These days there are many different ways to publish your book. How do you decide the best publishing path for you? Examine the three phases of your journey, and determine which publisher offers you the best value for the most important phase. How do you determine the most important phase for you? Typically it is the one the you are involved with for the longest period of time.

The Beginning

The beginning phase starts before you publish. Perhaps you are still writing, or perhaps you have finished your book and now you are comparing publishers. You will be in this phase the second longest period of time (since writing a book takes a while). Since this is the phase most authors are in when they choose a publisher, they mistakenly think this is the most important phase. They make decisions based upon instant gratification, without an eye toward the longest phase, which is after the book is published.

Concepts and elements to consider during this phase include the start-up publishing costs for your book. Old-fashioned publishing is very appealing in this phase because the start-up cost is zero. There is often an inverse relationship between the start-up cost and the on-going costs after the book is published. Some publishers make a finite amount of money during phase one, and therefore leave the majority of the money to the author in phase three. Others are exactly the opposite, taking no money up-front but taking the majority of the money during the longest phase. The path you choose should depend upon whether the finite amount of money you are saving now is worth the infinite amount of money you could be losing later.

The Middle

The middle phase is when the publishing process is underway. This is after you have chosen a publisher and are now proceeding with the process. Most authors will be in this phase the shortest period of time. Some publishing paths take two months. Others take two years. Since this phase involves the most participation from the author, it is easy to get frustrated by the process. Even after the effort it took writing a book, some authors reach this phase (which is relatively short in comparison) and change their minds. Do not make the same mistake. Get through to the finish line of book publication. If your old-fashioned publisher is requiring edits and rewrites, accommodate those requests. If your on-demand publisher needs you to write the synopsis for the back of the book jacket, put some thought into it and spell-check your work. This is the shortest phase, but for many, also the hardest, because it still involves effort.

The End

Somewhat of a misnomer, "the end" is not really the end at all, but rather a new beginning as a published author. Now that your book is published, this phase involves the marketing and promotion efforts that will help make the book a success. It is a widely held misconception that publishers promote all the books they publish. They don't. The author will need to be involved in this phase if the book is meant to succeed.

Concepts to consider during this phase are your printing costs and royalty amounts. It's not worth a low fee in Phase I if your costs in Phase III are three times as high. "Costs" do not always have to be out of pocket. If you are earning 20% royalties and you could be earning 40%, that is a "cost" to you of 100%. If your per-copy print cost is $10.50 each and it could be $5.25 each, that is a "cost" to you of 100%.

Regardless of what phase you are in, recognize that Phase III is where you will be for the longest period of time, and is therefore the phase that should offer the best services and be the most profitable for you. The best services and support can mean many things. For example, make sure after your book is published that it is distributed through Ingram. Make sure it is available from Amazon. Make sure you have opportunities to participate in book fairs, magazine advertisements, and annual contests.

Stay tuned for the next issue when we discuss:

• The Frankfurt Book Fair follow-up
• ForeWord magazine co-op advertising opportunities
• Enlightenment magazine co-op advertising opportunities
• 2 years of Marketing COACH assistance for Diamond, Ruby, and Pearls
• Submitting your book to the Benjamin Franklin Awards
• Submitting your book to the ForeWord Book of the Year awards

Is today the day to continue your publishing journey? Move from phase I to phase II with the assistance of your Outskirts Press author representative. Assign your personal representative today to help you throughout your publishing journey by signing into your free author's center account at http://outskirtspress.com/authors.php and clicking the "Start Publishing" button.