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NFT: Is anyone in publishing? I wrote a book. Now what?

ThatLimerickGuy : 7/25/2016 2:12 pm
Many of you know that I am a well established and successful Estate Planning and Elder Law attorney. Over the course of the last 6 months I wrote a very colloquial and informative book geared to millennials trying to educate them on estate planning issues. It's really written for those with young children so that they can ensure that their kids will be properly cared for if they pass on young.

I did some research and I'm not sure if I should be looking for a publisher, a literary agent, or just publish it on Amazon by myself.

The purpose of writing the book was not mainly for pecuniary gain but was mostly done as part of a plan to increase my professional cache in my field.

Thoughts?
take the first  
I Love Clams Casino : 7/25/2016 2:20 pm : link
25 pages, double space it and submit to a publisher that has published similar type books. In fact, pick about 10 publishers. Enclose a self-adressed stamped envelope in each manuscript. I believe a cover letter is customary as well.

It'll take about 6 weeks to get an answer.

Publishing on Amazon isn't really publishing, and getting an agent isn't needed of the publisher sees value in your work
You need anything agent  
AP in Halfmoon : 7/25/2016 2:25 pm : link
They have credibility with publishers
Your best option..  
FatMan in Charlotte : 7/25/2016 2:27 pm : link
is probably to self-publish.

You fall into that genre of "boring as fuck" books that publishers pretty much shy away from now. Unless it is considered to be truly groundbreaking where you'd get a presence in B&N or BAM, a publisher isn't going to touch you, and with the proliferation of Books for Dummies covering nearly every category, your road is really tough.

But, you can publish with electronic copy distribution and then market it on Amazon with likely better results. Unless you have an agent, getting the manuscript to a publisher, having them actually read it and then get it approved to print is about an 18 month process. Even with an agent, it is still a year minimum, and that's assuming the agent has connections instead of just doing what you would anyway and blanket send the manuscript out which has little chance of being read that way.

Self publishing is one way to get around an industry that has been notoriously closed to independent authors.
RE: Your best option..  
AcidTest : 7/25/2016 2:29 pm : link
In comment 13044421 FatMan in Charlotte said:
Quote:
is probably to self-publish.

You fall into that genre of "boring as fuck" books that publishers pretty much shy away from now. Unless it is considered to be truly groundbreaking where you'd get a presence in B&N or BAM, a publisher isn't going to touch you, and with the proliferation of Books for Dummies covering nearly every category, your road is really tough.

But, you can publish with electronic copy distribution and then market it on Amazon with likely better results. Unless you have an agent, getting the manuscript to a publisher, having them actually read it and then get it approved to print is about an 18 month process. Even with an agent, it is still a year minimum, and that's assuming the agent has connections instead of just doing what you would anyway and blanket send the manuscript out which has little chance of being read that way.

Self publishing is one way to get around an industry that has been notoriously closed to independent authors.


Agreed. I self published my book using CreateSpace, a division of Amazon. I hired an editor through them, and they also did the cover.
Please tell me...  
Chris in Philly : 7/25/2016 2:40 pm : link
it is written in limericks?
Yeah, self-publishing ...  
BronxBob : 7/25/2016 2:43 pm : link
... used to have a stigma as "vanity press," but it has evolved quite a bit. There are a couple, maybe a few, major players who probably all offer a la carte services. You choose what you feel you need or want -- from simple proofreading to more complicated editing to marketing, etc. -- and they provide professional assistance. Unfortunately, I haven't got direct experience with any of them. If you're on LinkedIn, you might also fish around there for testimonials about some of them -- because now that I actually checked Wikipedia, there are apparently a couple dozen firms in that business. I know there was some aggregation through acquisitions, but I don't know which few have the best rep right now.
I am in Print  
Chef : 7/25/2016 2:44 pm : link
if you publish yourself we could help you with your print manufacturing.
Bluenatic is a professional editor  
Greg from LI : 7/25/2016 2:47 pm : link
.
If the reason is more for professional cache  
Fred in Atlanta : 7/25/2016 2:47 pm : link
You might want to check in your field if a self publish book is going to improve your cache. You might want to check what people do in your field.
I assume you mean cachet...  
Southern Man : 7/25/2016 2:56 pm : link
If that is the case, I'd recommend you hire an editor before publishing anything.
RE: I am in Print  
Chris in Philly : 7/25/2016 3:01 pm : link
In comment 13044464 Chef said:
Quote:
if you publish yourself we could help you with your print manufacturing.


