Publishing - if you had to do it all over again ...

Hi All,

Well, I've finished the first draft of my book, obtained some incredible feedback from folks here at aeclectic, as well as from students and my local metaphysical community, and am cleaning up a few problem areas. "Tarot Spreads, Threads and Mandalas" picks up where I feel a lot of Tarot 101 books leave off, providing some standard, but primarily original spreads and techniques, that may serve as jumping off points for a reader to explore.

I have read the various threads here from Tarotbear and others regarding publishing woes and triumphs, and have researched potential publishers and have their submission guidelines. I have also looked at the possibility of self-publishing and selling the book either hardcopy and/or e-format over the web and through some local sources.

In short, I've done some homework since last May, and feel I've got a great book (which will be whipped into even better shape very soon). I know my personality ... I am NOT good at shameless self-promotion, even when I have an awesome product in my hands (I am a professional musician of over 25 years, and I have always had to leave the salesmanship of booking gigs and selling CDs to other bandmates.) Therefore, I have made the decision to begin shopping the book the first of the year to the list of publishers I have in hand ... then in five or six months, if absolutely nothing is happening, I would move to plan B - self-publishing.

HOWEVER, a friend currently reviewing my book and is encouraging me to go the self-publishing route FIRST. Since I place some value on this friend's opinions, I find that I am rethinking my plans, but I can't get over the fact that I am not good at initial self-promotion. Put me in a seminar or class-room full of strangers and you'll never get me to stop talking about Tarot ... but ask me to make that initial contact and I just don't seem to have the energy to follow through.

I have consulted my cards, of course, and they indicate a delay in my self-imposed timeline and say that I need to shore up a few areas of the book for clarity's sake. I haven't asked about working through my trepidation over self-publishing yet ... the three monkeys don't want to hear about it, talk about it, or read about it.

So, after all my rambling, what I want to know from the folks who have successfully published metaphysical books ... If you had to do it all over again, would you work with a publisher (not a vanity press) or would you self-publish? And why?

Mnemosyne

I haven't written anything except for fan fiction, but just want to say make sure you check through the Writers Market 2006 for their lists of publishers, there may be some small publishers in there that you haven't heard of yet. It wouldn't hurt to expand your submissions base, and the book does have up to date (as much as possible) names of editors and the addresses.

Good luck on your endeavor, try to get it professionally published first, it'll be less headaches for you.

mnemosyne7 said:

Therefore, I have made the decision to begin shopping the book the first of the year to the list of publishers I have in hand ... then in five or six months, if absolutely nothing is happening, I would move to plan B - self-publishing.

HOWEVER, a friend currently reviewing my book and is encouraging me to go the self-publishing route FIRST. Since I place some value on this friend's opinions, I find that I am rethinking my plans, but I can't get over the fact that I am not good at initial self-promotion. Put me in a seminar or class-room full of strangers and you'll never get me to stop talking about Tarot ... but ask me to make that initial contact and I just don't seem to have the energy to follow through.

Click to expand...

I would absolutely NOT go with a vanity press or self-publish. You immediately tell the professional publishing world that you don't believe in yourself or in your book.

I am a professional writer. I write romance novels. Nothing is published yet. But that doesn't mean I have stopped. My writing partner and I have a book with a good house right now and we are keeping our fingers crossed that it catches the editor's heart.

Do you have a good query letter written? If you need help with this, I am more than happy to help you there.

If you haven't had someone edit the book, make sure that you do. Never edit your own work. You will miss stupid mistakes. Trust me. LOL. I know of a book where a man pulled the sheep up to cover himself. NO I did not typo, but the line editor missed that completely. Grin! Gives a whole new idea to romance, now doesn't it!

Hi HudsonGray and ArwenNightstar,

Yes, I will check the new witer's marketbook for 2006. Thanks for reminding me.

The edits I am working on now are just to firm up the first draft ... I know that any publisher would assign their own editor to the book. And I have a few eagle-eyed friends who have volunteered their services.

