Comments on: Tomorrow is Today’s Backup Plan – An Author’s Journey http://www.bloggernews.net/15704 High-quality English language analysis and editorial writing on the news. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:55:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: zzsimonb http://www.bloggernews.net/15704#comment-49732 zzsimonb Thu, 28 Jun 2007 20:45:35 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/15704#comment-49732 I'll go down to my local borders and hang around pointing at your book and telling everyone that passes by they need to buy it! hahaha Congrats Ian, maybe this is the big breakthrough! I’ll go down to my local borders and hang around pointing at your book and telling everyone that passes by they need to buy it! hahaha

Congrats Ian, maybe this is the big breakthrough!

]]> By: Ian Coburn http://www.bloggernews.net/15704#comment-49728 Ian Coburn Thu, 28 Jun 2007 20:35:57 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/15704#comment-49728 I just wanted to update quickly that we got a Borders book number now, just this week; so, Borders will now start stocking the book on shelves, as well. Hopefully I'll get those posters up soon; the next phase. I just wanted to update quickly that we got a Borders book number now, just this week; so, Borders will now start stocking the book on shelves, as well. Hopefully I’ll get those posters up soon; the next phase.

]]> By: Ian Coburn http://www.bloggernews.net/15704#comment-32785 Ian Coburn Thu, 31 May 2007 02:13:09 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/15704#comment-32785 Peter, Thanks, glad you found it useful. You can find my email easily through my site, so feel free to email and maybe we can brainstorm some. Things free up for me some starting next week. Peter,

Thanks, glad you found it useful. You can find my email easily through my site, so feel free to email and maybe we can brainstorm some. Things free up for me some starting next week.

]]> By: Peter Davies http://www.bloggernews.net/15704#comment-32354 Peter Davies Wed, 30 May 2007 06:41:18 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/15704#comment-32354 Thank you, Simon for suggesting I have a look at this interview. And thank you, Ian for sharing your frustrations and learnings with us struggling writers. Your success is an inspiration, and you have given me a lot to think about. Like Ian, I found it disheartening trying to get literary agents interested in my book - even after one well known author and journalist had recommended my writing to his agent it was refused. So, like Ian I ended up going through a new, one man band publisher, who has done his best - and at least got my book published and listed on Amazon, etc. I also tried marketing and had some small, local successes here in England. Simon, and other reviewers have been kind enough to publish good, thoughtful reviews on my book 'Scatterlings of Africa'. But despite the fact that almost everyone who published a review, and there are seven on Amazon and another half dozen on websites, my Amazon rankings still languish. How Ian has managed to get media coverage and driven his sales ranking up is an inspiration. But it also goes to show how even a book as topical and as highly regarded as 'God is a woman' struggles to get the recognition it deserves from 'mainstream' publishing. Authors have a mountain to climb, but Simon's interview with Ian shown how to go about it. Thanks to both of you, Peter Thank you, Simon for suggesting I have a look at this interview. And thank you, Ian for sharing your frustrations and learnings with us struggling writers. Your success is an inspiration, and you have given me a lot to think about. Like Ian, I found it disheartening trying to get literary agents interested in my book - even after one well known author and journalist had recommended my writing to his agent it was refused. So, like Ian I ended up going through a new, one man band publisher, who has done his best - and at least got my book published and listed on Amazon, etc. I also tried marketing and had some small, local successes here in England. Simon, and other reviewers have been kind enough to publish good, thoughtful reviews on my book ‘Scatterlings of Africa’. But despite the fact that almost everyone who published a review, and there are seven on Amazon and another half dozen on websites, my Amazon rankings still languish. How Ian has managed to get media coverage and driven his sales ranking up is an inspiration. But it also goes to show how even a book as topical and as highly regarded as ‘God is a woman’ struggles to get the recognition it deserves from ‘mainstream’ publishing. Authors have a mountain to climb, but Simon’s interview with Ian shown how to go about it. Thanks to both of you, Peter

]]> By: Ian Coburn http://www.bloggernews.net/15704#comment-13563 Ian Coburn Sat, 14 Apr 2007 18:48:37 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/15704#comment-13563 Hey Nita, How are you? I'm glad you enjoyed the interview. I don't really know much about the artwork end. It is always advisable to look into big publishers, any publishers for that matter. There is an Artists Market Guide which you should look into if you haven't already. I would search "Print On Demand" and "Self-Publish." While I don't necessarily think that's a good route for authors to take, I think it's a great route fo artists. You could probably use that work as samples for a bigger publisher. POD places have lots of templates and work w/artists when authors don't want to use a template design, which probably happens often. I'd also see about message boards and making your skills available directly to authors through them. Do you do anything with pop-up books? I'm curious if that's something you can do, because I might have a need for that down the road; waiting to hear about such a project currently. Have a good wknd. -Ian Hey Nita,

How are you? I’m glad you enjoyed the interview. I don’t really know much about the artwork end. It is always advisable to look into big publishers, any publishers for that matter. There is an Artists Market Guide which you should look into if you haven’t already. I would search “Print On Demand” and “Self-Publish.” While I don’t necessarily think that’s a good route for authors to take, I think it’s a great route fo artists. You could probably use that work as samples for a bigger publisher. POD places have lots of templates and work w/artists when authors don’t want to use a template design, which probably happens often. I’d also see about message boards and making your skills available directly to authors through them.

