Let’s get one thing straight. Never judge a book by the title. Never mind that the saying is supposed to be “cover” and not “title,” but give me a moment. This title, Get Published Today!, leads me to think it’s about publishing anything, including articles, books, reviews, whatever. Its focus is on publishing books, the wonderful things you hold in your hands with forewords, chapters, page numbers, and indices. In some cases, it may be something your computer can hold in its hands while you read. Meet e-books and POD (print on demand) publishing.
The first part digs into POD, its history, and its publishers’ backgrounds. Oh boy, nine publishers from which to pick. Twenty-seven tips for finding the right publisher are at the end of “The Publishers!” for guidance on the process.
Sansevieri also covers setting up the business. When you’re a writer, you’re a business. That means taxes, paperwork, and accounts. This is concisely covered in “Stuff to Do Before It’s a Book.” Get inside tips on actual publishing including POD publishers, covers, images, book titles, isbins (that would be ISBNs), copyright (ick), agents, and the keys to Amazon’s secret hot spot.
Tooting your horn is a challenge especially since marketing isn’t something to leave for the stars or publishers to handle. We think and dream about our books around the clock, but publishers and their PR people don’t. Their focus is spread across many authors and books. Only authors can be sure the marketing gets done and done right.
The marketing section walks through media kits, press releases, expert sheets, postcards, reviews, book clubs, catalogs, and endorsements. Don’t panic! The chapters in the book are short and all meat. When it’s time to do a press release, open the chapter, follow the instructions, and it’s done.
As soon as the last sentence is written, authors feel the load lighten and begin to think of the fun part of writing a book, interviews and appearances. Maybe for some, it’s frightening, but think about the people who hear about your book and go buy it straightaway. Thinking big comes too easily especially with the Holy Grail of TV, The Oprah Winfrey Show. Appearing on her show has become a surefire way to a best-seller. You and every author in the United States want to chat with Oprah. Sansevieri provides clues for approaching Oprah and other media outlets. She goes as far as naming names and listing contact information.
Staff turnovers and address changes do happen and the information is bound to be out of date at some point. That doesn’t make the book any less valuable. Having these details kick-starts the search for contacts with hints on where to begin the research.
About 60 pages tackle POD publishing, while rest is applicable to any type of publishing. There is little mention of POD after the first section. Get Published Today! has two sides of it: POD books and traditional books, making the reader wonder if they were separate books slapped together. Regardless of this, the bulk of the book deals with marketing and media tips every writer needs for a career boost.
Title: Get Published Today! No More Rejections
Author: Penny C. Sansevieri
Publisher: Infinity Publishing
ISBN: 0741411113
Date: May 2002
Format: Paperback
Pages: 262
Cover Price: USD: $15.95 Amazon: $13.56
