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About Paul Chika Emekwulu...
Mr. Emekwulu is originally from Nigeria. Before he immigrated to the United States, he taught mathematics at Boys’ High School, Uga in Anambra State of Nigeria and also at St. Mark’s Teachers Training College, Nibo-Nise also in Anambra state. Before teaching at Uga Boys’, he had taught at Central and Community Primary Schools, Ebenato in Nnewi local government area of Anambra state, Nigeria. About his Works He has been inspiring his audiences since 1992 with his seminar series - Can I publish my own book?, Yes, There Could Be A Book In You and Math-Magic, a creative and innovative way of motivating high school students in appreciating mathematics. An award - winning author, Emekwulu is the author of Magic of Numbers, Grades 9-12, Fibonacci Numbers For Research Mathematicians and AI Applications. His several unpublished manuscripts include Beauty of Mathematics, Vols. 1 & 2, Mathematical Encounters, Awakening Your Writing Genius etc. Emekwulu’s primary interest lies in exploring properties of Fibonacci and triangular numbers. He has organized seminars for National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and other professional organizations including Moore Association of Classroom Teachers, Oklahoma State Education Association, Liberated Arts Center in Oklahoma, City, Jenks Public Schools, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, University of Oklahoma, Board Members of Organization of Rural Oklahoma Schools and several high schools, Oklahoma City Writers, Norman Galaxy of Writers, Mid-Oklahoma Writers Club etc. He has also presented an online self-publishing seminar for Teachers.Net.
Paul is a member of Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). He is available for staff development and classroom presentation of Math-Magic. He can be contacted at 405.447.9019 or novelty@telepath.com or P. O. Box 2482, Norman, OK 73070. Information about his books, seminars and others can be found by visiting his web site at www.telepath com/novelty or at www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com
Best Sellers
How You Can Become a Successful Self-Publisher in America and Elsewhere
by Paul Chika Emekwulu
$19.95 from Amazon.com
More information
Magic of Numbers
by Paul Chika Emekwulu
$19.95 from Amazon.com
More information
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Kathleen - Teachers.Net
is happy to present Paul Chika Emekwulu who has self-published 3 books
and a number of manuscripts. One of his books is pictured over in the left
frame. You can visit Pauls web site to learn more about him and his books
by clicking on the words "Novelty Books". Paul will be answering questions
about self-publishing. Please wait with your '?' posted once until I call
upon you to submit your question. Paul, what would you like to say to us
to open the session?
Paul Chika Emekwulu
- Originally, I am from Nigeria. I attended Alvan Ikoku College of Education,
Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. (an affiliate of the University of Nigeria,
Nsukka. Before my ingress into the United States, I taught high school
math at Boys' High School, Uga and St. Mark's Teacher Training College,
Nibo-Nise (all in Nigeria) My self-publishing interest developed when I
was still in Nigeria. Today, while in the United States, I have self-publised
three books: How You Can Become A Successful Self-Publisher in America,
Magic of Numbers, Grades 9-12, How To Make Goal Setting Work For You (with
a review by Brian Tracy).
I have more than ten un-published manuscripts
including Learning Algebra Through Triangular numbers.
Kathleen - Paul,
why do people self-publish? What are the advantages of self-publishing?
Paul Chika Emekwulu
- Kathleen, thank you for that question.
Paul Chika Emekwulu
- Self publish for many reasons.
1. Turn around time is less
2. New York Giants will not listen to me
3. Personal goal
4. Credibility
Surely, there are advantages.
1) Control: Self-publishing your
book gives you the opportunity to control not only the physical elements
of the book (paper, trim size, etc.) but also the content as well.
2) Credibility: Self-publishing establishes
you as an expert in your field. You don't necessarily need a doctorate
to be an expert.
3) Turn around time is less: It is
an opportunity for you to publish you book in a reasonable short period
of time.
4) Sole Rights Ownership. You own all rights
to your book.
5) Personal Goal: Some people self-publish
at times in order to fulfill a personal goal. It could be self-publishing
a family history or an autobiography to give away at family unions to family
members.
6) Filling a Niche: If your books
is about a special topic, mainstream publishers might not have interest
in it. They think that the demand will not be enough for them to
recoup their investment. They are in business, and as such their
goal is to protect their business interests at all times. In such
a case you can test the market with a short print run. This is something
a big publisher will not think of doing.
7) Bigger profits
Conventionally, most mainstream publishers will
pay anywhere from 5-15% royalty. This figure changes when you take
the route of self-publishing.
The above advantages are not by any means exhaustive.
Other advantages could still be identified.
Kathleen - Paul,
is self-publishing a temporary action while an author waits for a publisher?
Paul Chika Emekwulu
- No, not necessarily. I say this because before ever I decided to
self-publish Magic of Numbers (my first book) I contacted several publishers.
