Skip Prichard writes:
Most of my career has been in publishing. Whether legal publishing at LexisNexis or dissertations at ProQuest, I know the process from the inside. When I became the CEO of Ingram Content Group, I was thrust into the wholesale and distribution side of the book business. I'm now the CEO of OCLC, where we power libraries worldwide and even publish the Dewey Decimal System. I've keynoted conferences for years at ABA's Winter Institute, PubWest, ALA, IFLA, O'Reilly's Tools of Change and beyond. Of course, my blog has me interacting with bestselling authors every week.
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| Skip Prichard | |
So what does all that experience mean when crossing to the other side to become a first-time author? My first book, The Book of Mistakes: 9 Secrets to Creating a Successful Future, is being published February 6 by Hachette's Center Street imprint.
My publisher has been patient. I likely drove them crazy when I questioned the bibliographic data for the book and when I asked why Lightning Source wasn't printing the galleys. We both have encountered the curse of knowledge--when you assume the other party knows what you do--along the way. I've had to slow them down when we were discussing areas of marketing that are new to me. On the other hand, I ran ahead of them and got a large number of high-profile endorsements--from former Thomas Nelson CEO Michael Hyatt, CBS's Lee Woodruff, Robert Goolrick (A Reliable Wife), former CEO of Campbell Soup Doug Conant and more.
At the same time, I know what many first-time authors don't know: that researching, writing, editing and polishing the final manuscript is only the tip of the iceberg. The harder work is ahead, and whether a book sells two copies or thousands is part art, part science and part magic. Though I have extensive national media in the works, I also know the importance of handselling a first-time author's book. I hope that the many talented booksellers I know will help me get the word out.
I feel like I'm on a roller coaster. If I knew nothing about the book industry, I think I would be excited by the ride--so far. Instead, I know that I'm creeping up one side, listening to the gears grinding, my jaw clenching in nervous anticipation of what's to come.
Throughout it all, I am still somehow enjoying the process--most of the time. Like any new parent, I'm anxious about my child's success.