Okay, many of you are asking how to get your book published. There’s definitely some confusion about the best way to publish a book. Maybe you’re not sure whether to look for a publisher or self-publish your book. I get that.

So, I want to take a moment to offer you some solid advice here. And if you are going to listen to anyone about this, I’m your guy. I have been on the speaking circuit for over 15 years. That’s a clue for you.

I get to share a stage with pretty much all the top dogs in the speaking industry. Many of them are self-published authors. Yet, some are New-York Times Best Sellers. They tell me the good, the bad, and the ugly about book publishing.

You see, there is a big misconception out there about publishing.  Many people think if you’re not hooked up with a major publishing house, you’re not doing it the right way. Well, maybe this was true years ago. But, that’s no longer a valid point.

The publishing game has changed significantly. The big publishers are no longer in control. The power is in your hand. And you can thank the Internet for it. Here’s what you need to aware of:

The Big Publishers Are Not Interested In Your Book

Maybe you have been waiting to find a big publisher before you put your book out there. If you are, the news is not good. Publishers are looking for people who already have a platform or a following. They are looking for people who can sell books.

If you are not a big name or you don’t have a big platform, get the thought of going with a big publisher out of your head. Besides, I would NOT recommend you to go that route anyway.

Let me share this with you: Suppose you were really lucky and you have some kind of platform. A publisher might give you an advance of, let’s say, $50,000. Then they would expect you to promote the book. You probably would have to spend that money on promotion alone.

Did you know that authors only make about $1 per book when a big publisher publishes their books? That means you have to sell 100,000 books to make $100,000. That’s a LOT of books. Very few authors can sell that many books.

I want to make something very clear to you: Do not waste your time trying to find a publisher. All you’re going to get is nothing but aggravations and frustrations.

Publishers don’t talk to people. Their gate keepers are literary agents.

First, you have to command the literary agent’s attention. Then, after scrutinizing you thoroughly, they’ll starting considering you if they think you’re ready to talk to a publisher.

It’s very likely many literary agents will reject you. Even when you find an agent that wants to talk to you, get ready for more rejections from the publishers.

Basically, you go through all that aggravation only to hear, “We’re interested in your book”.  Yuck!

Publishers Are Glorified Book Printers

A few years ago, Mark Victor Hansen invited me to speak at his big even in LA. I was having lunch with the other speakers. I asked a big name literary agent about publishing my next book. He told me that publishers are now becoming more and more glorified book printers. That made sense to me.

Simply put, they are excellent at printing books. They’ll do a great job with your design, layout and printing. But, don’t expect them to promote and sell the hell out of book for you. The game has indeed changed.

By the way, all this hoopla about being New York Times Best Sellers is nothing but smoke. I know many New York Times Best Sellers that are struggling. Do you know how many books you have to sell to be a New York Times Best Seller?

You only have to sell so many books within a certain timeframe. It usually is a week. Needless to say some people know how to manipulate book sales to become a New York Times Best Seller. Let me give a hint:

Have your friends, acquaintances, and family members all over the country buy a bunch of books within the same timeframe. As long as they buy from the proper channels, say a bookstore, you are good to go.

But, that can be extremely expensive and you would also have to make sure there’s not a big name author coming out with a book at the same timeframe in your genre.

What are the benefits of being a New York Time Best Seller? The answer is zero! Of course, some would argue that it’s a prestigious thing. It will help you get more speaking engagements. Nonsense. Maybe that was effective ten or fifteen years ago. Today, everywhere you turn there’s a best-selling author.

One of my friends is a real bonafide best seller. He did many times. He told me being a best seller is only good for his ego. His speaker buddies think he’s a big shot.

Look, I’m a best-selling author myself. And I have been a best seller many times.  Notice I didn’t tell you what kind of bestseller, right? That’s my point. There are many kinds of best sellers. To wrap up this conversation, I want you to take this away with you:

Do not try to get your book published by a publisher .

It’s not worth your time and effort. You might bruise your little ego! In the next post, I will reveal to you exactly 3 ways you can get your book published cheap and fast and still look like you are published by a big publishing house.