On my list are Houghton Mifflin, Addison Wesley, John Wiley & Sons,
McGraw-Hill etc. Assuming none of these "New York Giants" is interested
in your material. What do you do? Fold your hands and wait! That probably
means that one has to wait forever. John Saxon of Norman (here in Oklahoma)
rejected the verdict of these Giants, paid a visit to the bank, mortgaged
his home, and published his first math book. The rest is history.
Today, Saxon Mathematics is in almost every high school in this country.
Had he waited for the mainstream publishers, he would have probably waited
for ever.
Kathleen - Paul,
what do you mean: "New York Giants will not listen to me"? Who are the
New York Giants?
Paul Chika Emekwulu
- By the "New Giants" I mean for example, Addison Wesley, Houghton Mifflin,
Random House et
Grace/IL - Right
now I see the biggest problem with self-publishing is marketing. How do
you deal with that?
Paul Chika Emekwulu
- Grace I know what you mean. The contacts are there. Barnes & Noble,
Borders, Waldenbooks, Hastings, . These and others are the big chains.
Quality Books, Bookazine, Herveys, Pipeline. These are the wholesalers.
These are friends of the self-publisher. They are always very helpful.
Contact is the key. Barnes & Noble, Borders, Waldenbooks are there
to help.
Kathleen - Paul,
what is the first step an author takes when s/he has finished a manuscript
and wishes to self-publish it?
Paul Chika Emekwulu
-
a) Securing as many quotes as you can from
printers once you have decided on the number of copies, trim size, number
of illustrations, cover and text ink colors, print run, number of pages,
etc.
b) Contacting a graphic designer for the
cover.
c) Choosing a name for your publishing
company.
d) Securing an ISBN for the book.
Usually, the ISBN agency will send you a block of ten, hundred or a thousand.
e) Sending out the manuscript for peer
and or pre-publication reviews.
The above are some of the things you should be
doing if you wish to self-publish a finished manuscript. The above,
it should be noted are not strictly in order of importance.
Mary K&1 - Since
there is no other publisher involved, do you pass the work around to family
and friends for proof reading and ideas as to how to improve the work?
Paul Chika Emekwulu
- Yes, family members can help you. also there are professional editors
out there whose job is to edit manuscripts. These editors are some
of the time found around area community colleges or universities.
Mary K&1 - Where
do you get it printed and bound?
Paul Chika Emekwulu
- Local printers or out-of state printers.
Mary K&1 - How
do you get it on the market?
Paul Chika Emekwulu
- Barnes & Noble, Hastings, Borders, Waldenbooks, B. Dalton etc.
What do all the above have in common? If your answer is that they
are all chain bookstores, you are correct.
While Barnes & Noble etc. are chain bookstores,
Bookazine, Hervey, Pipeline, Ingram, Baker & Taylor etc. are book wholesalers,
Unique Books, Quality Books, Publishers Group West etc. are distributors.
Some of the wholesalers demand discounts of from 55% up. e.g.
Bookazine - 55%, 1-800-221-8112
Baker & Taylor - 55%
Hervey's - 55%, 1-800-413-3300
That's not bad, judging the fact that they have
more marketing capabilities to reach customers you would not have dreamed
of.
Some of these distributors e.g. Unique Books
and Quality Books distribute to only library markets while some specialize
in bookstore sales. For any of these to carry your book, you book
must have an ISBN (International Standard Book Number). 096233538x
is an example of an ISBN. The anatomy of an ISBN (group identifier, publisher
identifier, title identifier, check digit) is not our objective here but
let me leave you with this:
For any book published in the United States,
the first digit of the ten digits must be either 0 or 1. For a book
published in Nigeria, the ISBN must begin with 978. For Japan, this
digit is 4 and so on. Note that securing an ISBN is not a guarantee
that Barnes & Noble or Waldenbooks for example will stock your title
or make your title available from their stores. The ISBN is a necessary
step in making sure your book conforms to book publishing standards.
Submission Guidelines according to Barnes &
Noble
For this information, contact Small Press Department
of Barnes & Noble, New York Office and ask for a document titled, "Barnes
& Noble Acceptance Criteria." These criteria are discussed under
the following headings:
a) Industry Standards
b) Competition
c) Content
Call each chain store for information on their
policy and submission requirements.
Acceptance by any of these stores carries with
it some responsibilities.
1. When you submit your title to Waldenbooks
(Ann Arbor, Michigan office) for example, find out who their wholesaler
is. If the wholesaler is Bookazine, submit the same title to them
indicating that your book has been submitted to Waldenbooks. On acceptance,
Bookazine will send you a contract and possibly the first purchase order
based on the fact that your book has been accepted by Waldenbooks.
