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- What is an ISBN? Do I need one?
An ISBN is like your book's Social Security Number. It is a 10 and/or 13 digit code (ISBN-10 / ISBN-13) that is assigned by a company named RR Bowker. ISBN's are used to create the bar code for a book. It is usually the way distributor's track books. ISBN's exist for the purpose of tracking every book back to its publisher. This makes it easier for bookstores to find books for customers, etc. In the Internet age, ISBN Is the key to everything.
- What is a LCCN? Do I need one?
The LCCN is an acronym for Library of Congress catalog number. And yes, you need one if you want any form of commercial publishing success. If you do not have a LCCN you can request one from the Library of Congress. It takes between 6 weeks and 6 months to receive back and at the time of this publishing cost $45. Since it does cost money, don't send in your first draft, send in an edited version of your book. Your book under copyright protection from the moment it was in any tangible form of expression.
- What is Kindle?
A Kindle is Amazon's version of an e-book reader which reads only Kindle content published through Amazon.com Kindle methodology.
- Should I ever e-publish?
This is a loaded question and the answer is, "It depends on the project." However, many great places help you with e-publishing. Amazon's Kindle program is very lucrative if you have a traditional book. Clickbank.com is fantastic for any digital product (e.g. e-book, audio file, pictures, video). These offer the artist many options to enhance traditional publishing means or just make Passive Income through selling digital products.
- What are creative rights?
These are intellectual property and they belong to the artist or author who created a work. Creative rights can be claimed from the moment the property is in a 'tangible form of expression'. These creative rights are what you sell when you sign a contract with a publisher. They are legal property (intellectual property) and can be willed to descendants. They can only be transferred to another person if there is a contract in writing.
- Why was my manuscript rejected?
Don't hinge your self-esteem on the rejection letters that will surely come. Every one is a step forward to the one who will publish your book.
The only way to get rid of the rejection letters is to take your destiny into your own hands and decide to publish the book at your expense. It is a bold move, but many self-published books get picked up later, once its market has been proven.
Don't ask why!
Writers, of course, want to know why their book 'doesn't fit' with the publishing house, especially if they have done their homework and gone to great lengths to find a publishing house where their work 'should fit.'
But editors, when they reject, have been trained not to say the reason. Editors do not want to engage in a discussion about the reason that the book has been rejected, because the author will either argue their point (which doesn't win you points) or offer to 'fix it.' Neither of which the editor is interested in. If the editor thought your book could be 'fixed' to fit their criteria, it wouldn't have been rejected.
- What is "Work For Hire?" and why do I need to know?
Creative rights belong to the artist, even if that artist is employed by someone else - UNLESS there is a work-for-hire arrangement between the two parties. Cover graphics, internal book design, illustrations and websites are considered works of art and as such are owned by their creators unless there is a work-for-hire arrangement in place.
- My cover designer just claimed he still owned the rights to my book's cover art, but I already paid him... Now what?
Even if you paid the artist for the work, the artist may still own the rights is you did not transfer those creative rights to you IN WRITING at the time of payment or before. The artist owns the rights to their creative work and creative rights CAN NOT be transferred verbally. You need a "Work For Hire" agreement in place for the rights to legally go to the author.
If you are having troubles in this regard, contact an Intellectual Property attorney.
- Commercial Publishing:
This is the style of publishing where a publisher buys the rights to a book, usually offers the author an advance and royalties. The publisher produces the property and sells it through its own distribution channels. The author will have contractual obligations for marketing the book and making personal appearances to help sell the book.
- What is a Style Book and why do I need one?
A style book like "Elements of Style" is a reference book that authors should use to help them with any grammatical questions they have when in the process of writing. Look up things like when punctuation goes inside parentheses, when to use an m-dash over a comma and the proper use of semi-colon.
- Should I use Writer's Market?:
An industry standard book that lists all the publishers in North America is the Writer's Market. This lists 10,000+ publishers, their contact information, their editors' names, whether they are an imprint of another publisher, how many books they publish each year, how long of a process it is once a book is accepted for publication to the point where it is released, what genre's they publish and what they want as far as query or submitted manuscript.
- What is a signature?
This is a term used in printing referring to the size of a piece of paper. If you are printing a book that ends up being 8.5" x 5.5" - then you can get two pages to a signature the size of 8.5" x 11, four pages to a signature of 11" x 17", etc.
Advice for the self-publisher: Using standard trade paper back size pages is the most cost effective decision you can make when planning your printed version of your book.
- What is the Slush pile / Transium:
These are unsolicited manuscripts that are sent to publishers by the millions every year. The are usually sent back unread, with a letter of rejection, stating that it 'doesn't fit their requirements.'
- Defined "Unsolicited Manuscript":
When choosing publishers to submit your work to, don't bother to send them your manuscript if they are listed and clearly state: "Does not accept unsolicited manuscripts." This means that they will return unread any manuscript or portion thereof sent to them.
- What is the most common misconception about submitting manuscripts to publishers?
Most people are taught that this means these publishers will only work with literary agents who submit the manuscripts for you, however, if you just write the publisher a query letter and they respond back to you that they want to see your submission, you have just gotten around the 'unsolicited manuscript' problem.
- Define Simultaneous Submission:
A term used by publishers stating that they accept the fact that you are submitting your book project to multiple publishers at one time. Be sure and state in your query letter if you are simultaneously submitting manuscripts.
- Do I have to follow the publisher's submission guidelines?
Every publisher will have submission guidelines, they are there for you to follow, not rules for you to break. Very few publishers will take the time to listen to the author who is trying to 'do it their way' instead of following the business guidelines the publisher has set for their business. Think of it like a test. The more you follow their directions, the higher you score in their favor.
Each publisher has their own set of submission guidelines and they are a test to see if you can follow directions. If you deviate from their guidelines, your book will probably be summarily discharged without anyone ever looking at the content.
You may feel that you and your book are special enough to break their rules, but they receive so many books, they do not even look at the content unless their guidelines have been met. Letters pleading with them to 'just look' or 'just give it a chance' will be ignored.
Slush piles have grown over the last few years, with the advent of computers and mail merge software. Simultaneous submissions are allowed by most publishers. However, because it is so easy to send out multiple submissions, everyone is doing it and publisher's slush piles have grown by the same incredible factor.
If your submission is formatted correctly on a 8 x 11 page, double spaced with the appropriate margins, you have approximately the first 16 lines of your manuscript showing on the first page. Most people going through slush piles will only read that far. Make it great!
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