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Why You Should Publish Now

Why You Should Publish Now

by Jon Malysiak on behalf of Networlding Publishing

I want to take some time today to introduce myself more formally. I’ve been in the publishing industry now for almost 16 years. I started out as an Acquisitions Coordinator at IDG Books (now an imprint of Wiley), focusing on developing their extremely successful …For Dummies series. As an acquisitions coordinator, I worked with the editors and authors on marketing-related pieces for their books (i.e., writing cover and catalog copy, soliciting cover and praise page testimonials, etc.) After a year or so in that capacity, I became an Associate Acquisitions Editor, responsible for signing books in the categories of personal finance, investing, and small business/entrepreneurship.

When IDG Books closed their Chicago office in 2001, I moved over to Sourcebooks in Naperville, Illinois, where I acquired titles for their burgeoning MediaFusion imprint as well as general non-fiction and self-help books. In 2003, I moved back into the city. I was the Acquisitions Editor at Dearborn Trade Publishing (now Kaplan Publishing) in charge of developing their general business list, which is where I first became acquainted with Melissa Giovagnoli and the exciting work she was doing with Networlding. In 2005, I left Dearborn and co-founded The Jonathan Scott Literary Agency here in Chicago. I was excited to be putting my entrepreneurial chops to the test finally. Over the past four years, I’ve signed and sold a number of well-received books to a host of leading publishers, including Rodale, Wiley, St. Martin’s Press, Financial Times Press, and others.

While I continue to represent authors – predominantly within the categories of cookbooks, adventure travel, and sports/health & fitness – I am very pleased to be lending my expertise to Networlding in the genesis of Networlding Publishing. In the past twelve years, the publishing industry has changed a lot – not always for the better – but within that change, there are many new opportunities that have arisen that collectively could signify a change in the number of options authors have in getting their books published.

With the success of such self-publishing services as iUniverse, Xlibris, AuthorHouse, Book Surge, and the like, the self-publishing industry today is booming. While at one time, ‘self-publishing’ was considered a dirty word, for a number of authors, it has become the most effective means of getting their books out there, especially for business thought leaders. I’ve blogged before on the advantages of self-publishing versus the traditional publishing route, and I’ll reiterate here that for those first-time authors who need to publish a book as a means of building their brand image, self-publishing is indeed seems the way to go.

We at Networlding Publishing offer thought leaders a revolutionary new way to get their books published. Our motto is “the highest quality for the lowest price.” We begin with a conversation with the author with the goal of finding out which of our services they need – whether it be editorial development, cover, and interior design, or marketing through social media – and tailor a package at an affordable price that represents the author’s biggest needs. Our team of experienced publishing professionals offers a more hands-on method of working with authors that goes beyond the less personalized approach of, for example, an iUniverse or an Xlibris while ensuring the highest possible quality at a rate that’s not going to break the author’s budget.

With the economy the way it is, one might question whether self-publishing is an affordable alternative. The best way to look at it is as a long-term investment. What you put into it now is going to reap benefits for you and your brand for the lifetime of the book plus seventy-five years. Of course, traditional publishers don’t want you to know this, which is one of the reasons why so many publishers are facing severe budgetary cutbacks and corporate reshuffling. They are simply out of touch with the times and more concerned with hitting their bottom line than working with the author to maximize their brand identity.

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