Getting PublishedIt’s not as hard as you think …..

Why your chances of gettingpublished are good

Why your chances of gettingpublished are good

• Success in fiction is more orless like winning the lottery

• Non-fiction is not as sexy butis the mainstay of publishersis the mainstay of publisherslike Wiley, CRC Press,McGraw-Hill, etc.

• Publishers need SMEs whowill deliver readable,organized text

QualificationsQualifications

• Have you written a report intended forsenior (non-IT) management?

• Can you write an outline?

• Can you envision a reader who is

– Interested but tired?

– Low on energy?

– Reading in an easy chair after astressful day?

• Can you envision a reader who iscompletely NEW to your subject?

MisconceptionsMisconceptions

• Ever look at a huge book and think “Thatwriter must be incredibly smart …..”?

• After writing a book, you know the truth ….he or she may be smart, but did not starthe or she may be smart, but did not startout with that much knowledge

• The ‘smarts’ of a book are developed asyou go!!!

Starting smallStarting small

• Articles are a good way to getstarted, build confidence and showpotential publishers you candeliver a finished product.

• Aim narrow. Use facts, figures,• Aim narrow. Use facts, figures,tables

• Journals do not have tobe specifically targetedtowards IT Audit

Pick a topic, develop a quickoutline & then get started …Pick a topic, develop a quickoutline & then get started …

Book proposalBook proposal

Example timelineExample timeline

A few paragraphs from apublishing contract

A few paragraphs from apublishing contract

Royalties & cash advanceRoyalties & cash advance

• Most publishers provide a cash advance after receipt offinal manuscript

• Royalties vary from 10% to 15% if sales are very high

• Some publishers, such as CRC Press, providestatements twice a yearstatements twice a year

• Technical books sell well when new, declineexponentially over time

• A typical cash advance would be $2-$4K but can vary bypublisher

Co-authoringCo-authoring

• A co-author is still an author

• Every co-authored book needs to have a“style dictator” – avoid multiple writing stylesin same bookin same book

• Co-authoring is a great way to get a trueSME published and help yourself at the sametime

• The one who does the most work should getthe most money (specified in the contract)

How to make editors love youHow to make editors love you

• Do their work for them – polish, condense,organize, check references, make sure artwork (and text for that matter) fits theSTYLE of the publicationSTYLE of the publication

• Think of editors/publishers as harassedpeople: underpaid, overworked. Keepemails short, always positive

• Assume things will go wrong – follow-up,send two copies of DVD, etc.

CorrectnessCorrectness

• Technical books are sold internationally (about1/3 of sales for my books)

• Watch colloquialisms, regional phrases andslangslang

• Avoid anything, anything at all, that smacks ofracism, sexism, politics and generalizationsabout people

• Example: Draft of book cover had two men infront, two women in back. Dumb. Not only

gives the wrong impression, but hurts sales

How to look like an amateurHow to look like an amateur

• Write Copyright © John Doe on draftsubmissions to a publisher

• Use a lot of fancy graphics/fonts in yourMS Word document (it all getsMS Word document (it all getsreformatted!)

• Bug your editor about timelines, sales, etc.

MechanicsMechanics

• Sentence length < 20 words on average

• Learn Word 2007 reference features –saves time

• Use Word’s H1, H2, H3 heading structure• Use Word’s H1, H2, H3 heading structure

• Sympathy for the reader: bullets,headings, pictures, quotes, side notes.Pure,unbroken and lengthy text is tedious,old timey and shouts “I don’t care”

More mechanics – Excel 2007More mechanics – Excel 2007

Do little things matter?Do little things matter?

vs.

Eats Shootsand Leaves

vs.

Eats, Shootsand Leaves

Get a high speed scannerGet a high speed scanner

Mind maps(example: PMO chapter)

Mind maps(example: PMO chapter)

PermissionsPermissions

• You can quote somewherebetween 50 & 400 wordswithout permission (getguidelines from your editor)

• Use of copied graphics must be• Use of copied graphics must beby permission. Sometimesowners can be GREEDY

• Pure ideas cannot becopyrighted. (e.g., who ownsthe idea that users need to beinvolved in the SDLC?). Butfootnote as professionalcourtesy

InterviewsInterviews

• Great way to get high caliber people intoyour book

• Record the conversation (ask first)

• Send questions/topics well in advance• Send questions/topics well in advance

• Polish the text and let them review thetranscript

• Ask for their resume/bio and putshort form in book

Miscellaneous techniquesto get to the finish line

Miscellaneous techniquesto get to the finish line

• Keep notebook – write down every idea, scan everyarticle, jot down every comment (no one can keep abook’s contents in wetware memory)

• Use “pseudo book” technique to get up to speed intopical areas

• Write when you feel good, writewhen you feel bad. You cannotafford to stop and then make uptime when you feel like writing

• Never underestimate the powerof our friend Mr. Google

topical areas

Self publishingSelf publishing

• Pros

– No barriers to publication

– Higher royalties per book

– Freedom to be “creative”– Freedom to be “creative”

– Modern self publishing requires virtually noupfront investment (e.g., Amazon’screatespace, lulu.com)

– Finally gaining acceptance (well, maybegrudging acceptance) in professional circles

Self publishingSelf publishing

• Cons– Your fine prose gets comingled with some pretty

crummy stuff (remember, there is no gatekeeper)

– No hard nosed editor to ask you why you saidsomething that does not make sensesomething that does not make sense

– Marketing is on your nickel

– May miss the academic market (some universities willbuy a copy of every new book in a technical area, solong as it is published by a mainstream publisher

ConclusionConclusion

• You can write a book or article

• It is more fun to talk about doing it thanactually doing it

• It will help your career by showing that you• It will help your career by showing that youcan write, you have ideas and you haveinitiative

• With all your earnings, you can visit twoflags over Humble

Thank you for your time (andagain …. You can do it!)

Thank you for your time (andagain …. You can do it!)

Bill Yarberry

ICCM Consulting

byarberry@iccmconsulting.net