Publishing is...

A journey, not a destination. Stories simply do not sell themselves, even those that are well written. In order to achieve success, every book, every author, needs a blend of ingredients that include great writing, packaging appeal, public interest, target-market identification, public relations, critical-acclaim and effective-distribution. In order to hit all the high notes an author needs to be able to transition from creator to promoter. This is equally the case whether an author is royalty or self-published.

Publishing is not...

For the enthusiastic novice. For those without ready-made public recognition the process of becoming a recognized author is measured in years, not months.

We encourage...

Our authors and organizations to take a hard look at why they want to publish their work. If authors want to publish their work to realize a dream or to share their visions, then the investment is always worth it. But, big profits, or for that matter even modest profits, are not guaranteed. The process of publishing, distributing and promoting a book is not self-sustaining and a wealth of enthusiasm seldom compensates for a weak or non-existent business-plan. If the goal of publishing a book is to make a profit, the author is encouraged to apply all the business considerations of any other venture. This means weighing potential profits against potential losses. Keep in mind, these considerations are not peculiar to publishing, they apply to all creative individuals seeking to move from manuscript to market, be they inventors, painters, songwriters, or authors. Creativity is the spark, character is the fuel.

The bottom line...

As any author will admit, is not really, "Must I write it?" Whether it be that scratch-pad beside the bed or that mad dash to exit the freeway, the answer is inevitably, "Yes, I must." The bottom line is, "Will it flourish or does it all end here?" There's only one way to find out.