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Know more about the Author-Publisher equation

Well, once you are done with your writing part, comes yet another twist in the tale. How to get your book published? Who can make your dreams come true? What do publishers do? Know all about them right here. Read on...
A book publisher could be a company comprising a number of people or a single person, who shoulders the responsibility of making the book a success with the readers. A book publisher is often involved in marketing, producing, printing, and distributing a book. A publisher negotiates with writers over intellectual property rights, rights to distribute et al. The publisher also offers the author royalties or a percentage of sales.

The book publisher also has a large staff of editors, artists, copyeditors and writers to rewrite and edit the book keeping in mind the author’s preferences. The amount of editing that takes place at different levels of editing depends on how reputed the book publisher is. Larger publishers may go through several rounds of editing before the book is finally hits the store racks. Editing is difficult if the author is a renowned one and doesn’t like changes.
Book publishers must invite the author for a preliminary process of negotiation where in they discuss Intellectual rights. The intellectual rights laws for every country is different, so the author must demonstrate which countries he/she would like to market the book in. The publisher has to arrange accordingly.

Finally, the book publisher has to distribute the book. The production process is the process of physically creating the book. This includes designing the cover; talking with the bookstores and see to it that books are properly displayed. He has to make note of the author’s likes and dislikes at every step and then suggest what is better for him/her.
An author feels much safer once a reputed publisher takes up his/her work.

Few quickies for aspiring Authors

You want to write a book but still not sure if you could make it till the end. You are still apprehensive of your writing skills – whether it will be appreciated or rejected by the readers… You keep asking yourself, “Can I actually become an author?”

Well, authors have certain traits. Read on and know if you can be one in the near future… 

1) They would often be seen sitting for hours in front of a computer screen or with pen and paper, typing away to glory.

2) They keep thinking about their book, even when they're not writing.

3) Their only aim in life is to finish the story they are working on.

4) They try to proofread on their own, rewrite and revise their piece again and again till he is completely satisfied.

5) Their next concern is to publish their book. Once they publish the first book, they are already working on the next one.

If you have all the aforesaid characteristics then you have a fair chance of becoming an author. Be determined. One should never let people deter them from achieving their dreams. Follow your heart and get started. Once your book is written and published, the whole world will get to hear your voice.  

For a novice writer to start writing that first book, the best way to begin is to start writing. Yes, just sit down and try writing. Focus on your work and forget distractions like television, reading, outing, chatting on the phone etc… Try to devote at least one hour a day to writing. If you save the time you spend watching television and write instead, there would be something in your hand that you can share, hopefully, one day with others.

  How To Begin

You need basic writing skills. Remember those English classes you took in high school and college? If not, then it wouldn't be a bad idea if you found your old English textbooks and look through the pages to refresh your memory. 

 If you haven't taken any courses in writing, you might consider signing up for one. Check with your local college.

 Plus, it can prove very useful to join a writing group that critiques your work. The group provides wonderful support and an avenue to hone your skills. 

The second step to be an author is to have the right tools.  

Besides a comfortable chair, plenty of lighting, and a room to yourself, you will need a computer, a printer at your convenience. These days, all, publishers request a copy of your files sent to them on a CD. More importantly, working with a word processing program will aid you in many ways towards becoming a published author. It will provide the opportunity to save your work as well. A computer program is that it provides spell check and also helps you count the number of words per page. In addition, when you want to spice up your vocabulary it gives you a list of synonyms you can choose from. You save a lot of time in the process.  The third step to becoming an author: What to Write? If you are planning to write a novel, decide on the genre first. You should be sure of what you are trying to come up with as in whether it’s romance, mystery or science fiction. Think twice before you take the final plunge. Read some books in those genres. It’s highly likely that you’ll be writing in the category that you like to read. 

How Long Will It Take?

It depends. Some may take longer or shorter, depending on the amount of time they allow for writing and how many pages they are writing. So unless you begin writing that first page of your book, you'll never know how long it'll take you to write it. Go ahead and just take that first step.

Jaya Biswas is an editor at Leadstart Publishing - A book publisher in Mumbai. Website: http://www.leadstartcorp.com

 

 

Can I become an author? – Just follow the 5 rules!

Do you think I can become an author? Do I have that talent for writing books? I need to know whether I should pursue writing or go back and stick to accounting?” – These have been the common questions that keep popping up on our website .
These questions are seriously flawed. Everyone can write. And everybody can become a professional writer with time.

