My Story

Let me tell you a little story about publishing. My first book, The Gratitude Connection, was just about complete. I entrusted a publisher with everything needed to bring my book to life; the editing, the cover design, and the layout. I thought all these things would be taken care of professionally. But I also expected to have some say about my book. 

I thought the relationship was going to include a collaborative, creative process, but it didn’t. 

My cover ideas were not incorporated. The layout was unappealing, and the editing was inconsistent. 

When the first version of my book was published, it wasn’t what I wanted or expected. The disappointment was paralyzing. When you are going to promote your new book to the world, you’ve got to be super excited about it. I didn’t feel that way about my book. In fact, I didn’t want anyone to see it because it did not represent my message in a professional way. 

The problem was that I had bought into some of the myths about publishing. There’s a romantic notion that as an author, all you have to do is write the book. Then you hand it over and your publisher will magically do the rest to breathe life into your dream. 

The following are some of those myths that still persist, even now that the publishing landscape has evolved so much.

The Myths

Myth #1 – Only Traditional Publishing Gives You Credibility and Status 

While in some circles, traditional publishing may impress, they are the exception. Most readers are unconcerned about where your book was published.

Benefits of self-publishing:

• Becoming an author is what gives you credibility and status as an expert in your field. 
• Create the same world-class quality as a traditional publisher with a Hybrid Publisher professional publishing service. 
• Remember that your credibility comes from you and your story.

Myth # 2 – Traditional Publishers Do the Marketing for You

If your name is Stephen King or Brene Brown, this one is true. For the rest of us, not a chance. Large publishing companies know they will make tremendous sales with famous authors, so they will spend money on marketing and book tours.

Retaining control:

• As an author, start building your following prior to writing your book. There are many platforms to share your ideas publicly and begin to attract reader attention.
• It’s never too early to begin marketing your book, even if it is not yet complete.
• The connections you make now will help you get the word out about your message and your upcoming publications.

Myth# 3 –  Authors Self-Publish Because They Can’t Get a Traditional Publishing Deal

Many authors who have published traditionally go on to self publish under their own company names with a hybrid publisher.

More choice makes more sense:

• Shouldn’t your following be making money for you rather than the publishing company?
• Authors make 100% of their royalties self publishing versus 8-15% with traditional publishers. 
• Self publishing is often faster, which means your book goes to market sooner.

Myth # 4 – Hybrid Publishing is the Same as Vanity Presses

Vanity publishers focus more on making money (mostly from the authors themselves) than publishing quality work.  They do not select the books they publish so often their standards are lower. Upfront fees and poor editing are common. Good hybrid publishers, on the other hand, are usually focused on the quality of the book and on the author.

Benefits of hybrid publishing:

• Hybrid publishers provide professional publishing services to authors on a one-on-one basis to create world-class books. 
• Hybrid publishers provide much of the infrastructure, including professional editing, cover designers, layout, etc. This will make your life easier and your book more professional.
• A good publisher may have suggestions or connections for marketing and promotion.

Myth #5 – You Need to Print Thousands of Books

The days of keeping 1000 books in your basement or garage are over. Fortunately, we now have the miracle of print-on-demand books. Platforms such as Amazon and Ingram Spark can print books on demand. This allows you to keep costs down while you promote your book.

My Happy Ending

Fortunately, I had retained the rights to the content of my book, so I was able to create a new version. I gathered my own talented team to create the book that I had originally dreamed of. And it came out even better than I had imagined. I am thrilled with it and happy to show it off. I love the energy of the cover, the layout, and the editing. The way it was produced now exudes the energy that I wanted to create for my readers.

Going through that painful experience was actually good for me, because it made me passionate about the experience that I want other authors to have when they publish their books. I want them to be so happy with their books when they open their first box that they burst into tears like I did. I want them to be proud to tell people about their “baby” and say, “This is the beautiful book that I wrote – for you. I want you to experience it, and gain the transformation that is possible for you.” I wish for every new author the beautiful experience of having the book that they dream of.