Publishing: New Opportunities Born of an Industry’s Evolution
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by Nora Firestone
Publishing has turned a page in the book of misconceptions. Quality services for aspiring authors, and the resulting successes for the companies that offer them, have reset standards and perceptions industry-wide. Self-publishing has provided good authors more opportunity and readers more material from which to choose, and companies filling niches in book editing, design and distribution have gained new respect. |
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John Koehler
Some in the literary world still shun self-publishing, said John Koehler, president of Koehler Books, an independent publishing company based in Virginia Beach and distributed by Ingram Publisher Services. But the 2012 acquisition of Author Solutions Inc., a leader in the professional self-publishing industry, by Pearson, a global pillar in traditional publishing and the parent company to Penguin, “turned the publishing world upside down,” he said. The move acknowledged the role that self-publishing plays in today’s market and the opportunities it provides for self-directed writers, and it affirms the evolution’s long-term viability.
“Critics no longer decide which books succeed. Readers decide,” Koehler said. “(And they’re) collectively absolutely brilliant and very, very discerning and tough.” Readers don’t care whether a book was written by a traditional or a self-published author, he said, “they just know ‘good’ when they see it.”
Koehler Books is among those publishers that have adopted a mixed model. The company offers traditional publishing for established authors, as well as hybridized joint-venture opportunities and an array of professional self-publishing services for newly-established authors through its High Tide Books imprint and Emerging Authors Program. All Koehler programs include marketing support and some level of promotion and distribution through Ingram.
“Critics no longer decide which books succeed. Readers decide,” Koehler said. “(And they’re) collectively absolutely brilliant and very, very discerning and tough.” Readers don’t care whether a book was written by a traditional or a self-published author, he said, “they just know ‘good’ when they see it.”
Koehler Books is among those publishers that have adopted a mixed model. The company offers traditional publishing for established authors, as well as hybridized joint-venture opportunities and an array of professional self-publishing services for newly-established authors through its High Tide Books imprint and Emerging Authors Program. All Koehler programs include marketing support and some level of promotion and distribution through Ingram.
The pros, the cons and the options
There’s much to consider at the crossroads. “Traditional publishing gets you instant buy-in to the literary world” and major investment in book quality, promotion and distribution, Koehler said, but advances are shrinking and it’s increasingly incumbent upon authors to co-market. Traditional-route authors also ultimately relinquish control over their own content, while self-published authors maintain control. Traditionally, you earned your way to a publishing deal, Koehler said, but today’s authors aren’t so dependent. Self-publishing can cost between $2500 - $10,000, “buyer beware,” he warned, but an independent author keeps more of the profits and can bring a finished book to market more quickly than a publishing house does.
Defining purpose and managing expectations
While the 21st-century’s advanced technology and flexible publishing models have swung open the gates for today’s aspiring writers, the truth is that the vast majority of emerging authors will not succeed commercially, at least not initially, Koehler said. “Most of them know that.” As a debut author no one knows you, and climbing the ranks in traditional publishing takes time and tremendous effort.
But commercial success of a single book is no longer the primary goal. In business, “a book can be the best door opener on the planet, and a signed book can smash down doors,” Koehler posed. “Think of a book as a business card for your business,” he said. “Being a published author carries a certain panache.”
Regardless of the goal, all authors face the same challenges, the first being to “finish the book, and finish it well,” Koehler said. He recommends writing instruction and networking through local organizations such as The Muse, in Norfolk, or Hampton Roads Writers www.hamptonroadswriters.org . Be sure the book contains “high quality, well-crafted writing with a good style and beautiful package,” he advised, and business people, learn what your non-fiction hook is. Other elements essential for success include the means for broad print and digital distribution and “an author who is motivated, coachable and on fire.”
But commercial success of a single book is no longer the primary goal. In business, “a book can be the best door opener on the planet, and a signed book can smash down doors,” Koehler posed. “Think of a book as a business card for your business,” he said. “Being a published author carries a certain panache.”
Regardless of the goal, all authors face the same challenges, the first being to “finish the book, and finish it well,” Koehler said. He recommends writing instruction and networking through local organizations such as The Muse, in Norfolk, or Hampton Roads Writers www.hamptonroadswriters.org . Be sure the book contains “high quality, well-crafted writing with a good style and beautiful package,” he advised, and business people, learn what your non-fiction hook is. Other elements essential for success include the means for broad print and digital distribution and “an author who is motivated, coachable and on fire.”
This article first appeared in Inside Business news journal, October 2014. Nora Firestone is a professional writer, news reporter and GUI website designer and the author of soon-to-be-released “The $10,000 Apostrophe.” She also offers instruction and consultation in writing for business, media relations and do-it-yourself website design and management. She can be reached at [email protected] or via www.norafirestone.com
