New Post
Search
Help
ArchivesRe: What's the difference?
in reply to a message by RachelChristine
Interesting! How do you write a book in your country (US?)? How do you sell it? Do you need a publisher? Do you have one?
All of this is very intering to me, as I am working on two books in Germany, one of which I have a publisher for. Also I'm thinking of having it translated into English (and adapt it to English/American usage). So I'd be glad to learn anything about book publishing either in the States or in England (or Austrlia or wherever).
I think publishing a name book in the US is kind of difficult because there are just so many names around. I haven't seen many name books whith a lot of names that weren't superficial and inaccurate in many cases.
Andy ;—)
All of this is very intering to me, as I am working on two books in Germany, one of which I have a publisher for. Also I'm thinking of having it translated into English (and adapt it to English/American usage). So I'd be glad to learn anything about book publishing either in the States or in England (or Austrlia or wherever).
I think publishing a name book in the US is kind of difficult because there are just so many names around. I haven't seen many name books whith a lot of names that weren't superficial and inaccurate in many cases.
Andy ;—)
1
Replies
Well I'm wondering if I'll be able to market it without slapping the word "baby" in there somewhere. Not that people couldn't use it for a babyname book, nor do I even care if that is the section it would get shelved in in a bookstore, but I am wanting to do something a little different.
I don't know a whole lot about publishing in the US, but I know that there are two options. Either get a publisher, in which case it'll be cheaper on you and easier to get the book out and about the country. OR self-publish. It costs quite a bit, but there are companies that specialize in that, and you can order however many copies of a book that you want, but then you have to do a lot of the marketing and getting it into bookstores yourself.
My mom is in the process of getting her first novel self-published. It's due out late fall/early winter. She has a friend who went that route and he's doing very well. He got a deal with our local Border's, who loves to promote local authors, especially when their books deal with local history somehow, which my mom's does. He has helped her in dealing with all the getting it published aspects, and when it comes out is going to help her with getting it sold at Border's, having book signings, etc.
I'm always interested in hearing from people in Germany. Whereabouts are you from if you don't mind? My husband worked in Munchen for a summer, and I went to visit him. We both want to go back SO badly. He speaks (reads/writes/etc) very fluent German (and I speak NONE -- I'm mathematical LOL), and loved getting a chance to actually use his skill and work on it while there.
I don't know a whole lot about publishing in the US, but I know that there are two options. Either get a publisher, in which case it'll be cheaper on you and easier to get the book out and about the country. OR self-publish. It costs quite a bit, but there are companies that specialize in that, and you can order however many copies of a book that you want, but then you have to do a lot of the marketing and getting it into bookstores yourself.
My mom is in the process of getting her first novel self-published. It's due out late fall/early winter. She has a friend who went that route and he's doing very well. He got a deal with our local Border's, who loves to promote local authors, especially when their books deal with local history somehow, which my mom's does. He has helped her in dealing with all the getting it published aspects, and when it comes out is going to help her with getting it sold at Border's, having book signings, etc.
I'm always interested in hearing from people in Germany. Whereabouts are you from if you don't mind? My husband worked in Munchen for a summer, and I went to visit him. We both want to go back SO badly. He speaks (reads/writes/etc) very fluent German (and I speak NONE -- I'm mathematical LOL), and loved getting a chance to actually use his skill and work on it while there.
1
Hi Rachel (in case this is your real name)!
We can communicate on this board until they kick us out - or else change to E-mail.
Self-publishing i s interesting and has become affordable in Germany as well. My father-in-law just published his memoires in paperback (15 x 21 cm, 230 pages b/w, coloured cover), and it cost him like 7 Euros per copy. But of course he doesn't want to really sell it, he gives the copies away to his children and grandchildren etc.
A friend and I published a songbook with Hebrew songs 15 years ago this same way (there was no digital print then though) and we have been selling it basicly by mail (and a few bookstores in Germany). We've been on the net for a year now (www.aschira.de) and we are doing fine: We have sold almost 10.000 copies altogether plus cassette tapes and CDs. So if your product is good it will sell.
So what will make your book a good book? Do you know many American name books? Any good ones? All I have is Kolatch's Dictionary of First Names (with a big baby on the cover) and most of it is crap. But I'm sure it sells. So your book can only be better (and hopefully do even better). What languages do you know? You must be into languages somehow, even though you're "mathematical" - or else you wouldn't want to write this book.
I'm afraid in Germany there are quite a number of good name books and if I should recommend one (besides my own, ha ha!), I would say: "Das große Vornamenlexikon" Duden Verlag, ISBN 3-411-06082-4. Of course it is in German, but with a little help from your husband ...
Actually my family and I live a four hours' drive from Munich, going west. Maybe you can find the city of Kaiserslautern on a map, it's not far from the French border. Now we live 30 km south of it, and if you happen to come to Germany, do drop in!
Andy ;—)
We can communicate on this board until they kick us out - or else change to E-mail.
Self-publishing i s interesting and has become affordable in Germany as well. My father-in-law just published his memoires in paperback (15 x 21 cm, 230 pages b/w, coloured cover), and it cost him like 7 Euros per copy. But of course he doesn't want to really sell it, he gives the copies away to his children and grandchildren etc.
A friend and I published a songbook with Hebrew songs 15 years ago this same way (there was no digital print then though) and we have been selling it basicly by mail (and a few bookstores in Germany). We've been on the net for a year now (www.aschira.de) and we are doing fine: We have sold almost 10.000 copies altogether plus cassette tapes and CDs. So if your product is good it will sell.
So what will make your book a good book? Do you know many American name books? Any good ones? All I have is Kolatch's Dictionary of First Names (with a big baby on the cover) and most of it is crap. But I'm sure it sells. So your book can only be better (and hopefully do even better). What languages do you know? You must be into languages somehow, even though you're "mathematical" - or else you wouldn't want to write this book.
I'm afraid in Germany there are quite a number of good name books and if I should recommend one (besides my own, ha ha!), I would say: "Das große Vornamenlexikon" Duden Verlag, ISBN 3-411-06082-4. Of course it is in German, but with a little help from your husband ...
Actually my family and I live a four hours' drive from Munich, going west. Maybe you can find the city of Kaiserslautern on a map, it's not far from the French border. Now we live 30 km south of it, and if you happen to come to Germany, do drop in!
Andy ;—)
1
If you ever want to email me, you can get in contact with me through fgmoderator at yahoo dot com.
Kaiserslautern sounds very familiar to me. I wonder if my husband has been there. Besides working in Germany one summer, he has been there a couple of times with the military. I'll have to ask him when he gets up.
Kaiserslautern sounds very familiar to me. I wonder if my husband has been there. Besides working in Germany one summer, he has been there a couple of times with the military. I'll have to ask him when he gets up.
1