Dr. Tom Costello

If you have written a book, or if you are writing a book, or if you want to write a book but you need some kind of help, you have come to the right page. We are skilled in manuscript preparation, and we offer services that can help you to self-publish your book quickly and efficiently. You have three options if you want to get your book out into the world: You can try to find a commercial trade publisher. You can use a vanity press. You can self-publish.

Each of these options has some attractions, and each of them has some drawbacks. But if you keep reading, I think you will agree with me that self-publishing is your best bet. Self-publishing will afford you the greatest control along with the best opportunity for selling your book and actually making some money on it. That is why self-publishing is the fastest-growing area of book publishing, and also the most interesting.

This is not to say that self-publishing is easy. Far from it. The truth is that although anybody can self-publish, few do it well or successfully. There are pitfalls at every turn, and mistakes will prove costly. You would do well to have a guide.

If you decide to self-publish, you have many major decisions to make. Your manuscript will most likely need to be edited and proofread. If you want it to look professional you will need a graphic designer. You will need to find a printer/bindery. If you are planning to promote and market your book, will you know how to do it yourself or will you need to hire someone? What about distribution and book fulfillment? How will you get your books into the stores?

These services are our specialties. Some writers-those with the time and the know-how-may be able to do all of it themselves. But most of you will benefit from some help, and I believe that Word Association's expertise in these areas is unmatched by any other company.

Let me explain why I think we are unique.

First, although the big publishing houses do offer a full array of services, your chances of getting your manuscript in the front door are slim to none. The simple fact is that most major book publishers receive so many unsolicited manuscripts that they will only consider writers who have well-known agents. And if you try to get an agent you immediately discover one of the many Catch-22's of the publishing industry: most agents only want to work with writers who have already published.

So there is no disgrace in having your manuscript rejected by a trade publisher. Some of the best and most interesting writing in the world today is coming from the small and independent publishers-just as in the motion-picture industry where the small studios are producing some of the most daring and innovative movies.

Let me add that even if you somehow manage to get your book accepted by a trade publisher, chances are that your initial excitement will gradually turn to disenchantment. Read the article "Why Big Publishers Mean Small Publicity" at the end of this section. It's an eye-opener, for most writers, about the harsh realities of the publishing business. For example, it is usually assumed that the trade publisher pays for everything, while the self-publisher must foot the bill himself. Increasingly, however, writers are finding out that this isn't the case. Many publishers now expect writers to invest in the marketing of their book, and others will consider a manuscript only if it has already been well edited. And when it comes to royalties, unknown writers can expect to get only about three to six percent.

VANITY PUBLISHERS: Many writers, unable to get their book accepted by a commercial publisher, turn to a vanity press. Most vanity presses will publish any book; it doesn't matter what the subject is or how poorly it may be written. They will charge you a lot of money to produce it; then they'll own it, they'll give you a limited number of copies, and they'll pay you a small royalty. Worse, your book will be tainted. Most book reviewers and booksellers have a low regard for the vanity presses-primarily because these companies have a history of churning out bad books, books that had little or no editing, and because many of these firms also overpraise the writing and overpromise the marketing effort. No doubt there are some vanity presses that are reputable, but you will want to think long and hard before heading in this direction.

At Word Association, we offer writers a way to publish their book with all of the advantages of self-publishing and none of the negatives of a vanity press. And at Word Association, if we accept your manuscript, you will find yourself in good company. We are fussy about what we publish. If your manuscript isn't carefully written we aren't interested. If it has potential but needs work, we will ask either that you improve it, or allow our editors to make the necessary improvements for you. Our guiding principle is to make your book as good as it can be. We want to be as proud of your book as you are.

We are a one-stop shop, offering all of the services and expertise you may want or need:

• editing and proofreading
• manuscript consultation, co-writing, ghostwriting
• manuscript preparation (typesetting or page formatting)
• cover and interior design
• credentials (ISBN, Library of Congress Number, copyright)
• printing and binding
• promotion and marketing
• distribution and fulfillment

You have the option of picking only those services you want or need. And once you have paid for these services, you own your book outright. Instead of the three percent of royalties offered by the trade publishers, you keep 100 percent of the net sales of your book.

