Publishing a book: need info

[ng]

Anybody here has published a book before ? What are the steps required to publish a book internationally ?

How do we get a bookstore to sell for us ?

[chewie]

Anybody here has published a book before ? What are the steps required to publish a book internationally ?

How do we get a bookstore to sell for us ?

pm yvonnefoong...she might be able to help you

[besitai2007]

Try sending your manuscript to publishers or meet them personally to present your materials to them. Start off small by gaining their confidence unless your material is world class, then you can try your luck with bigger companies. I work for a publishing company now after retirement but wouldn't recommend it to you as they don't pay you well. I also find that some companies are not to be trusted as they shortchange you in some ways. Try reputable companies.

There's a publishing company in SS13. It's called Pelanduk Publications and it publishes a lot of local materials. It's located at the end of the dead end road. Careful not to park in front of the freight forwarding company as they do not like you to take over their space. The address:

Pelanduk Publications (M) Sdn Bhd
12 Jalan SS 13/3E Subang Jaya Industrial Estate,
Subang Jaya, Selangor, 47500, Malaysia.
Telephone:603-56386885. Fax:603-56386575.
Media & Publishing Products & Services: Paper, Packaging and Print. + Publications

[Tong]

Some people I know publish themselves .. i.e. get it printed and bound and then market on the internet, that seems to work ok for technical publications .. Its hard to break into the mainstream of book stores but maybe get your self an agent!

good luck

[ng]

Some people I know publish themselves .. i.e. get it printed and bound and then market on the internet, that seems to work ok for technical publications .. Its hard to break into the mainstream of book stores but maybe get your self an agent!

good luck

I am trying to break into the mainstream like amazon.com and sell it internationally. Do we need to register for ISBN first ? What about how to secure copyrights issue etc ?

Nobody here has actual experience ?

[besitai2007]

I am trying to break into the mainstream like amazon.com and sell it internationally. Do we need to register for ISBN first ? What about how to secure copyrights issue etc ?

Nobody here has actual experience ?

Let me enlighten you on some aspects as I am working with a publishing company at the moment. ISBN code is obtained from Perpustakaan Negara after you have a manuscript. You require this bar code for all books published in this country. It must be printed clearly at least on the back cover of your book. You need to contact them officially and apply for the code. Copyright issues are related to intellectual rights such as photos, text materials and overall content. You have to be careful on this. Better to take your own pictures if you can and write your own material (e.g. story or research material). If your material is a rehash of some published material, you can be sued for copyright infringement. If you quote a passage from a source (such as Bernama, books or newspapers), you have to seek permission or even pay something (called royalty to the owner). If the material is your own, no problem. You cannot doctor a photo using Photoshop and expect to get away from it. You can purchase photos of local events and personalities from the National Museum Library or from Arkib Negara where you pay a nominal sum of RM5 - 10 and you can safely use them. Use photos from Flickr or google with care as they belong to people and you can be sued!

As I had commented earlier, establish yourself by trying local publishers first unless you want to aim high (you may be let down with a bang and be disappointed). If your material is good enough, the publisher may help you to sell it overseas. Once you have published a book, its contents become your intellectual property. Even if the publisher pays you a royalty you can set a condition that you still have rights over its content. Photos you take also become your own property and people have to pay you to use them.

I have written and published several books for my publisher and other publishers when I was working, based on original material or interview with people (so the content is original) and take my own pictures or draw my own diagrams or pictures (art is my hobby) - no copyright issues.

[kuma]

I am trying to break into the mainstream like amazon.com and sell it internationally. Do we need to register for ISBN first ? What about how to secure copyrights issue etc ?

Nobody here has actual experience ?

I cant say I'm very familiar with what you need to do locally, or have direct experience in this area....BUT, I would think a lot also depends on the niche your book is targeting. What type of book is it? If its not Fiction, then ....

An alternative [and low cost] would be to publish it Online....although here you might need to handle the promotion yourself or you can place it with distribution networks [for a small fee] who will handle everything for you.

You can also publish it for distribution by Amazon in 'Kindle' format. Although most of them that sell well in Kindle are priced in the $3-$7 range.

[besitai2007]

I cant say I'm very familiar with what you need to do locally, or have direct experience in this area....BUT, I would think a lot also depends on the niche your book is targeting. What type of book is it? If its not Fiction, then ....

An alternative [and low cost] would be to publish it Online....although here you might need to handle the promotion yourself or you can place it with distribution networks [for a small fee] who will handle everything for you.

You can also publish it for distribution by Amazon in 'Kindle' format. Although most of them that sell well in Kindle are priced in the $3-$7 range.

The market for local books consists generally of School Revision Guides for all subjects in UPSR, PMR and SPM (now reverting back to BM); story books for children (BM and English), some fiction for adults (mainly BM), motivation books (in BM). Text books are usually written and submitted to the Bahagian Buku Teks during tenders. Reference books are limited in their demand and are usually sold to libraries. Market is also not profitable. As Kuma said you may want to try to publish on line. You never know.

If you are good at writing in BM, PTS Publications is one of the top publishing house in the country at the moment. You can try:

Syarikat-syarikat Kumpulan PTS
PTS Publications & Distributors Sdn. Bhd.
PTS Consultants Sdn. Bhd.
PTS Millennia Sdn. Bhd.
PTS Professional Publishing Sdn. Bhd.
PTS One Sdn. Bhd.
PTS Litera Utama Sdn. Bhd.
PTS Islamika Sdn. Bhd.
PTS Fortuna Sdn. Bhd.

No 12, Jalan DBP, Dolomite Business Park, 68100 Batu Caves, Selangor, MALAYSIA
+603 6188 0316

[yvonnefoong]

Hello there

First of all, what is the book about? Who are your intended audience?

Yvonne

[ng]

Hello there

First of all, what is the book about? Who are your intended audience?

Yvonne

Language learning book for international European and American tourists. I can't give any more details....

Can you list out the steps ?

[yvonnefoong]

Language learning book for international European and American tourists. I can't give any more details....

Can you list out the steps ?

Oh, it sounds like you need to get a publisher that publishes books on education like Pearson. This does not sound mainstream, not in Malaysia. (even my book is not mainstream. NF is niche.)

Have you written a book proposal and is the manuscript ready? I know of a literary agent called Crescent Books that you may contact. I need to retrieve the namecard that might take a couple of days. When you contact the agent and set up an appointment, it is best to bring along your manuscript or just the first two chapters at least.

If you have any books published prior, do list them in your proposal too.

I'll also retrieve the Pearson contact which u may try contacting.