BECOME EDUCATED BEFORE YOU GO TO PRINT

Oh, my here we go again. A sad, innocent author sent me his book to be critiqued. When I responded by asking if he had sent me the galley copy he was astounded! "This is NOT a galley copy", was his comment of dismay.

Please, please do not publish a book before you are educated about the publishing process.

I cannot in any form of honesty tell this author that he should go ahead and print more books. He is in fact only at manuscript stage even though he thinks that he is ready to begin selling books. Now all that I can do is to encourage him in his efforts, and salvage all that we can by using his one hundred copies as actual galleys.

I repeat this over and over - understand publishing BEFORE you publish or you will spend thousands of dollars and many hours of time for absolutely nothing. Book buyers know a good book on sight. There is no fooling them. Professional design is crucial for success. Professional editing is crucial for success. There are no shortcuts.

Denise

www.inktreemarketing.com

TAXES ON FOREIGN RIGHTS SALES

Here is a question that has come up: why do I have to pay taxes on foreign rights in another country?

As we all know, there is no avoiding taxes. That truth is applicable to selling goods in any other country of the world. Each country wants its share of any profits made, no matter the source and will withhold its share. Usually, as a nonresident, you can get the taxes back but there are procedures to follow and those procedures vary from country to country.

When you sell foreign rights to your book, expect to encounter tax issues. Is it the job of your book agent to deal with the taxes? No. It is your job as the publisher to handle the reimbursement of the taxes.

Who can help you? - the publisher to whom you sold your book rights. Have them contact their country's tax department to request the necessary paperwork.

Denise

www.inktreemarketing.com

SELLING BOOKS

It is most interesting to me that people publish books BEFORE they have a clear idea of where they will sell those books!

Seriously, would anyone manufacture any other product without knowing that there is a good market for the product?

Would you go to the trouble and expense of creating a new kind of widget without knowing if people even want your widget? Not unless you are very, very silly.

The same holds true for books. Think about where and how you will sell it BEFORE you publish it.

That's my rant for today. :-)

Denise

www.inktreemarketing.com

WRITING MY STORY

I have been invited to write about myself in someone else's book - actually, a 3000 to 4000 word chapter that tells about my life experiences. O.K. Where do I start? It's one thing to coach other people about writing but having the tables turned is another story, literally. Here is the kicker - they have given me only six weeks. Many days I have writer's block just doing this blog so nothing gets posted. Now I have to write an entire chapter of a book. Yikes! Stay tuned, and if you have suggestions, please don't feel shy about letting me know. Denise www.inktreemarketing.com

GOOD WRITING

Today's message is about writing. In trying to choose a Sympathy card, I was reminded of how difficult it is to find just the correct message. There are thousands of ways to say "I'm sorry. I feel very sad for you in your loss", but the words must resonate and convey just the right feeling. It's a reminder that when you are writing, you need to keep the reader in mind. What might they be looking for? How do you write a book that speaks to the reader's needs (not YOUR needs). One key point is to be clear in your mind how you are planning to make the reader's life better, or how you intend to entertain a specific target audience. Before you even put pen to paper, think long and hard about who will buy your book, and write for them. Denise www.inktreemarketing.com