Launch Pad: The Countdown to Publishing Your Book
*****5 stars
The second book of a 3-part series on writing, publishing, and marketing, Launch Pad: The Countdown to Publishing Your Book, features helpful advice for aspiring as well as published authors shared by professionals in the field. Included in this book are chapters addressing topics from working with editors, publishers, and illustrators to finding an agent to treating your writing as a business and much more.
The foreword is written by Zibby Owens, who relates her experience of publishing her memoir after 18 years. Now the publisher of Zibby Books, she is also the host of the award-winning daily podcast, Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books, in which she’s interviewed more than 1300 authors. Her advice to writers: “You only need one editor, one publisher, to fall in love with your story or to see your potential . . . . So don’t give up until you find the right the company.”
Grace Sammon, the co-editor of this book, wrote the chapter on working with publishers and also provided the Afterward. It was Grace’s idea to create this series by collaborating with Stephanie Larkin, the CEO of Red Penguin Books. About this addition to the series, she writes, “We wrote this book to help make your world change, to help your book become real.”
“Own it! You are a Business!” is the chapter written by co-editor, Stephanie Larkin. Drawing upon her experience as publisher of Red Penguin Books, Stephanie discusses how debut authors need to adjust their expectations regarding becoming famous and making tons of money. She explains how royalties are calculated and paid, discusses Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited Program, book pricing, and other important publishing topics. She also outlines several other methods for authors to make money besides from their writing. These include speaking engagements, classes and workshops, and bulk sales. Her final piece of advice, “As you embark upon your publishing journey, remember that monetizing your book is a marathon – not a sprint – and that by exploring various options, you can find a way to enjoy the journey . . . and hopefully some profits as well!”
I recommend this book for the wealth of information it provides. It’s published in a handy Kindle edition on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Launch-Pad-Countdown-Publishing-Your-ebook/dp/B0C3G7KPV9/. The first book, Launch Pad: The Countdown to Writing Your Book, is also available, and the final volume in the series, Launch Pad: The Countdown to Marketing Your Book, comes out in June.
Ruff Drafts 