| Let's say you're a writer who has written a few | | | | you are elated to be able to set up a web site to |
| things that you've tried to get published. Let's say | | | | display your book, which you transferred from |
| you've even had some success. You've submitted | | | | your attic trunk to the web.Wonderful.It's now in |
| your novels, short story and poem collections, or | | | | front of the public, just like you'd hoped. You |
| magazine articles to New York publishers.After | | | | congratulate yourself that you have succeeded in |
| receiving enough reject slips to cover the walls of | | | | getting past:- New York Editors. |
| your two bedroom condominium you finally | | | | - New York Agents. |
| managed to place something in an obscure | | | | - The US Postal Service (since you didn't have to |
| publication located 500 miles away from New | | | | mail your manuscript out 500 times). |
| York.Don't break out the champagne yet. It may | | | | - Your attic trunk (where you've been depositing |
| or may not be a start. It all depends on:- how well | | | | your unsold manuscripts). |
| it sells | | | | - Your garage, which is not filled with 5000 unsold |
| - what your next "masterpiece" may be | | | | copies of your book.And your manuscript is now |
| - how well the editor thinks that it will sell.You | | | | "in front of the public" who are eager to pay for |
| may soon discover that your first piece didn't sell | | | | it, download it and read it. Or is it?Oops...we forgot |
| well and the editor spent so much money on it | | | | a few things.- How are they going to find it? |
| she's not interested in buying another one from | | | | - How are they going to pay for it? |
| you.And you still haven't "cracked" New York.Your | | | | - How can they get it into their hands to be able |
| initial elation at having "finally published" drops | | | | to read it?Once again, not to belabor the point, |
| rapidly into the psychological gutter, and you find | | | | but we writers want to be read. Not being read is |
| that you really haven't "left the gate" at all. You're | | | | like having ...uh... without ...uh...Ok, forget that |
| almost worse off now than if you had never | | | | analogy.To be read, will you give them what they |
| published in the first place. Other editors may shy | | | | want?But there's one other thing I forgot to |
| away from you because you are not writing | | | | mention. Does the public want to read what you |
| "salable" material.Before you raise a disdainful | | | | want to write about? If they don't, then you are |
| eyebrow at this scenario, let me assure you. This | | | | back to you where you were with the New York |
| has indeed happened to more than one writer.If | | | | editors...trying to sell somebody something they |
| only I had one"Hah!" you say. Or maybe it is "Ah | | | | don't want to read or aren't interested in.This is |
| hah!" That's the reaction of discovery. For | | | | the hardest thing we writers have to get through |
| scientists it's the word "Eureka!"You elicited this | | | | our heads. Just because the Muse strikes, she |
| reaction when you discover that real, published | | | | doesn't always strike with something somebody |
| authors all have literary agents, and that nobody | | | | else wants to read. Somehow, we have to "find |
| in New York seriously considers a book that is not | | | | the secret" of doing both: writing what we want |
| presented by one.You have also made the | | | | to write about, and slanting it in a way that will |
| depressing discovery that the creations you sent | | | | appeal to the public.We have to give them what |
| to publishers like Harper and Row weren't | | | | they want to read, or we won't be read. It's that |
| rejected by the top editors of Harper and Row, | | | | simple.Somewhere in the Swamp, the Revelation |
| but by an 18 year old high school graduate sitting | | | | Strikes (Good Thing It Wasn't a Hungry |
| in a small cubicle. Her desk is surrounded by | | | | Crocodile)By now the revelation should have |
| stacks of manuscripts mailed to her by hopeful | | | | struck. If you are going to write, bypass the |
| writers. The stacks nearly reach the ceiling.After | | | | middle man, and get your cherished work to the |
| finishing reading your manuscript, putting a canned | | | | public you are going to have to be able to do the |
| reject note in the SASE you provided, and tossing | | | | "whole thing" -- the whole shillelagh.You are going |
| it on top of the other stamped manila envelopes | | | | to have to be:- The Market Researcher. You will |
| overflowing an outgoing bin, she climbs up on a | | | | have to find out what the public wants to read. |
| stool to reach the next manuscript, located on | | | | - The Writer. You are already that, but you need |
| top of the nearest stack. Three months ago, | | | | to be a flexible writer. You are going to have to |
| yours was at the bottom of that stack.That's | | | | slant what you want to write so they will want to |
| why it took so long to get your reject slip.To get | | | | read it. |
| your manuscript past this girl and to one of the | | | | - The Editor. You're going to have to ruthlessly |
| top editors, you realize you need a literary agent. | | | | edit your own stuff to make it as clear and easy |
| So, after submitting your manuscript to several | | | | to read as possible with no typos and misspellings. |
| prominent New York agents you discover -They | | | | - Design and Layout. You are going to design |
| only take already published, famous authors. Ever | | | | your book to make it as attractive as possible. |
| read the novel Catch-22?Guess what? I've got | | | | - The Publisher. You will price the book and put it |
| bad news, which for you, probably isn't news at | | | | in a format that can be downloaded and read on |
