This
is Part Four of a five-part series summarizing my remarks in a panel discussion
on the “Ins and Outs of Self-Publishing” sponsored by the Washington, DC chapter of the Women’s National Book Association. In Part Three of the series, I began a discussion
of publishing via vanity or subsidy press and I promised you some subsidy press
success stories in my next posting.
The
origins of the two success stories I want to share are Veronica Li and Carla
Danziger, who were two of my co-panelists on the “Ins and Outs of
Self-Publishing” panel.
Veronica
Li
Veronica
Li authored Nightfall in Mogadishu, a
thriller set in Somalia
through AuthorHouse (formerly named First Books Library). I would classify AuthorHouse as a subsidy press
using print-on-demand printing, According to Veronica, AuthorHouse provided all the services it promised
including a referral to reputable editors and development of Veronica’s
concepts for the cover. Veronica had books in her hand about three months after
delivering the manuscript to AuthorHouse. Her upfront costs amounted to a few hundred dollars.
on her connections to niche groups that shared some affinities with the book’s
subject matter, Veronica sold 500 copies of Nightfall
in Mogadishu within a year. Reader feedback and the proven ability to sell
her book motivated Veronica to continue writing. Her second book, Journey across the Four Seas, was picked up by conventional small
press publisher, Homa and Sekey Books, in part because Veronica had proven her
ability to market, a necessary skill for all authors, regardless of which
publication method they use.
For more information about Veronica Li and her books, visit the author’s website at www.VeronicaLi.com
Carla
Danziger
Carla
Danziger is the author of Hidden Falls, a mystery/romantic suspense novel set in Norway.
Carla published through iUniverse, which I would also characterize as a subsidy
press using print-on-demand. Her book production and marketing experiences were
similar to those of Veronica’s except that Carla did choose to provide her own
cover design. Carla expressed
satisfaction with the assistance offered by iUniverse, incurred an upfront cost
of a few hundred dollars, and found sales success by marketing Hidden Falls to Jewish associations,
Norwegian groups, and other niche markets with direct interests in the themes
covered by the book.
and her book got noticed! In January
2008, Hidden Falls will be published in large
print by Thorndike Press, the world’s leading large-print publisher. For more information about Carla Danziger and her books, visit the author’s website at www.carladanziger.com.
I
salute both Veronica and Carla. While my
remarks on the panel may have been informative, their stories were inspiring –
as well as informative. (Coincidentally, Veronica’s subsidy publisher,
AuthorHouse, and Carla’s subsidy publisher, iUniverse, are about to merge.)
In my next posting in this
series, to be posted on Thursday, November 15, I’ll discuss self-publishing by
working directly with distributors and wholesalers.
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