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Author
Bill Creed on Self-Publishing Writers' Break had the honor to chat with author Bill Creed about his new book "Comes the End" and his decision to self-publish. WB: Why did you decide to self-publish?
BILL: I arrived at the decision to self publish only after much personal resistance to the idea. I am so grateful that I was led to self-publish. For the first-time author I believe it is absolutely the best way to go – unless of course you have a reputation or backing that will nearly insure your book receives the kind of distribution and promotion support it needs.
I talked to a number of authors who regret having sold their book to a traditional publisher. In today’s market publishers are unable to provide the support an unknown author needs to market their book. The book industry is very different than it used to be. Today all is dependent upon the author and how much they can invest in both time, and money to promote their creations. I’m speaking mostly about fiction writers. Non fiction has similar but not as dramatic pressures. A non-fiction book can be put on the net and if the subject is one of interest, its niche market will find it. However, I think fiction finds this much more difficult. The author has to reach out and grab the reader and say “Hey! Take a look at this. Try it, you’ll like it.”
Involving the author in the direct promotion of the book requires a lot of the author’s time, and some of his money to meet the expenses involved. When a traditionally published author is afforded only commissions ranging in the 7% area, it’s tough to meet expenses in the promotion of the book. On the other hand, a self-published author, working with 60% on the sale is in a much better position to afford the costs of merchandising his product.
After approaching a few (not that many) publishers about my book, I decided to self publish. I received some interest from a couple of publishers, but eventually no contract. Initially, I thought that self-publishing was an admission of defeat. I looked upon self publishing as vanity publishing. I assumed I would print a minimum number of books, give them out to family and friends, and the rest to public libraries.
While I was waiting for my book to be published I attended a conference of self-published authors. It was an eye-opening experience. The attendees were authors who expected to actually sell their books – they were here because they were convinced their book would not only sell, but make a PROFIT! The thought never occurred to me. Profit. I returned from the conference with an entirely new attitude.
I jumped into preparing to sell my book. I contacted everyone one I could regarding anything to do with sales of books. I used “The Complete Guide to Self Publishing” by M. Ross as my bible. I was sending out letters, looking up web sites, making phone calls 10-12 hours a day. When my book came out I was ready: I had a web site, related products to sell, a book signing tour set up, posters, and many other things ready to employ. I wasted to no time – time is money, and I didn’t want to waste any of either.
BILL: I wish I could tell you I am a super disciplined person about my writing. Once I’ve got the book through the first draft, I do become very disciplined about the amount of time I devote to writing. Before that, creating the first draft, I am absolutely despicable about my writing schedule. I avoid it at all opportunities: The lawn needs mowing, so I can’t write today; then there’s the car – it’s filthy; the basement is in terrible shape etc., etc. I assure you every excuse is exhausted. Finally in desperation I force myself to sit down and start. Once started writing I can go for several hours. I like to use my laptop and sit on the front porch when I write. But that will change as soon as I can figure an excuse why I can’t write today because sitting on the front porch is dangerous to my health – the humidity is bad for the computer or…
BILL: I’m tempted to say ‘Nothing’. But that’s not true. I love it. I just hate doing it. I think I hate starting because I don’t know if I will succeed at it. Sorta the, “today is the day I will never be able to think of another word to write the rest of my life”, syndrome.
What I love about writing is the ability to share with some unknown soul a part of me no one else has seen. It’s a delicious secret we will share. We’ll share this secret through characters we both will love and hate and miss when they’re gone.
BILL: Wow! Great question! It assumes the critically important fact that there is a definite strategy to book signings. Book signings are not simply an author showing up to sign books. It is an activity which should be well planned out. I had an experience at one book signing where they had scheduled another author to come in on the same day. Of course when I hit the store, banners went up, posters on windows, displays, announcements, I had my table repositioned so it was in front of the door. When the second author showed up they put her at the table they had originally set up for me. She sat there, no signs, no promotion, no announcements, nothing. Worse of all, she had no customers. I guess she didn’t expect many since she only brought four books with her. I really felt bad for her. I was selling a lot of books, people were taking pictures with me, announcements were being made. I sold about 40 books in three hours. I never come to a store without at least 50 books and more in the car. In those stores which supply their own books, I make sure I have more in the car since I generally have to get more to sign towards the end of the signing period. This is the result of a carefully thought out activity employing a lot of preparation and constant tweaking as signings are concluded.
I have a complete plan starting with deciding where the signings should take place; that is, a route which I can take to maximize my time on the road. I started out believing (and still will occasionally do it) that every day of the week is a candidate for a book signing when I am on the road. So planning a tour takes lots of contact time to arrange a schedule which makes sense.
I will call the stores which make the tour schedule work. I may book a Barnes and Noble for a Saturday, but then travel most of the night to be in some town the next day for a Hastings. My road expenses while on tour I hold to about 1200.00 per week, so I have to earn at least that amount in book signings to pay for the trip. Anything over that amount is gravy.
The reason I’m doing book signings is not to earn profit. The two main reasons are to get the word out by planting the seeds which I hope with bear fruit in the future. I believe that once people read my book they will, not only like it, but tell others about it. I also do it because it’s a real ego trip. Which of the reasons is the number one reason, I’m not sure.
BILL: Don’t miss an opportunity to meaningfully promote your book. By that I mean don’t waste time on ‘wild’ ideas like jumping up and down at intersections, or going door to door. But watch what others are doing when you see them; listen to what successes they’ve had. Steal every idea you can. I do book signings a lot (see my website signing schedule), but I’ve devoted a lot of time to other things.
