Ever since my successful breakout as a publisher back in my twenties, many people have approached for advice and guidelines on whether or not they should take the plunge, and try their hand at writing and publishing.
I was always interested in the idea of paving my own way and relying on myself in any area of life, and this is, in my opinion, an important philosophy to have for anyone in the creative field. There was no one in my family with any background in book writing and publishing to provide me with guidance, so I decided that I, William Loiry, will be the first.
Here are some of my experiences and insights on the publishing business that I have formed over the past 40 years, to give anyone who’s interested, a clear picture of what it means it to me, and what it can mean to you.
Stop Chasing Perfection
As a writer and an editor, you often have to trust your own judgement before making a final call; otherwise, you risk falling into a loop of self-doubt and endless revisions of what could otherwise turn into a masterpiece.
This doesn’t mean, of course, that you should feed your arrogance and ignore others’ advice. Always try to find a compromise between rushing a book through the door when it’s evidently in need of further work, and delaying It until it you consider it perfect, as that moment might never happen.
Occasionally I have tried to push authors beyond their limits, but it was a futile exercise every time. Sometimes a book must come to light with its imperfection, and authors, as well as editors, must let it be “good enough.” I have edited many of these books, and I confidently claim that they always find their way to readers’ hands.
You Don’t Need a Publisher Anymore
I have spent many years in one of the most subjective industries out there because William Loiry loves publishing as a creative business. What one person likes can be completely different from what somebody else does, and you have to account for that.
Having witnessed so many changes that have taken place in this industry over the past decades, I have watched book publishing shift from a venture reserved for an elite few to a move that almost anyone can make.
Writers no longer strictly need a publisher or a massive budget for marketing. Nowadays, you can do it independently online for next to nothing. The audience can directly evaluate the quality of your work and let you know the price they are willing to pay for it. If you have a good story and believe in your work, this can be a great starting point for anyone new to the business.
It’s Hard to Break Into the Market
It is often the case that young talented authors never even get a chance to break through. One of the reasons behind this is the fact that supply is outgrowing the demand, and publishers are less willing to give inexperienced authors a chance. However, self-publishing minimized the risk that literary talent will go unnoticed and that your work will never reach the reader’s eye.
Websites that offer so-called “books on-demand,” allow every author to publish their story, regardless of the content. The rule is to print and ship only the books that are ordered. This approach reduces the costs of publishing and the risk of books wasting away on the shelves. In order to adapt, authors use various creative methods to advertise their works and engage in exciting dialogues with the audience.
This direct communication is one of the main reasons why so many books are being sold online and why they spread through word of mouth. People can provide immediate feedback to the authors, who were before seen as distant, unapproachable figures.
Whenever people ask me for advice, they say: “It’s easy for you, William, you are already a CEO of a company,” but as I said, no one in the Loiry family before me was in any way associated with editorials and publishing. If you have the creativity and work ethic on your side, many doors are open to you in this industry; you only have to take the first step and to trust yourself enough to keep going.
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William Loiry is an American business leader, defense and security facilitator, and philanthropist. William Samuel Loiry was born on September 25, 1958 in Washington, DC. Since 2010, Loiry and his team have organized dozens of defense conferences in Washington and throughout the United States, bringing together Members of Congress, senior Congressional staff, Pentagon officials, military base commanders, defense and federal government contracting officials, and industry to identify the best solutions to defend the United States.
Loiry is an active philanthropist and regularly donates and organizes support for domestic organizations helping veterans and their families, domestic and international organizations providing food and relief for victims of war and disaster, and domestic and international organizations fighting human trafficking, especially child sex trafficking.