Q: I'm about to sign a contract with a major publisher. I have a long European name with no vowels, and my agent says I should adopt a pseudonym. How do I do that? A: If you are going to adopt a pseudonym, it's wise to do it early in your career before your first...
Okay, the hard work is over. I've written my book, had it critiqued and edited, formatted it and put it up as a print or an electronic book. Now I can sit back and wait for the checks; even better, I can go to work on my next project. At the end of the first month, I...
So you've made the decision to publish your own novel or short-story collection as a printed book, and you turn to the crucial task of educating yourself in the many steps between finished manuscript and printed book. Where to start? Well, the first piece of advice is...
In the last episode, I went over the preparations to put your book up on a POD site and get a proof copy printed. If you actually went through this process, you'll have the following: A formatted manuscript that looks like the interior of a book. A front and back...
I read posts from time to time where authors discuss the cost of self-publishing, asserting that they "can get a book published for as little as $600." Or $1,000. Or more. So it might be surprising to know that you can render your book into a paper copy...
Copyright, ISBN, and LOCN, are the Three Witches of publishing. That's because they're handled by the same part of out brain that deals with the US Tax Code and mortgage documents. You input your question, and out comes gibberish, boredom and ennui. But there's a bare...
I'm going to continue with the subject I began last month, but first I just have to lead off with this wonderful rant by Edward Gordon, posted in March on the Absolute Write self-publishing forum (reproduced with permission). Edward is editor of the TGC Gothic Novel...
Dear Mr. Joyce, Surely, you're not serious. Perhaps you've sent the wrong manuscript by mistake? Or perhaps it's a practical joke that we are unable to fathom? We let it sit in our slush pile for the requisite year before opening it, and it's fortunate we did. Our...
Adrienne has asked me, for reasons that baffle, to prepare a few articles on the process of publication. In particular, I'll be discussing ways that don't involve megacorporate publishers and year-long manuscript turnaround. I'll offer baseless and self-aggrandizing...