Publishing Books for Eternity

One Author, One Book at a Time

Here’s what happened.

Back in 2011, my partner, Michelle Smith, and I (I’m Paul, short for Paulin) were driving in the South Island, NZ. The day was lovely and the place stunning. We stopped at the traffic lights of a small town and, while waiting for the lights to change, we were discussing what to call the publishing company we had decided to set up. We wanted a name associated with both of us.

Nothing was moving, the lights still red, and minutes felt hours. Then, out of the blue, a sewage truck emerged slowly and it had “Paul Smith Sewage” written on it. We looked at each other, then at the truck, looked back at each other and shouted, “Paul Smith Publishing!”

Getting into publishing was the outcome of a book I had written and set out to find a publisher. I sent so many proposals I lost count of and received almost as many rejections. A couple of offers I received sounded too good to be true.

In the process, I began learning more about the publishing industry and came to like the idea of publishing books, help new and emerging authors. Every time you publish a book you have a chance to make a difference, to make a change.

As I started publishing the first title, the second and so on I learnt slowly and at my expense many lessons, of which there are three I keep reminding myself and my authors and I urge you to do the same.

ONE: Your desire to share your book with the world leaves you wide open on two fronts.

First, being taken advantage of. I heard stories of writers either being locked into one-sided publishing agreements or paying a lot of money and getting little in return. It shocked the hell out of me. Still does. Remember to:

  • Double-check all the information before signing anything
  • Ask for a written agreement stating simply and clearly what if offers
  • Be careful of what rights you keep or give away (be stingy with your copyright, it’s your property)

Second, publishing a book that isn’t ready. Your first book or not, you must strive to polish it as much as possible. Learn the basics of editing and go back and improve it.

It takes time and dedication; keep at it because it pays off. No shortcuts or rushing the process. If you do, it’ll come to bite you.

TWO: Book publishing is complex. There are many more skills and stages involved than what people are aware of. Claims and promises of quick and easy publishing formulas are misleading. It doesn’t work that way. Publishing a book is a team effort. Here’s what you do:

  • Approach the book individually, even when it’s part of a series
  • Find the best people to work on it
  • Work with them, trust them, let them shape and improve your book

Remember, you are emotionally attached to your work, resisting change is natural. Don’t worry, relax and enjoy the process. You’ll learn a lot and will end up with a book you’ll be proud to call your own. Do the best you can and then let the reader decide. Let no one contradict me on this.

THREE: Publishing a book is one thing, selling it quite another. Book promotion is a continuous process. The book won’t sell by itself, it needs pushing. A lot. Key to it is to:

  • Make people talk, spread the word about your book
  • Have in place a book marketing plan and execute it with military precision
  • Build a readership base

You’ve got to think and act like a marketer now. I know you might find it daunting, creativity and selling are not often compatible, but it’s crucial to do it. It’s what the best selling authors do to succeed.

If you have written or plan to write a book, I’d love to hear more. Please get in touch and tell me your biggest concern or challenge about your book. I can and want to help you get published and succeed. Do it right now, not tomorrow nor next week. I’ll get back to you and you ’ll be dealing with me all the way.

Now the bios. Francesca took on the cover design, Peter joined later on to handle book marketing.

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The Team

Paulin Prifti

I handle book editing, manuscript evaluation, preparing books for publication and handling publishing agreements.
A crucial part of this is dealing with writers, authors, book cover designers, illustrators and other creative types who are not an easy lot by any stretch.

Publishing a book requires many different stages and skills. It is a chain and you need to make sure it works smoothly.

Another part of the job is making sure the writer approaches the book as a marketer, yet keeping in mind and writing for the reader.  The job of a book is to sell; it’s the most reliable indication readers want it. It is not easy because as a writer you are emotionally attached to your work and would often resist changes to the draft.

See it this way: your book is your newborn baby, it is adorable but you cannot send it into the world as it is. You have to clothe it, rear it, make it foolproof and then let it run free.

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Michelle Smith
Michelle has been part of Paul Smith Publishing since its early days.

Already a published author with two titles under her name, Michelle deals with and advises on manuscript formatting, book presentation and making sure every book, as a finished product, gives the reader a smooth and effortless reading experience.

Another important task Michelle deals with, coming from an accounting background, is advising on book pricing structure, incomings and outgoings making sure each book project becomes viable for both author and publisher.

Michelle says it’s important to see the book as a reader: you want a book that is easy to read, is presented professionally and marketed in a way it reaches as many people as it can.

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Peter Clough
Peter has been publishing for nearly seven years now and has seen many of his books make it to the top #1 rank in their category.

One bestselling book reached the Top 100 Salesrank (the authority site ranking the best-selling books in all genres on Amazon) in both the US & UK markets. It still ranks pretty high four years after its release.

Long gone are the days when you could publish a book and Amazon would promote it for you. Now Amazon wants to see your book is worth promoting.

A major part of Peter’s job is working behind the scenes analysing Amazon’s very sophisticated and constantly changing algorithm (a self-confessed geek!). Knowing how this algorithm affects sales is a huge advantage when your book is competing with many, many great books.

Other aspects of Peter’s job involve analysing what reviewers like or don’t like about other similar books, the wording of their book descriptions, their cover design and so on. Though they may seem trivial and a waste of time; they are vital elements leading to a strong impact on potential readers wanting to buy your book without them realising.

Peter says if you don’t do the prelaunch preparation, you better not publish your book at all.

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The Publishing Model in a Nutshell

We cover all genres of Fiction & Non-Fiction in three main formats:

  • eBooks
  • Physical books
  • Audiobooks

There are three publishing models:

1 Publisher Author Agreements

  • Royalty-based
  • Author retains partial copyright
  • PSP handles author account in full
  • All genre manuscripts accepted
  • Free manuscript evaluation

2 Commission Publishing Services Packages

  • Author keeps 100% royalty
  • Author retains full copyright
  • Author owns the account

3 Bespoke Book Marketing Packages

  • Book sales & marketing pre and after release plans

THE PUBLISHING PROCESS

Each book project is handled individually and will go through the stages below.

BOOK EDITING: Once the manuscript is polished & proofread, we add all the elements needed to turn into a book. Allow at least four to six months for:

  • Finalising draft, title & subtitle
  • Book cover including spine & back cover
  • Interior formatting
  • Book illustrations
  • eBook & paperback & audiobook conversion

BOOK RESEARCH: To boost its chances to sell it is crucial to target a book’s main readership and also spy on the competition by:

  • Genre & subgenre selection
  • Book competitor research
  • Best book ranking keywords
  • Pricing

BOOK PRELAUNCH: Unique features help the book stand out by:

  • Amazon eBook and paperback, audiobook listings
  • Author profile set up
  • Advanced book description

BOOK LAUNCH: The most crucial two-step stage to build traction includes:

  • Soft launch
  • Hard launch

BOOK MARKETING: Promoting and selling a book is an ongoing process and the following are essential to it:

  • Book promotion campaigns
  • Book competition
  • Review selection
  • Short & long print runs
  • Print on Demand (POD)

For more details about book publishing package or submitting manuscripts, please
email Paul: paul@paulsmithpublishing.co.uk

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NOTE: Huge thanks to the following people for their great work and support:

Katie McKee - Graphic design and logo and book cover designer.

Matt Mabley - Website Designer Activate Design

Robert Urquhart - Lead Programmer

Paul Smith Publishing Ltd is registered in England and Wales. Company number: 08735912.

Registered address: 97 Earls Court Road, London, W8 6QH, UK.