Introduction

So you've written the great American novel. Now what? When I first decided to self-publish, I did so without ever submitting my work to an agent or publisher. I had heard horror stories of rejection, changes and relinquished control. I had watched writer-friends lose patience, money and time by going with traditional publishers. "I only make 25 cents a book," one author told me. "They dropped my book after 6 months," said another. Even the leader of my writer's club had a sad story to tell. As a young author, she had agreed to publish an entire series of books with one particular publisher. They had, in essence, bought the rights to her name and committed her to working solely with them. But when the fourth book in the series was ready for production, the publisher declined to produce it. "Your sales numbers just aren't high enough," they explained. She was devastated. The book was finished but she had signed away her right to submit it to other publishers. For the next seven years they owned her name, her work, and even her unpublished manuscript. That, I assured myself, would never happen to me.

In lieu of these stories, self-publishing was my oasis. Total control, huge profits, and the freedom to market and sell my books forever. I was hooked. I'd have to be crazy not to self-publish, I thought. I had near-constant visions of myself making it big. Running a company, rolling in profits and becoming a best selling author. I read all the books. You Can Make it Big Writing Books, by Jeff Herman, promised me greatness. Jeff's book, a collection of inspirational success stories, many involving initially self-published authors, fed my ego exactly what it wanted to hear. You can do it, it screamed, and you can do it yourself.

I read Marilyn and Tom Ross' Jump Start Your Book Sales; the dollar signs rang up in my head. John Kremer, in 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, again ignited my imagination. "All things are possible," he promised. He gave me faith, and I believed.

Now don't get me wrong, I still believe that all things are possible. But with age and experience I have learned to see that although possible, not all things are probable or even practical. For starters I am a mother of three. When Just 'Til I Finish This ChapterŠwas written, my children were fairly young. I was homeschooling grades 1, 4, and 6. I was also living on a horse farm in northeastern Ohio. I had 18 horses, 9 cats, 2 dogs, and 9 fish to take care of. In addition, there were pastures to mow, trails to maintain and fences to mend. Yet still, I intended to make it big; to travel and promote my books. I would dedicate my time and energy to creating and running a successful publishing company. I pictured myself in business suits, attending conferences, book fairs and publisher's conventions. And most of all, I pictured myself as a writer, a published writer.

In reality, however, I had no help with the horses and had not left the farm in almost 5 years. Conferences? Clean clothes? Who was I kidding? In believing the promises put forth by those who had gone before me, I had failed to acknowledge my own situation. I ignored my previous commitments and denied my time constrains.

So take the time now to decide what self-publishing will mean to you. How big do you want your company to be? How many books can you honestly afford to produce, market and sell? Are you an outgoing person, or do you prefer to spend your time alone? What are your plans after this book is produced? Will you immediately write another, or is this the end of the road? What is it you realistically hope to accomplish by publishing your work? More importantly, ask yourself what success will look like to you.

I had fully expected the arrival of my book to change my life. I expected to join the ranks of the revered, the published authors. But while the act of self-publishing did indeed produce a book, I eventually came to realize that only a hardworking and knowledgeable individual can create success. My book was good; I knew that. But that alone was not enough. In reality, I had none of the skills required to market or sell it. I was a writer, a quiet soul who preferred to be alone. My days and nights were spent with horses, I had no time to travel; no time to return phone calls, or even distribute the books.

Ironically it wasn't that Just 'Til I Finished This ChapterŠ was not successful. In fact, it was a beautiful book. The cover was perfect, the printing top notch. I should have been proud of myself. The fact that I had finished the book at all was a near miracle; editing and producing it was a tremendous achievement. But rather than see what I had accomplished, I chose to focus on what I had not. I consistently beat myself up for everything the book wasn't ­ endlessly failing to see what it was.

Eventually, I pulled myself together and learned to play the game. Eventually the books began to sell. But in retrospect, I realize that I had failed to establish a realistic vision of self-publishing. By not setting achievable goals or developing practical expectations, I had doomed myself to failure, even before the books had arrived from the printer.

So before you decide to self-publish, take the time to learn as much as you can about the publishing industry. Read a bit about marketing, advertising and even accounting. Clearly it is difficult, if not impossible, to play any game without first knowing the rules. The publishing industry has a language and culture of its own. It is a game that has been played for centuries. So please, don't throw yourself, or your money, into the arena without first understanding the rules.

Self-publishing today can be anything you make it. It can cost a small fortune or practically nothing. You can print 10 books at Kinkos, or 10,000 at a professional book printer. Some companies take handwritten manuscripts and within a few weeks will return a flashy new book. For a price they edit, type, proofread, and provide both the interior page layout and cover design. Some will ship the books to your home; others offer warehousing. Some only print on demand.

The options today are almost mind-boggling. Through self-publishing, you control not only the size of your publishing company, but also the quantity and quality of your book. You are an entrepreneur. And, like it or not, if you choose to publish more than 100 books, you will be starting and running a company. I can not stress enough the importance of recognizing this fact. Learn the industry and establish realistic goals before you set out to produce your book.

The chapters and questions throughout the remainder of this book are designed to help you envision and define your own success. Please read each section carefully. Consider the examples given and determine how they relate to your personal situation. If you fail to define success, you will fail to know if you have achieved it.

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