Another quick idea: Check with profs at local university. Many, particularly in the area of communications, have some experience with publishers. If you don’t have any success, I could put you in touch with a couple of people at Purdue University Calumet (Hammond, IN) that I discussed book publishing with a few years ago.

Thanks, but I wouldn’t go that far. I’ve sold a lot of copies, but not enough to make the operation profitable (at any reasonable rate for my time!). To get to that stage I think requires a kind of revolution in how people hear about books – which is slow in coming. But my theory is that big publishers don’t have the marketing push they used to, and the future belongs to the first ones to figure out how to do it on the internet. Hasta la Victoria Siempre!

Phil:

We could go that way, but since we are looking at a non-fiction book I wanted to explore the regular-publishing route. If nothing else, it might be illuminating. This is all assuming I can get the party interested in doing it, but I’ve found that a certain level of excitement is useful to getting a project going.

Thanks everyone!

Self-publishing is a highly viable and profitable option nowadays. Plus it can sometimes bring sufficient exposure to catch the eye of a publisher who then takes over the publishing rights.

I’m aware of Purdue University Press, because I’m a grad. But I have no opinion one way or another about PUP. But I would suggest that there may be other similar publishers in a university setting that could be appropriate — like a university with some type of real estate program or investment program (IIT in Chicago has an investment program, but don’t know that it has a publishing arm).

Self-publishing is another option you may want to explore.

Phil: I don’t mind being passed by another pro.

Jenimi: When responding to a craigslist ad, you have a tight character limit. It’s rather common to send them a pointer to your portfolio. I have mine up at http://www.authorsden.com/erikhare I think your blog is a good start, and very useful for the purpose. Consider this also a shameless plug for me, because I’d like to get some non-grantwriting projects going for the winter.

Now my question for the day: I have a potential client that could (and should) write *the* book on blogging and other internet techniques for selling real estate. And I mean the real one, not the 783rd scammy/scuzzy book. Can anyone tell me of a good publisher to approach with this? It seems that books like this are published by nearly everyone and/or their dog, but some of them have to be better than others (or at least have some other similar good books in their library).

Thanks!

If you need the money, and can rip out 250 words relatively easily, then it may be worth “testing.” But realize it’s a test (to see if it’s worth it). It’s like spending that time to pitch a prospect you don’t expect to hear back from.

To Erik,

You need to pick up the amount of your posts or I will catch you on the “Comment Counter.” Micah, Katharine and Mariella are out of reach.

You get what you pay for.

If I want exposure, I sit out in the sun. Such “offerings” are more than insulting, as you noted.