I worked very hard to get my book sold to stores. First I got a few wholesalers then I worked hard and got a distributor (NBN/Faithworks). I developed a website that sells all sorts or other things (www.comestheend.com). I researched other sites and read some material on web sites before attempting to develop one. I was lucky and got a wonderful webmaster who developed a wonderful site FOR FREE. (I pay him a percentage of the material sold on the site.)
I hand out bookmarks and copies of my reviews. I also had extra covers printed so that when children come to ask me for my autograph, I sign a cover and give it to them to take home (Mom and Dad will see and maybe come back to get the book), I take pictures with people who want one, then print it on the web and invite them to download for free (gets people to my web page), I have a life-size stand up poster of me which I carry around to book signings.
Here’s my philosophy regarding book signings. Forget you are promoting yourself. Pretend it’s someone else. Then here’s the message I want to get out. ‘Don’t miss the opportunity to meet this famous, wonderful author – he’s the REAL DEAL. You may never get another opportunity to get your PERSONALLY autographed book.’ To accomplish this, I have my six foot standup poster. I have two foot by three foot posters which I set up on music stands. I have printouts of reviews, reader’s letters, author sheets which I display and hand out at my signing table. I bring my own tablecloth to book signings. I want it to complement the colors on my book. I send ahead of my appearance posters which I ask the bookstore manager to put at cash registers and on doors. I have an announcement pre-written which I give to cashier to read over the intercom every thirty minutes.
I contact radio stations and local TV to see if they are interested in an interview. I have a press kit which I made up and mail this out a month or so prior to my appearance to the people who’ve indicated some interest. My press kit is a real attention getter. Think of drama for the cover (less is more) it should have one ‘gotcha’ on it. A phrase, a look, a question – whatever will get attention. When speaking about yourself, don’t be shy.
You aren’t “the author coming to town” you are “the critically acclaimed author who is visiting for ONE DAY ONLY their city.”
I pay careful attention to what I wear. I want to present myself as THE AUTHOR. What stereotype images does the public have of an author? I want to wear whatever will reinforce that image – it adds credibility in their minds.
BILL: I wrote COMES THE END in the mid-'90s when there was a great deal of speculation about the coming millennium change. There were a great number of ‘End Of The World’ stories circulating. I decided to investigate myself. It was during this research that I came across Matthew 24:24. “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders’ insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
I wondered what deception could be so good that it would convince people all over the world? This prediction isn’t just for Christians; that is, it is a deception which convinces everyone, of all faiths and persuasions.
The book is about such a deception. This deception uses logic as the avenue to convince people away from faith. “Seeing is believing” will be the watchword of the era. Faith will fail in too many hearts, and those who hold fast to faith will be branded as dangerous.
BILL: There are two: First, the decision to write. Not to listen to voices which said I couldn’t, but to follow my instincts and do what I believe God wanted me to do. If I was wrong, then at least I could claim that I tried my best to do what I thought I should. To me, the worse sin is allow to lay fallow talents which God put into us but which we never allow to grow and bloom.
Second, on a practical side, to self publish. I am so grateful for this decision. It has allowed me to do so many more things than I would have been able to do if I’d gone with a traditional publisher. Perhaps, after I’ve sold ten to twenty thousand copies I’ll consider going with a traditional publisher. Right now I’ve got everything which a publisher could give me: A quality produced book, international distributor, several wholesalers, quality web site, and book tours.
BILL: Not publishing the book sooner. I wrote my book seven years ago and then put it away for many years because I didn’t think it was good enough to sell. I think a cure for this would have been if I’d been a member of a writers group. Unfortunately, I live in a small town and there are no writer’s groups. I think a writer, regardless of how reticent he may be, needs to associate with other writers.
I first wanted to become a writer when I was eight years old and lived next door to a writer, Mrs. Fruin. She convinced me I could write and shepherded me through my first book (two pages); then took me to a Writers Guild where I read the big-time novel; she told me that every time I write something, I should send it in to a publication. She helped me find the address of a publisher and I sent my novel off to them. I was so thrilled – to the point of dancing around – when I got a response from the publisher. I got an honest-to-goodness Rejection Slip. It was my finest hour.
I should have remembered Mrs. Fruin’s admonition to me when I wrote COMES THE END. I should have sent my book in immediately, and repeatedly, after I wrote it. Not doing that was my biggest mistake. Sorry Mrs. Fruin.
BILL: What is intriguing to one person is a bore to the next; however, I’ll share a few which might be interesting.
When I was fifteen I wrote a weekly column for our town newspaper. I got national coverage through the wire services, and on radio when I proposed the idea for a Teen United Nations. This would be a meeting of teens from around the world occupying the chairs of their representative countries in the UN to discuss and offer their own solutions for crises and challenges facing the world.
When I was in the Air Force, I was taken into custody and investigated under the charge of Espionage. That was interesting, I thought.
For twenty years I produced and promoted music concerts throughout the eastern half of the US.
I was bitten by a mosquito when I was in my thirties and contracted an illness called encephalitis. I lost the ability to read or write, or count to ten, or know what year it was, or how old I was. The doctors told me not to expect to get much better. But, through the grace of God, I did. Learn more about "COMES THE END" at Creed's web site: www.ComesTheEnd.com. Did you enjoy this interview? If so, please let us know at editor@writersbreak.com! If you would like to republish this interview, please email editor@writersbreak.com with your request. Copyright
© Jennifer Minar, 2003.
Copyright © Jennifer Minar, 2003. |
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