The Five Ways to Publish Your Book

Fellow NSA member and Facebook friend, Deborah Grayson Riegel, posted a question of whether she would self publish or traditionally publish her new book. She has published through both channels with different books she has written in the past.

I mentioned that it is harder and harder to justify traditional publishing, and there are new avenues and ways of publishing. I decided that instead of creating a giant Facebook reply, that I would just blog it.

1. Trad or Traditional Publishing

These are the big 5 publishers and all of their imprints:

Penguin/Random House
Harper Collins
Macmillan
Hachette
Simon and Schuster

These are the great monoliths of the book world, although some might see them as great dinosaurs. There are some advantages to using one of these titans such as the fact someone else is doing all of the steps of publishing your book. (minus marketing). There is some status and credibility of having your book published by a trad publisher, but there are a number of published authors leaving these great houses and plodding off to publish their future books on their own.

There is the mythic advance. These used to be a nice check that got you going and allowed you to eat while you finished your manuscript and the book began to sell. Not any more, as most advance checks are usually in the three or four digit range rather than a coveted five or six digit sum.


It is often who you know, not the merit of your book that will get it looked at by a publisher. I recently heard of an author offering a backstage entrance into trad publisher for his friends. While there is no guarantee that the book would be picked up, it does jump a lot of hoops that most other authors find frustrating or even impossible.

If you are not a celebrity, you should not even think of approaching a trad publisher without an agent. Some publishers will not even accept query letters that are not agented. Obtaining an agent is again who knows who game. It is very hard to secure one, and it can take months of hundreds of rejection letters to get one- "Yes I am interested, send me a proposal."

You have to know how to craft a great query letter, and proposal to have a fighting chance, and if you don't have the skills, you would do best to hire a professional to help you.

I work with speakers exclusively, and most of time they need their books available yesterday. Trad publishers have lead times to a book being in your hand from 12- 24 months. Can you wait that long?

Your royalties on a trad published book are a little sad. On an average priced book you may get around $2.00 per book. Granted, you MAY sell 20,000 books. But what if you don't? There is talk that trad publishing companies are beginning to ask for advance checks to be returned if the book does not sell well.

Imagining spending sleepless nights coming up with a cover design and title for your book, only for an editor to say, " We have decided to go a different direction..." The problem is, you have no control- you have signed over the rights of your book.

It's not always a bad idea- consider the fanfic piece called- Master of the Universe by Icequeen's Dragon. 

A smart publisher changed it to- 50 Shades of Grey- by E L James (true story).

The other issue about the sales of your book is - what about your second book? If your sales are not where the publisher wants it to be- they will kill your book which essentially kills any further books you might want to publish.

In ANY of the publishing routes I want to stress that YOU will be doing a lion's share of the marketing. This takes time and money- so be prepared. Books don't sell themselves. If you do not have the skills- hire a good publicist and/or a marketer. Nothing worse than a great book that collects dust because there was no plan to sell it. Trad publishers look very closely to marketing plans in proposals.

2. Small Press

These are the little brothers and sisters of trad publishers, because their model is similar, but on a much smaller scale. Here is a link to an exhaustive list of  small press publishers- https://www.pw.org/small_presses?page=6

The advantages here are that you can send direct submissions without the need of an agent.

Like a trad publisher- they do all the work concerning getting your book ready for print and do the printing for you. Some small press have advances, but these can be token in size. You still have the advantage of being published by a publisher- and hence the bragging rights.

Not only do you not need an agent- most agents will not submit to small press publishers- because they will not make the money they need out of a deal- which often comes from the advance check.

Like trad publishers, they can have a long lead time to print. In fact, many small press publishers only publish a few books a year and so the process can be even slower.

Again you do the marketing and there is little profit. You give up control the same as you do with trad publishers and you may get stuck in the same book two conundrum.

3. DIY ( True Self Publishing) 

This is the DIY self publishing option. You can publish through many channels such as:

• Create Space
• Lightning Source
• Book Baby
• Smash Words
• Apple Istore
• Scribd
• Barnes and Nobel
• POD
• Book Printer

This is a huge step away from trad or small press publishing. You have total control of everything. You own the rights to your book.

The only thing stopping you from publishing your book is YOU. There is no real lead time- once you have the book ready to print, you submit it and it magically appears. You can even sell it through your own website.

You make changes and updates relatively easy. If you have you book in electronic form you can even publish it through Revizzit.com This site allows you make changes to all the electronic books you ever sold in real time.

The best thing about DIY publishing is that your profits can be in the 60%-70% range.

