What exactly are book shepherds? Explain what they do. Are they worth hiring?
What exactly are book shepherds? Explain what they do. Are they worth hiring?
There is a lot more to self-publishing than just having your work printed, distributing review copies to a few stores, and then sitting back and collecting royalties, as any brave soul who has dared to enter the realm of self-publishing knows (or will soon learn).
The essential decisions that must be taken along the route can be irritating, intimidating, and downright daunting for the unexperienced author venturing out on their own.
Thankfully, a new type of publication consultant has emerged to assist authors with every step of the complex process, coinciding with the explosion of self-publishing. While most people think of self-publishing as a do-it-yourself (DIY) project, self-publishing guru Dan Poynter has coined the term "book consultant" to describe a professional who can help authors with their books. Hiring a book shepherd could be a good choice.
But first, define a book shepherd. Professional services offered by book shepherds sometimes involve either hands-on support or advise with aspects such as book cover and interior design, editing of manuscripts, brokering of printers, filing of necessary documents, production, distribution, marketing, and publicity. You can find shepherds who work for full-service agencies that will see your book through from start to finish, and there are also some that operate independently but are happy to recommend specialists when necessary.
Why You Should Engage a Book Shepherd
In more ways than one, working with an excellent book shepherd can improve your publishing prospects. A book shepherd's responsibilities extend beyond just overseeing the creation of books, according to Ellen Reid of Smarketing-Infinite Possibilities. That's part of our service, but it's not the only reason to work with a book shepherd.
Reid finds great joy in the creative aspects of her work as a consultant, which she likens to being a creative director at an advertising firm or a film producer. For each of her customers, she starts by putting together a creative team that includes a copywriter, editor, and cover and interior designer. Then, she takes charge of the entire design, production, and distribution process.
By guiding them through the process, book shepherds help authors save time and avoid the pitfalls that novices in self-publishing often encounter. The president of Warwick Associates and a former senior VP of marketing for a major U.S. book distributor, Simon Warwick-Smith, says, "Self-publishing is not a simple business. People can either spend a few years learning about it or they can go to someone who's been there who can tell them what to do."
Cypress House president and book consultant Cynthia Frank has been in the industry for 20 years and shares Warwick-Smith's attitude and methodology. Frank wants her customers to know what they consider to be the pinnacle of publishing success so she can guide them in the right direction, whether that's getting a high sales ranking on Amazon or landing a traditional publishing contract with their first book. After that, she has her writers do an honest self-evaluation, detailing their areas of strength and improvement in relation to the company. This allows her to create a detailed strategy that will connect their goals with the specific actions needed to achieve them.
For instance, if Frank's customer is terrible at marketing and his cash is completely invested in merchandise, the latter will leave him with no funds for the former, and he will be in for a world of hurt. During the planning stages, I show my clients where they are falling short.
As an added service, book shepherds educate their clients about the self-publishing process so that they can get going fast. "There's a lot of technical language used in our field, and newcomers will find it overwhelming," Frank remarks. "We walk them through the various processes of registration and distribution, and we assist them in determining where their books would be best sold, such as in bookstores, specialty shops, or gift and stationery stores."
It is crucial to plan ahead, according to experts. It is only fair to treat self-publishing as a small business from the very beginning because that is effectively what it is. Before starting to write the work, most shepherds encourage authors to create a written business strategy for self-publishing. "People often self-publish without any more planning than they would put into a dinner reservation at a fine restaurant," Frank remarks.
Aspiring authors can also profit from the relationships and tried-and-true tactics of a book shepherd. According to Gail Kearns of To Press and Beyond, a book shepherd, "I've developed relationships with national distributors. If the product is great and the price is right, I can usually get the books into the hands of distributors." We also have some innovative, low-budget marketing ideas.
A competent book shepherd can, in a nutshell, spare writers frustration, expense, and, one can only hope, disappointment.
Maximizing the Benefits of a Book Shepherding Meeting
If your bank account is about to burst, then by all means, hire a book shepherd to guide you step-by-step. Hourly costs might range from around $50 to $150 or more, so depending on the services you utilize, the fees can add up fast and consume a significant portion of your budget.
Ballet Secrets for Skaters: How to Hone Your Artistic Competitive Edge is the most recent book written by Barbara Denise Files, who has self-published two others. Files says that doing extensive research beforehand is far more practical.
Due in large part to the extensive research Files conducted before contacting book shepherd Marilyn Ross—co-founder of the Small Publishers Association of North America (SPAN)—the cooperation proved to be a fruitful one, and Files had a pleasant experience working with Ross. "I didn't simply decide to write a book," Files explains.
Once Files had a firm plan in place, she researched her potential coach Ross online, reading her newsletters and sending Ross questions. In preparation for their consulting session, Files made sure Ross was well-versed in her field by gathering her documents, including a mission statement, demographic data she had collected on her target audience, and ideas on how to serve them. She then formulated specific questions to ask Ross: Would it be better for her to create a single book or break her material into a series? She wanted to know how to promote her specialized magazine. What was the optimal number of copies for the initial run? Finally, the crucial question: What ought to be the title?
"When you're a self-publishing author, there are a lot of crucial decisions you have to make," Files explains, explaining how working with a coach helped her make more informed choices. "A book shepherd provides expert commentary and serves as a sounding board for your work."
If you want to save money while hiring a consultant to help you shepherd your book, Files suggests doing things like joining writers' clubs, taking a class, reading books on self-publishing, and networking with other self-publishers online. According to Files, "otherwise, you're going to spend a lot of money and time asking basic questions without receiving much direction on your project." So, file your idea until you have a precise plan and questions in mind.
According to Files, working with a book shepherd is similar to other life experiences in that, "The more you put into it ahead of time, the more you'll get out of it."
Success in Self-Publishing: Advice from Shepherds
1. "Self-publishing is a costly venture with a high degree of risk involved. Publishing on a tight budget is not something you should attempt. Forget about doing things well if you can't afford to. Peter Warwick-Smith
2. "I often stress to my writers how crucial it is to think ahead. Every year, an estimated 120,000 books are released into circulation, making it a glutted market that requires strategy. Get professional assistance with the book's cover, content, and page design before you worry about sales, promotion, and marketing. Peter Warwick-Smith
Thirdly, bring in the pros: book cover designers. The cover is extremely valuable real estate since it must scan properly into black and white, maintain integrity at 1½ inches tall, be legible at 10 feet tall, and be both aesthetically pleasing and appropriately categorized for its genre. Christina Frank
The fourth piece of advice is to treat your book publishing endeavor like a business plan: Figure out what you can handle on your own and what you can delegate. Taking on too much on your own or relying on others too heavily is not a smart strategy, in my opinion. Christina Frank
5. The most important parts are the cover's design and wording. They act as an advocate for the writer and boost the book's sales potential. Elizabeth Reid
6. "Demonstrating the same caliber of work as the established publishing houses is essential if you intend to compete in this $2.2-billion industry." Elizabeth Reid
7. "If you handle everything on your own, it will appear as though you wrote the book entirely on your own." Casa Graphics' Patty Weckbaugh
The Editorial Department is a freelance editing agency that has been around for 26 years. This piece was originally published in Between the Lines, a free authors' e-zine. The magazine can be viewed online at www.editorialdepartment.com.
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