A Book is Born

Earlier this month I called an emergency meeting of the Mom-Writers Publishing Co-Op. It was to announce my plans for the future of the Co-Op, and new options I wanted to offer in my brand new imprint "WyMac". The emergency was the realization that yes – I can make all of my biggest dreams come true, I can be the "Random House for mom writers" providing traditional publishing and major bookstore distribution, I can raise the funds necessary to print large press runs, I can do it all... but is it the best I can do? IS the best the best option?

Through the Fall of 2006 I found myself turning away manuscripts, knowing, from experience, the writers' platforms were not large enough to sustain the traditional publishing model. Then the devestation of month after month of automated returns from the major book wholesalers – Ingram, Baker & Taylor ,and even Amazon, returning a "standard" 300-600 books per author every 89 days, only to later order more. The straw that broke this publisher's back was the expectation of the payment from a huge Fall Season, only to discover with Returns and the fees associated – we were in the red. Then, I heard Paula Dean on Oprah use The Serenity Prayer in the context of how she made it through her business success. A light donned on a darkened dream.

I remember the Serenity Prayer from my childhood, it meant "to have more patience with Dad". I had heard the 12 Steps muttered by my mother from her Al-anon meetings. My first published piece was at age 15, a poem I wrote "They're not Home" was in an Al-anon hardcover, I'll never forget seeing my name in print.

I began to apply the 12 Steps to the chaos that Returns were causing in my life. My goal for serenity – for a calm, reliable, and creative atmosphere where we don't have to brace ourselves for the unexpected, or for financial upheaval.

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change... such as Returns in the book industry.

Courage to change the things I can. 

And wisdom to know the difference. 

For any other publishers out there who have the quenchless addiction of creating books, but feel the distribution "dealers", the sales rep "pushers", led by their "king pin" corporate retailers, are only leading to your eventual overdose and downfall, I give to you...

The 12 Steps for Bookaholics... (even funnier if you know the 12 Steps!)

1. Admit we are powerless over Returns.

2. Believe a power greater than ourselves could restore our sanity (it's no coincidence the solution's motto is "The Power of One")

3. Make a decision - to stop accepting returns, and move to a demand-driven model.

4. Take inventory - how many books sold, how many returned, how many destroyed?

5. Admit what wasn't working.

6. Let Go and Let the Universe remove those things that are objectionable.

7. Humbly ask the Universe to remove everything that stands in the way of my using my usefullness to help others.

8. Make a list of those who have been harmed.

9. Make ammends - even if it means losing your position or reputation.

10. Admit when we were wrong and set right our mistakes, and thus grow in understanding and effectiveness.

11. Have a conscious contract with the Universe.

12. Carry this message to others. You can help when no one else can. You can secure their confidence when others fail.

We talked about the "stigma of print-on-demand" and I compared it to the "stigmata of Returns".

The end result was a supportive group cheer and the goal to take the control away from the big book industry and put it back in our hands, the self-assuredness to confront every industry insider who challenges the validity of our books based on a conscious decision to not allow chaos and abuse, and, being ready to sell 4 of each of our books, or 40,000, however big the media gets – we'll be ready.

This is the basis of our new WYMAC imprint, and an underlying truth in my new class. "The Secret to Publishing".

~ Nancy