Independent publishing guru Jerry Simmons sends out a free newsletter every month to anyone who wants the latest "insider" info about the publishing world, both traditional and POD. This month he had several articles regarding publishing rights. Below is a portion of one of the articles that is especially important for anyone who expects to have a book ready for publication in the coming year.
"As authors it is extremely important that you own and control your content and unfortunately that is not possible with traditional publishers, especially the major New York ones. The business model for the INDI Publishing Group [A Jerry Simmons publishing service] does not center around print, but "content" and how best to maximize the potential for sales, whether it be print or digital. Each of our authors own, obtain all rights, and control their content at all times.
"If you are considering a POD company or other self-publishing option,"Simmons says, "you must make absolutely certain you obtain all rights, possess complete ownership without restriction and control the future of your content. As publishing changes so must the business models for all publishers."
The important word here is content. For content includes all the publishing options: print media, electronic media, audio media, video media, etc. That means you don't want to settle for rights that only pertain to your printed book. Having all the rights to your content means you have the rights to publish your work in as many different media as you want, and as many different media as you can.
Also, if you are thinking about publishing that Great American Novel or Nonfiction book in 2010, be sure to tell us about it either privately or during one of our FWA meetings. We have several people in our group who have published articles, stories and books both POD and traditionally. Be sure to utilize their experiences to avoid making decisions that you might regret later on.
There are literally dozens and dozens of POD publishers (probably hundreds!) that will be very happy to publish whatever you send them, as long as you attach a check to your submission. Unfortunately, not all POD publishers are the same. Some will treat your fairly. Some will rip you off while raving about what a wonderful writer you are and how you'll surely sell thousands of copies if you let them publish your book.
If you want more information about Jerry Simmons, his services, and his newsletter, go to http://www.writersreaders.com/. The more information you can gather about the rapidly changing world of publishing, the more likely you are to avoid making costly mistakes.
Posted by
Russ Heitz
http://www.russheitz.com/