If you do not have the knowledge or skills to do DIY publishing this can be difficult and actually hurt your credibility. You are better off not publishing a book than to publish a poorly produced book. Publishing takes time and that can actually take away from your time actually writing your book. There are many mistakes that can be make along the road of publishing and some of them can be costly such as a poorly created cover or amateur book layout.

You will be paying for many of the services that a trad/small press would be paying for such as the cover, interior design and printing. Some believe that the DIY stigma is a thing of the past- and while it has been greatly reduced, the issue is that many self published books are done cheaply and it shows. It is more about the finished product than who published it that can really affect a author's credibility.

In the arena of professional reviews- it is much harder to get your book reviewed. Not impossible, but without knowledge in this area it can be very difficult and there are some avenues that you would need a good publicist.

4. Partner Publishing-Hybrid

Partner publishing is somewhere in between Trad and DIY. Some examples of partner publishers are:

• She Writes Press ( For Women only)
• Book Trope
• Wise Ink
• Ink Shares ( a Crowd Funding/Publisher)
• Turning Stone Press
• White Cloud Press
• Green leaf Publishing
• Estrucan Press

This type of publisher still has to accept your manuscript- however they offer all types of services such as editing, proofing, help with cover, and more. All of this has a price. It can vary and you may need to shop around a bit.

The good news is that you retain control over the rights to your book. They can provide you the expertise you need to create a professionally manufactured book- and they can produce your book quickly in most cases. This frees up your time to write.

One of things that Partner publishing does help with is distribution and marketing. These two things are HUGE if you want to sell your book for a passive book rather than just hawking them at events for back of the room sales. Remember, no matter what you will have to invest in your marketing.

One the flip side, there are no advances, you are paying for the services. These do save you time, and money in the long run and greatly increase your ability to create a great book on your own.

5. Assisted Publishing

This best describes my company Osiris Papers. This is a another step away from Partner closer to DIY, You have control over your book, you own the rights, and you do the tasks you wish to on your own. You hire professionals to do the tasks you feel would free up your time or in an area you have less skills in. Time until production is reduced, because many of the components are taken care of by professionals for you- IE. cover, interior design.

Since you have complete control over the process you can make changes easily.

This type of publishing like partner publishing does take budget, but you can decide what that is, because you can do some of the components yourself. You do have to manage the project to ensure the components are being completed.

If you decide to go this route- my advice is not to expect to pay 5 dollars to get a cover that knocks people socks off. You don't have to pay a fortune, but you don't want to use bargain basement providers.


No matter what- here are some essentials

• Edit, Edit , Edit
• Proof- this occurs after your editing, by a professional. You CANNOT proof your own book.
• Create a GREAT cover. In fact, put some ideas out to others to have them help you pick the best cover. (unless you create covers for a living- hire a professional. A graphic artist is not enough- you need someone who can create a great cover with an eye toward what sells.)
• Commit to the best book possible- NO SHORT CUTS. It must look and read in a way that moves people. 
• Marketing starts today- take the time to create one the day you begin writing, and be ready to invest in YOU!

New Digs, New Book, New Outlook

Even though I write for other people, does not mean I do not have my own projects brewing. I am working on my next wine book, that will be step even farther from my first book,

 (Click here to view this book)

The Complete Guide to Making Your Own Wine at Home: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply 

The feedback I have received is that people liked that it helped beginners and also contained some more advanced techniques. The new book (Title Forthcoming) will explore equipment, techniques, recipes and a new perspective after five years. 

I have new a place that will play into the new book, but I don't want to jinx it just yet- I will be moving soon and I could not be more excited.

The is a renewed feeling of creating a new book with my name on the spine. I am very, very, VERY excited. My promise to my clients is to help them craft and publish a book, and now I am making that promise to myself.

One last thought. If you have a response to my blog post- PLEASE post it here, Don't send just an email rant- let's talk it out here on the blogspace. It is how we can learn from one another and others can learn as well.

I am off to Baltimore and then Fort Meyers this week. I love meeting new clients and getting that creative engine moving.


That is my story and I am sticking to it. What is yours? Now write a book about!


John Peragine

Ethics? Only When it Is Convenient!

I sometimes forget I am a writer and journalist- mostly because my life is dedicated to writing for others. I decided I needed to get my feelings out through words.

After a recent presentation to a local chapter of large association, lightning struck twice- I say twice because this is the second time someone did something so unethical after I left the stage, it left my jaw agape.

I understand, that I have competition, which is great for many reasons. It keeps me current, it keeps my prices at the right rate, and frankly I can ghostwrite for the world. There only so many hours to write in a day.

