Publishing a martial arts book??

[IronFist]

So i had an offer to buy the rights to my wooden dummy book (link in sig) which i have been selling independently for 7 years now, and it made me think...

instead of doing that, if i wanted to get it published for real (like by an actual publishing company), how would i go about doing that? Anyone have any contacts in the (martial arts) publishing world or anything? Would i just email companies and ask if they were interested or what? i'm not sure how the process works.

Thanks

[lkfmdc]

how are you selling it now? Why not do an "on demand" book on one of the MANY sites doing this now?

[David Jamieson]

submit a copyrighted manuscript to the major publishing houses.

you can also go the route of vanity publishing whereby you print your own run by using someone else's press and binding services.

This is actually quite common these days and there are many vanity publications now.

To copyright anything at a basic level, mail yourself the manuscript and keep it sealed in the postmarked envelop in which you sent it. This is an accepted method of proof of rights on any written or recorded works. Alternately, you can have the work confirmed by a notary public or lawyer and that also serves as a basic copyright.

[MasterKiller]

So i had an offer to buy the rights to my wooden dummy book (link in sig) which i have been selling independently for 7 years now, and it made me think...

instead of doing that, if i wanted to get it published for real (like by an actual publishing company), how would i go about doing that? Anyone have any contacts in the (martial arts) publishing world or anything? Would i just email companies and ask if they were interested or what? i'm not sure how the process works.

Thanks

The majority of martial arts books are self-published. You'll be hard-pressed to find a publisher.

If you want to try, though, do some research to find which publishers might be interested in the book, then find out what their submission guidelines are.

If you are serious, buy the latest edition of the Writer's Guide to Agents, Editors and Publishers. Should be on Amazon.


Depending on the publisher, you may need to send a few sample chapters with a query letter, or actually include the whole manuscript. Each publisher has it's own guidelines, and if you don't follow them, your book will end up in the trash can.

Also, if you want the manuscripts back if they get rejected, you have to include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Mailing expenses can add up.

[Drake]

Is Unique Publications still around and in business? I think GM went through them years ago.

[karateguy]

check with amazon, you can self-publish with them.. they even assist with artwork

[IronFist]

how are you selling it now? Why not do an "on demand" book on one of the MANY sites doing this now?

I print and bind them myself now. It costs like $5 per book.

Most of the DIY places I've seen online would end up costing me more than that per book.

I'd like to make the entire process as hands-off for me as possible which is why if a company wanted to publish and sell it and send me royalty checks that would be awesome.

I'd rather do that than sell the rights to it for a lump sum just because it would be cool to keep my name on it or whatever. Besides, I like passive income. I'd rather make a few thousand per year for the rest of my life than a little bit more only once.

submit a copyrighted manuscript to the major publishing houses.

you can also go the route of vanity publishing whereby you print your own run by using someone else's press and binding services.

This is actually quite common these days and there are many vanity publications now.

To copyright anything at a basic level, mail yourself the manuscript and keep it sealed in the postmarked envelop in which you sent it. This is an accepted method of proof of rights on any written or recorded works. Alternately, you can have the work confirmed by a notary public or lawyer and that also serves as a basic copyright.

I read on a copyright website that that "poor man's copyright" actually doesn't hold up in court. It's already copyrighted anyway tho so it doesn't matter

[lkfmdc]

I print and bind them myself now. It costs like $5 per book.

Most of the DIY places I've seen online would end up costing me more than that per book.

I'd like to make the entire process as hands-off for me as possible which is why if a company wanted to publish and sell it and send me royalty checks that would be awesome.

I'd rather do that than sell the rights to it for a lump sum just because it would be cool to keep my name on it or whatever. Besides, I like passive income. I'd rather make a few thousand per year for the rest of my life than a little bit more only once.

"on demand" doesn't cost you ANYTHING. If you sell something, you and to company split the profits. And you dont have to do a thing except create the original product

Most big companies will give you a moderate up front and the "royalties" will be few and far between after that

[cerebus]

"on demand" doesn't cost you ANYTHING. If you sell something, you and to company split the profits. And you dont have to do a thing except create the original product

Most big companies will give you a moderate up front and the "royalties" will be few and far between after that

Yup! Check out Lulu.com. Won't cost you a penny.

