How to be a published author in this century

First you have to write something. Everyone thinks she’s a writer, but how many have actually produced a manuscript? Never mind a manuscript worth putting out in book form.

There are many approaches to writing. Some people major in creative writing, others join writing workshops and creativity seminars, still others devour manuals and how-to books. I recommend the most basic approach.

Take pen and paper. Write.

Naturally you must write about something you know forwards, backwards, and sideways. You need to be an expert in your field, and this entails study.

But what about style? Personally I think there is too much emphasis on style, to the detriment of substance. Worry about style when you already know your subject. Style should develop from the substance, not dictate it. When you’re bursting with information you’ll find that it is easy to express yourself.

The most painless way to develop a facility for expressing yourself in words is to read constantly. Read for pleasure, not as an obligation (which will only make you hate reading). Reading actually changes the way your brain works (Read the popular science book, Proust and The Squid). You absorb the rules of writing without knowing it.

It’s like tennis training. If you make 500 volleys everyday, your muscles remember how to volley so you can do it without thinking. Read everyday and when you have to write, you can do it without thinking.

I follow the Balzac method. One, drink lots of coffee. Two, keep cats. Three, have a lot of bills. Four, write every single day. It works for me, although the quality varies.

When you have your manuscript you can think about publishing. Although there are blogs, tweets, and e-books, there is still something romantic about a printed book. Holding the words in your hands feels more real than staring at a flickering screen. For book publishing in the 21st century you have a couple of options.

One, you can find a book publisher. Two, you can publish yourself.

To find a book publisher, look at the books you like. Are any of them in fields of knowledge or literary genres like yours? Turn to the copyright page and note the name and address of the publisher. Then send sample chapters with a cover letter to this publisher.

If the publishing company is in the United States, the process is more complicated. You will need an American literary agent. Most literary agents will not represent you unless you’ve already published in magazines in the US. But many magazines will not publish your work unless you have a literary agent. It’s a head-scratcher. You can learn about this on writers’ websites and books like Writers’ Market.

If the publisher accepts your manuscript for publication, congratulations! You may have to work with an editor and rewrite your manuscript, but you’re on your way.

But there are not enough publishers for all the manuscripts in the world, and for one reason or another brilliant manuscripts are often rejected. You could consider being your own publisher.

Self-publishing is often referred to as “vanity publishing,” but isn’t all publishing by nature vain? I mean, you don’t have to publish; the human race will survive your literary obscurity. We publish because we want to. We desire to be read.

The main difference between getting published by an established publishing company and self-publishing lies in who spends the money. An established publishing company will shoulder the expenses of producing your book, including editing, book-design, printing, marketing, retail, and so on. They spend the money, so they stand to make more money off your work than you do. (Assuming your book sells a lot of copies.) For your labors you get a royalty, which can be zero or billions depending on how many people buy your books.

Self-publishing requires a financial investment and more work on your part, but if your book sells well you stand to make more money.

For self-publishing you have two options: print on demand, or regular offset printing. But first I strongly recommend that you get an editor. Writers tend to get too attached to their work so they can’t see its flaws. An editor will suggest improvements, point out errors, and lend fresh eyes to the project. Basically a good editor will tell you where your work stinks and where it smells like freshly-baked bread.

Print on demand is a service that can produce small quantities of books. The cost per piece is higher, but you can print books only as needed, so you’re not stuck with inventory. You don’t have to worry about where to store the stocks; the physical copy doesn’t have to exist until someone orders it.

Websites like lulu.com can produce one or more copies of your manuscript in book form. Your design options are limited to the templates they offer, but for about $20 you can be a published book author. In Manila, Central Books offers a print on demand service.

Regular offset printing is best for larger quantities, say 1,000 copies or more. The more copies you print at one time, the lesser the cost per piece so you could make a bigger profit. Unfortunately if few books are sold, you are stuck with hundreds or thousands of copies.

You will need a book designer to lay out your manuscript, design the covers, and produce the final draft to submit to the printing press.

There’s no great mystery to being a published author, but it takes work. Why people love certain books and ignore others — there’s the mystery.

Good luck.

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