Ethics. Doing the right thing. Thinking before you act. Are these just merely ideas that are acted upon when convenient. Should they not be principles we live by?

After the same thing happened to me twice- I begin to wonder.

Ethics, define who we are. I mean who we really are- not just that face you put on, but that face in the mirror. That person we look at with all of the other bullshit stripped away. Who are we really? What are our values? Do we live by those values? Can we look in the mirror and say to ourselves- Yes, you live by the values you set for yourself, no matter what the cost.

I don't want to disparage an entire organization for the actions of a few, so I will withhold names to protect the guilty.

I present around the US on the topic of writing and mistakes people often make that prevent them from finishing their book. I give them clues about what works, and how to work through challenges. I do these presentations, at this point for free. Why? Because, these often result in leads that turn into clients. It is understood that at the end of my talk I can offer packages and services. In both cases, I did not hardsell from the stage. In fact, I gave away my services. Money people paid for consulting all went to the association.

So, I want to you to get the picture- I am presenting for free, I am giving away my services, and the association is making money.

At the first event, after I stepped off the stage, it was announced that someone else at the chapter did the same thing that I did, he had written a book, he was asked to stand up and there was applause.

Wait? What? Was this planned? Was I over reacting- or did they just have me spend an hour giving away valuable information only to promote their local guy?

Maybe it was a fluke right? Maybe they could not see the pain on my face as I just walked out of the room to collect myself.

So, presentation two- this time I offered to give back a percentage of any contract I solidified in the following weeks back to the organization. This would pay for my travel expenses that the local chapter paid and then some. A win-win.

As I am leaving and shaking hands, I notice someone handing out fliers to people. They were bright green, so they were hard to miss. He approached me, said he was in the same industry, and that if I had any overflow, would I mind sending him some work. I tucked the flier in my bag, and made my way to my room.

The next day I pulled it out. It was an advertisement for the exact services I offer. In fact, it indicated he had targeted that very meeting (in which I was one of two key speakers) to come back to the chapter and offer his services.

What? Are you kidding me? Ethics much? Decency and class much?

I don't really see him as competition really. He was offering to barter services. And I got the leads I expected- but the ethics issue really gets under my skin- as it seems pervasive. It's like scabies, making me itch and feel disgusted.

So- you out there? What would you do in this situation? I am slotted to do my talks within this association again in the future.

Preparing for NaNoWriMo

I am going to attempt to write every day about my progress with my novel. I believe it will give an insight into the creative process, and the do's and don'ts of writing.

As a ghostwriter, I am writing books and being creative for others every day, for many hours. I have not written for myself in some time, but the process and how a book is created is pretty much the same. It is very similar whether it is fiction or it is non-fiction.  

To me, the easiest way to write is to create an outline. You  would not take a trip without plotting out your course, and in the end taking the time to plan saves time. When you have time to write- you know exactly what you are writing, rather than sitting and staring at a blank screen.

You have a plan.

My plan has been evolving for Mr Cheevers for four years. I never said this was a quick process. It was not until waking up this morning, that I woke up with the plot gelled in my brain. My brain has been working on it while I slept- isn't our subconscious brain AWESOME!

So I am scribbling out my plot points. I have already created character cards and settings (This is from my days as a Dungeon Master. No learning is lost! See Mom it was not a total waste of time).

So come November 1st, I will be ready.

Confessions of a Writer  

So, I bought a new laptop in preparation for NaNoWriMo. Last year I bought a desktop computer, but my laptop is like 7 years old. So now I am mobile- no excuses. I bought one with a smaller screen for mobility. My last laptop had a 17 inch screen and was watermelon heavy. 

I am using new software- Scrivener. so far I love it. I can plot everything out in one place. I will update how it goes. I have been able to create character cards, plots, settings, ect. all in one place, and with easy access as I write!!

Please PLEASE- donate to NaNoWriMo. I have to be the number 1 fundraiser--- but I need your help. I don't care if it is a dollar at a time. 

If you donate- mention this blog. I will send you a copy of Sticky Rice signed. This was the original short story that introduced Mr Cheevers. Also if you donate $50 or more, I will add you as a character in the book. So DONATE TODAY!!!  https://www.classy.org/fundraise?fcid=357815

Brain Bridges Part 2- Why Speakers Don't Always Make the Best Writers

Speakers are great orators- they can speak and pontificate about a grocery list and make it interesting. If you ask many of even the most successful speakers to write, and they become deaf and mute. They look at a blank page and shiver from the cold sweat running down their back.