Well, that's two for the traditional publishing route. Anyone else have any opinions on this?

Mnem

mnemosyne7 said:

The edits I am working on now are just to firm up the first draft ... I know that any publisher would assign their own editor to the book. And I have a few eagle-eyed friends who have volunteered their services.
Mnem

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Mnem,

When you submit the book, you will want it in what you consider to be PRIME condition. That means you think it is ready to publish.

An editor doesn't want to do any more work than they need to!

What happens is that you query/pitch your book. An editorial assistant is probably the first person to see that letter. You have to HOOK them immediately. If they don't like it, your book goes to the slush pile. And then you have a much lower chance of getting read.

Never send the full ms unless asked. Query first with an outline and a sample chapter. And do that to multiple publishers. then you will get rejections and interests. Send them exactly what they ask for.

You probably already know this but:

Only use Times New Roman or Courier.
12 pt
Double space the entire ms
1" margins all the way around

ArwenNightstar said:

Mnem,

When you submit the book, you will want it in what you consider to be PRIME condition. That means you think it is ready to publish.

Never send the full ms unless asked. Query first with an outline and a sample chapter. And do that to multiple publishers. then you will get rejections and interests. Send them exactly what they ask for.

Click to expand...

The best thing to do is check the submission guidelines on the web site for the publisher you are sending it to; do not assume! If they don't want a physical manuscript and request it on disk or CDROM - do exactly as they say: sending a paper manuscript tells them you don't read their directions well and they will toss the paper manuscript. Likewise a sample chapter and an outline may get you tossed if they specify a complete ms.

Write yourself the best damn cover letter you can - I can send you a sample one if you wish. YOU have to tell them way your book will stand out from the rest. YOU have to tell them the audience for whom this book is intended. You have to tell them why they should publish your ms. YOU have to make them want to read your manuscript.If you don't have an ego or don't know how to present yourself in the strongest way possible - find someone to write it for you. If your cover letter is weak, poorly written, or just plain boring it will reflect on your manuscript - badly.

tarotbear said:

The best thing to do is check the submission guidelines on the web site for the publisher you are sending it to; do not assume! If they don't want a physical manuscript and request it on disk or CDROM - do exactly as they say: sending a paper manuscript tells them you don't read their directions well and they will toss the paper manuscript. Likewise a sample chapter and an outline may get you tossed if they specify a complete ms.

Click to expand...

What he said! Much better than I! Publishers are funny ducks. They get inundated with "the best book ever" all the time so your initial letter will set several things with them.

How professional you are
How thorough you are
How much research you have done.

BTW, Tarobear? I would love to see your letter!

book proposal

Here is a book proposal (minus my name and address):
********
Book Proposal

Working Title: Every Man's Tarot

Author: yadayadayada
address, email, and phone number

Content: In my more than a decade of experience in studying, teaching, and writing about Tarot, I cannot find any book that more than superficially addresses the subject of Tarot divination for a male's point of experience. Tarot texts are largely written by women for women's use only and are stereotypically 'heterosexual female' in outlook. Even modern texts have archaic romantic overtones where the Knight of Cups is always a woman's ideal mate or the High Priestess represents the male's 'secret female lover.' The feeling these books perpetuate is that men have no feelings, no intuitions, and do not care about anything, so men get excluded from the interpretations. It is as though men are not expected to have lives, and I feel this is the reason men do not read Tarot books. I believe this is the niche that has been overlooked and can be tapped. If I could interest more men in reading and studying Tarot because I will be writing specifically about them, we could move forward into the twenty-first century by leaving these restricting eighteenth-century concepts of idealized mates and lofty sounding embodiments of virtues behind us.
I propose to write a Tarot book based on an entirely new concept: Tarot For Men, written by a man, and aimed at how men think and how they relate to each other and the world around them. It will use the images of the standard tarot deck interpreted in a new way. By dealing with men, their sexuality, and their relationships, it can be read and used by both heterosexual and gay men, thereby creating a crossover book. It will be neither 'openly gay' nor exclusively 'straight.' It will deal in 'your relationship, partner, and lover,' not in exclusive heterosexual terms such as 'your wife, girlfriend, or mistress.' It will deal directly with images and concepts men can relate to in language men can understand.
I have attached the rough draft of the Major Arcana cards, written using this concept. I have created both upright and reversed meanings for the cards, including a section entitled 'Worst Case Scenario' showing when the negative aspects of the cards are at their most destructive. The book is a combination of Tarot knowledge, the author's philosophies of Life, and observations from his ongoing mid-life crisis.
I hope you will consider the merits of this manuscript and be interested in breaking new ground with me.

