Pick A Number -- A High Number

During the last week, I've seen two different large numbers touting the number of new books which were released in 2007. In my entry from a couple of days ago, I gave the links which said 300,000 books were published. Yes that is a large number but what if it was actually an additional 100,000 new books for a total of 400,000 books? According to the New York Times article, "400,000 books were published or distributed in the United States, up from 300,000 in 2006."

No matter how you count the books, that's a lot of books. Make sure you read this New York Times article to see some of the other statistics tucked into this article. Does this information make you depressed or only more determined to sell your book and make it different? I hope you fall into the latter camp and have the determination.

With millions of book ideas and proposals in circulation and the lowering financial bar for authors to enter the book market through Print-On-Demand companies, individuals are getting frustrated and jumping into the book market. Unfortunately many of those books are poorly-crafted and as a result sell poorly into the market. The authors have no clue how to promote or market their own books. Many of them don't even understand their responsibility or work to get the book into the marketplace or reach people.

This morning I received a press release from a publicist about a new book and that she had review copies available and the author was available for interviews. It looked interesting so I dug a bit deeper into this particular book. I went to the website and watched a short television video clip of the author and applauded his good work. Then I went to the particular page on Amazon.com where the book was sold and checked out the name of the publisher. Now many book buyers will never check the name of the publisher but I've spent many years in this business. I instantly recognized the name of the publisher and made a decision not to do anything additional with this book. I will not be ordering or or asking for a review copy or writing about it. Why?

I've tried books from this particular publisher in the past and the books were poor in the writing category. The publisher treats everyone equally. If you have desire and money, you can get them to publish your book. Don't get me wrong, holding that book in your hand may fulfill the dream of a lifetime and be satisfying. That's all that some people need from the book publishing world and there is a place for it. I just don't want to be involved in this aspect of publishing. Why?

I want to work with the authors and books which soar into the marketplace and touch people's lives. Yes, in that process of impact, they sell into the marketplace. To have this type of impact, it involves a lot of hard work on the front end of the publishing process. You have to craft a great book proposal or book manuscript. Then as an author, you have to be committed to consistent promotion of that book. There are many different avenues for promotion and it can be overwhelming but the key is to consistently work at it.

Here's a bit of an update on 90 Minutes In Heaven which I wrote about recently: The cover of this book proclaims over a million copies in print. An email in my box today from the writer Cecil Murphey said the book has sold about 3.3 million copies.

Don't be overwhelmed or depressed about the large number of books which are being printed. Instead, let this information drive you toward excellence in your writing and becoming a different type of author.

A Calculated Risk

Depending on the day that that you take a look, it's fairly easy to get discouraged about the book business. The overall statistics say people are reading less and buying less books yet more books are being published than ever before--especially with the advancing printing technologies.

The good news is that every publisher, editor and literary agent continues searching for the best possible projects. You can create one of these desirable products. As I've mentioned in other entries about The Writing Life, it is not easy to come up with the right idea at the right time and the right place.

Over the weekend, I read 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper with Cecil Murphey which has been around for several years but is still on the New York Times bestseller list. It's one of the books that Michael Hyatt listed when he read the Christian books on this list. If you don't know the story, a Baptist minister Don Piper was in a horrible car accident on January 18, 1989 where he was declared dead and it is documented that he died for 90 minutes. This personal story is much more than a glimpse about heaven but describes the journey through pain to recovery. Yesterday I wrote a short review for Amazon and joined over 400 others who have positively ranked this book. Just look at this little photo from yesterday's amazon page.

There are many people who want to publish their personal story and Don Piper's story is unusual. When writers read this type of book, they say to themselves, "My personal story needs to get published." And that story can get published if it is pitched to the right publisher at the right time and the right place and in the right manner. Notice all of the rights in that sentence? It's on purpose because many times writers don't put all of those elements together properly and wonder why they can't find a publisher. One of the interesting details that Piper slipped into the acknowledgements section should be called to a writer's attention. He wrote, "I wrote three different manuscripts about this experience to satisfy inquiring minds. None of them satisfied me. That's when I prevailed upon one of America's distinguished authors to partner with me to write a book that would answer the most compelling issues concerning my death and life." I have no idea if Piper had these three manuscripts in his computer or desk drawer or if he had sent them to various publishers and been rejected.

There is a story about 90 Minutes in Heaven that you will often not hear. This book was not an instant barn-burner bestseller. In fact, Revell, the publisher had modest expectations about this book and took a calculated risk to publish the book. How do I know? The book advance is one way publishers reveal some of their expectations for a book's performance. Unless there are other circumstances such as an author's platform and visibility, the publisher will base their advance so the book will earn out these funds within the first 12-16 months that the book is in print. Cec Murphey is a long-time friend of mine. While Cec didn't tell me this information, I've heard that 90 Minutes in Heaven received a modest advance of about $12,000. Those funds earned back a long time ago as the book cover announces, "More Than 1 Million Copies Sold." If you travel, you will find this book everywhere. I've especially noticed it in the airport bookstores.

Here's the other key which many writers miss: Don is a tireless promoter of his books and his work. Many authors don't want to do media or speak yet Piper is constantly on the road. Just look at his speaking schedule and consider this information is only for a few months at a time.

I want to conclude this entry with some encouragement to the writer. When I was in New York City, I met with a new editor-in-chief of a publisher who had been in her position about five weeks. I asked her specifics about which type of books she wanted to publish and explored different types of books. Earlier that day I had been in the offices of Simon and Schuster and was carrying a copy of Mistaken Identity. As I pulled out my copy of the book, she instantly said, "That's what I'm looking for. Bring me one of these types of manuscripts." This book is another unusual story but the reason for her enthusiasm is that she knew the book would sell and earn money for the publisher. Too often writers are focused on the story and not the business of publishing in their pitches. There is a place to focus on the story--and it's important. Yet you have to appeal to the business side of the equation if you want to work with a traditional publisher.