Someone asked me if a writer is created or born- and my short answer is that I believe they are born. It is a talent like art, or music. Some people are born with the artistic skill and some are not. If you are talented in one artistic medium, that does not mean you are talented in all of them. I can play the heck out of the piccolo solo in Tchaikovsky's fourth symphony, but all the people I draw are evolutions of stick figures.

Like any other talent, we can hone and polish our skills and techniques, but without a gift and passion it can be a fruitless process. Speakers I also believe are born. Some people just have a stage presence, and know how to work a crowd and some try and struggle.

It's ok- you don't have to be good at everything- but you are good at something. Speakers are often told to write a book to support their platform and add credibility to their brand. I have seen the attempts go three ways- 1. They nail it- their book is a success because they had some writing chops and a great marketing plan. 2. They start and then stop. They can't get past the first chapter or even the first line. 3. They write the whole book- and everyone around NICELY and POLITELY tells them its great and it sells like 20 copies.

You can have some writing chops, but need some training to polish your prose. And so sometimes a speaker has to step back to prepare themselves.

Some speakers don't have the time or the chops to write, and they hire a ghostwriter like me, or a book coach.

The important thing is that a speaker knows their limitations- because a bad book is worse then no book. Trust me!

Before Starting a Book consider these questions:
1. Have you ever written professionally before?
2. Have you ever written something this size?
3, Do you have the time to write?
4. Do you need some help honing your writing skills?
5. Do you really need to write a book or is it something you are being told you need to do?

There are no right or wrong answers, just things to consider.

In my next installment of Brain Bridges I will be talking about how writing partners can help your writing. 

Disclaimer- I am NOT selling Body Parts on the Open Market

The following emails are real. This is what happens when a writer gets tired of Scammy/Spammy emails- The amazing this is that I never expected them to reply.

Their Original Email

Dear Sirs,

There is an ongoing tender.

So we are very interested in your product for a long term contract period. If interested, kindly get back to me with your full product details/specifications to enable us give you more details on how to proceed.

I am a commission agent, I source whenever there is a notice for the bid to tender, if your company win this tender through my effort i will be entitled to 2% commission of the total contract fund as a gratification from my company, but this money will be paid to me after you must have received your full payment from the commission.

Terms of payment: If the contract is awarded to you, the commission makes an upfront/advance payment of 80% T/T to start the production and the remaining 20% will be paid to you before supply, all payments must to be confirmed from your bank before shipment.

Your urgent response will be appreciated.

Best regards,

Mr.Jacob Sako,
Accredited Agent.

My reply: 

We sell after market human organs- all kinds and some are custom made by our staff member Dr. Frank N. Stein. Let us know how many of each organ you might need- as we will have to acquire donors. 

Regards, 

Igor Master

You would think that would be the end of it right? Nope- they actually replied with the following: 

Dear Mr John Peragine,

Thank you very much for your prompt response.

The project coordinator is very interested below:

(1) Kidney.

(2) LIliver.

(3) Heart

(4) Lung

(5) Pancreas

(6) Bone marrow

Please be informed that this is a government tender, you are supplying this items to the government, i am a commission agent.

Let me know the unit price so that i can present it to him for consideration.

I am a commission agent, I source whenever there is a notice for the bid to tender, if your company win this tender through my effort i will be entitled to 2% commission of the total contract fund as a gratification from my company, but this money will be paid to me after you must have received your full payment from the commission.

Terms of payment: If the contract is awarded to you, the commission makes an upfront/advance payment of 80% T/T to start the production and the remaining 20% will be paid to you before supply, all payments must to be confirmed from your bank before shipment.

Means of payment: - Bank to Bank transfer system, to be confirmed by your bank.

Delivery time: - 360 days from the date of initial payment.

Proforma Invoice: -FOB Country of Products origin.

port of Delivery/Shipment Destination: - Tema Sea Port Accra Ghana.

Partial shipment and contract review is allowed.

Your Soonest reply is needed.

I look forward to hearing from you by return & to develop a long term business relationship with you soon.

Best Regards,

Mr Jacob Sako.
Accredited Agent.

Either they got the joke- or these are VERY scary people. What do you think? 

Inciting Hate Through Artistic Expression

I have been an artist my whole life ( writer and a musician). This is not something I chose to be- it is who I am. Music and words called to me, as they are the master and I am the servant. I am not a slave, but a willing participant, and I do not regret a single day- single moment- a single creative impulse.