Sincerely,

Author Bio - data form

This is borrowed from the one I sent to Llewellyn - it is their format. I send it in with the completed manuscript.

*********
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHICAL DATA & BOOK INFORMATION FORM
Information you supply on this form is required for the Library of Congress "Cataloging in Publication (CIP)" program for inclusion on your book's copyright page. Please fill out the form completely, and PLEASE PRINT CAREFULLY.

Author's legal name as used in contract (last, first, middle):

Author's name as it should appear on the book's title page (first, middle, last), styling, pen name, etc.:
[Note: Remember that if buyers have difficulty pronouncing or spelling your pen name, they may not buy your book.]

Author's legal address as used in contracts:

Author's preferred mailing address is different from above:

Author's phone numbers(s): Day: Cell:
Fax: Email:
Home Page:

Current legal citizenship:

Author's Social Security or Tax ID Number:

Author's birth date and time:

Author's current occupation/profession:

Foreign languages: Please specify the language and rate your fluency in each area of reading, writing, and conversation (1= Very Fluent, 2= Fluent, 3= Functional, 4= Not without a dictionary)

Title of Book:

Subtitle:

Size of Manuscript: # pages, # words

Diskette copy of manuscript:
Number of computer disks submitted:
Software:
Platform (Windows, MAC, etc.):
[ ] Disk matches hard copy? [ ] Disks saved text only? [ ] Labeled with name and title? [ ] Dated?


Specify number of each:

_____Photographs _____Drawings _____Charts/tables _____Illustrations
_____Bibliography _____ Reproductions _____ Glossary _____ Index entries

Special type fonts required (Hebrew, Greek, Astrological, Math, etc.):

Primary audience for whom this book is intended:

Primary subject of book (brief description):

If this is translation from a foreign language, give original title, publisher, place, and year:

Any other English language edition(s) if different from this title (and publisher, place, year):

AUTHOR QUESTIONNAIRE

In 100-250 words tell us about yourself:

What strengths do you possess that we can use in promoting your book?

ABOUT THE BOOK

In 300-500 words tell us "Why You (the consumer) Should Read This Book."

In the works:

Author Bio data - filled out

My personal stuff is edited for security reasons:
*******
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHICAL DATA & BOOK INFORMATION

Author's legal name as used in contract (last, first, middle):

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Author's name as it should appear on the book's title page (first, middle, last):

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Author's legal address as used in contracts:

XX XXXXXXXX
XXXXXX,XXXXXXXXXXX

Author's preferred mailing address if different from above: same

Author's phone numbers(s): XXXXXXXXX Cell: XXXXXXXXXXX
Fax: none Email: tarotbear1@yahoo.com
Home Page: http://hometown.aol.com/pwrsbeing/myhomepage/index.html
Web Page: www.tarotbear.com

Current legal citizenship: United States

Author's Social Security or Tax ID Number: XXX -XX-XXXX

Author's birth date and time: May 12, 1955 2:55 A.M. XXXXXXX, XX

Author's current occupation/profession: casino banker

Foreign language fluency: none

Title of Book: Every Man's Tarot

Subtitle: A Man's Guide to Understanding Tarot

Size of Manuscript: Approximately 180 pages

Specify number of each:
_____Photographs _____Drawings _____Charts/tables _78__Illustrations
_____Bibliography _____ Reproductions _____ Glossary _____ Index entries

The illustrations are the Rider-Waite deck; copyright easily obtainable from US Games Systems, Inc (Stamford, CT) for a $250 fee with specific permissions granted.