We have seen a lot of seemingly plain and uninspired authors get assignments from everywhere while other dazzling wordsmiths fail to to see their work in print even once.
According to Professior in Psychology at Stanford Carol Dweck, it is quite normal to question one’s talent. In his publication, Mind-set: The New Psychology of Success, research reports reveal that in education, fine arts or business, people who believe that talent has to be inborn fail to develop their abilities to full extent and seldom recoup from early setbacks.
On the other hand, people who think that talent can be cultivated or developed, achieve more irrespective of where they start from and also help their kids or co-workers to imbibe the same achieving spirit.
Here’s an example of how you can change your mind-set about ‘talent’ or ‘intellect’. A set of children was told that like the rest of the body, brain muscles also develop with practice. In less than two months, their Math grades improved from F’s to B’s.
So just toss out the thought of whether you do or do not have talent. Instead, just follow these basic rules:
1. Be sensitive to the difference between words. When in doubt, just get a good dictionary and it will bail you out. For example, a ‘cauldron’ is not a ‘kettle’. Always use the correct word wherever required. For example, you should know when to write ‘bravery’ and where to use ‘bravado’.
2. Understand the reader’s point of view. Does the reader understand what you are trying to convey? If a reader doesn’t ‘get it’ then mostly you should rewrite it. This advice may be hard for those who are too obsessed with their writing style. You may not understand the reader’s perspective. Having a matter-of-fact view about writing may help.
3. Refine. Be willing to forget about your writing for a while and look at it again from a reader’s perspective

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Article by: Leadstart - Book Publishers in Mumbai

 

Reviews of book published by Leadstart Publishing

Letters from the heart, By Seema Aarella
- Review by "The Pioneer", 12, July 2009.
The poems in this anthology include subjects like love and romance,‭ ‬history and myth and are the views and thoughts of a young woman about the world around her.‭ ‬Her debut work,‭ ‬this collection,‭ ‬the poetess says,‭ ‬is an attempt to‭ “‬lighten the onus of emotions weighing down‭ ( ‬her‭ ) ‬heart‭”‬.‭

‭Multi Threaded Love, by Satyajit Deshmukh
- Review  by COOL PICKINGS, April 2009.
Multi Threaded Love, by Satyajit Deshmukh, a first-time author, does not disappoint. The book seamlessly weaves a love story against the backdrop of an IT college. Makes for a good read. Frog Books.

Read more book reviews at indianbookreviews.wordpress.com

 

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‭Luda Pavlova speaks to Rogue, Times of India 05-01-08

Luda Pavlova is the author of 'The Book of Hhhmmmm', published by Mumbai based Leadstart Publishing

She is, in her own words, "Siberian at heart, citizen of the world in spirit, writer by night, marketing and sales assistant by day, dreamer by nature and a struggling optimist by conviction".

 

Luda Pavlova speaks to Rogue on what drove her to pen The book of Hhhmmmmmm....

‭Q: did you try to grab the reader's attention with the title?

‭A: My intention was to intrigue the reader. Everyone is different -- There is no way to say which title will grab attention, unless its something shocking, maybe.

‭I am hoping that if people read the title, the book of Hhhmmmm, the least they will say is, 'Hmm, I wonder what that's about?', pickup the book and hopefully continue reading.

‭Q: Why did you call your book a work of fiction?

A: For me, anything that's not 100% documentary, is fiction. This book is not completely autobiographical and its not about anyone specific. Sure, it refers to life and situations close to me and to a lot of people in general - but its still a fictional story based on everyday reality.

‭Q: your preface seems to that you are not too optimistic about life.
‭A: Hhhmm, that's not how I read my preface - but everyone is entitled to his opinion.  I am a realist, a positive and sometimes a sarcastic realist. I believe life is full of positive things, but it also has its share of sadness. The book is about that - about life, its happy and sad moments. Its neither pessimistic nor optimistic to admit that sometimes we all have a bad day. But its realistic to admit that life is full of waves - good things and good days interchange with bad things and not-so-good-days. Its a natural law of life, ups and downs. As long as we live for the ups, we can handle the downs. I think its realistically optimistic approach.

‭Q: Considering that this is your second published work after your college graduation thesis, what inspired you to take up the pen?
‭A: I would not compare myself to an artist, but the basics of inspiration are the same. You have to feel it, get this urge to paint, to write, to put something on canvas, on paper, that would express what you are feeling, what you want to say - whether with a paint brush or with a pen. It might be something of  cliche to say that life inspired me - but that's what it was. One early Sunday morning, instead of baking pan cakes, I just wanted to write.

