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New Self-Publisher’s FAQ
Miscellaneous Questions
May I use quotes or song
lyrics?
What is "Fair Use"?
May I trademark-protect my book title?
What should I have on my business card?
Should I get Publisher's Liability Insurance?
Should I join SPAN or PMA?
•What is SPAN?
•What is PMA?
Does anyone ever succeed at Self-Publishing?
Are there any Publisher’s Associations I can join?
Are there any Writer’s Associations I can join?
What trade shows can I get into?
What books should I have on my shelf—at
easy reach?
Helpful Websites
Blogs of interest to authors and publishers
May I use quotes or song lyrics?
Always get permission when using the direct words of someone else, whether it be song lyrics or a quote from a book. This material is copyrighted. There is no Fair Use in a commercial enterprise. You'll need to contact the publisher of those words. This process can take over a year (I know, I've had some interesting experiences), but some publishers are very quick in their responses. There have been some lawsuits where the person holding the copyright won against a publisher for using just three words as a quote. But if they are that recognizable, they are covered by copyright law.
You may use quotes and song lyrics that are in the Public Domain--that is, works that were published before 1915. Current copyright protection is the life of the author plus 75 years.
For example:
While pithy, this is not in public domain and might be actionable if someone wanted to make an issue of it.
It is all right to paraphrase someone else's ideas (ideas are not copyright-able), as in: "Colette's assertion that an author must be as much an editor as an author ignores the role of an exterior editor." You might want to include that book in your bibliography.
Fair Use is the notion that you may use a limited amount of copyrighted material in a non-commercial venue (ie: an academic paper or review). The right to use copyrighted material is not granted when the person using it is, say, publishing a book. For instance, you may not quote Oprah without getting permission from Harpo Enterprises. She owns her words. You can't re-publish the lyrics to a Jimmy Buffet song--in whole or in part--without permission from his music publishing company.
Read the Copyright office's own
memo on Fair Use.
Repeat: There is no Fair Use for
publishers.
For more about Fair Use please see
Lloyd Rich's
or Ivan
Hoffman’s webpage [see note] for an explanation.
See this website for straight facts about
copyright myths.
May I trademark-protect my book title?
Unfortunately not. Titles are not subject to Trademarks. However, certain aspects may be--as in the "for Dummies" line. Check with the U.S. Trademark Office for full clarification.
Make sure you search for your possible book title over the Internet, in Amazon and going through open databases like Border's in-store title search program. Even if you do this, there are no guarantees that someone won't come out on the market with a title exactly like yours. It's up to you to create a marketing plan to make people want your book and no other.
Yes. It’s very hard to look professional without one. Letterheads and business cards (see below) help give your business the look of legitimacy.
You can go to your local printer, give them a disk with your logo file on it, pick out lettering that pleases you and have a few hundred sheets printed. It will look very nice. It’s also not inexpensive.
It’s perfectly acceptable to create your letterhead in Word or WordPerfect and print them as you need them on nice bond paper.
Put your logo, your company name, address, phone and fax number, e-mail address and the URL of your website at the top. Make sure to pick a font that is easy to read.
What should I have on my business card?
Your logo, your company name, address, phone and fax number, e-mail address and the URL of your website.
Do not print this out from your computer onto those nasty forms you can buy at the office supply store. That’s like wearing plaid Bermuda shorts to a business meeting (unless you’re in Bermuda—but even then, plaid won’t do). A business card is an impression you leave with people long after you’ve left their presence. People keep cards. You want them to think well of you.
I used to sell business cards, so this is something I know a bit about. Have them printed on nice stock. I like "Classic Laid," but take the time to look at samples. Feel the paper. Oddly, texture is very important (in the Japanese culture, the texture of a business card is paramount). Pick what you like best. If money is tight, order 500 for an initial run. However, just as with books, the more you order, the lower your cost per unit.
Do I need Publisher's Liability Insurance?
Sometimes. If you are publishing a cookbook (you might accidentally publish a harmful ingredient, as Gourmet Magazine once did) or a book mentioning someone or something that might cause enough offense for someone to sue you, then yes, you need it. You also need to consult an attorney. Check out this website.
You might want to look over intellectual property lawyer Ivan Hoffman’s website [see note] to read more about the necessity of publisher’s liability insurance.
Should I join SPAN or PMA?
Yes. If you can afford to, join both.
Small Publishers Association of North America (SPAN) is an organization that provides many membership benefits and some educational opportunities. It’s focus is on self-publishers and small presses. We always recommend this association for people who are totally new to publishing.
Publisher’s Marketing Association (PMA) has many membership benefits and offers a yearly "Publishing University" at BEA (Books Exposition America—the huge book trade show). The focus for this group is the small press.
Does anyone
ever succeed at Self-Publishing?
For a bit of a boost, discover the kind of company a
self-publisher keeps—from Ben Franklin to Christopher Paolini. Go to
John
Kremer's website.
Are there any Publisher’s Associations I can join?
Loads! Check out this website!
Are there any Writer’s Associations I can join?
Look at the bottom of this
webpage.
Canadian website.
Are there any book festivals I can go to and sell my book?