Special type fonts required (Hebrew, Greek, Astrological, Math, etc.): none required

Primary audience for whom this book is intended:
Gay and straight men.

Primary subject of book (brief description):
Twenty-first century Tarot card interpretation for men from an ordinary man's point of view, not an extraordinary or metaphysical viewpoint. Revisions based on the differing viewpoint of the male gender taken from actual tarot card readings. It includes basic chapters on shuffling, card spreads, and using the cards to obtain understanding.

This is not a translation from another language and does not appear in any other edition in another form.

AUTHOR QUESTIONNAIRE

Tell us about yourself: I have been studying Tarot for the past fourteen years and teaching it for the past nine. During that time I developed a scientific system for reading Tarot imagery and turned that understanding into my first book It's All in the Cards (Sterling Publications, 2004). I am not a psychic and do not claim to be psychic. I believe one can learn to read the cards from a non-Occult standpoint and achieve excellent results.
I do not stand out in a crowd - you could meet me on the street and never suspect that I read Tarot cards. I currently have a play manuscript for Doctor Faustus under consideration at a royalty house and someday hope to see it produced even thought it was written for high school English classes to use as a reader's script. I have a twenty-five years plus background in the performing arts, having been both an actor and stage technician including being a professional theatre costume designer. Presently, I handle money for a sovereign nation.

What strengths do you possess that we can use in promoting your book?

My first book It's All in the Cards (Sterling Publications 2004) sold out of its first printing of 5300 copies within eight months of its release, and a second printing was ordered.

Although I refer to this manuscript as 'revisionist', it is based on a detailed, lengthy, and serious study of Tarot. All of the incidents written about in it are completely true. I have done men's readings for years and hope that this will be a crossover book that both gay men and straight men can read and use. I have tried to eliminate the cultural stereotyping and the exclusively heterosexual terminology that is found in many Tarot books, avoiding terms such as wife, girlfriend, and mistress and speaking of partners, lovers, and relationships. This is the 21st century, and as such, the plethora of non-traditional relationships and unions and the blended families themselves should be addressed however peripherally by a change in semantics.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Tell us "Why You (the consumer) Should Read This Book.”

I believe that any man who has an interest in understanding and using Tarot cards will find most Tarot books treat men as an afterthought. No one writes a Tarot book especially for men and I believe this is the niche that should be tapped. Traditionally, men get relegated to the Knights and Kings and these 'ideas' of men that existed at the turn of the Nineteenth century. I don't believe men in the twenty-first century can relate to being called 'the Country Gentleman' or a medieval concept that all men stand ready to do battle for a maiden's honor. The readers of this book will find a combination of some traditional Tarot ideas blended with stories and events from the author's own life. Many of them have to do with how men view themselves in the world around them. This blending will be in straightforward language that men will understand, not the flowery lexicon of one hundred years ago. I think of this manuscript as a combination of Tarot knowledge, the author's coming to terms with midlife crisis, the need for men to validate their life's experiences, and a touch of locker room talk to hold their attention. There will be no need to understand archaic terms or have a working understanding of Occult philosophies to use this book. As a contribution to the Tarot field, I have made its material accessible to the lay person or the everyman. Many (older) texts tend to focus or refer to a more esoteric knowledge, such as may be required only after a lengthy study – that alone may discourage even the most casual interest but the tone of this book may prompt the impulse purchase as Tarot books often are such purchases.
I have created both upright and reversed meanings for the cards, including an original section for each titled "Worst Case Scenario" showing when the negative aspects of the cards are at their most destructive. Many beginning readers are stumped by reversed cards in their readings and unable to extrapolate appropriately, even with a healthy perspective. These examples serve handily as illustrations and definitions.
In the last six years three specifically gay tarot decks for ’men only’ have appeared; I feel the time is right for such a book to be published.