Portfolio of Articles and Essays

To be findable online, all you need is a website. It’s the hub of your book marketing wheel. For you to find your readers, which is much more effective than waiting for them to discover you, you also need spokes: the social media platforms where your readers spend so much of their time.

Over the past decade, the publishing industry has become glutted with book awards for indie publishers. Authors and publishers are invited to compete in contests that range from the Pulitzer to the Pushcart Prizes. Yet the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards™, begun in 1985, continue to be some of the most respected in the industry. What is the story behind these awards?

To locate a reputable editor, conventional wisdom tells you that you must track down the names of editors, research each of them, contact those who seem qualified to edit your book, and then ask for a cost estimate. Some authors are tempted to stop right there and make their judgment based on the cost estimate alone. However, there is one more crucial element to be assessed. You must evaluate your ability to work well with this person—what I call your potential editor’s “workability.”

Finished that novel? Time to get it edited by a professional? For the uninitiated, it is not unusual to experience a bit of sticker shock upon receiving a cost estimate from a potential editor. As the author, you may wonder how this person came up with the astronomical figure you are now contemplating paying. It may seem mysterious, but it’s really a simple formula.

Remember, copyeditors are not fact-checkers. Sure, we do some double-checking of names and verify facts that look suspicious, but it is not the editor’s place to ensure a book’s accuracy. That is the author’s job. Expecting someone else to catch factual errors is an enormous risk that could damage your reputation. So don’t be afraid; dive in and investigate your topic! Then, make the most of your researching efforts to craft a more marketable book and save time and money in the process. 

Do you have what it takes to be a good author? This is not the same as being a good writer, at least not from an editor’s vantage point. No, although working with authors who are skilled with the pen does make an editor’s job more enjoyable, it is only one of many factors to be considered. Rather, it is the writer’s ability to maintain a good business relationship with his or her editor that makes one a good or bad author in an editor’s eyes.

Human beings can tend toward the selfish side, taking from others more than they give out or giving only so they can get something in return. This is particularly true when resources are slim and people become concerned that their livelihood is at stake. This phenomenon plays out on the large and small scale, and the writing community offers one excellent case study of how it happens and why it is not the best approach when trying to achieve personal and professional success.