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You will be happy to learn my Book has been accepted by a Publisher. Details to be worked out and I understand it will cost some money. Don't know how much yet as they are going to call me sometime later. Later.

Hey Ray,

Congrats, but just be careful mate.

No reputable publisher asks you for money.

cheers, niteshift

Yeah Ray, generally only the "Vanity Publishing" business wants you to pay for getting your work published. The chain is generally submit to an agent who gets the deal done and gets you and advance.

I hope I am wrong in this case...because I do widh the best for you

Do google "vanity press" before you sign...please

Yep,
They got back to me yesterday. Had to download their agreement. Didn't have the Program in my computer, not sure which but finally got something to work in my wife's computer of which was MicroSoft Office. They wanted $4200. I passed on it. Finding an Agent seems hard but may work on it later. Thanks guys!

So now google literary agents and cull them to isolate those who deal in yiour genre

Contact them one at a time and ask if they are interested in representing you. Prepare a short statement as to what your work is about and why folks would want to read it.

Send the manuscript into any who bite.

Sorry that I'm late chiming in..

There's a little Telethon Thingie Thread that's consuming a lot of my time:-)

Wise move, Ray!!!

I'll try to get back here as soon as I can, and beg your patients, or is it pascience, or pacsence or???

But seriously, I have some experience with books and publishers.

I promise, or is it promice? Naw, few average folks are Pro-Mice...Must be promise.

I'll get back to ya once I catch my breath!

But Ray? The IMPORTANT part(other than not getting scammed) is that you actually wrote a book!!!!

THAT is one serious ACCOMPLISHMENT!!!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

CONGRATS!!!!

Please feel free, if you'd like, to send me the PDF, either via a PM here, if "attachments" are allowed, or to my personal e-mail:

know_jack@yahoo.com.

And I'll be glad to scan through it and help figure out your next moves. There are a variety of "avenues" to explore and I'd be glad to share what I've learned.

Oh, and if ya choose e-mail...Title it "Hey Midnite, Ray here"

That way it won't get lost in the shuffle:-)

And, again...CONGRATS on finishing the dammmmed Thing!

Midnite

Oh,

This prompted a recent, personal, real-life experience that might be worth JPFer's time to hear/read, even though it has nothing to do with music or movies or books....But does involve radio and Producers and how the world works:

My Spousal Unit is a therapist with 15 years of her own private practice...& yeap, that comes in handy for me:-)

She is one hella-therapist!!! Was voted, last year, as one of the top three therapists in the Tri-City-Triangle here in a magazine's Annual Poll!!!

YAY her, eh?

In the last six months, she's received three phone calls and she spent a lot of time talking to the callers and then doin' some Googling...

The third call, was from a local magazine that just wanted to interview her for an article...THAT was KEWL!!!

But the first two phone calls were from radio station "PRODUCERS"...One an AM station, and the other an Internet station...

BOTH wanted to offer her her own weekly show.

Gosh, ya think she wasn't excited? To have a radio show, where she could take calls and hopefully help people with real-life issues???

What she learned:

First came the internet station. She spent hours on the phone with the producer, I think it was three calls all told.

It was during the 3rd phone conversation that she learned that she would have to spend around $3,000 to help "produce" her weekly broadcast for 6 months.

It wasn't a (total) scam, by any means...Although it would have been nice if they'd mentioned the $3,000 during the first call!!!

It was a real internet station with a definite "following", and they told her to research them, so she & I did, and realized:

Most of the folks, mostly therapists, who had their shows produced, had something to sell...Often, a book that they had self-published. In other words, they had already published a book, and thought that the additional $3,000 would help them reach an audience that might want to buy the book.

The second phone call was from a "local" AM station that promised to help her reach her "local" audience and bring in more clients.

Spousal Unit had learned, from her first experience, to ask during the first phone call: What price is attached?

Ya'll see where this is goin', right?

I'll sum up the important part of that conversation because she had it on speaker phone so we could both listen in.

PRODUCER: Well, yes, you will have to pay for your on-air time, but think of this as an opportunity to build your business with more clients.

INSERT VISUAL HERE: Midnite shaking his head violently from side to side, followed by Spousal Unit hitting the disconnect button.

SPOUSAL UNIT: Bobby, I've never hung up on a phone call before. Was I rude?