[SPJ]

1. self publishing, you have to pay for your own marketing or running ads.

you have to promote your books yourself, such as touring and signing, or seminars workshops etc.

2. ask if a publisher that will publish your manuscript. then the publisher will cover your marketing and promoting your book for you. but they take a bigger cut from the sale.

---

anyway, as a authour, just like a trademark, you have to constantly promote yourself, it is a lifetime thing.

--

best of luck, which ever route you will embark on.

and what the other posters said.

[IronFist]

"on demand" doesn't cost you ANYTHING. If you sell something, you and to company split the profits. And you dont have to do a thing except create the original product

See, that's the thing tho. I sell it for $40. So why would I split it and only make $20 per sale when I can keep printing and binding it myself and make around $35 per sale?

The only way I would go with a publishing company like that is if they would also promote the hell out of it so that enough copies would be sold that I would make more (net) than I make now.

Promoting and advertising sucks, but in the last year I've gotten to the first page of google for some keywords.

Most big companies will give you a moderate up front and the "royalties" will be few and far between after that

That's fine tho, even if I made only a few bucks per sale cuz I'd still get my name on it and be able to go to the book store and say "check it out, I wrote this book."

[IronFist]

1. self publishing, you have to pay for your own marketing or running ads.

you have to promote your books yourself, such as touring and signing, or seminars workshops etc.

2. ask if a publisher that will publish your manuscript. then the publisher will cover your marketing and promoting your book for you. but they take a bigger cut from the sale.

---

anyway, as a authour, just like a trademark, you have to constantly promote yourself, it is a lifetime thing.

--

best of luck, which ever route you will embark on.

and what the other posters said.

Yup, that's why I want to get some big company to do it so I don't have to promote it myself anymore.


The other option is to make it an ebook and then my cost would be $0, but then it would be on torrent sites and everyone would be emailing it to their friends and I'd probably only ever sell one copy :P That's why in 7 years I've never, ever released an electronic copy. The only way anyone will get an electronic copy is to buy the rights from me for five figures (that's five figures before the decimal, lol)

[cerebus]

Yup, that's why I want to get some big company to do it so I don't have to promote it myself anymore.


The other option is to make it an ebook and then my cost would be $0, but then it would be on torrent sites and everyone would be emailing it to their friends and I'd probably only ever sell one copy :P That's why in 7 years I've never, ever released an electronic copy. The only way anyone will get an electronic copy is to buy the rights from me for five figures (that's five figures before the decimal, lol)

Heh, heh. Five figures? Good luck with that. You basically have to decide what you want, the money, or your name on a book put out by a big-time publisher.

If you're more into the money, self-publishing will make you more. It's also more work on your part though. From my own research, many big publishers will simply give you around 50 cents per copy for each book they sell, period.

Big money only comes from best-selling novels. Decent money comes from lesser novels. Martial arts instructional manuals.... you won't make alot this way...

[dimethylsea]

Yup, that's why I want to get some big company to do it so I don't have to promote it myself anymore.


The other option is to make it an ebook and then my cost would be $0, but then it would be on torrent sites and everyone would be emailing it to their friends and I'd probably only ever sell one copy :P That's why in 7 years I've never, ever released an electronic copy. The only way anyone will get an electronic copy is to buy the rights from me for five figures (that's five figures before the decimal, lol)

I would suggest Createspace (which is a division of Amazon.com). If you publish through them you can get an ISBN and a listing in the amazon.com website. lkfmdc has it right.

What is often a good trick is to set the purchase price on Amazon.com (you determine this) rather higher than your own website purchase price. That way people "in the know" have an incentive to purchase from you directly, but you still get the benefits of an ISBN, a listing on amazon.com etc.

Createspace or "on-demand" publishing is wonderful for "vanity publishing" (which is what most martial arts books are basically), since they will print, wrap, package and drop-ship your merchandise for you. No shipping department in your living room. And the best part of it is.. once your manuscript is in their hard drive you are basically selling books that don't exist until AFTER you've gotten your cheddar.

Good luck!

[LSWCTN1]

Paul H. Crompton
Paul Crompton
94 Felsham Road
SW151DQ Putney, London
United Kingdom

00 44 2087801063

cromptonph@aol.com

this guy published Joseph Chengs book on the wooden dummy, he may be able to help, or at least let you know what you should be receiving in royalties