• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to footer

R. L. Stedman

Writer

  • My Books
  • My Story
  • Contact
  • Shop
  • Blog
  • Giveaways
  • All Books
  • SoulNecklace Stories
  • Middle Grade

How to Serve Your Readers (and sell more books!)

May 10, 2016 By Rachel Stedman

Rights, Publishing and Marketing Your Books

writer's notebook

I’ve just been interviewed for Otago Access Radio’s Write On Show, hosted by the awesome Vanda Symon. We were talking about how to get your book published, how to self-publish and (briefly) how to market your books.

Time always seems to fly when I’m talking to Vanda and some things we just couldn’t fit into half an hour. So in the next few blog posts, I’ll touch on some of the things we discussed in the interview, as well as some of the things we didn’t have time to cover.

This is the first post in a series of three on selling your rights and marketing your books, and includes downloadable resources and a slideshare (yep, I went all out!). Check these extras out at the link here.

(If you don’t want to read all this, you can also listen to the interview via podcast. )

Screen Shot 2016-05-10 at 2.46.52 pm

How to Sell Your Books.

1. Write the best work you can.
Whether it’s a cookbook, an anthology of poems, a novel. It doesn’t matter; just make it the best.

2. Know your goals.
Are you writing for income? To inform people? For validation? Just for fun?

None of these goals are better than others, but they might help suggest the easiest way to get your books in front of readers. For example, if you’re wanting to write a hugely informative book with lots of photos, you might be better to approach a publisher. On the other hand, a non-illustrated novel is relatively simple to self-publish.

3. Understand the value of your work.

The value of your book, or “work” lies in “the rights”. This means the Intellectual Property Rights, generated automatically when you create an original work. Copyright is not just for print – it applies in whatever format the work is produced (audio, translation, video etc). If you live in New Zealand, you can find out more about copyright from the Intellectual Property Office . (If you live in a different country, you may have differing rules around copyright, so do check this for yourself.) In many countries, copyright lasts much longer than its creator – up to seventy years or so after your death.

So, because your work can generate income for a long time, you need to be wary when agreeing to offer other parties the right to generate income from it. I suggest the best way to view copyright is to see it as a major asset: like a car, or house. As an example: a cash asset, like money in the bank, of $50,000 returning interest at 3% pa will give you $1500 worth of revenue per year. If you think your books could conceivably earn you $1500 per year, you have a valuable asset!

Hopefully you wouldn’t give part of your house to someone you’d just met online. Now, the same applies when you’re talking about your rights!

There are an awful lot of publishing scams, but there are genuine operators too. If you are offered a contract with a publisher or an agent (or anyone else, like a distributor) and they’re wanting a share of your rights, check the entity offering you the contract is legitimate. Think of it like a prenup!

Here’s what I would do:

  1. A google search
  2. Check with Writer Beware 
  3. Query your local author organisation and/or other writers if they know this entity or person
  4. Two excellent blogs that provide more information are The Passive Voice blog  and Kristine Kathryn Rusch
  5. Consider how stable the entity is. Publishers go out of business all the time. Make sure if this happens your rights will be returned.
  6. If you’re not sure, get a lawyer to check the agreement.

If something doesn’t feel right, discuss your concerns with the offering entity. If you still have concerns, DO NOT sign. Remember, this is income for your kids and grandkids!

A side note: If you’re worried about how to manage these discussions, here’s an earlier blog post on the art of negotiation (this post includes a downloadable cheat sheet).

Recording with Vanda Symon
Recording with Vanda Symon

The next post will cover self-publishing, and the following will cover marketing. So stick with me, or, if this is all too much, just listen to the interview!

Related

Filed Under: Behind the Scenes, How To, Marketing, Publishing, Writing tips Tagged With: Self-publishing, Writing Tips

About Rachel Stedman

Award-winning author Rachel Stedman lives in Dunedin, New Zealand with her husband and two children. Her first novel, A Necklace of Souls, won Best First Novel at the New Zealand Post Book Awards 2014. In 2012 Rachel was the winner of the Tessa Duder Award and was shortlisted for the Tom Fitzgibbon Award. If she's not got her nose in a book, she's on instagram or twitter (@rlstedman) or at her local library. Her website is www.RLStedman.com.

Footer

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Our Privacy Policy

rose100

Facebooktwitterinstagram

Privacy Policy | Website Disclaimer | Terms & Conditions of Sale
Copyright © 2018 R L Stedman. Website: Arts Net
This website uses Affiliate Links: as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
 

Loading Comments...