‭Q: being a marketing and sales assistant involves meeting targets, too. What was your target when you decided to write this book?
‭A: My target was to finish it. It took a long time, because I went through a couple of years of  'writers block'. And once I could write again - I just pushed it until I put the final dot on the last page. After that, I am taking it step by step. I never expected this book to go so far. Every new phase is a surprise and a positive experience.

‭Q: Do you take pride in the fact that you are a female author or are you against gender bias?
‭A: I have always been a feminist. I believe in equal rights when it comes to work or vote or other social aspects and I believe in female 'rights' when it comes to dating, opening doors, and helping you put on your coat. I am proud to be a female writer. But I don't want my work to be judged on the fact that I am a woman. The book is aimed at female audience. But I hope men will read it too and see it as 'another side of coin'. whoever reads it, though, should see it as a point of view on life, a female opinion, but an opinion nonetheless.

‭Q: What would be your next?
‭A: I have a lot of plans and ides, dreams - some might be realized, some might remain dreams. But I am willing to try. One of my plans is writing another book - completely different from this one.

‭Q: Do you think readers have the right to infringe upon an author's creative freedom?
‭A: Do you mean if the readers have the right to tell a writer what a he/she can write about? No, I think anyone can write about anything. There should be some sort of filtration as what gets to which public ( for example for me, a completely violent and grotesque children's book is a no-no). As a reader, we can choose to not reading something we are against, or boycott it or ban it from the shops. And that's a stronger point against an author than to tell him what not to write.

‭Q: What is your worst fear as an author?
‭A: My experience of being an author is very, very minimal. I can say from my experience that I was nervous when my parents read the book. And when I submitted my work to the publisher, I was nervous about being accepted. Then, we decided to go ahead with the publishing, I was nervous about how the book would be received. So there is always something that keeps you on the edge. I don't think I would call it a fear; Its more like anxiety. At this moment, my anxiety is to have no reaction at all on what I write. That would mean that the book had no impact, positive or negative.

‭Q: As an author, do you feel you have any social responsibility?
‭A: Any human being has a responsibility towards the society. I believe books motivate people to think, to become better, to imagine, to evolve into better, more sophisticated versions of themselves. So, a writer's responsibility is to write books that matter - even if it is to just one reader. I think that's the social responsibility of a writer - to touch hearts.

‭Seema Chatterjee Interviewed By Abhilesh Vijayan.

Based in Jakarta, Indonesia, Seema Chatterjee writes for children. In her collection of short stories, The Bumblebees and the other stories ( Published By Mumbai based Leadstart Publishing  ), the reader finds himself in the whirlpool of exciting incidents. These stories are a blend of magic, human characteristics like kindness, valor, loyalty and happiness. Chatterjee has a fascinating style of narration that makes the book an instant page-turner. All the stories not only amuse the readers but they also leave them with a moral or two, without being didactic. Excerpts of the author's interview with Abhilesh Vijayan, Sahara Time, 11th April 2009.

　

Q: Where did you get the idea to write the book?-

A: As a child I lived in Cairo and London before returning to India. Living in multiple worlds helped my vivid imagination to capture the fantasy realm of stories for children.-

Q: what made you write a children's book?-

A: As a child I loved Peter Pan's journey to never never land and imagined myself holding the author's hand as we embarked on one adventure after another. The dream to write such stories has stayed with me as an adult. I wanted to express the dreams of my childhood and writing stories was one way to do that. I did not know that I would in the end have a collection that would actually become a book.-

Q: Are you thinking of writing another book?-

A: Yes, I have a collection of stories for children and teenagers and I am thinking of putting them together for another book. I have begun writing adult fiction, a fascinating genre, and I am very keen to write some stories on diverse themes.-

Q: Have you ever considered writing a novel?-

A: Yes, I have built I do not know if I have the discipline to sustain a single thought or theme, which is necessary to write a novel.-

Writing Those Unforgettable Stories

Effective storytelling is a fine art only if you know the science of it. We all tell stories at some point or the other. Lies and excuses, sprinkled with right amount of expressions, usually make for good hearing with a ready audience. But writing or publishing them and reaching out to a fair amount of readers is a more difficult process. There's nothing more special than writing a compelling story. Some say it’s a creative process while others harbour a completely different view.

