Book writing advice needed please !

[astley7]

Hi All

In need of a little extra help. I anm currently nearly the end of my writing my book on Merthyr Tydfil, on Crime and terrible murders and accident in 1830/1840 any ideas how to progress with publishing I have been to the local library who are all for publishing but, in need of some good advice or information i could approach to get some good advice.

Thank you

[Emjaybee]

http://sites.google.com/site/logastonpress/

These people should be able to help.

Mike

[Charlesworth]

Publishing is difficult because it is hard to find publishers who will do it for you.  The Writers and Artists Yearbook (should be available through your library) will give you advice on finding a publisher or if you decide to go down the route of self-publishing.

Because your book is of interest to a specific area, it is probably going to be hard to find a publisher because your market is going to be so small - unless you can find a publisher that carries small, local interest books.  So you are probably looking at self-publishing.  There are two routes to self-publishing.  One is that you order a load of books from a company that will print it for you, so you take delivery of hundreds of copies of your book and then try to sell them, or you use a print on demand company.

You could use a company like AuthorsOnline (www.authorsonline.co.uk) which runs a print on demand service. Print on demand means you - or your local bookshop, if they want your book - can order small amounts, so that way you don't end up with a load of surplus books stuffed in the attic! They will also list it on the usual book lists so that it appears on online sellers such as Amazon.

But be warned, publishing is not easy. I actually used AuthorsOnline for my own book in 2007 and my book does sell regularly on Amazon. However, every month I see the sales figures for other books that have been self-published and very few do actually sell.  Interestingly, it is the ones that are of peculiar interest that sell better than, say, general fiction.  So because yours is a specialist interest it might do better.  But it would be up to you to work at your publicity, so try to get a book-signing with a local shop, a reading at your local library etc.

Hope that helps!  Good luck!

Louise

[Billyblue]

Hi All

In need of a little extra help. I anm currently nearly the end of my writing my book on Merthyr Tydfil, on Crime and terrible murders and accident in 1830/1840 any ideas how to progress with publishing I have been to the local library who are all for publishing but, in need of some good advice or information i could approach to get some good advice.
Thank you

And I hope you haven't forgotten to include an index, Astley??
This is almost essential in a factual book.

Dawn M

[astley7]

Thank you all, much appreciated  for your wise words

best wishes

[cuthie]

During the late 90s I worked with someone who wrote a book - a thriller, set locally as well as in the Far East.   I don't mean to put you off, but she had quite a job finding a reputable publisher, eventually getting her book printed in America.

We worked in a big place and most people had said they'd buy a book once she had received a delivery.  The books duly arrived and she spent a very happy lunch hour selling most of them.  I don't know if she covered her initial financial outlay, including having a professional photograph taken which she said was very pricey.

She moved to another area and I don't know if she has written other books and had them published.  I google her name occasionally, but nothing comes up.   I think she considered it a tremendous achievement and that may have been enough for her.
Cuthie

[Charlesworth]

I don't know if she covered her initial financial outlay, including having a professional photograph taken which she said was very pricey.

Cuthie

Yes that is a very real problem, and that is why if you choose to self-publish you might look at print on demand because then you only pay for what you order.  I worked in publishing before I self-published my book and knew it was a risk - even if you manage to find a publisher who will take your book on, whether it gets onto shelves is a matter for the distributors. Print on demand worked well for me, and I am happy with how my book has sold so far (and I'm only talking roughly 2,500 which an established publisher would not be happy with).  But there are lots of people who do not even sell one copy in a whole year.  However, these are general fiction books, and are just one in millions.  If your book has a niche market it may sell, but it is highly unlikely that it will sell large numbers. One self-published book that did well, and even got a mention on the BBC was To Be Or Not To Be, Innit by Martin Baum.

That's why if I were you I would look at what you can do locally, perhaps even with the local tourist office(?)