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Peg: We'll get started in just a minute... DiagoCat: I have really been looking forward to meeting Margaret. Hello, Margaret. Margaret: Thank you...that's very nice. Peg: Okay, everyone, Ready or Not... here we go! (g) Peg: Welcome to the Christian Writer's Workshop. Deby: YAY!!!! Peg: Our special guest tonight is Margaret Johnson who has a book she published with iUniverse.com Peg: We'll be under protocol... which means.. Peg: If you have a question, you type ? Peg: or a comment, type ! (does not require an answer) and you will be called on in turn. Peg: When you finish with your ? or !, please end your statement with ga or / so we'll not be stepping on any toes : ) Peg: Before we get started, I'd like to call on Bill for our opening prayer. WTYates: Father, thank you for the opportunity to share tonight with Margaret. Help us to learn that we may better share with others. Bless us and the country tonight. In Jesus' name, AMEN! Peg: Amen DiagoCat: Amen. Deby: Amen Margaret: Amen! Peg: Margaret, welcome! Carmen: Amen Margaret: Thank you for asking me. Peg: Margaret, tell us a bit about your published works, your past publishers, and your experience with a POD publisher." ga Margaret: This is my first experience with POD publishers. My first 10 books were with traditional publishers, Zondervan and Avalon. Because my first book with Zondervan was a best seller, they accepted all my subsequent works. Then my editors left that house and after writing a romance novel for Zondervan I discovered my real love was fiction. Avalon published 3 of my novels then I didn't submit for some years while I was writing and speaking for a charity in So. Calif. After I quit work, I saw a documentary on the Witness Protection Program and an idea was born. When the ms. was finished I set it aside. Carmen asked me to write a chapter for her book "Pinches of Salt" Then I met her co-author, Eva Everson online and she asked to see the ms. She helped edit it and gave me insight into the inner workings of the FB I as her father was an FBI agent. Any questions so far? ga WTYates: We're all ears... : ) Peg: Host note: Eva Everson will be our guest here next week. Margaret: I sent the ms. to a publisher and after I signed the contract I heard some adverse comments from their authors and was told to buy back my contract. Aud: ? Peg: ? Margaret: After much negotiations (with an attny) I got the contract back. An agent wanted to represent me but I was uncomfortable with paying him a large fee upfront so I didnt/ sign on with him. ga Peg: Aud, go ahead Aud: When you bought back your contract, did that mean simply paying back any advance you had rreceived, or did it actually cost you more?/ Margaret: I hadn't received an advance, but I had to pay the attorney.ga Peg: Peg, ga... Peg: What made you decide to go POD? ga Margaret: I read their website and noticed that they would bring out-of-print books back at no cost. So I sent them my book "Beyond Heartache" and was pleased with the results. SO, I remembered my ms. in my drawer and thought, why not? ga Peg: ? Peg: Peg, ga... Peg: Who pulished Beyond Heatache? ga Margaret: Zondervan originally published it. ga Peg: Anybody else with questions? Aud: ? Peg: Aud, ga Aud: When they bring back an out-of-print book, do they have to have access to the original layout artwork? Or how can they do it without cost? ga Carmen: ? Margaret: I sent them two books and they used that as it was with a new cover. ga Peg: Carmen, ga Carmen: Has iUniverse been at all helpful about marketing or is it mainly a way to print the book? And have you had a problem with bookstores stocking your POD books? Margaret: The one point I must make is that you must market your book. IUniverse has lots of helps on their website, author's tool kit, etc., but the marketing is done by the author. ga Peg: Margaret, what about the 2nd part of Carmen's question? Margaret: Sorry, Carmen...I haven't tried to get them to stock it. ga Peg: ? Peg: Peg, ga... Peg: Margaret, tell us a bit about the steps you took