In this article I am not discussing the oft-repeated importance of characters, conflict, crisis and resolution aspects. There can still be a story without one or two of them. Of course, readers are more engaged when you have all of them in your story with enough drama thrown in. But then your story may get forgotten soon enough. What I shall discuss here are the stories that are well remembered and have made it to the classics list. Stories that book publishers are eager to publish.For example, 'A lamb to the slaughter' by Roald Dahl, is an example of excellent short-story telling.
A good story makes no assumptions about its readers. If you make assumptions, you tend to contrive the plot and characters to some extent. Readers are as well informed as you. Not many of them are naive. If you begin to judge the readers, you will soon fall into the familiar trap like most amateur writers. Readers vary in a lot of factors: Geography, upbringing, social values, education and so on. They often have their own value judgements that might differ from the writer's own view. By making these judgements yourself, you may cause discomfort to your diverse readers.
Holding that climactic revelation till the end and using it as an emotional parting, like in Guy De Maupassant’s 'The Necklace', can be a master stroke. The reader won’t suspect it till the end. But if you, as the writer, begin to provide clues about the ending, you will surely miss an opportunity to strike the right chord with your readers. They might be able to guess what’s going to happen without actually reading it. Being too obvious with characters and plot can be boring to the tee.
Narration is another thing that can make a lot of difference. It can be easy to read with simple words or the other way round, but make sure that the flow is not disturbed. When there is a good flow and the reader is going through the story with ease, you can subtly build the scene to the crisis point. When the crisis strikes, the reader is then caught unawares. It’s like a road without any signs. If you don't tell what’s ahead, the driver hits a speed-breaker and he is shaken. If you tell him to expect a road-block ahead, there is nothing that can surprise him. You, as a writer, have to make sure that you are not playing a good traffic cop for your readers. There is no danger, if you let them read along. If there are any psychological disturbances, you are on your way to becoming a great writer!

We at Leadstart Publishing are looking for such collections of short stories from authors. Happy writing!!

How do I pitch my idea to a publisher?

How do I get a publisher? Do I need to hire a literary agent? What is the role of a literary agent? Don’t let these questions bother you any more. Check right here…

1. What are the trade norms between an author and a literary agent?
This varies from project to project. Normally, 15 per cent is what the literary agents get from everything related to the book’s sale. This broadly includes the following - upfront fee if the publishers offer the same, royalty on all books sold, paid excerpts in newspapers, magazines, websites, etc, audio books and e-books
2. What services do the literary agents deliver?
Literary agents pitch the author’s proposal or manuscript to the publishers and help the author negotiate the best deal. It works well as the agent makes money from the deal, hence he tries and gets the best he can. Most agents edit and fine-tune the book pitch. They have an idea of which publisher is looking for what genres of books hence pitch likewise. This drastically improves the chances of the book’s success with the publishers. Once the contract is signed they act as the author’s face to the publisher.
3. Do publishers pay the literary agents independently?
Generally, they do not. Publishers buy projects at a cost. The agreement between the literary agents and authors is not the publisher’s concern. Literary agents get their commissions out of what they do for the authors
4.What are the different deals?
Upfront buying: The publisher pays a one-time fee for the copyrights and owns it from there on. The writer gets due credit but no royalty thereafter.
Royalty format: In this case, the publisher pays the author a particular royalty from the sales of the book.
Signing fee and royalty: Well-known authors sometimes charge a signing fee as well as a royalty.
5. What royalty is a good royalty?
Just like any regular deal, it depends upon who is in greater need. If the manuscript happens to be extraordinary and the writer already has a few bestsellers to his/her credit, publishers pitch to get the rights, leading to better deals for writers. If several publishers have rejected the manuscript, the one who picks it up and invests logically negotiates harder. Hence royalties have no fixed rates. An industry average is 8-10 per cent.
6. How do I pitch a manuscript myself?
Do your homework well. Following pointers may be of some help to you:

