A Publisher's Conversation with Authors: Confidence and Trust - Importance and Source
It is Tuesday. Monday's madness is over, and Wednesday will take us over the hump, so Tuesday it is--for some serious discussion with authors. Tuesday talks mean to address authors in waiting and self-published authors who would like to go a more traditional route or who would at least like to take their steps with a publisher by their side.
Today's post is a case that is just the opposite of the author described last week, but with a similar result. Justifying a contract could not be in the cards because the author so deeply distrusted the process and, one would assume by extension, the people involved.
The rhetoric
The author's words were so fearful that they were almost painful to read. "I am taking a leap of faith here," he wrote, " in trusting you with my book. Yes, that's true. However, if he had done due diligence in researching the history of the publisher, looking at books published the publisher, checking out "thumbs down" lists of untrustworthy publishers -- or just read some of our blog posts, he would have realized that we have had 20+ years of successful business and happy authors.
Checking with other authors
The nervousness grew as the conversation continued. At one point, he commented that he would be going into the publishing process with us blind. Well, no, if he had checked Writers' Market or similar venues, he would have found that we are legitimate. He could, as well, have checked with authors of our books. Since he had not been proactive in this way, I suggested that he do this -- and offered to link him to some of our authors, for which he was grateful.
Getting past apprehension
His communications so evinced a paralyzing apprehension of the publishing process. No matter where the conversation went, it always came back to a nearly-pants-wetting fear that something bad or wrong or uncontrollable was going to happen. In great part, this was because he had no platform and no experience. All he had was a book, and that is all that he thought he needed. My ultimate advice to him was to start over. Build the platform that he would need. Keep the manuscript current. Go through process from start to finish, not from finish to start. Learn about the publishing process along the way. Then, he would be ready to approach a published confidently, prepared to extend his hand in the mutual trust needed for publication to work.
Bottom line: Do first things first, including self-education. Fear comes from lack of knowledge and experience; gaining both prepares you for a successful publisher encounter.
See more Publisher Conversations with authors HERE.
Learn more about publishing from an acquisitions editor -- how to get your book proposal accepted, why proposals are turned down/accepted, and how to find the right publisher for your book. On special sale for $5 while inventory lasts at MSI Press webstore.
The Tuesday talks reflect real discussions between the management of MSI Press LLC and our own authors or those would-be authors who come through our doors but don't make the cut--yet. If you have a topic that you would like addressed, leave the question in the comment section. Chances are, in our 18 years of publishing first-time and experiences authors, we have had a conversation with one of our authors that we can share with you.
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