A Publisher's Conversation with Authors: Do I Need a Book Shepherd?
(photo by Frank Perez) It is Tuesday. Time to tall turkey. 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 topic is about book shepherds. Do you need one? What can you expect from one? What should you not expect from one? How should you go about finding one? So, let's take each question separately. Do you need a book shepherd? Have you self-published successfully before (good sales, awards, recognition)? Yes. You probably do not need a book shepherd.. No. Consider hiring a book shepherd.. Is this your first book? Yes. If you have a mentor or a strong editor to guide you, you may not need a book shepherd, at least for the writing part. No. Consider hiring a book shepherd who can provide s