I am a co-author and subject-matter expert involved in a business book project.
Specifically, we will have the first title for an audience of 500K users of a software tool. The growth rate of that base is >20% per year. They are not hard to find, and the vendor of the tool will be helping us.
The book will cover the unique business approaches for deployment, plus the top tips for implementation based upon over 500 projects for 100 clients in several domains since 1997.
I have a very good connection to an agent who, it would seem, could get a Dummies or Idiot's book deal.
That agent I do not intend to approach until we have a full outline, final sample chapters and a marketing pitch.
We are well-connected to the CEO of the company which produces the tool we will be writing about. We think we can get pre-purchased volume, we know we have permission to use screenshots, and we think we can get marketing help.
Our goal is not to get rich on the book; the book is designed to enhance our credentials in a rapidly growing market. Of course, it would be nice to recoup our investment writing the book.
So, here are my questions.
First, why would we pursue self-publishing? I am told that if we can direct market to the target audience we can and should self-publish for (a) control (b) speed and (d) margin. The downsides seems to be (1) we have to format-to-print (2) vendor surcharges like landmines (3) adverse vendor behavior (i.e. vanity in sheep's clothing)
Second, even if we do self-publish, it looks like the guidelines are (a) no surrender of any rights for any period of time (b) get our own ISBN (c) pay for cover art (d) pay for book layout (e) pay for proof-reading, editing, indexing. What is it we do not know about self-publishing? Are there any so-called 'vanity' houses even worth talking to? (e.g. AuthorHouse vs. CreateSpace vs. LighthingSource)
Regardless of self-publishing, here is what I have been told by authors so far, from in-person connections, which I would like to confirm here.
If we can get pre-purchased volume, even for 2,500 copies, and we have a working manuscript, then an agent can and will get the book bought. Even at the Dummies/Idiot's level. That process can take 30 days to 3 years. If we can get pre-purchased volume 10K or greater, the deal is a "no-brainer" for acquisition editors.
Even if we self-publish, if that is done well, we can get the book bought later, especially if we have volume >10K.
As first-time authors, connected agents with >20 years of track record will not talk to us without referral from someone they know.
Advances from publishers for a trade book can be $15K to $150K, and it will be based upon the market assessment of the book's potential in year one, plus whatever they think they can get away with. In the main, as first-time authors, we are told zero is a real possibility. Royalties vary, but ~15% of publisher revenue, which is to say 40-50% of retail is normal, with half that for translated editions. Of the royalty revenue, 15% to the agent is normal. If we did get a deal, then the publisher would provide a project manager, editor, writer(s), cover, layout and more, but expect to (happily) lose control of the process, especially in the 'branded' offerings such as Dummies or Idiot's.
Finally, 250-300pp of manuscript is, well, huge, and it is taking us much longer than we could have imagined to produce it. Coordinating three authors is like herding cats, so we appointed a lead owner of the manuscript and he has editorial control. We have professional help, so we will have a set of proof readers, a 3rd party editor, and someone who will do indexing. We have control of the graphical inserts.
Thoughts?
Specifically, we will have the first title for an audience of 500K users of a software tool. The growth rate of that base is >20% per year. They are not hard to find, and the vendor of the tool will be helping us.
The book will cover the unique business approaches for deployment, plus the top tips for implementation based upon over 500 projects for 100 clients in several domains since 1997.
I have a very good connection to an agent who, it would seem, could get a Dummies or Idiot's book deal.
That agent I do not intend to approach until we have a full outline, final sample chapters and a marketing pitch.
We are well-connected to the CEO of the company which produces the tool we will be writing about. We think we can get pre-purchased volume, we know we have permission to use screenshots, and we think we can get marketing help.
Our goal is not to get rich on the book; the book is designed to enhance our credentials in a rapidly growing market. Of course, it would be nice to recoup our investment writing the book.
So, here are my questions.
First, why would we pursue self-publishing? I am told that if we can direct market to the target audience we can and should self-publish for (a) control (b) speed and (d) margin. The downsides seems to be (1) we have to format-to-print (2) vendor surcharges like landmines (3) adverse vendor behavior (i.e. vanity in sheep's clothing)
Second, even if we do self-publish, it looks like the guidelines are (a) no surrender of any rights for any period of time (b) get our own ISBN (c) pay for cover art (d) pay for book layout (e) pay for proof-reading, editing, indexing. What is it we do not know about self-publishing? Are there any so-called 'vanity' houses even worth talking to? (e.g. AuthorHouse vs. CreateSpace vs. LighthingSource)
Regardless of self-publishing, here is what I have been told by authors so far, from in-person connections, which I would like to confirm here.
If we can get pre-purchased volume, even for 2,500 copies, and we have a working manuscript, then an agent can and will get the book bought. Even at the Dummies/Idiot's level. That process can take 30 days to 3 years. If we can get pre-purchased volume 10K or greater, the deal is a "no-brainer" for acquisition editors.
Even if we self-publish, if that is done well, we can get the book bought later, especially if we have volume >10K.
As first-time authors, connected agents with >20 years of track record will not talk to us without referral from someone they know.
Advances from publishers for a trade book can be $15K to $150K, and it will be based upon the market assessment of the book's potential in year one, plus whatever they think they can get away with. In the main, as first-time authors, we are told zero is a real possibility. Royalties vary, but ~15% of publisher revenue, which is to say 40-50% of retail is normal, with half that for translated editions. Of the royalty revenue, 15% to the agent is normal. If we did get a deal, then the publisher would provide a project manager, editor, writer(s), cover, layout and more, but expect to (happily) lose control of the process, especially in the 'branded' offerings such as Dummies or Idiot's.
Finally, 250-300pp of manuscript is, well, huge, and it is taking us much longer than we could have imagined to produce it. Coordinating three authors is like herding cats, so we appointed a lead owner of the manuscript and he has editorial control. We have professional help, so we will have a set of proof readers, a 3rd party editor, and someone who will do indexing. We have control of the graphical inserts.
Thoughts?
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