10 HELPFUL TIPS ON PUBLISHING YOUR OWN BOOK

1. Where possible, fill your writing with anecdotes, quotes, and humor.

2. Another important key is to write down thoughts, as soon as they come to mind (or you will lose them).

3. Revise, review, correct. Go through your writing with the objectivity of a surgeon's scalpel. If it doesn't flow, cut it out no matter how dear it is to you.

4. Have people read it through, and be open to their thoughts.

5. Avoid chapter headings that say what the chapter is about. Stir curiosity with witty headings.

6. Keep your writing as simple as possible. A good publishing size is 40,000-50,000 words (150-200 pages).

7. The book title is extremely important. When I first submitted "Hell's Best Kept Secret" as a title to the publisher, they said it was too heavy. They suggested "Watering Down the Gospel." I so disliked the weakness of their suggestion, I submitted another 74 titles as alternatives. They eventually changed their minds and chose "Hell's Best Kept Secret", and said, "You guys must have been praying." So diligently pray about your title.

8. Your cover design will make or break the book. You can't judge a book by its cover, but you sell it by it. If you try and save money by skimping on the cover design, you will have a lifetime to regret it. Book salesmen don't take books with them to stores. They sell them by showing pictures of the covers. Seek out a good graphic artist and have him design something that is eye-catching.

9. You have two options when it comes to publishing.

   First: You could try and find a publisher. This is ideal because it means that they finance and promote the book. To do this in Christian circles you should get a book called The Christian Writer's Market Guide. This is available from Joy Publishing, P.O. Box 827, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675. The book will tell you the names and addresses of Christian publishers, the editor's names, and the types of books they publish. Do not send them a manuscript. Instead, send what is called a "query" letter, on one page, saying what the book is about. Keep it brief, and enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope or you won't hear back from them. I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm, but Hell's Best Kept Secret was turned down by 90 publishers before one showed interest.

10. The alternative to finding your own publisher, is to "self-publish".

    If you just want a book available to sell or order a few copies, you can get perfect bound books at CafePress with no upfront cost. You just set the price above what they charge you -- they only print what's ordered. A book could be ready to go in days.

    For the other option, you will need about $5,000 to print the book (we have found a good printer for books. They are secular, but very professional - they print a million books a day - Offset Paperback Manufacturers (717) 675-5261. Call and ask for a quote. They have a minimum print of 5,000 copies.) When budgeting, add $700-$1,000 for the cover design.

    If you are going to direct-market it, you will need to advertise. A full-page ad in the well known Christian magazines runs around $6,000. The ideal is to have an itinerant ministry and make the book available at your meetings.

    You could seek a "distributor". There is a problem though. If you are not a well-known author, they will only take your book on a consignment basis. That means they will take a few dozen copies, and if they don't sell in six months, they will send them back to you (perhaps dog-eared and ruined by the sun). Then you may end up with 5,000 books under your bed. Spring Arbor is the largest distributor. Their address is 10885 Textile Rd, Belleville, MI 48111. If you contact them you will more than likely only get machines rather than human voices.

    The book will need an ISBN number. To obtain one write to: International Standard Book Numbering, U.S. Agency, 245 West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011 (908) 464-6800. This may take a few months to obtain, so call or write early. You will also need a bar code. You can't get this until you have an ISBN number. To obtain a bar code call 1 (800) 531-6029. This will cost about $20. Without it, the book will look amateurish.

    Don't be discouraged by all this. If God wants your book published, things will work out.