May 19, 2012

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Drawbacks to Using a Major Publishing House

With the Internet making self-publishing and independently publishing your book easier many authors are considering having their novels self published or independently published instead of going with the major publishing firms. If you are debating about using a self-publishing firm or major publishing firm here’s a look at some of the drawbacks many authors have experienced by going with a major publishing house.

Deadlines. Major publishing houses often have very strict deadlines. This means that you must write on a strict schedule and make sure that you are providing the material that is required by the contract. Many publishing firms will actually dissolve the contract if you missed deadlines as this puts their product and liability.

Creative Liberty. Many major publishing houses take creative liability with the novels. This means that the editor and publisher for the publishing house may actually take out segments of the book that the author would not agree with. These publishing firms will also decide whether there are maps or photos that go along with the novel. The problem is that some of the major publishing firms do not consult the author and therefore the maps and photos often do not match up to what the author has envisioned.

Possibility of a Series. Many major publishing firms will require that the author actually sign over the rights to the characters in the novel if they are writing. This means that if the author wishes to create a sequel there could be potential legal problems as a publishing firm actually owns those characters even though they are the author’s own creative thoughts. While some publishing firms will offer a series some lonely sign on for one book and then could potentially drop this series.

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Benefits to Choosing a Major Publishing House

It seems as if the biggest trend when it comes to the publishing world is having many authors self publish or independently publish their own novels. These authors are turning away from the major publishing houses and seeking the ability to publish their own book. However, been published under a major publisher can come with a number of benefits that independently published and self published authors do not have. Here’s a look at the benefits that come with having your book published under a major publishing house.

The Editing and Proof Reading. Many major publishing houses will pay upfront for the editing and proofreading segments of your story. This means that you do not have to put the money out yourself and all you are required to do is work with the editor in order to get the novel in the shape that you want. This is a major benefit as many independently and self published authors do not have access to an editor or cannot afford to hire an editor.

Publicity. The major publishing houses will generally take over the publicity for your novel. They will sometimes schedule book tours, blog tours and even giveaways. They will also find any advertisements that they put out about your book. Publicity and advertising can be a huge chunk of an author’s budget and having a major publishing firm handle publicity for that will allow you not only gain attention or not have to put money up for it.

Upfront Payment. When an author signed on with a major publishing firm they will generally get an upfront payment as a show that the publishing firm wants their book or novel. The problem with independently and self published authors is that even though they might make money they do not have the luxury of receiving an upfront payment for the book or novel.

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Independently Published Books

It used to be if you wanted to have a book or story published you had to go through one of the major publishers. This made it awfully difficult for writers to get their works published because the major publishing houses were overwhelmed with millions of others sending their manuscripts and hoping to get their book published. However, with the invention of the Internet publishing books has been made a lot easier to the invention of independent publishing.

Independent publishing is defined as when an author will take their story an idea and publish the book on their own. Most authors who are independently published do not have the benefits of major publishers and are required to edit and publicize their books themselves. The major advantage of independent publishing firms is that the only requirement is to send the book over and pay to have it printed.

In the past, authors who wish to be independently published had to run their own publishing firms right out of their own home. The Internet has changed all that. Independent publishing firms are available all throughout the Internet and allow authors to instantly send their manuscript to the publishing firm and come back with a set of bound books.

The best part about independently publishing on the Internet is the ability to print on demand. This means that authors able to place their book up for sale on websites such as Amazon and then they are only required to print out the book and pay for the printing when a book is brought. This gets back on the amount of money that the author has to put out as they are only paying for books that are already purchased.

This increase in demand for independent publishing has allowed many writers to get their works published when a large publishing firm would normally have not looked twice at the book that was being published. Many independent authors who have gone through the independently published route have had success.

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Benefits of Reading for Children

Picking up a book and reading with your child can be one of the most beneficial things that you can do with them. Many studies have been conducted on the benefits that reading with your child can have. Reading aloud to your child for as little as 30 minutes a day can help foster relationships as well as help with the developmental aspect of your child. Here is a look at some of the many benefits that can come with reading with your child.

Fostering Relationships. The biggest benefit that can come from reading to your child is the ability to foster your relationship with the child. Generally, when parents read to their child they are sitting close to them which helps serve as a bonding experience between the parent and child. Reading also requires that the parent spend time in focus upon the child which also helps in the bonding experience.

Creating a Love for Reading. Many children will pick up on their examples that their parents have given them. If the children noticed that the parents love to read they will foster and develop a love for reading themselves. Reading can be beneficial as it helps them explore new worlds, and gain new knowledge.