Do you do anything with pop-up books? I’m curious if that’s something you can do, because I might have a need for that down the road; waiting to hear about such a project currently. Have a good wknd.

-Ian

]]> By: Nita Burge http://www.bloggernews.net/15704#comment-13472 Nita Burge Sat, 14 Apr 2007 11:37:36 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/15704#comment-13472 Very interesting! Thank you for sharing your experience. I am not an author but an artist and was in the process of searching the web for "how and where to submit my artwork" for cover art. This is when I came across your blog. I know my efforts could be stream lined if I knew where/how to submit,so that my work isn't sitting on the bottom of the pile somewhere,never seen. Should I attempt contacting corporate publishers and which ones or self publishers?Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Nita Very interesting! Thank you for sharing your experience. I am not an author but an artist and was in the process of searching the web for “how and where to submit my artwork” for cover art. This is when I came across your blog.
I know my efforts could be stream lined if I knew where/how to submit,so that my work isn’t sitting on the bottom of the pile somewhere,never seen. Should I attempt contacting corporate publishers and which ones or self publishers?Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Nita

]]> By: Marco http://www.bloggernews.net/15704#comment-11492 Marco Sat, 07 Apr 2007 19:17:34 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/15704#comment-11492 Wow. Great stuff. I agree w/L. Lynch that it is the best thing written on getting a book published. I am one of the readers who has been talking about Ian's book everywhere I can. In fact, I got kicked off a dating message board because they thought I was spamming! I'm not a writer or a blogger, but I am an avid reader. I live in OH but have been on consulting assignment in Chicago, where I heard about Ian's book because as Simon points out, he is marketing it everywhere. I had no idea what authors go thru and applaud you all for doing it. Without you, there would be nothing for people like me to read! I found the comments about publishers and authors being responsible for the decline in literature to be very interesting and make sense. It is getting harder and harder to find good books. More and more they are just about marketing. For instance, I recently read "The Average American Male" which is just horrible and its publisher spent over $10,000 to market it with videos on YouTube. Ian's book is so much better and along the same genre. $10,000 for it could really make it take off. Yet, it goes unread and unconsidered by such a big publisher or they wanted it changed to the crappy book they are pushing. I hope that "God is a Woman: Dating Disasters" does very well. We should all get copies, if for no other reason than to show publishers this IS a book people want and IS what readers want to read. Maybe it could do for books what independent film as done for movies. If it wasn't for independent film, all movies would be "White Chicks" now; the big places only make good films because of the pressure from small films to compete with them for awards. Thank you both Simon and Ian for the insight. I want you to know I'm doing my part; I just talked my friends into buying a bunch of copies off Amazon for their bachelor and bachelorette parties! Thank you to all authors and aspiring ones for your hardwork. Lord knows I couldn't take punches like these. Wow. Great stuff. I agree w/L. Lynch that it is the best thing written on getting a book published. I am one of the readers who has been talking about Ian’s book everywhere I can. In fact, I got kicked off a dating message board because they thought I was spamming!

I’m not a writer or a blogger, but I am an avid reader. I live in OH but have been on consulting assignment in Chicago, where I heard about Ian’s book because as Simon points out, he is marketing it everywhere. I had no idea what authors go thru and applaud you all for doing it. Without you, there would be nothing for people like me to read! I found the comments about publishers and authors being responsible for the decline in literature to be very interesting and make sense. It is getting harder and harder to find good books. More and more they are just about marketing. For instance, I recently read “The Average American Male” which is just horrible and its publisher spent over $10,000 to market it with videos on YouTube. Ian’s book is so much better and along the same genre. $10,000 for it could really make it take off. Yet, it goes unread and unconsidered by such a big publisher or they wanted it changed to the crappy book they are pushing.

I hope that “God is a Woman: Dating Disasters” does very well. We should all get copies, if for no other reason than to show publishers this IS a book people want and IS what readers want to read. Maybe it could do for books what independent film as done for movies. If it wasn’t for independent film, all movies would be “White Chicks” now; the big places only make good films because of the pressure from small films to compete with them for awards.

Thank you both Simon and Ian for the insight. I want you to know I’m doing my part; I just talked my friends into buying a bunch of copies off Amazon for their bachelor and bachelorette parties! Thank you to all authors and aspiring ones for your hardwork. Lord knows I couldn’t take punches like these.

]]> By: L. Lynch http://www.bloggernews.net/15704#comment-10596 L. Lynch Tue, 03 Apr 2007 16:43:50 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/15704#comment-10596 I've told both Simon Barrett and Ian Coburn this is the best thing I've read on the long road to getting a first book published. Thanks to both for getting it out there. See that it stays up. L. Lynch. I’ve told both Simon Barrett and Ian Coburn this is the best thing I’ve read on the long road to getting a first book published.

Thanks to both for getting it out there. See that it stays up. L. Lynch.

]]> By: L. Lynch http://www.bloggernews.net/15704#comment-10594 L. Lynch Tue, 03 Apr 2007 16:36:07 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/15704#comment-10594 Best thing I've read on the rigors of getting published. Best thing I’ve read on the rigors of getting published.

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