to get The Witness published? ga *** Signoff: Carmen (QUIT: ) Margaret: I sent them the ms. online. Eva Everson had done a good job of editing and I was confident of that part. I was delighted to hear from the Pub Asst. immediately. You can have a certain number of corrections and I had to do that, but within months the book was in my hands. ga eva_marie: ! Peg: ? Peg: How did you happen to choose iUniverse? Margaret: Someone mentioned them and I checked out their website. ga eva_marie: ! Peg: Eva, ga.. eva_marie: Just wanted to say thx to Margaret's kind words Peg: : ) Peg: C'mon guys... any questions? Carmen: ? Margaret: Hi Eva. She was my encourager and the book is dedicated to her. ga WTYates: ? Peg: Carmen, ga eva_marie: : ) Carmen: Did they offer any proof reading and editing or was that extra? How are you selling their book now? Hi Eva! eva_marie: howdy! Margaret: It depends on which publisher you chose. They didn't offer proof reading but I felt it had been done. I'm NOT marketing, Carmen, except on my website, by word of mouth, by book reviews and I've sold to libraries. ga eva_marie: ? Carmen: ? Peg: WTYates,ga WTYates: Did you do your own cover design?/ Aud: ? Lera: LOL, yes, it's me Margaret: Not that's a good question. My only disappointment is the cover. I told them verbally what I wanted and should have sent a photo. ga Lera: how are the hands? Peg: Eva, ga eva_marie: Margaret, I know you are not aggressively marketing...how are things going with the way you are doing it?ga Margaret: I've received good reviews on amazon.com, etc., but I need to get busy and market. ga Peg: Carmen, ga... Carmen: Was it an overall good experience? Or would you prefer going with a royalty publisher? Will you use them again? Margaret: Except for the cover, I'm happy with the book. ga By the way the title is "The Witness" Carmen: WHat was your cost and do you think the pricing of your book is affordable? Peg: ? Margaret: I paid $;99.00 and I think the book is priced too high but iUniverse priced "Beyond Heartache" at the same price. ga Peg: Aud, ga... Aud: Because of your earlier books and your profile as a speaker, you probably have at least somewhat of an existing market. What would you advise less known writers about self-publishing and marketing? ga Margaret: I think Carmen knows more about that than I do. ga Peg: Peg, ga... Aud: ? Peg: Speaking of "royalties"how are you paid per book sale? ga Margaret: 20% royalties Margaret: It's on their website I believe. ga Peg: Aud, ga... Aud: What did you get for $99? Was that just the setup fee? Do I gather that they don't provide you with the books to distribute, but you send orders to them to fill? ga Margaret: For $99 they print the book. You get one free book which is far different than traditional publishers who gave me 10 books and sent books to my list of readers free of charge. I must order from them but do get a discount. ga WTYates: ! Peg: ? Peg: WTYates, ga Carmen: ! WTYates: iUniverse has another program for $299 that offers more services. Margaret: Yes, that's right. I believe they edit the book. ga Peg: Peg, ga... AZAnnie: ! WTYates: And provide 5 free copies./ Carmen: POD is no different from any kind of book publishing, royalty or not. The author HAS to work like anything to get their book sold. Margaret: Yes, Bill, that's right. ga Peg: What is included in the Author's Toolkit and did you find it useful? Carmen: The days of even royalty publishers doing everything and fancy author tours is over. eva_marie: sad but true...: ( Margaret: The Author's toolkit allows you to write articles, tell about book signings, interviews, reviews. It's very helpful. And Carmen,you're right, publishing these days isn't what it once was, not at all and yes, sad but true. ga Peg: AZAnnie, ga... AZAnnie: at last I heard, they do not edit the book. They merely comment on whether they believe it is publishable. iU, that is. ga Margaret: They do not edit, unless you pay the larger fee, but mine was already edited. ga Peg: Margaret, would you like to tell us a bit about The Witness? ga Margaret: It's set in Chicago and L.A., and is a romance/suspense. The heroine's father, is a witness to the Chicago Mafia's drug dealings and is placed in the Witness Protection Program. I have lived in L.A. and wanted to include the 1994 Northridge earthquake which I did. You can read the first chapter on my website. ga Peg: I've read it, and it's a good book! Margaret: Thanks, Peg. ga Peg: her website is: http: //members.truepath.com/Kathi Peg: This leads to her story about her daughter who was killed in an auto crash. That book is called Peg: 18, No Time to Lose. Margaret: My first book...a chapter which is in Carmen and Eva's book "Pinches of Salt." It's called "18, No Time To waste" ga Peg: 'scuse me... 18, No Time To Waste. Peg: Okay, Margaret. Would you use POD again? Why/why not? ga Margaret: Good question, Peg. Since I'm not out speaking any longer, I think I'd rather go with a traditional publisher who will market a little bit for me...ga Peg: Any other questions? Margaret: But, if you're good at marketing, then go for it. They're a good company and you have your own Pub. Asst who is very helpful. And your book is with Ingrams and all the online bookstores. ga Aud: ? Peg: Yes, Tracey told us about Ingrams last week. That's a very good PLUS, I would think. ga Peg: Aud, ga... Aud: Did they line up distribution with Ingram's or did you do that yourself? ga Margaret: They line it up, they get the ISBN and copyright. ga Peg: About 5 minutes left... Margaret: By the way, you write the blurb on the back cover. ga Peg: Margaret, anything in closing remarks you'd like to share? Margaret: I believe that POD is the wave of the future. It takes SO long to hear from editors and it's frustrating. Editors seem to accept books from best-selling authors who have a platform. ga WTYates: ? Peg: WTYates,ga... WTYates: How many pages i your book and what is the price?/ Margaret: The book has 195 pages and is priced at $12.95. ga Peg: I think that's a fair price for a 'trade paperback' don't you? Margaret: I'd like to emphasize again. YOU are in charge of your sales. As real estate sales are the 3 L's...location, so publishing is the 3 P's promote....promote...promote. ga WTYates: ? Peg: Sounds like good advice! Peg: WTYates, ga WTYates: Have you made back your investment?/ Margaret: Yes, I have. ga WTYates: : ) Peg: WTYates, ga WTYates: Just smiling... Peg: oh... my eyes are goofing off. Peg: Margaret, I can't thank you enough for appearing with us tonight! Margaret: Thank you, and remember, you'll find lots of info on the iU website. And visit my website and say hi on my guestbook. ga DiagoCat: Yes, thank you Margaret. I used your first book many years ago with a youth group. They loved it. Peg: Next week is part 3 of this series on POD, with Kelly Milner Hall. DiagoCat: Tuesday or Thursday, Peg? Margaret: Well, thank you, I must say that book is still selling. ga DiagoCat: It has a real message for teens--for all of us. Peg: Any technical questions you have, if you can't make the chat, email them to me at pegphifer@aol.com. Carmen: Thanks, Margaret. I'm glad you like your book and I wish you the best in selling it. Peg: This will be on Thursday, day after tomorrow. Margaret: Thanks, Carmen, you're kinda a hero of mine. ga DiagoCat: No grammar girl? Carmen: Oh please. Peg: Sorry... not next week... Thursday this week. Deby: LOL Peg: No, Grammar Gal is on the 20th. Deby: lol DiagoCat: Okay. Thanks again. Good night all. Nice to see you. Carmen: Night Diago Deby: goodnight, diagocat! Peg: And, don't forget that on the 18th, right here on iU... we have Eva Marie Everson. Deby: wow, that was fast! WTYates: Thanks, Margaret! WTYates: And Peg!! Peg: Bill, closing prayer? WTYates: Father, thank you for the great time tonight with Margaret. May we be blessed with your wisdom as we seek to publish our work. Be with us this week. In Jesus' name, AMEN! Carmen: Amen Margaret: AMEN Deby: Amen Peg: Amen! WTYates: {{{Peg}}} Peg: Thanks, again, Margaret! Aud: Bye folks. This was my first time. It was fun. |
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