Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn publication rights terms for dealing with a book publishing company

What's First Serial Rights? Or First North American Rights? What about reprints? Web use? These questions come up all the time in the book publisher industry. A lot of the answers are available online from a variety of providers.

I recommend: Find out about book publisher terms at J. Kelman's Writers Center. You can also find this type of glossary at colleges and schools, such as Washburn University and on association sites like the Copyright Clearance Center.

Find other helpful book publishing glossaries

For some of the terms that writers would generally use, or for clarifying the relationship between writers and agents, look for some specialized glossaries and information pages from the perspective of a writer.

I recommend: The PoeWar writer's glossary provides a lot of terms on clarifying job titles, different careers within the writing industry. The helpful page at LauraWrites outlines book publishers key terms from a writer's point of view.

Find more detailed lists of terms used to publish a book

Other commercial book publishers have posted their own lists to get the public educated about the lingo of doing business for printing books. These are great resources, as they represent some of the most challenging jargon a company might use in contracts to publish books and other communications.

I recommend: Booksurge provides a thorough glossary of common industry terms from the publisher's perspective. You can find a lot of the obscure terms a publisher uses in this alphabetized directory. Learn more from the African American Literature Book Club online.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  For anyone wanting to enter a contract or get the attention of book publishers, beyond just learning the terms, it's important to learn how to market a book. This specialized process is not always intuitive, and some in depth research may be necessary.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Hire a ghostwriter

Although you may be an expert in the subject of the book, you are probably not a good writer. Hire a ghostwriter to actually write the book for you.

I recommend: Hire a ghostwriter from SEO, HireaGhostwriter.com, or Writers for Hire.

Look for a literary agent

A literary agent can represent you and present your work to book publishing companies. They often help with everything from the selling of the book to the business negotiations. It can be challenging to get a literary agent interested in your project.

I recommend: Browse the Literary Agents Directory, or the directory at Author-Network.com.

Hire a publicist

A publicist generates and maintains interest in your book. The writer can perform this task when finances are tight. The buzz surrounding your book can help it sell, and as a result, bring you more business.

I recommend: Hire a publicist through iUniverse, or get publicity for your book through Author Marketing Experts.

Get a publishing house interested

A publishing house takes care of everything from the writing, publishing and printing to the pricing, packaging and marketing. A publishing house pays you in advance on book sales, so this is the fastest way to see return on your investments. It is challenging to get a book publisher interested in your ideas.

I recommend: Search a database of publishers according to book genre at SearchforPublishers.com. Ithaca Press and Dog Ear Publishing are both book publishing companies that accept new manuscripts of any genre.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider self-publishing if you cannot get a major book publisher interested.
• •  Publish an eBook if a regular book is not for you, or if much of your business is online.
• •  Market the book online, where it can reach masses for a very low price.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find news on e-book publishers

When it comes to new ideas in book publishing, e-books rank high on the list of trends that book publishers are tracking. The sale of e-books revolutionizes the world of book publishing companies, and their sale is a flash point for readers to zero in on to understand how book marketing works today.

I recommend: Learn about how e-books are changing the publishing landscape at the blog run by Bookcatcher.com. For some insight into what e-books need to survive and strategies an online book publisher might use, check out the articles at Publishers Weekly.

The State of Print Media: more on book publishing

Anyone involved in the world of book publishing needs to know about the relative health of the print media industry, including the book publishing sector. Look for resources that will keep you on top of developments across the wide industry sector.

I recommend: Find out about how the publishing world is faring at Publishing Trends. Press releases from the Book Industry Study Group also help clue in readers about newest ups and downs in the world of book publishing companies.

Find more on book publishing from writer help websites

Other news sources approach the issues from a writer or author's perspective. Keep on top of how publishing trends affect the primary producers, the writers, at these informative grassroots sites.

I recommend: Angela Hoy's Writers Weekly is a premier site for all kinds of great information including the print media industry and book publishing in particular. You can find more at Writers Write, including the Media Cynic blog for figuring out what's going on in the publishing world and how it might change how companies publish books.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Along with knowing all of the terms involved in book publishing, it helps to have connections with people entrenched in the industry. Whether you're an entry-level desk worker or a writer or agent, having some veteran players on your side will help consolidate your position within the industry.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Consider low-residency college programs to prepare yourself for book publishing

Many traditional book publishing companies expect their employees to have an English or literature degree. If you want to work for a book publishing company, but your degree is not in English or literature, find an entry-level job or an internship while you earn a new degree. Some colleges offer low-residency degrees, which allow you to stay employed as you learn.

I recommend: Spalding University in Kentucky and Hamline University in Minnesota are two of the most well-known, low-residency MFA programs for English. Vermont College offers an excellent MFA program for those interested in publishing for children.

Increase your editing knowledge through correspondence courses

Rather than getting an English degree, you may want to hone your editing and writing skills through a correspondence course. Look for courses that provide feedback from instructors who will answer questions. Most correspondence courses take approximately a year to complete.

I recommend: The USDA Graduate Course in editing is thorough and will familiarize you with the basics. Editcetera offers a variety of editing courses, and they also have a mentoring program.

Hone your book publishing skills with seminars

If you don't have a lot of time to invest, look into seminars that teach you the ins-and-outs of how to publish a book. Some require your presence in the classroom, but others are taught online. Internet classes are ideal if have a busy schedule.

I recommend: One of the most-respected publishing courses in the country is the six-week, intensive summer course taught at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. If you plan to publish books or enter the publishing field in any capacity, this course teaches you all the basics you need to know. Stanford Publishing Courses are offered in video format and are geared mainly to publishing books on the Internet.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Before you open your book publishing company, consider costs such as warehousing, remaindering, and returns. All of these can affect your profit. Many publishing companies have moved to POD (print on demand) to avoid these costs as well as to stay green.