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"Superb" "Quick [and] fun" "Snarky Adventure" "Super Fun!" "Fast pace, great humor and romance" and "Not...terrible...actually pretty good." 

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Like Mind

by James T. Wood

Giveaway ends September 27, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

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Why Am I Self-Publishing My Book

I'm running a Kickstarter campaign for a novel I've written, but why would I want to self-publish a book instead of going through a publishing house? Doesn't that prove that my work is sub-par? Aren't all self-published books second-rate?

Depending on who you ask, you'll get different answers. Twelve publishing houses rejected J.K. Rowling. Fifty rejected the author of The Help. Does that make those books sub-par?

Publishing houses were the gatekeepers of the print world. Their skill and business savvy determined what did and did not make it into print. But they aren't the arbiters of quality, just profitability. Any publisher on the block will take a successful author over a nobody and a recognized name over a new one--even if the book isn't as good. It's easier to sell a crappy book with a famous name attached to it. It's business.

As the noose tightens, it gets harder for people to break in to the publishing scene, so they need to do it on their own. They use the tools they have available to make the best product they can and distribute it to the widest audience they can reach. If they were musicians or film makers, we'd celebrate them as indie artists. But when they're authors self-publishing we call it "vanity press."

Did you know that publishers don't market books anymore? They used to send authors on a book tour, take out ads in magazines and generally market the book to make it successful. Not any more (most of the time). Nope, it's up to the author to market their own books. Publishers want authors with a platform (a pre-existing audience) so they can be sure of sales.

I've published two books so far People of Purpose (through a publishing house) and The Marriage Challenge (self-published). In six months with a professionally published book, I sold just under 1,000 copies and made 7% royalty. In six months with a self-published book, I sold just under 1,000 copies and made a 70% royalty.

Why should I do all the work of marketing my book for a 90% discount? Would you do the same job for 90% less money?

But what about quality? What about the process of editing that publishing houses have in place?

You're right, some terrible, sub-par books are self-published. That's why I want to have my novel professionally edited. That's why I want to pay for professional graphic design.

I learned a lot about self-publishing by doing it (and from reading about other's who've done it and been successful like Rob Kroese). I learned what I did wrong and what I did right. I've been studying the successes and the failures. I think I've done what's necessary to be a success.

So, did I sell you? Then go and pledge some money to see it happen!

Free eBook, The Marriage Challenge

My eBook on marriage is free today through February 6th. Yesterday, the first day of the promotion, it was downloaded 661 times and jumped up to #435 on the Amazon Best Seller list. It's also at #2 on the Marriage Best Seller list.

I'd love it if you would download the book and share it with your friends and family. You can get it here (and it's free!).

2011: The Year Ahead (part 5)

Self promotion is a weird thing. If you are an entrepreneur you need to talk about yourself and what you're doing. You need to spread the news about your projects and products so that your can build your brand and your business. But being a self-promoter can smack of pride and greed.

Am I telling people about my business because I think I'm the best person in the world? No, not really. I know that there are many presenters and trainers that are better than me. I'm sharing about my business because I want to help the people around me get better.

Am I charging for my business because all I care about is money? No, not really. I need to charge because if I don't then I can't keep producing high quality work. If I don't charge then the people receiving my work won't value it as highly and won't put in as much work to learn what I'm trying to teach.

Self promotion is a weird game. How do you deal with it?