse the memoirs. Much of the work has been penned on the condition of anonymity. Ask yourself these questions: ‘Do you really think as many were self-written as claimed?’ ‘Is it reasonable to assume that celebrities and sports figures whose success resulted from a lifetime of practice, were suddenly as equally adept at being proficient authors?’ Picking up a scalpel would be beyond belief, so why isn’t a pen?

In the publishing and film industries, ghostwriting is ubiquitous. The Development Editor identifies extensive revisions necessary to make a manuscript marketable. On a larger scale, teams of unnamed professional writers do the same to major Hollywood releases. A script reversed from the finished production would rarely resemble the original.

Don’t let partial notions prevent further consideration of ghostwriting when you cannot do it yourself. If a qualified writer can be found at an acceptable price, is it not worth it to break the curse and free the story?

Assuming the decision to proceed, the next step is to find one. Rather than searching ‘ghostwriter’, post the writing project on a freelance database. The first approach will list services charging $10K to $30K and the project will have to fit into their schedule. The second will return multiple bids ranging from $500 to $1000 from an international wealth of eager writers.

At these rates, your scribe will be scrambling. Consequently, even the most efficient writing can hide serious problems between the lines. It may be bland without inspiration. Characters may be stereotypical or weakly drawn. Backstory and exposition may be information dumps disrupting story flow. The style may be rift with distractions causing the reader to disengage. The potential for flaws is considerable. Therefore, expect to dedicate some time for editorial review. Lean on friends and family to critique it as if it were your own. Use a standardized critique from writing sites or an editorial filtering service.

Before posting a project description, understand the differences between a screenplay and a manuscript. Any screenplay, even one nominated by the Academy is not publishable as a novel. Few people would purchase a copy of a screenplay for a good read.

Other than the directing instructions, the story content of a screenplay is essentially a subset of a manuscript. Both have a hook, characters, dialogue, a problem, a goal, conflicts, a climax, character growth and an ending. In addition to this, the manuscript has narratives which elaborate on the setting, the backstory, the characterization, the action and the emotional depth. Without these, a screenplay is mostly dialogue. In a manuscript, dialogue typically comprises 40% to 60% of content.

Therefore, the project is basically to approach the dialogue of the screenplay like the plotting or the skeleton of the story. To this, narratives consisting of the missing elements are fleshed or layered in.

The project description also has evaluation and promotional components. It is appropriate to request a sample chapter on spec, as well as, a pitch, a synopsis, and a logline.

As the bids trickle in, the evaluation process resembles the role of an H.R. dept. Desirable skill-sets include the abilities to:

- make the author’s words jump off the page in their original voice and style rather than what they personally publish;
- experience and interest in the subject matter;
- package the concept so that an agent can sell it;
- proofread and polish their own work;
- collaborate;
- research;
and of course,
- write.

The ability to negotiate will depend totally on the number of the bids. Concerning quality, there are no guarantees at any price. One tactic, however, can hedge your investment. Try to negotiate a progressive payment agreement. Request to have performance advances released upon remittance of predetermined chapters/pages. If the writing does not meet expectations at pre-established milestones, no commitment to continue will exist.

A second tactic to enhance the caliber of writing is to fully disclose collaboration with the term ‘co-author’. With the ghost’s name on the jacket, more effort will probably be invested. The glory or celebrity given up in exchange is fleeting anyway.

Finally, offer splitting any proceeds 50/50. Few experienced writers will accept projects on spec. If a talented novice does, it may motivate writing as if it were for a bestseller.

The services of a ghostwriter is worth considering whenever a story is trapped in a screenplay and either time or ability is scarce. If the screenplay is your own, don’t leave it until the reading of your own will. Forget about naming beneficiaries because of interest once expressed in your writing. They’re family. They were just being polite. Do it yourself while you’re alive. Let them enjoy the potato salad!

Matthew Evans hosts www.changingmediums.com, a resource for playwrights interested in developing their screenplay further into a manuscript for the purposes of self publishing as a novel. Ghostwriting and freelance databases are examples of the topics discussed in more detail. Matthew reads for the editorial filtering service www.4gatekeepers.com. Copyright 2006

Can You Afford To Publish Your Book?
Money blinds. It's as simple as that. Aspiring authors ask about the money issue all the time, in varying forms, (How much does it cost to publish? How much will I get paid in royalties?, etc.) but they can't see beyond that issue to think about the thing that will truly decide the money question. And here it is:

What Do You Want From Your Book?

That is the real question! Once you are clear about what you want out of the publishing process, you can decide what route would be the most satisfying--and profitable--for you. When it comes right down it it, you can spend as much or as little as you want on your book. But how much are you willing to spend to get what you want?

When you aren't clear, you can make poor decisions that won't line up with your goals. For instance, many authors have a goal of making a lot of money, but they won't consider self publishing. The fact is that unless you can immediately sell on the level of an Oprah's Book Club selection or a James Patterson or a Dan Brown, it's going to take a very long time before your royalties add up to much. When you self publish you take on risk, but you stand to gain much more because you get to keep all the profits (unless your agreement with the publishing company you use is a royalties-based one).

Another strong reason to self publish: you can use your first book to build your platform for a bigger deal with a traditional publishing house in the future. Again, you can choose the self publishing deal that's right for you. A print on demand company such as Xlibris charges just $500 for a basic package where you can get your book produced and copies made as they are ordered--so no inventory. Of course, when you pay more, you get more: better design, distribution services, maybe even some marketing help.

The Traditional Road

If your dreams of authorship include larger audiences and the literary status that comes of being published by one of the many arms of Random House, Warner or Simon & Schuster, that's fine--just know that this route isn't exactly free either. No, you don't have to pay a traditional publishing house and yes, they do everything for you (design, distribution, some advertising and marketing), but these days a writer is expected to spend a little too on promoting the book. Many writers are even putting the amount they've set aside in their book proposals. If you're serious about marketing your book, you'll need to set aside at least $10,000. That amount can go as high as $30,000 depending on the amount of travel and other advertising you intend to use.

Smart Money, Dumb Money

Once you understand what you want out of your book, you'll not only know how much you're willing to spend, you'll also know better how to spend it. You can spend it smart or you can spend it dumb. Many writers spend it dumbly because they don't know what they want. If you're spending money on educating yourself about publishing, improving your writing skills, hiring a good editor or book consultant, and marketing that will help you reach your specific, targeted reader, that's all smart money. You will get more out of those dollars than if you had never spent it at all. You are investing in your writing career.

But if you spend money because someone told you this is "the only way you'll ever get this book published" (and you haven't researched any other ways), or buy advertising simply because it's where other books are advertised, or go to writer's conferences with no clear plan of what you want out of them, or pay agents "reader fees", or pay editors whose work you don't know or whose references you haven't checked, that's dumb money. You'll put those dollars out there and see little or no return.

So I guess the bad news is publishing isn't free. The good news is you have a choice as to how much you spend and where you spend it. Be an educated consumer as well as an educated--and talented--writer. You'll find that to have a book published in the way you want it published is still in the end--priceless.


? 2005 Sophfronia Scott

Author and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is "The Book Sistah" TM. Get her FREE REPORT, "The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Make When Trying to Get Published" and her FREE online writing and publishing tips at <a href="http://www.TheBookSistah.com">http://www.TheBookSistah.com</a>