I repeat: if you want to make money on your book, your chances of doing so are best if you self-publish. That is not to suggest that everyone we work with will make money. You will have to work smart, you will have to hustle, you will have to be in it for the long haul. And even then, some books just won't sell. But it can be done, and the driving force behind our business is to help you to make it happen.

One of the best things that you will find about working with Word Association is that we are small, so you should know something about the people who will be your partners. I am Tom Costello--Dr. Tom, as some of my friends call me. My Ph.D. is in English, and I taught literature and writing at Northwestern University, in Evanston, Illinois. I have served in an editorial capacity on numerous publications. I am always accessible, and I always answer your phone calls and email inquiries personally. If you ever want to discuss any problem, any concern, I am here. Our toll-free number is 800-827-7903, and if you want to pay us a visit, we're a half hour north of Pittsburgh. (back to top)

Meet the team...

Publisher and editor Tom Costello is featured above. Here is the rest of the Word Association team.

	Writer and editor Francine Costello is a former producer for CBS Radio News in Chicago. Word Association was her brainchild five years ago. "We had this printing business in which we did a lot of writing and editing for our business clients...brochures, newsletters...and occasionally someone would come in with a book. A writer! Now that was exciting! And I began to think, how do we go about getting more of this kind of customer?"
The answer was to create a completely separate division from the printing business. "The name 'Word Association' just popped into my head one day," she said. "It seemed right. Our business is language, and I liked the play on words." What she likes now is meeting and working with writers. "Writers are special people," she says. "A little crazy sometimes, often eccentric, unpredictable, impassioned...my kind of people." Francine and her husband, Tom, are the parents of eight-year-old Elizabeth, whom of course they've spent a lot time reading to, and who now spends a lot of time reading to them. Don't be surprised if you see Elizabeth's name here in a few more years...on the team.
	Nan Newell is an editor par excellence. Relying heavily on her trusty Chicago Manual of Style to settle questions of correct usage, she also makes a point of getting to know each author so that she can edit according to that author’s personal style. She is picky, but in the best possible sense, cutting out unnecessary words, suggesting alternate wording, querying the author when something could be made clearer.
“I know I can be obsessive about language,” Nan admits, “but using words properly is what good writing is all about.” Writers who have had the benefit of Nan’s craftsmanship tell us how much they wind up enjoying the editing process and are delighted with the results. Her approach is low-keyed, tactful, and consistently positive and her objective is to make every book that has our imprint the best that it can be. Before joining us at Word Association, she worked as an associate producer and writer for Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, where she met her husband, David, better known as Mr. McFeely, the “speedy delivery” man. They have three children: a daughter, Catherine, who graduated from CalArts and is a set decorator; a son Taylor, who is a graphic designer in New York; and a son Alex who works for Denver’s arena football team, the Colorado Crush. Nan is hoping to find time between editing assignments to finish two children’s books of her own, which you will no doubt read about on our bookstore page one of these days.
	Gina Datres has been a graphic designer for over twenty years. Her career took off only two days after graduating from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh (AIP), when CBS television attended an AIP portfolio review, scouting for new talent. They took notice of Gina’s work and offered her a position as a children’s illustrator for PicturePages, an educational segment on The Captain Kangaroo Show, hosted by Bill Cosby.
After three years of illustrating, Gina sought a career in graphic design and art direction. She was offered a position with one of Pittsburgh’s premiere design firms, where she gained a wealth of experience in concept, design, and layout. She also had the opportunity to art direct photography throughout the U.S. and beyond. Her strengths in typography and imagery took special notice and earned her a year in Basel, Switzerland to study the Bauhaus movement of design, considered by many designers as the origination of today’s modernist style of visual communication. With a strong Swiss design influence, Gina’s career became more focused in branding and corporate identity, landing her a senior design position in a firm specialized in these disciplines. She was invited as part of a design consortium, to revamp the branding for each of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. This project won several regional, national and international awards. Her work has been published in publications such as Print Magazine, Communication Arts, How Magazine, Graphis, and The Association of Illustrators Annual. She has collected a wide range of regional and national design awards throughout her career, and is currently a member of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Artists (AIGA). Gina’s background and experience seemed a perfect fit for the next chapter in her career— book design. She considers her new position with Word Association Publishers the icing on her design career. She places a great deal of importance on the creative collaboration between author and designer. Gina, husband Jimmy, and their daughter Cristina share a home in Western Pennsylvania with their feisty grey tabby named Simpee.

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