Developing Listening Skills. Reading is a great way to develop listening skills of your child. By reading a book to a child and asking them questions later requires the child to develop their reading comprehension skills because they required to instantly recall the story and talk about it with you. Reading and listening skills are required for all children as they enter school.

Relaxation. Many adults use reading as a form of relaxation. However, children can also use reading as a former relaxation. This is often why many parents will read to their children before they go to bed. This teaches the children that reading can be used as a way to relax and unwind at the end of the day.

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Is POD Replacing Brick and Mortar Publishing Houses?

Has digital publishing taken the place of the traditional brick and mortar publisher? At first thought the answer may be no, unless it’s looked at from a different perspective; the one of the writer.  The writer creates and polishes the work and now they can get it published without aid of agent or publishing house. Many small publishers and agents are going out of work because of the new digital trend, and vanity presses are struggling more.

Digital publishing has become a big deal, and even more since the invention of eReaders. Many of them are produced on demand (POD), or when someone orders one. Software to make them are often free on download sites. Nobody needs an agent; it’s up to the writer to promote the work, which gets it published much faster, but promotions, signings, and getting it into a bookstore are quite a challenge.

Who Makes the Most Money on eBooks?


In fact, it seems it’s the retailer who’s going to get the best end of the deal. Suddenly the retailer has power over who it’ll carry and who it won’t, and whether they’ll stockpile some copies or just print them on demand. The retailer gets to decide how much the work will sell for, too.

Brick and mortar publishing houses aren’t going to go the way of vinyl records and disappear, but it’s going to be a more select few that are granted their participation. They’re going to have to figure a way to price electronic works so that both they and the writer make satisfactory money from it and they’re going to have to provide such impeccable service that writers will not turn to digital books.

But there are those people who just love books. Is it the weight in their hands, or the ease of finding information, or perhaps the comfort of reading cuddled in a warm bed? They will always be cherished by some, always held closely.

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Is There Benefit to Rereading?

Are there benefits to rereading a text? Will we pick up more information and retain it better on the second read?
ScienceDirect.com’s Callendar and Daniels did experiments on this very topic and found that rereading educational texts did not help the tested student retain more or understand better. A surprising result.
Others have said that rereading things like a personal journal can give insight to what the journalist has experienced or had difficult times with. It allows the old feelings written down to be brought to attention again and the opportunity to better deal with the circumstance is the reward. However, this doesn’t seem to be the case with rereading educational materials.
Margaret Hunsberger of phenominologyonline.com says that rereading any text is like having another conversation with the same old friend, and that the ‘conversation’ between the text and the reader is a new one each time the text is revisited.  Although, her article is fact-bare and rich with personal experience.
So Does Rereading Help or Not?

Do we see or find things we hadn’t noticed before? Often it’s a yes when the person is watching a movie. Our eyes notice things that are of interest to us the first time, and already knowing those things, the second time allows the watcher to notice other things not previously noticed. But, when rereading does this happen?
The jury is still out on this one; there‘s a lot of ‘evidence‘ for both sides, but think about it; it may be a personal thing. It would seem to depend greatly on the kind of thing that’s being revisited; a movie or an educational text, or a journal or story. It also is likely to depend on whether the material is interesting to the reader, or whether it’s easy for the reader to read. If comprehension is low the first time around, then a second time should be given a chance.
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A Word on Indie Publishers, Vanity Presses and Major Publishing Houses

Independent publishers are getting works produced and out to the public faster (in a matter of months) than a major publishing house will (up to two years). They’re beginning to see great successes and give major publishers a run for their money.
Independent Publishers

An independent publisher takes work by often previously unpublished writers and writers who produce the kinds of works that small printers are attracted to. Sometimes an indie publisher requires the author to publicize and promote their own work, but no matter what one does in life, it’s going to take some effort of their own. With an independent publisher, the author is going to have a lot to do with the production process and even with the  promoting, too, and they‘re likely to get lots of hands-on experience and control over the end result. Of course there will be some money to invest, but it’s not much, when comparing prices with vanity publishers.
Vanity Presses

Vanity presses are independent publishers who require a substantial investment from the author. They’ll make up an attractive cover and help some with promotion, but they usually don’t offer editing help. And, the author is usually required to buy a certain number of copies of the book being produced, which they have to try and sell themselves. Books of this nature don’t get into bookstores or libraries without the devoted, tireless work of their author. Book signings and other promotion events are up to the author as well.
Major Publishing Houses

A major publisher wants to see a manuscript through the actions of an agent. The major publishing house will edit the work, suggest changes and then they’ll make up illustrations for the cover and work out all the details, including book signings and promotional events. They even pay an advance to the author and for their promotional travel expenses. Usually, only previously published authors with successful sales are taken by these publishers.
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Choosing an e-Reader; iPad or Nook?

