… ahhhh, the old days, when NY came courting up and coming authors; advances were common; authors were groomed and nurtured in the process; media tours were set up; your editor was your advocate; and you were looked up to when you told others you had an agent.

Times have changed radically in the last decade … even more so, the past few years—today’s author has to be prepared to work their butt off to get his book noticed by the media, the public, you name it; they often are disconnected from the editor who “acquired” the book and the one that does the editing; and advances have shrunk, even disappeared (many authors work for far less than minimum wage).

Saying that you are published with a NY house has become a yawn for many—that is unless you got a bunch of money. Most people who buy books really don’t care who published it … what they want to know is—does it solve a problem I have? Is it a terrific read? Does it look like it has quality to the production (vs. falling apart when it opens—one of the major independent bookstores in the country won’t carry one of the POD publishers because they literally apart.) and can I get it?

What’s far more impressive is … I’ve published and my books are selling … and I’m making money. Now, that will get a book buyer’s attention.