1. Pitch to the right publisher. Most authors make a terrible mistake of assuming that all publishers publish every genre. Well, many big publishers publish across genres, but not all. Most publishers have special genres/sub genres like spiritual, children, fiction, investment, management etc. Trying to sell a non-priority genre to a publisher is like selling a fridge to an Eskimo.
2. The genres publishers want to buy are listed on their websites.
3. What does your book have for the publisher? : For a moment assume you are the publisher and think of all things the publisher will be looking at before buying the manuscript. Publishing house is not a charitable institution. People do not enter the industry to serve art. They are here to make money, period. Before you approach any publisher, read the Leadstart Manuscript Evaluation Metrics, which will give you a clear understanding of the publisher’s requirements. Each publisher has his or her own evaluation and methodology.
4. What does your book have for the publisher? : For a moment assume you are the publisher and think of all things the publisher will be looking at before buying the manuscript. Publishing house is not a charitable institution. People do not enter the industry to serve art. They are here to make money, period. Before you approach any publisher, read the Leadstart Manuscript Evaluation Metrics, which will give you a clear understanding of the publisher’s requirements. Each publisher has his or her own evaluation and methodology.
5. Sound professional: It is absolutely okay if you a first timer. No sweat. Just don’t be silly. Please read through a lot of stuff on the Internet before you start approaching the publishers. A lot of authors feel they present themselves better in person than via written communication. Well, if being an author you fail to communicate through writing, how can you impress your publisher? Any registered publishing company starts working with you only after they have chosen your manuscript to publish.

Contact us at : http://www.leadstartcorp.com

An Author's Guide To Publishing A Book

Ask any author whose book has been published, and he’ll tell you it's a monumental task. The process is long, drawn out, and grueling. Even if you enjoy writing – and don't mind penning down lines on the same subject over an extended period of time - the very process will, undoubtedly, exhaust you. Getting your book published, however, will take even more time and effort than writing it in the first place.
Are you thinking of writing a book? Have you already written it?

 

Key processes at the publisher’s end, before release of a book ; where can the author help the publishers

The journey from having the manuscript selected by a publisher to getting it into the bookstores is both interesting and painstaking for both the publisher and the writer.

Once both the parties, i.e. the writer and the publisher sign the publishing contract, work merely begins at the publisher’s end. A good writer can effectively contribute towards the success of his/her book at several stages of pre-production through post release.

The stages are as follows.

1. PRE PRODUCTION:
   Proof reading
   Editing
   One round of author proof corrections
   ISBN Assignment read more (http://www.isbn-international.org/)
   Cover page design ( Front Cover , Back Cover, Spine , Inside cover)
   Page making and layouts
2. PRODUCTION:
   Book printing
3. POST PRODUCTION – PRE RELEASE:
   Pre- Release PR : Making of Press docket and sending the book to all major media (Newspapers, magazines and websites )
   Media Tracking: Tracking Media coverage across media for Book Reviews.
4. DISTRIBUTION AND INVENTORY MANAGEMENT:
   Dispatching the books to various distributors / bookstores as required. Maintaining a required inventory level at distributors and at publisher’s warehouse

Book publishers always do more for authors who behave as partners, than those who keep cribbing about the book’s media coverage, distribution, etc. Following are a few tips for authors to help them add to their book’s visibility and sales:

• Even the most well known publishers face a lot of problems finding good display spaces in bookstores for first-time writers. It’s therefore, easier if the writer can create an initial buzz, at least talk to his friends and family members about the book. Once these people go to a bookstore and ask for the book, the very act creates a demand for the book in the market and helps the publisher push it through. Moreover, if the booksellers think they have a big book, they give the book prominent displays, which further add to the book sales.
• Marketing and PR of a book: Media of any form is split into two parts, content and advertising. Content is what the media house decides and advertising is what the advertisers decide; content (ethically) is not for sale and buying ads in national media is an expensive affair. Rarely would you see a book being advertised in Media, the reason being unlike toothpastes and soaps which everyone uses, a very small audience reads book and an even smaller spends money to buy original copies. The only pragmatic option left is sending the book across media to get book reviews, which has a good impact and is free of cost. But everything that’s free comes with its own set of problems. In India there are over 300 new books (published in India + imported from abroad) released in a month. All are sent for media coverage. A newspaper only covers 4 books in a w eek and magazines review 4 books once / twice a month i.e. approx 30 odd books get reviewed (mostly duplication of reviews happen across media). The remaining books either become a part of an infinite pipeline or go to the bin. The books, which definitely get reviews, are the ones by noted authors or famous personas. Everything else remains on the publisher's media network. Publishers try to get the book reviewed across media with their own contacts. If the author knows a few media people it always comes in handy. Adding a few more book reviews helps the cause of the book in a big way.
• Improving saliency of the book on the Internet: This is something each author can do. You can blog about your book, provide some excerpts, sample chapters, add links to websites which are selling the book, maybe create your own website, blog on writers’ forums etc.
• Authors can also use social networking sites like orkut , facebook ,etc. effectively to reach out to a larger audience.
• Authors can make the cover page of the book as an e-mail signature in their mails.

Contact us at: info@leadstartcorp.com, website: http://www.leadstartcorp.com