To my family- both immediate and  extended have always seen me as a freak- as someone that has a screw loose- or that I have something psychologically wrong with me. They call me "weird" even now  after 44 years. I gladly wear this badge - but it took many years for me to recover from the kind of judgment I have received from those closest to me.

I don't like the same things others do. I don't dress the right way. I don't even keep my beard appropriately trimmed. I am an outcast from my blood, but what they don't realize is that on these fringes, I have been the happiest and most creative.

Do I watch sports? No. Do I say appropriate things all the time? No. Do I conform? Definitely not. Am I always neat and tidy? No. Do I eat  the right things? I try.

Do I wear designer clothes? Not unless they are on some back rack or I find them at my favorite store- Goodwill. And then, I choose it because I like the way it looks, not because of the label.

I wear wrinkly coats, and undersized hats. I like plaids, and my hair is always a work in progress.

I am an artist. Deal with it.

Can I play a mean flute? Hell yes.
Can I write? You bet!
Can I add really inappropriate lyrics to songs? Much to the chagrin of my wife- definitely.
Am I happy? I am joyous.


When I was seven, I walked into the local music store, and my parents and sales person asked me what instrument I wanted to play. I said the flute.

WHAT? FLUTE?

What was wrong with me. For many years I created a story that was half true to explain my choice. I said, " I wanted to play the flute because that was where the pretty girls were."

It is half true because, I did say that- but it was not totally true.

I got to hear lovely words like- Fag, pansy, and gay attributed to any guy who played the flute- even then at the store at the age of seven. I mean boys played trumpets, and drums- not the flute.

For the record- I am a heterosexual male. No question there. But I had to defend it. It would have been easier to give up my pursuit- but I loved playing the flute. In fact, I still do.

It was not just the kids at school, but it was my own flesh and blood that referred to me, in not a subtle way, as gay. There is nothing wrong with being a gay male, it was just that I am not gay.

Add to that, that I hated, I mean hated sports, and it was like putting nails in my coffin. Instead of baseball practice, I wanted more flute lessons, and I wanted to be in the theater. My father, a mean boy from the streets of Hell's Kitchen was fit to be tied.

In my early teens- I was depressed and stressed. I wanted to please my family, but I wanted to perform on stage too. This resulted in medications and therapy.

Three things saved my life- and I mean that in the literal sense.

One, was that I was very active in music and the theater. I was a kid, but I was treated as an equal on stage. I pushed myself to be the best- not because my family wanted it, but because the better I got, the better response I got from my music and theater family.

The second thing was a therapist that said, "Stop trying to please them, and be true to yourself. You will never match up to their expectations, and in a few years you will be on your own. You have to be yourself."

Man, those words gave me permission to let go, and just stop trying to be something I was not. That did not mean my family accepted me anymore, it just meant I cared less about their jabs and their demands to be the macho man in the Armani suit.

The third, part, and I have to thank my mother (probably the only person that understood me), was she allowed me to got to an arts school in North Carolina at the age of 14. I was dying in regular high school. I was beginning to skip more than I was going- I was not like the others- I was too artsy and too adult.

I thrived with others like me- 24/7 artists. I could have lived there forever.

I have had ups and downs and career decisions that were based on what others said I should do, but now I am at a point in my life, I am doing exactly what I wanted. 24/7 artist.

My wife gets me. My daughter gets me. And my wife's family gets me.

My family does not get me.

The reason I am writing this is because my middle daughter has electric blue hair, gauges in her ears, a ring in her nose and VISUAL ART in her soul. She dresses, acts, and breathes like an artist. She is the same as me, and now she is experiencing what I did- rejection, scorn, and judgment. People judge her by what she says, what she posts, and what she wears. I am the devil's servant for allowing her to express who she is, only to have adults at her school and my family degrade and insult her.

To them- I say two words- "Bugger Off!"

Someone said to me today- what they felt was an insult- but to me was the GREATEST compliment ever- "John, she is weird just like you."

Yes she is. She is an artist, and I will defend her to the end of my life to be who she is. (Yes- she has been called a lesbian as well. To my knowledge she isn't, but who cares if she is. Love is love).

My daughter was upset by what they said about her and I told her; "You say you don't understand them. The real truth is that they do not in any way understand you. If they did, they would see the beautiful girl I see every day,"

We are proud to be artists. So we dress quirky. So our hair has its own agenda- combed today, tomorrow pink or tousled, or maybe bald. We are not trying to be different- We are different. Why can't others understand and love us for our weirdness? Why does creative expression incite such hate?

I don't know- but at this point in my life? I don't care. Love me? Hate me? I love myself and chuckle every time I see myself in the mirror. Can you do the same?