Questin about publishing a book - Writers Forum

Elena · 12-03-2007, 06:20 PM

I just have a quick question about the best way to publish a book. First of all I am a beginner

. I translated a book of fairy tales and approached a few agents and publishing companies. However, I haven't got any positive answer. Now I am thinking of selfpublishing. I am thinking of finding an artist to do illustrations to the book, then to have a few copies published to show them to shop owners - just to figure out how many copies to publish in the beginning. Could anybody advice whether it is a right thing to do? Or are there any other ways to start with?

fgp123 · 12-03-2007, 06:55 PM

Lulu.com is a place where you can upload your files and create a real book. Either hardback or paperback.

You don’t have to pay anything they print the book as it is brought. You get an online shop front and obviously the community of lulu may well buy it, but for the best part you need advertise it yourself.

or you can pay them some money and they will act as a non exclusive publisher and you can get into Amazon and barns and noble.

I have a book up already

THE LIVING DEAD DIARY (click the buy now icon to see how it looks advertised in lulu.

As for illustration, that is what I do. I illustrated my own book. So if you want I can do that for you.

Good luck.

lin · 12-03-2007, 07:08 PM

Illustration makes publishing expensive, unless it's B&W art.

I would say keep working on publishers and AGENTS for awhile (set yourself a timetable...six months, a year isn't unreasonable, actually) and exhaust that avenue before self-publishing.

Look for agents that handle your type of book. One way to do this is look up the authors of similar books on the internet, see if you can find out who represents them.
Also, search this website AgentQuery :: Find the Agent Who Will Find You a Publisher
looking for "juvenile" or "children" or even "fairy" see who tumbles out.

This is a site for children's lit

Don't do illustrations before doing all you can to find a traditional publisher.

If you decide to go it alone, do some research on POD publishers. Lulu isn't the only one out there.

If your book might work in a comic book format, try Ka-Blam Digital Printing Presents — Ka-Blog!

When you decide on one, figure out the specs for your illustrations based on what it costs to print them. Then hunt up artists. Try deviantart.com or some of the art sites.

Then all you have to do is figure out how to move them.

Good luck

JohnN · 12-04-2007, 07:49 AM

lulu.com is a good start

lin · 12-04-2007, 10:04 AM

No, actually, and I think few would disagree, the best start is trying to sell the book. If it can't be sold THEN start looking at self publication.

Mike C · 12-04-2007, 10:40 AM

I have a slightly tangential question - whose fairy tales did you translate? Who owns the rights, and do you have permission? Are they published elsewhere? If they're currently in print, it's possible you don't have the right to publish a translation. It may be worth contacting the existing publisher (if there is one) and selling the translation to them.

Elena · 12-04-2007, 03:23 PM

Thank you very much for your advice. I will try the websites first

Quote:

Originally Posted by lin

Illustration makes publishing expensive, unless it's B&W art.

I would say keep working on publishers and AGENTS for awhile (set yourself a timetable...six months, a year isn't unreasonable, actually) and exhaust that avenue before self-publishing.

Look for agents that handle your type of book. One way to do this is look up the authors of similar books on the internet, see if you can find out who represents them.
Also, search this website AgentQuery :: Find the Agent Who Will Find You a Publisher
looking for "juvenile" or "children" or even "fairy" see who tumbles out.

This is a site for children's lit

Don't do illustrations before doing all you can to find a traditional publisher.

If you decide to go it alone, do some research on POD publishers. Lulu isn't the only one out there.

If your book might work in a comic book format, try Ka-Blam Digital Printing Presents — Ka-Blog!

When you decide on one, figure out the specs for your illustrations based on what it costs to print them. Then hunt up artists. Try deviantart.com or some of the art sites.

Then all you have to do is figure out how to move them.

Good luck

Elena · 12-04-2007, 03:37 PM

This is a book of Russian fairy tales in English. They are traditional stories, that means that nobody owns the rights. Yes, the stories have been published before as far as I am aware. However, it's not that easy to find them on the market and I don't see why I can't do it again?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike C

I have a slightly tangential question - whose fairy tales did you translate? Who owns the rights, and do you have permission? Are they published elsewhere? If they're currently in print, it's possible you don't have the right to publish a translation. It may be worth contacting the existing publisher (if there is one) and selling the translation to them.

Mr Sci Fi · 12-04-2007, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elena

This is a book of Russian fairy tales in English. They are traditional stories, that means that nobody owns the rights. Yes, the stories have been published before as far as I am aware. However, it's not that easy to find them on the market and I don't see why I can't do it again?

If the stories have been previously published, you do not own the rights to them.

Rabid Euphoria · 12-04-2007, 06:47 PM

I'm thinking of using lulu.com to self publish for private use, for friends and family to read. Perhaps pictures of my soft/hardcover books self-published can help it be accepted. Not to mention it'll feel awesome to actually hold it in my hands and be able to read it myself, in book form with cover et all when when I send out the manuscript for actual publishers.

Mike C · 12-04-2007, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elena

However, it's not that easy to find them on the market and I don't see why I can't do it again?

A little thing called copyright.

Example: Cinderella is a fairy story. I can write my version, you can write yours, no problem. But if you copy my version, even in another language, you're breaching my copyright. You're stealing my work.

lin · 12-04-2007, 10:56 PM

Quote:

If the stories have been previously published, you do not own the rights to them.

Not if they are public domain to start with. There are a jillion Aesops fables books out there.

It sounds to me like he translated these stories himself. In which case he would have rights to the translations if the originals are in public domain.

Is one of them about Baba Yaga?

Mike C · 12-05-2007, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lin

Not if they are public domain to start with. There are a jillion Aesops fables books out there.

It sounds to me like he translated these stories himself. In which case he would have rights to the translations if the originals are in public domain.

Is one of them about Baba Yaga?

True, but that is dependant on them being in the public domain. you often see similar books of popular tales marketed as a 'retelling' or whatever. The story may be traditional, as old as the hills, but that particular sequence of words used to tell the tale is copyright the author. See my cinderella reference.

lin · 12-05-2007, 12:00 PM

Well, if translated a collection of old tales himself, I would think he's in the clear.

Mike C · 12-05-2007, 02:30 PM

yes, but I'm inargumentative mood. If he's translated them, he's working from source material, therefore provenance should be established. If he just got a book out of the library and translated, there are likely copyright issues. If it's a volume of tales passed down from his dear great-grandpappy, likely not.