2. You have not finished. The above only
may not sell a single copy of your book. It is time to generate
bookstore orders. Do this by calling local Waldenbooks in your city
and or region and arrange book signings.
Tell them who your wholesaler is. This
arrangement will immediately link the bookstore and your wholesaler.
On ISBN
---------
The ISBN is a ten digit number on the back of
a book. The numbers are available from R. R. Bowker & Co in blocks
of 10, 100, or 1000 depending on you needs. You use one number at a time.
The rest of the numbers can be used for future publications.
Filing and Waiting Time
-----------------------
These could take four to six weeks, so plan ahead
of time in order to avoid delays in production.
Rush Service
------------
Rush service is available but that means extra
money.
Don't get me wrong. Every book does not
need an ISBN but if you anticipate to sell your book to bookstores and
libraries, hey, you need one. Their first question usually, is:
"What is the title of your book?" or "What is the ISBN?" Some people
are more comfortable working with a book's ISBN than the title. In other
words, without the ISBN, no bookstore will stock you book. Libraries also
need ISBN.
Kathleen - Paul,
is it very expensive to self-publsh?
Paul Chika Emekwulu
- Not necessarily. It depends on a lot of factors. Hardbound books for
example cost more. If you can borrow money
from the bank, or save up some money, and your book has a sales potential
(proved), what prevents one from self-publishing?
Kathleen - Paul,
if an author self-publishes, does s/he have to hire an editor, or does
the author do the editing?
Paul Chika Emekwulu
- Yes, absolutely. But you do not necessarily have to hire a Manhattan
editor to do your editing. Around local community colleges and universities,
there are residents who have editing skills who will charge you a minimal
fee to edit your work. There is nothing wrong with hiring a Manhattan editor
but the former will save you some money. Before sending the material off
to an editor, you can also use the editing skills of friends and acquaintances.
Their editing is in no way, the final. The
author's editing only is not enough. Repeat! It is not enough.
At times we cannot find our own mistakes and omissions.
Rivta - How many
copies of your book would you need before approaching one of these chains?
Paul Chika Emekwulu
- There is no hard and fast rule here. Whatever number you are comfortable
with. The number has to be enough to go round the stores should the book
start to sell. Even if you do not have enough books, you can go for more
re-runs. When this happens, make sure you keep the bookstore or wholesaler
or distributor informed and let them know as soon as copies are available.
Rivta - How much
of the printing process can I do on my home computer? I have Word and Word
Perfect and I have a laser printer.
Paul Chika Emekwulu
- This depends on your skills. Are you a graphic designer?
If the answer is a comfortable "yes", then, you can design your own
cover using a graphic computer program.
Owing a laser printer is quite an added advantage.
With it you can print as many copies of your manuscript as possible and
give them away for peer review or pre-publication reviews.
Rivta - Where do
you go for a cover design, and binding? What are the costs involved
for producing a 50 page book?
Paul Chika Emekwulu
- It is usually said that book covers sell books. Do I agree with that
statement? Yes, I do. Book covers can cost anywhere from $0.00 0
$1000s. Zero dollars when a friend (with the skill) decides to help
you out as a way to help you cut production costs. Hundreds when
you call a local graphic designer in your immediate geographical environment.
Thousands when, you live in Norman, Oklahoma and call a graphic designer
that designed "The Mutant Message" In other words, you best bet for a graphic
designer. The same thing applies to printing. I don't advice
you to start out with printing thousands of copies without knowing whether
the book will sale or not. A better print run may be 200, 250, 300
or 500. When you book registers an admirable sales history, then
it is time to opt for at least a thousand copies. This time you can go
for out-of-state printers. Production cost depends on a lot of factors
including:
1) Number of pages
2) Trim Size i.e. 6"x9", 5 1/2" x 8 1/2",
8 1/2" x 11" etc.
3) Text Color: Black and white text
is cheaper. Colored inks are expensive. These are known as
PMS colors.
4) Binding Type: This is also a factor.
If your book is softcover, it costs less. If it is a hardcover, it
is more expensive.
5) Typesetting; If you can typeset
your own manuscript, you are at an advantage. You will not only reduce
cost but also be able to manipulate the entire text as you desire.
6) Cover: Monocolor covers costs
less than a two, three, four, five or more colors. The more the number
of PMS colors, the more expensive your production cost.
The above is not exhaustive. There are other
elements that are not listed here but can still affect your overall production
cost.
Rivta - How do I
set the price of my book? How much over my costs is reasonable?
Paul Chika Emekwulu
- Conventionally, the price of your book is five times the unit production
cost. For example, a book that costs $2.50 to print will sell for
$12.50.
There is therefore no particular cost for a 50
paged book because of these and other factors. Moreover, the quote
will vary as there are printers.
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