Leave it to the Library of Congress for the definitive list of book festivals.
Are there any trade shows I can go and show my books to bookstores?
These are the associations that I know of that have
trade shows:
Northern California Independent Booksellers
Association
Mountains and Plains
Booksellers Association
Pacific Northwest Booksellers
Midwest Booksellers Association
Southeast Booksellers
Association
New Atlantic Booksellers Association
(mid-Atlantic)
New England Booksellers
Association
What books should I have on my
shelf—at easy reach?
(Books mentioned on other pages)
Publishing Books (At least one of the following)
• The
Self Publishing Manual by Dan Poynter (Considered by many the
bible of self-publishing)
• The
Complete Guide to Self-Publishing by Tom and Marilyn Ross
• Make
Money Self-Publishing by Suzanne Thomas
• No
More Rejections. Get Published Today! By Penny Sanseveiri
• The
Publishing Game: Get Published in 30 Days by Fern Reiss
and The
Publishing Game: Bestseller in 30 Days
• Unlocking
the Secrets of Publishing by Sylvia Hemmerly
•
Start Your Own Self-Publishing Business (Entrepreneur Magazine's Start
Up) by Entrepreneur Press
Children's Books
•The
Business of Writing for Children: An Award-Winning Author's Tips on
Writing and Publishing Children's Books, or How to Write, Publish, and
Promote a Book for Kids by Aaron Shepard
•How
to Write a Children's Book and Get It Published by Barbara
Seuling
•A
Basic Guide to Writing, Selling, and Promoting Children's Books : Plus
Information about Self-publishing by Betsy B. Lee
•
Children's Book Covers : Great Book Jacket And Cover Design by Ian Powers
•How
to Write & Illustrate Children’s Books and Get Them Published by
Felicity Trotman (Editor), Treld Pelkey Bicknell [British-market]
Book Design (At least one of
the following)
• On
Book Design by Richard Hendel.
•
Book Design and Production: A Guide by Authors and Publishers by
Pete Masterson (Aeonix Press)
• The Complete Manual of Typography by James Felici
• Type
& Layout: How typography and design can get your message across - or
get in the way by Colin Wheildon
•Editing
Fact and Fiction : A Concise Guide to Book Editing by Leslie T.
Sharpe, Irene Gunther
•The
Chicago Manual of Style: The Essential Guide for Writers, Editors, and
Publishers (14th Edition)
•The
Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst
•
By Its Cover: Modern American Book Cover Design
by Ned Drew, Paul
Sternberger
•
Front Cover : Great Book Jacket and Cover Design by Ian Powers
•
Children's Book Covers : Great Book Jacket And Cover Design by Ian Powers
The Business Side of Publishing (At least one of the
following)
• Business
and Legal Forms for Authors and Self-Publishers by Tad Crawford
•The
Copyright Handbook: How to Protect & Use Written Words
•The
Copyright Permission and Libel Handbook : A Step-by-Step Guide for
Writers, Editors, and Publishers (Wiley Books for Writers Series)
by Lloyd J. Jassin, Steve C. Schecter
•Getting
Permission: How to License and Clear Copyrighted Materials Online and
Off by Richard Stim
• How
To Start And Run A Small Book Publishing Company: A Small Business Guide
To Self-Publishing And Independent Publishing by Peter I. Hupalo
• Incorporating
Your Business for Dummies
• Kirsch's
Guide to the Book Contract: For Authors, Publishers, Editors and Agents
•
Literary Law Guide for Authors: Copyrights, Trademarks and Contracts in
Plain Language by Tonya Marie Evans, Susan Borden Evans
• Publishing
for Profit: Successful Bottom-Line Management for Book Publishers
by Thomas Woll
Marketing
• 1001
Ways to Market Your Book by John Kremer
• Grassroots
Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World by Shel Horowitz
• Guerrilla
Publicity: Hundreds of Sure-Fire Tactics to Get Maximum Sales for
Minimum Dollars by Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman, Jill Lublin
•
Jump
Start Your Book Sales: A Money-Making Guide for Authors, Independent
Publishers and Small Presses by Marilyn Ross, Tom Ross
•
How To Publish and Promote Online by M. J. Rose, Angela
Adair-Hoy
•
Complete Guide to Internet Publicity: Creating and Launching Successful
Online Campaigns by Steve O'Keefe
Useful--but not required--books In no particular order:
200X
Writer's Market
(ALWAYS have the most up to date one)
Bartlett's
Familiar Quotations
The
Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation by Jane Straus
The
Elements of Style, Fourth Edition by William Strunk and E.B. White
The
New York Public Library Desk Reference (4th Edition)
The
Oxford English Dictionary Indispensable for writers of history
fact or fiction (tells dates when usage first began)
Language dictionaries (not those little tiny ones. Get these at
library sales. You never know when you'll need to look up, or use, a
foreign word)
Best
Baby Name Book in the Whole World (useful for fiction writers)
Because Spell-check and on-line thesauri aren’t good enough:
Roget's
Thesaurus
Webster's
Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged
(or whatever good dictionary you favor)
Helpful
Websites
(Websites mentioned on other pages)
General
For loads of great info and some great e-books helpful
to new publishers, visit
Dan Poynter's Website
Aeonix Publishing Group's
website
has a terrific list of printers for text.
color and POD.
