TOM COSTELLO, PUBLISHER

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.

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" by clicking here. 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.

• 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
• Ebook

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.

FRANCINE COSTELLO, MANAGING EDITOR

Francine, Tom’s wife and business partner, oversees all writing and editorial services at Word Association Publishers.  “Our company is rooted in high quality writing, whether it is assisting authors with their manuscripts through editing, ghost writing, or in the creation of effective marketing materials. I make it my business to see that all of this is the best it can be."

She began her career as a writer of commercial copy in Pittsburgh radio and continued on as a news and feature writer/producer for CBS news, Chicago.  “I was that person with stacks of newly-released books on her desk, making the decisions about which authors were called for an on-air interview.”   She knows what gets authors those all-important media interviews and she knows how to coach authors so that they make the most of such marketing opportunities.

Along with Tom, Francine is a parent and grandparent to three adult children and four grandsons. Besides all of the Word Association authors, her favorite writers have always been and will forever remain, Ernest Hemingway and Jane Austin.

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OUR EDITORS

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.

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.

Dr. Theresa Henley Doerfler earned her undergraduate degree in English from the University of Notre Dame, followed by a master's and PhD in English from The Ohio State University. She applies her expert language skills and her dependable red pen to various types of manuscripts—from crime novels to memoirs, legal guidebooks to fairy tales. She works with authors to refine their work, often sitting down with local authors at a coffee shop to exchange ideas, or communicating with out-of-town authors by phone or email, to get a book ready for publication.

She is married to James Doerfler, a Pittsburgh attorney. They are the parents of four daughters, who read extensively, write voraciously, and adore word games. She has led a neighborhood-based book group since 1997 and has worked for Word Association Publishers since 2004.

Don DelVecchio has been writing and editing for Word Association since summer 2009. Don grew up in Allegheny Township, PA, and graduated from Penn State University. While at Penn State, he was a staff writer for The Daily Collegian, the student newspaper. Don has extensive experience in public relations as an editor, writer and manager. He also has experience as a news analyst evaluating media publicity and its impact on the public. As a freelance writer, Don has had articles published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I really enjoy working with different writers who come to Word Association, getting to know each writer's unique style. To create something from nothing, whether it is a book, a song, or whatever, is a fascinating process. And I am proud to be involved in that process."

Don lives in Plum Borough, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Kristen, son, Dominic and daughter, Danielle.

Cynthia Nelson has many years of experience editing manuscripts on topics ranging from retirement and estate planning to autobiographical short stories to social studies books on the Middle East. She views editing as a collaborative process. It is not about correcting mistakes, it is about working with the author to find the best way to communicate his or her ideas.

Just as diamonds are graded on the four Cs—color, cut, clarity, and carat—she likes to think of the manuscripts she works on as diamonds in the rough. Her objective is to help the author communicate his or her ideas with clarity and confidence so the writing is compelling and convincing.

Cynthia lives in Pittsburgh with her husband Bob Suter, and their youngest son—the last of three—who will be heading off to college in the fall.

A freelance editor and writer for more than twenty years, Ted Gilley has published poems, stories, and book reviews nationally in a score of journals and magazines including Prairie Schooner, Northwest Review, National Review, Poetry Northwest, and New England Review. Formerly an editor and writer in the Alumni Relations & Development Department at Williams College and writer for the consulting firm of Kristin Rehder and Associates, Ted has had a varied career, beginning with a degree in English and Theater Arts from San Diego State University and extending through a thirteen-year editorial stint with the J. Paul Getty Trust to today.

Ted has edited “just about anything you can imagine,” he says: exhibition catalogues for Hudson Hills Press and Marquand Books, fiction and nonfiction manuscripts for BookSurge, children’s and young-adult books for Sleeping Bear Press, and essays for The Arts & Entertainment Network and for two of Gale/Cengage’s encyclopedias. Being a writer, he is particularly attuned to the voices of fiction. “I can put myself in the writer’s place, I know where the brick walls are and I’m familiar with all the things that writers can do wrong—and I know how to talk the writer through those things.”

Ted lives in Bennington, Vermont, with his wife, jewelry designer Ivy Long. On the weekends, he plays bass with jazz ensemble Trio Café Budapest.

Brad Koenig has been a freelance editor for Word Association since 2010. He has a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from Taylor University and a master’s degree in Linguistics from the University of Texas at Arlington. After editing for kicks for awhile, he began doing it as a career in 2004. He loves making writers look good by fine-tuning their books to perfection.

Brad and his wife Kathy live with their two sons, Wayne and Evan, in Lakewood, Colorado, where they are blessed to view the majesty of the Rocky Mountains from their front step. They all love to go on mission trips.

After a twenty-one-year stint as associate editor and editor of a religious publication aimed at a lay audience, Martin McHugh has turned to full-time freelance editing to keep himself busy.

He earned a master’s degree in ancient Greek history at the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana and worked as a director of a graduate dormitory and as a commodities broker in Dallas. These experiences are in part responsible for his knowing all kinds of arcane but sometimes useful information, such as that there are nine, not three, Muses and what exactly a “spread” is in the silver market.

He lives in Chicago with his wife, Dorinda, a Texan, and their sons, Alex and Damon.

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OUR DESIGNERS

Julie Csizmadia was first a member of the Word Association design team from 2005 to 2007. We welcomed her back in 2009 and found her to be even more diligent, hard-working, and creative than before. "I love working in book publishing. I love getting to know authors from all over the country. You learn from each one of them."

Though Julie is a self-proclaimed nit-picky dork who loves learning and studying, she says that besides design, her other love is construction which she learned working in her father's construction company. "Working in construction at an early age gave me a great sense of responsibility." Julie is a mom to an active nine year old daughter and together they enjoy reading, drawing, do-it-yourself projects, and visiting libraries and book stores.

Jason Price knew from an early age he would pursue a career in the diverse field of the graphic arts. Inspired by early Disney animation, Jason's path eventually led him to graphic design. Jason studied visual communications and design for two semesters at Purdue University, before relocating back to his beloved city of Pittsburgh. It was here in Pittsburgh that he would finish his academic career with a Bachelor of Science in graphic design at La Roche College and their esteemed program accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

Jason is very excited to be a member of the Word Association team. "It is not only a joy to work with the creative people on staff, but also the many expressive authors that we come in contact with on a daily basis."

April Urso is a graduate of LaRoche College in Pittsburgh where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Graphic Design and Communications. April credits her career choice to her grandfather who gave her his old Apple II computer when she was a child. She says that hand-me-down sparked in her a passion for technology but she says it was Disney and Pixar animation that provided her with her earliest artistic inspiration.

April's amazing work ethic, calm demeanor and people skills were honed during her after-school and summer jobs which included being a chocolatier, a dog groomer and manager of a busy video game store. She enjoys reading, designing and creating plush toys, and playing video games.

April designed and hosts the Word Association website. Any of our clients who are interested in having their own website should contact April.

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Some Clip Art Provided By Printer Projects