Electronic readers are very popular now, the first of which is called the Kindle, and was the only one of it’s kind for a while. A huge library could be downloaded and it’s small enough to carry around like a paperback. Convenience and instant gratification are satisfied, no matter the price.
Amazon.com announced that for the first time, ebooks outsold print books in 2010 – that tells how popular both reading and convenience are today. Which reader is best? It depends on what is looked for in an e-reader.
Do You Want an iPad or a Nook?

The iPad is more than just an e-reader; it’s a multimedia device that has e-reader capabilities, so if someone is looking for a combination of both, then the iPad wins. However, trying to read the screen in sunlight or bright lights is nearly impossible without having to shade the screen, and that’s just annoying. And then there’s the short 10-hour battery life that doesn’t even compare with the dedicated e-readers’ batteries lasting up to two weeks with daily use.
According to Switched.com, the Barnes & Noble Nook has an easier to read screen, it’s lightweight and of the right size, and it’s well-made, but the testers had trouble with the full-color touch screen at the bottom. They found they had to touch some things several times before the device responded. This is something that’s going to change in new models and then there’s nothing to complain about the Nook. Page loads are timely and it can show photo files as well.
B&N allows Nook readers access to free ebooks while in the physical store, a perk that others don’t give. The Nook also shows actual page numbers – a luxury that’s only shared with Sony’s new reader. That’s a big complaint, not having page numbers, and it’s unknown why other readers weren’t programmed to have them.
Try them out; see which one fits the best.
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Books From 15th Century on Display in Belfast’s Oldest Library

The HLF, or Heritage Lottery Fund, is a grant program that offers moneys to pay for certain projects and non-profits in the UK. In the past they’ve funded national, regional and local heritage projects in the UK that focus on heritage. They have programs for young people (ages 15-24), for-profit and not-for-profit businesses and private-owned projects that can prove a greater benefit for the public than for the owner‘s personal gain.
Recently, the HLF has funded an antique book scheme to be on display in the famous old Linen Hall Library in Belfast. The Linen Hall Library, founded in 1788, is the oldest library in Belfast and the last subscribing library in Ireland, and there are works there dating back to the 15th century.
See Works From the 15th Century on Display

The old library is world-renowned for it’s Irish and Local Studies Collection, including comprehensive holdings of early Belfast and Ulster printed books, and they reside among over 250,000 items in the Northern Ireland Political Collection. This collection holds the definitive records of political unrest in more recent times, too.
The antique book scheme is a collection including the first printing of Robert Burns’ poetry and will be put on display in a project funded by the HLF. The collection contains nearly 2,000 antique books that will be displayed thanks to the HLF funding of 50,000 pounds, and the plan is to catalogue and restore it’s Languages of Ulster collections. Those collections date back to the 1400s.
Head of the HLF Northern Ireland, Paul Mullan, said, “Through the exhibition, workshops and distributions of reprinted editions, access to this historic collection will be increased.”
Imagine, seeing works in print that date back to the 1400s! It’s a miracle that the papers survived this long, and the history and heritage can be put right there in front of all eyes.
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Reading to Unborn Babies; is it Good for Them?

Over the last half century or so, people have been reading to their unborn children. Whether or not the babies get an educational boost somehow isn’t known yet. But, it is known that all babies love to hear and are comforted by  their mother’s voice.
Reading to a child before it’s born gets them more used to hearing the mother’s voice and it becomes a comfort to them. Studies have shown that a baby’s heart rate slows when it hears the mother’s voice, indicating comfort or security. It also helps to create a bond between mother and child while the child is still in utero.
Many mothers read children’s books to their babies; Dr. Seuss is very popular, especially because his books are all done in verse that rhymes and has a rhythm. The sing-song way the verses read entertain and soothe children that are very young.
Studies Prove Babies in Utero Can Learn

Other mothers like to read great literature to them, hoping they’ll be born with an innate taste for culture. And some read whatever they’re reading at the time, giving their baby the benefit of hearing the mother speak in soothing tones.
That’s what it’s all really about, is teaching the baby which sounds to be comforted by before birth. Which sounds are the mom and which ones are the dad and others. Which sounds are soothing and which sounds are familiar.
Reading is a very good way to teach that to a child, as steady reading would carry tones of conversation while being steady and soothing. Just the vibration of her voice soothes the child. Singing would be another good way, even if a mother is totally tone-deaf.
Any time a mother takes time to sit down and pay special attention to her child, unborn or born, it’s quality time and beneficial to the baby.
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