For review sources, helpful advice and more helpful
advice, go to the Midwest
Book Review
For publishing resources, ideas and help in the accounting area of
the business, go to Gropen
Associates webpage
Fern Reiss'
Website has many helpful articles you'll want to read!
For definitions concerning publishing and printing Rainwater
Press
For loads of great
advice, go to the
Toolshed in the Cat's Backyard
To find out about Publisher's Liability, go to this website
Go to this
site to find a book
club that best matches your book.
Find a list of Publishing
Associations at this
website
For a list of Writer's Associations,
look at the bottom of this
webpage
For a list of Writer's
Associations in Canada, go to this website
Find out about SPAN
and what it can do for you.
Find out about PMA and what
it can do for you
For a lengthy list of self-publishing
successes, go to John
Kremer's website
The Library
of Congress has a list of book
festivals.
Registrations of all sorts
To set up a corporation or LLC, go to The
Company Corporation
To get an ISBN go to the
R.R.
Bowker website
Go to the Bowker Company’s
website to register your title with Books
in Print
You can get a SAN at the R.R.
Bowker site.
To register your copyright,
go to the Library of Congress Copyright
Page
To get a LCCN (Library of Congress Catalog Number)
and/or PCN (Preassigned Control Number), go to this Library
of Congress website
To get a CIP (Cataloging in
Publication) number, go to this Library
of Congress website
You can get BISAC codes at the
BISG
website
To get an EAN/Bookland
barcode go to this website
To get a UPC
bar code
go to the website at the Uniform
Code Council
Indexing
For more
information about indexes and their importance see the American Society
of Indexer’s website
Also see John
Culleton's/ Wexford Press' excellent webpage.
Typesetting
If you insist on doing your typesetting in Word,
please look at this Word
typesetting tutorial
If you are interested in using TeX for typesetting you should view the TeX
User's Group Website
Go to this website to get Adobe Acrobat
PDF
Go to this
website for a wonderful tutorial on how to set up PDF files
Wholesalers
To start up with Baker
& Taylor go to this
website and click on the pdf for "Establish a
Relationship"
To register a new title with Baker
& Taylor, go to this
webpage
You can read Ingram's acceptance
policies on this
webpage
Marketing
For book marketing help, try John
Kremer's site
Find frugal and ethical marketing at Shel Horowitz's Frugal
Marketing site
Press Releases
You can get some great articles about press releases and
the timing thereof
here
Two outlets through which to "broadcast" your press release
Direct Contact PR
PRWeb
Some services will post your press release for free:
Cadenas Marketing
Click2newsites
ClickPress
Common Dreams
Progressive Newswire
Dime-Co
E-Boom
Websolutions
eWorldWire / PR Free
Expressseek
Free Press Release
I-NewsWire
PR.com
Press Arrivenet
PressBase
Pressmethod
PRleap
PRWeb
Web NewsWire
Webwire
United Kingdon:
Pressbox
Legal
For great articles about the legal side of publishing go to
Ivan
Hoffman’s website [see note]
See also Lloyd Rich's site
for articles of legal interest.
See this website for straight facts about
copyright myths.
Funding
You may be able to get some start-up capital from the
SBA (Small
Business Administration)
Check
out C. Hope Clark's
Funds For
Writers website and discover if you are eligible
for a grant
See Ivan
Hoffman’s website for venture capital sources.
Printing
Aeonix Publishing Group's
website
has a terrific list of printers for text.
color and POD.
Aeonix Press has an RFQ template on
this webpage
For a very thorough explanation and comparison chart of paper weights, check out
this
website.
On-line Stores
You can sign up to become a
Vendor
of Record with Barnes&Noble.com.
Join the Barnes&Noble.com
affiliate
program
You can join
Amazon
Advantage here
List your books on Amazon's
Marketplace
Sign up for Amazon's
Search
Inside the Book program
To add reviews, comments, author bio and an overview of the
book to your Amazon page, go here.
Become an Amazon
Associate
Become a
Powell's
Associate
Blogs of Interest to Authors and Publishers
Ampers & Virgule
Book Expo
America report by JCSimonds
Buzz, Balls and
Hype
GalleyCat
Marion
Gropen's Journal
A
Saturday Rant
Publisher's P&L (no wait! It's funny!)
The
Publishing Contrarian
Seth Grodin's "How to get traffic for your blog"
Wands &
Worlds
A Word A Day:
get a new word to use and contemplate in your e-mail every day.
Quote from Famous People (or a joke) at
Brainy
Quote
Bartlett's, Columbia (and many other source guides)
Quotations.
Reference Desk (all in one
site)
Grammar Questions
Find out if the latest virus alert is a hoax or those e-mail tales are
myth at Snopes
Want to find out if a celebrity is 6' under or still wandering
around? Go to The Dead People Server
Need to contact the
Nation’s
top newspapers?
You can find the names of agents and publicists for
celebrities at
Who Represents
website
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Index
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