Ministry & Business Colleague Pastor K. Edwin Bryant Will Be on TBN.

Be sure to tune into TBN on Tuesday, January 8, 2008. My brother in Christ, Pastor Kerry Bryant of Dayton, Ohio will be one of the special guests of my former pastor Bishop Joseph Walker III, of Nashville, TN. For more information click here.

John Hoskins of Affluence Publishing has been publishing books for a little more than 10 years. In this interview, you'll find out how he got started and you''ll learn some valuable information regarding what it takes to publish a great quality book, the RIGHT WAY. Once you finish reading this interview, you will definitely look at your project with a whole other outlook.
Enjoy!

DHO: Tell me more about your background as a publisher?
J.H.:That's a story in itself really, because I started off horribly in college: wrong major (Accounting), wrong focus (played basketball), wrong GPA (1.9 cumulative after first 2 years!). During the summer of '96, I realized that my difficulties were not because I wasn't capable, but because I really had not consulted God about my total life purpose and had been making my own plans without fully realizing it.

God revealed to me that I was a writer and led me to change my major to English-Writing and I began to excel in school almost immediately. I went from within one bad semester of failing out, to straight A's and the President's list.

IT'S ALL ABOUT PURPOSE!
DHO: WOW, so that led to publishing?
J.H.: I got into publishing because soon after that epiphany of sorts, I starting writing several books while in college that dealt with faith in Christ, sexual purity, and finding/executing your God-ordained purpose.

I knew God created me to be a writer and publisher, and almost simultaneously, as my academic life improved, I was offered a job as newsletter editor and administrator for the local school district. I wound up working there for 3 years, until I graduated college. It was a part-time student position, and that's where I gained a lot of experience with editing, as well as some basic web and publication design. Once I graduated college, I got hired doing the same kind of work as an administrator with United Cerebral Palsy. I wore a lot of hats in that job, but I did do newsletters, brochure design, web design - some of the same things as I'd done in my college years. I had worked in the library as a college student also, so I had that publishing/researcher background. As a child, I worked on the yearbook staff when I was in middle school.

DHO:What types of clients come to you seeking publishing help?
J.H:The publishing clients I work with usually have written a book that they don't know what to do with next, or they have a book idea or minimal writing skills and hire me to ghostwrite it for them. I work primarily with Christian authors, but consider other kinds of projects. My focus is Christian books though.

DHO:What do you think is the biggest mistake new authors make when preparing to publish their first book?
J.H. Unrealistic expectations about the book being a great seller just because it's well written. Or, for Christian authors, expecting wonderful sales simply because it is God-inspired. Well written does not necessarily equate to great sells. Nor does a God- given vision to write a book mean it will be a hot commodity. You have to ask yourself what is most important to you - I think you should be balanced in your intent and ambition. Bestsellers are well marketed, not necessarily ones of great substance. I liken them to music cds or movies - not all the "blockbusters" hitting the big screen every summer are very good - in fact, a large portion of them are average or just plain bad, but the marketing campaigns condition people to agree with a perceived value of it being wonderful.

Another common mix-up is not understanding how copyright registration works. The assumption is that your work is not protected until you fill out the copyright forms and send them in to the DC office. Fact is, from the moment of creation, any literary or artistic work is copyrighted by law. Sending in registration paperwork to the DC office just officially documents the copyright registration. It's exactly that: a registration.

The other thing I try to discourage is going the cheap route when it comes to printing, binding and having your cover properly designed. You can really waste quite a bit of money and sacrifice substantial quality by not educating yourself about the printing process and options.

And one last huge thing I would discourage is what's called subsidy or vanity publishing. That's a whole other topic, but my abbreviated advice is to stay away.

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU'RE A CANDIDATE FOR SELF-PUBLISHING

DHO:Can you explain the difference between self-publishing and seeking out a publisher?
J.H.Self publishing is when you are completely responsible for your books' production from start to finish, both conceptually and financially. You also stand to reap 100% of the returns.
On the other hand, in seeking out a publisher, you are looking for someone who desires to produce and market your book at no expense to you, from which they will pay you royalties on sales in addition to or against an advance or what have you. People should be aware that a legitimate publishing deal should NEVER cost you a penny. Publishing contracts vary, with rights, royalties, etc., and it is extremely wise to have a lawyer review anything you are about to sign in the way of a publishing contract. Knowledge of the business side of things is critical for every writer.

DHO:Can you give a balanced view of the pros and cons of both types of publishing?
J.H. In a nutshell here's what you have.

Self-Publishing

Con: Money out of your pocket to do everything.
Pro: All profits go to you once sales are made. Not as long a wait and not as much hassle as seeking a deal. Also, the markup on product is substantial, though you will have to invest a few thousand dollars to produce your books initially. You should make your money back and more though. One other thing is that you can self-publish and still shop that same book around and try to land a publishing deal while you're promoting on your own.

Landing A Publishing Deal

Con: Long wait - dealing with rejection - finding agent and/or publisher to take your work. Possible creative control limitations could be imposed if the publisher wants you to change something. Publishers and stores make most of the profit. You get % of sales in form of royalties.

Pro: Shouldn't cost you a dime. You should only stand to make money. Publishers can provide exposure faster and on broader scale than you could on your own.

DHO:When do you need a literary agent?
J.H.:You need an agent when you are seeking a publishing deal. Agents have the contacts and the knowledge that most writers don't have. They also don't have the same emotional tie to the book that the writer sometimes does. The book may be great, but agents and publishers look more at the bottom line, and therefore are more apt to make sound business decisions. Some of the more critical reasons you'd want an agent too are that (1) many publishers only accept manuscripts and book proposals/ideas from agents, and not directly from writers; (2) agents not only help land deals, but also to negotiate contracts. Another thing to note is that legitimate agents should never charge an author they take on as a client. The only charge an agent may perhaps pass along to an author is maybe some minimal faxing expenses or perhaps some photocopying. Primarily though, their pay should come from their ability to get you (the author) paid. Good agents will get the job done because that's how they prosper and attract new clients. It's in their best interests to look out for your best interests.