| all...The Self Publishing Non-SolutionMaybe, just | | | | people's computers. |
| maybe, you can self publish. There are all kinds of | | | | - The Distributor. You will have to set up your |
| "Vanity Publishers" out there, and some do it on a | | | | site so that your customers can pay for it and |
| "print on demand" basis, receiving their orders | | | | download it. |
| over the web. Maybe you are foolish enough to | | | | - The Copywriter. You will have to write |
| have gone this route, in which case you now | | | | advertising copy that will sell your book. |
| have:1. A garage full of unsold books you must | | | | - Store owner. You have to set up your own |
| distribute yourself. | | | | bookstore where your readership will come to |
| 2. A "published" book just waiting to be printed | | | | buy it. You have to sell it to them and collect their |
| as soon as somebody requests it. | | | | money. |
| 3. Reviewers who won't take you seriously.While | | | | - Promotion. You will have to promote your book |
| option #2 is more desirable than option #1 (since | | | | so that people will want to find your store and |
| you didn't have to spend $10,000 for the first run | | | | buy it. |
| of 2000 copies) waiting for somebody to discover | | | | - Customer Service. You will have to handle |
| your book so they will request a printed copy isn't | | | | returns and customer complaints. |
| exactly your idea of "writing fulfillment".And, with | | | | - The CEO and CFO of your own business. You |
| option #3, there "ain't no hope" of getting your | | | | will have to take care of finances, taxes, and the |
| book recognized by magazine reviewers and | | | | law.That's not too hard, is it?Deeper Into the |
| getting publicity that way.Sadly, nobody takes a | | | | SwampBy now the will-o'-the-wisp has appeared. |
| self-published author seriously.The By-passable | | | | That's the apparition of big time profits resulting |
| Middle ManAnother "Ah hah" (or is it "Eureka"?)You | | | | from big time sales (the legendary 6 Figure |
| spend a few weeks in frustration, with or without | | | | Income).To follow the wisp, if we want to write |
| "writer's block", as you contemplate the madness | | | | and market our own books, we are going to |
| and unfairness of the publishing world, hereafter | | | | have to carefully place our feet on each of the |
| referred to as the "information marketing | | | | stones that lead to the goal. No missteps and no |
| world".We just renamed it ... because the "AH | | | | skipping.The ghost precedes us, keeping just out |
| HAH" reaction came when -You discovered you | | | | of reach, leading us deeper and deeper into the |
| could publish on the Internet!Dancing around your | | | | swamp, and we soon realize the task is a lot |
| computer with joy, you realize that the Internet | | | | bigger than we thought it was.And we also see |
| allows you to dump all New York editors and | | | | that we need a guide -- somebody to show how |
| agents. They no longer control your destiny. | | | | to build an entire business that will be a one |
| Whether or not your book sells and is read is now | | | | person show.The Teachers and the |
| ENTIRELY UP TO YOU.You can go directly to the | | | | ProductsThere are teachers out there who have |
| public.For copywriters ... people who write | | | | products designed to help you understand and |
| advertising copy ... it means you can "write copy | | | | accomplish each goal, but none of them put it all |
| without a client". You don't have to "cold call" 300 | | | | together. You might say, there's a specialist at |
| direct marketing advertising companies in the | | | | each stage, but none of them seem to be a |
| hope of finding somebody who will let you write | | | | guide that will take you from start to finish.(Note: |
| your copy "on speculation".This term means to | | | | There are mentors, and maybe you will want to |
| write it, send it to them, and hope they like it well | | | | connect with one of them. But for the most part |
| enough to buy it. And sometimes it results in the | | | | they are very expensive.)That's why I put up my |
| discovery that not only did they reject it ... they | | | | website, to identify each of the tasks you must |
| stole it.You can write salable copy and put it | | | | master to become an Informational Marketer and |
| directly in front of the public, who will then buy | | | | to serve as a map "through the swamp".For each |
| what you have to sell.Or can you?Still Stumbling | | | | of these tasks there is a book or a software |
| Through the Info Marketing SwampStill high on | | | | program designed to show you what to do or |
| elated euphoria, you try to learn as much as you | | | | provide you with the resources you need at that |
| can about putting up a website, only to find that | | | | stage.The goal, of course, is to have a monetizing |
| the web is a daunting, confusing place full of | | | | website where you actually sell your new book as |
| unexplained and esoteric terminology.You soon | | | | fast as you can ... and finally grasp the elusive goal |
| discover that as well as being a writer, you may | | | | of true publication.And the satisfaction that comes |
| have to become a programmer ... you are going | | | | with it.© John Young All Rights ReservedJohn |
| to have to learn something about the mysteries | | | | Young is a 62 year old writer with a programming |
| of "domains", "hosting", and "search engine | | | | and scientific background. He has an affiliate |
| optimization"... along with an alphabet soup of | | | | website designed to help Informational Marketers |
| technologies: cgi, php, html, asp, etc. and etc.After | | | | find the products and software they need to |
| managing to find your way through some of this, | | | | grow their business. |