WMKV 89.3 FM

AND WMKVFM.ORG ON THE INTERNET

 “LIFE AFTER 50” COL FOR

JAN. 18/10 ON AIR

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         NEVER HAVE I CONSIDERED MYSELF NAïVE, WHEN IT CAME TO THE BOOK PUBLISHING BUSINESS. BUT IN MARKETING MY OWN NOVEL RECENTLY, I FOUND OUT I WAS.

FOR MANY DECADES AS A JOURNALIST, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR OF A WRITING SCHOOL, BOOK EDITOR AND PUBLISHED AUTHOR, I WAS CONSTANTLY IN TOUCH WITH PUBLISHERS AND AGENTS.

 DECADES AGO MY FIRST BOOK WENT THE TRADITIONAL ROUTE; A TRADITIONAL CASH ADVANCE AND THE PUBLISHER DID THE MARKETING.

NOT ANY MORE. TODAY THE VAST MAJORTYOF NEW AUTHORS SELF-PUBLISH, USING WHAT WE USED TO CALL THE “VANITY PRESS.”

SO I WAS DELIGHTED RECENTLY ONLINE TO FIND THAT THERE IS A NEW VOLUNTEER “POLICE” FORCE COMPOSED OF AUTHORS AND WOULD-BE AUTHORS WHO CONSTANTLY PUBLISH A LONG LIST OF THE WORSE AGENTS AND/OR PUBLISHERS. THEY INCLUDE THOSE WHO CHARGE FOR ALL THEIR PUBLISHING OR CRITIQUE SERVICES.

 THE INTERNET TODAY SERVES WOULD-BE AUTHORS WELL BY EXPOSING THESE SCAM AGENTS AND PUBLISHERS WAITING TO ENTICE NEW WRITERS INTO THEIR WEBS OF SELF-PUBLISHING. THEY USE VARIOUS NAMES OF “ASSISTED PUBLISHERS”, COOPERATING AGENTS, ETC. SOME AGENTS CHARGE A BIG FEE “TO EVALUATE” A MANUSCRIPT FIRST. LEGITIMATE AGENTS DO NOT.

THE SCAMS GO LIKE THIS.  THEY RESPOND TO YOUR QUERY TO PUBLISH BY SAYING YOUR MANUSCRIPT ISN’T RIGHT FOR THEM BUT THEY’LL SEND IT TO A SMALLER PUBLISHER (THEIRS) THEY CALL BOUTIQUE PUBLISHERS WHO MIGHT PUBLISH IT. OF COURSE THEY WILL. (NO CASH ADVANCE TO YOU, ONLY A BIG FEE FROM YOU.)

THE SMALL PUBLISHING HOUSE PROMISES TO  PUBLISH YOUR BOOK FOR A $1000 FEE, OR MORE.

IT DOESN’T STOP THERE. IN THEIR CONTRACT IN FINE PRINT MANY SAY YOU MUST EITHER SELL AT LEAST 1,000 BOOKS OR THEY WILL BILL YOU FOR THAT NUMBER.  IF YOUR PAPERBACK WILL SELL FOR $20 A COPY, YOU COULD BE ON THE HOOK FOR AN ADDITIONAL $20,000.

         VANITY AND “ASSIST’ PUBLISHERS AND AGENTS HAVE BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME. BUT TODAY, SINCE LEGITIMATE AGENTS AND PUBLISHERS INCREASINGLY REFUSE TO PUBLISH BOOKS UNLESS WRITTEN BY CELEBRITIES, THE SHADY ONES PROLIFERATE.

WHAT CAN YOU AS A NEW MATURE AUTHOR DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF? FOREMOST, PLEASE, READ THE FINE PRINT.  HAVE A LAWYER LOOK OVER ANY AUTHOR CONTRACT BEFORE YOU SIGN.

AT MY PUBLIC RADIO STATION WMKVFM.ORG ON THE INTERNET,  PRODUCER SUE ZIMMERMANN’S SHOW “GRANDPARENTING TODAY” , WHERE I AM HER CO-HOST, FEATURES AUTHORS. WE INTERVIEW MATURE AUTHORS OF NEW BOOKS, HAPPY TO GIVE THEM A BOOST.

BUT TIMES ARE CHANGING. MORE AND MORE OF THEM ADMIT THEY SELF-PUBLISHED. THEIR NAMES AREN’T JOHN GRISHAM OR JAMES PATTERSON, SURE BETS FOR PUBLISHERS. BIG NAMES SELL BOOKS.  

TOO BAD. OUR AUTHORS PRODUCE REALLY GOOD BOOKS. NOT BLOCK BUSTERS, BUT GOOD READS.  BUT IF THEY DIDN’T PAY TO HAVE THEIR BOOKS PUBLISHED, THEY WOULD NEVER HAVE GOTTEN TO MARKET.