Meeting Dan Poynter

As seminars go, this one topped my expectations. I was invited as a guest by the President of A&A Printing, Billy Ashby. A&A Printing  The seminar was filled with some aspiring authors, some new authors, and some veteran authors. The latter was filled by the very tall shoes of Dan Poynter. I know Dan very well, yet I just met Dan in person on Saturday.

The reason I know him is that I've studied his book, Self-Publishing Manual many years ago. It was one of my favorite resources when I began writing in earnest, and one I still reference. I wrote for a niche market and had an audience and buyers. I wanted to expand my readership and his book helped me to think outside of the box. He has suggestions for approaching the book market in an innovative way. My book is very dog-eared. I have purchased, used it, and highly recommend it. In fact it is cited and reference in my book, Information in a Nutshell: Writing and Publishing.

Dan lived up to my expectations and gave a very good presentation where he explained his life mission, aiding authors to get their manuscripts into print. That is now one of my goals, the reason for this blog, the podcast radio show every Monday, and the reason I wrote my book. In a busy world being an author takes time. It is difficult to make the time for something that is uncertain. After all there are so many unknowns for a new author approaching the book market. Dan's book is a detailed blue-print for an author wanting to take charge of the publishing experience.

One of the best things about the workshop is Dan's confidence that anyone with a decent book can make sales and that self-publishing is a very viable option. Many times you will read that self-publishers don't sell many books, that they give up too soon, and the entire experience, in general is dismal. Dan painted another picture. He shared his success in writing for a niche market and how he used his ideas to sell outside of the brick-and-mortar bookstore.

He has been traditionally published, a publisher himself, and self-publishes. He knows all sides of the publishing world, and still he encouraged those in the room that self-publishing, successfully is an option in today's rough economy. I have found that he is correct on many levels. For those of you considering self-publishing, take heart! Now may be one of the best times to do so. Are you ready to take the plunge?