You have a terrible user name!
gearing towards millenials?  
Matt in SGS : 7/25/2016 3:12 pm : link
make sure it reads well on a kindle, ipad, etc. Your best bet is to look into epub or pdf files and work with Amazon for distribution. Print might well be secondary.
RE: RE: I am in Print  
Chef : 7/25/2016 3:13 pm : link
In comment 13044497 Chris in Philly said:
Quote:
In comment 13044464 Chef said:


Quote:


if you publish yourself we could help you with your print manufacturing.



You have a terrible user name!


I had terrible working hours... lol
wouldn't the working hours  
Rocky369 : 7/25/2016 3:23 pm : link
for someone in that line of work be pretty self-explanatory going in?
RE: wouldn't the working hours  
Chef : 7/25/2016 3:31 pm : link
In comment 13044551 Rocky369 said:
Quote:
for someone in that line of work be pretty self-explanatory going in?


Yes, it was side catering... was easy to do when I was younger.. Now with family etc..
RE: I assume you mean cachet...  
ThatLimerickGuy : 7/25/2016 4:15 pm : link
In comment 13044489 Southern Man said:
Quote:
If that is the case, I'd recommend you hire an editor before publishing anything.


Touche.
Thanks all  
ThatLimerickGuy : 7/25/2016 4:17 pm : link
As expected BBI has knowledgeable people in all walks of life.
Funn  
Jim in Fairfax : 7/25/2016 5:05 pm : link
Three options available: self-submit to publisher, get an agent, and self-publish. First three replies each back a different option.
Create Space  
dess46 : 7/25/2016 6:05 pm : link
After numerous rejection letters from publishers, a literary friend suggested using Kindle Direct Publishing for an e-book and Create Space for a paperback. My first novel, Crossing to Liberty, reached #1 in its categories as an e-book, with some nice reviews. I'm close to publishing my second book the same way. I'm very please with the results. I've been a BBI guy for years, but rarely post.
not to toot your own horn or anything  
chris r : 7/25/2016 6:36 pm : link
"Many of you know that I am a well established and successful Estate Planning and Elder Law attorney."
Toot  
ThatLimerickGuy : 7/25/2016 8:45 pm : link
Toot
Let me get this straight...  
PeterinAtlanta : 7/25/2016 9:17 pm : link
You wrote a book for Millennials? Other than textbooks, do they buy books?
RE: Let me get this straight...  
Patrick77 : 7/25/2016 11:25 pm : link
In comment 13044950 PeterinAtlanta said:
Quote:
You wrote a book for Millennials? Other than textbooks, do they buy books?


What the fuck is a book? That something the crypt keeper used?

RE: Please tell me...  
English Alaister : 7/26/2016 3:49 am : link
In comment 13044445 Chris in Philly said:
Quote:
it is written in limericks?


There once was a Giants fan from Punxsutawney
Who worked as an estate planning attorney
After some years he self-published a book
That Fatman found boring as fuck
But when he read it he found he got horny.
.  
Modus Operandi : 7/26/2016 5:59 am : link
LG had thought he'd found a hook,
A niche for "Tax: Srsly," he mistook,
A lawyer by day,
And author by night,
Now, it's the sheep counting his books.



RE: .  
BronxBob : 7/28/2016 1:41 pm : link
In comment 13045075 Modus Operandi said:
Quote:
LG had thought he'd found a hook,
A niche for "Tax: Srsly," he mistook,
A lawyer by day,
And author by night,
Now, it's the sheep counting his books.




Did you mean: "Now, it's the sheep counting his NOOKS." ?
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