Midnite: Don't lose any sleep over it.

....So, that's all I've got to offer at this moment:-)

Eh, Well,
I had contacted a couple of Publisher's that were looking for books to Publish. After my experience with the first one of whom I passed on I had received a Package form another one I thought I was only going to get an E-Mail from. A couple of weeks ago. I decided I wouldn't even send the second one anything. Well Eureka! He called me again inquiring if I was going to send anything! Guess they are looking for things to Publish probably for a good fee. So today I put a package together and sent it. Will see how much money they want.

Whoops...Edited and deleted...

Midnite

Well Folks,
While looking for a place to put my book I came across a site that is looking for movie/book people to join.
Site is http://www.stage32.com. As far as I know it's free. Check it out.

Looks like a JPF for creative writers Ray. Hope you find some connections

Back to your book--the ONLY legitimate way to get a book deal is to work with an agent. Their job is to get you a deal and they know how to get that done locally and internationally.

AND they should not charge you because they become your minority partner.

You know what genre you wrote in---just google "genre" literary agents and you should get a list.

They will tell you what they are looking for, what and how to submit etc.

They can quickly tell you if it is worth their while to sign you on as a client

Now if you have a book intended to raise your profile, then you self publish for marketing purposes---this is common among financial professionals and others selling their services. For them the book is a selling tool and often a give away

But for fiction, the literary agent is the way to go.


Good luck!

well John,
I have had 2 offers to publish my book. One wanted $4200 and the second wanted $3200 or there abouts. Not paying anybody to publish a book. Literary Agents seem to take 15% if they get a placement. Probably that is a one time fee out of the Advance a Book Publisher pays. Music Publisher's take 50 percent so no problem with the Literary Agent Fee. Of course it takes a good book or good song to get anywhere.

Well gee Midnite! If I'm a Teeing you off I must be doing something right. I am correct 98.7 percent of the time, or is it 97.8 percent. I can never remember! Maybe I'm wrong 98.7 percent of the time! Well never mind I will figure it out sooner or later!
I am reading about the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire in H.G. Wells book, THE OUTLINE OF HISTORY. Am learning things I never knew before. It is for research for my new book, of which may never get finished.

It's just like the Song Crap...DO NOT PAY ANYBODY too publish a song or Book...NO.....IF they really like it they will take a % and Push it....SO MANY SCAMS that it's really discouraging....B

Actually the literary agent shares in everything but they will negotiate with international players as well. So 15% is for the entire revenue stream they get for you.

They also do not take any monies up front, and they will determine for themselves if they want to take you on. Note too that it does not mean the publisher does not also take their cut, but a good agent will make sure you get a good deal.

It's really the same as the music industry where you hire a manager\agent to take care of the business end so you can take care of the artistic side. Don't forget any monies others take off the top still leaves you with more than the zilch you get otherwise

BUT THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE

If you want to take a newer technology approach, do an Ebook (Kindle) and sell through Amazon directly. Check this link out.

https://kdp.amazon.com/?language=en_US

Thanks John,
I have a 2016 Copy of the Writer's Market that lists the type of stories a Publisher Publishes, etc. Some accept Manuscripts and only accept manuscripts. So to day I went and bought some Presentation folders at Staples. I have everything else I need to send them out. I saw a while back that they want folders neatly binded and I think they even said you could go to UPS and have it done. So I put 2 and 2 together and remembered you could buy Presentation Folders. Eureka! See, I do figure things out once in a while. I needed room for 35 sheets so I bought the folders that had 24 sleeves and doubled them up.

Oh, by the way. My Story is entitled CALL BACK. A story about a guy, after many years is called back in the Navy to be a Commanding Officer of an Aircraft Squadron. Will make a good book, a good movie, and a good T.V. Series if it ever get's to first base. Doing an E-Book looks like a lot of hard work of which I am not up to anymore. Thanks.

You were a Navy guy if I remember right Ray---so I guess it's gonna have to be fiction

Kidding aside---sounds like a neat angle with lots to play with...new technology, millenials, women who serve---classic fish out of water scenario.

later

Hey Ray,

Yeap, ya teed me off...So ya must be doin' a lot of things right:-)

Keep at it!!!!

Midnite

P.S...I just re-read and edited my earlier snarky post:-)....

P.P.S....The little yellow button remains, and feels neglected:-)