The Discipline to Do the Work
- joylynnross
- Oct 14
- 5 min read
Here's some publishing advice for authors: Being a traditional publisher and literary agent is always a risk. As a traditional publisher, you cover the full cost of the publishing process plus the cost of printing books. This includes paying a team of employees (reader/acquisitions editor, content editor, copyeditor, proofreader, exterior designer, exterior designer, typesetter, project manager, PR and marketing team publishing advice for authors, tips for book sales successmembers, etc.) to help make the book successful, paying for ads and co-op marketing and cross-promotion opportunities such as international book fair booths, industry journal features, etc.
It means paying for awards and contest submissions as well, because we know how winning awards and contests can be maximized, optimized, and monetized. And as a true partner in the publishing process, it means investing time, effort, resources, and money in companion projects to add benefit and value outside of just the book, such as what PTP Press did with The Price We Pay and its B.E. S.E.E.N. training, workbook, and study guide.
And also what we did by building out a fan club for the author to nurture her reading audience. And, yes, it even means that you, the publisher (and your team) will have to hit the streets and set up that six-foot table with two chairs and sell those books directly to the consumers.
The same goes for being a literary agent. You can spend years pitching and packaging the author and the author’s work in hopes of landing a book deal. And then once the deal is landed, you hope the author will do the best they can and all they can to hit those streets and sell their books.
And, as a literary agent, you pray the publisher you pair your client with will - although almost no publisher includes marketing and promotions in their contracts - at least complement and support the author's efforts in some shape or form. But authors these days are lucky if their publisher provides them with any type of marketing assets (bookmarks, posters, etc.).
But at the end of the day, any author who is not a novice and has done their due diligence when it comes to traditional publishing knows that if they fail to build a fanbase for themselves, their book sales - or lack thereof - will reflect it. "This is why I've always taught my authors to build their audience before building their book," states Path To Publishing CEO, Joylynn M. Ross.
"What it all boils down to," Joylynn continues with her literary agent hat on, "is that if the author doesn’t build that fanbase, and if the publisher doesn't do its part (not necessarily going above and beyond like PTP Press did with the B.E. S.E.E.N. training and program), I have lost all the time, money, and effort I've invested in the author’s project. Because as a literary agent, unlike being a publisher, it is absolutely nowhere in my job description to help get that book sold—outside of getting it sold to the publisher." But of course, since Joylynn is a Master Literary Educator, she would never not equip, educate, and empower her clients with the tools, information, and resources they need to succeed.
But Joylynn does admit that one of the reasons she no longer takes on new literary agent clients is because of that time risk. "It's just too high of a risk for me to take right now in my career," Joylynn says. "While the largest bulk of time investment as a publisher is a couple years at best—at least initially, because as long as a title is on your roster, you’re always going to invest the time and effort to get it sold—but it once took me almost five years to finally get an offer from a publisher on a client’s project."
Well, let's just say that Joylynn has been beyond lucky to work with author Marc Avery as his literary agent. Although his publisher didn't offer an advance like PTP Press did with its author—by the way, most small, indie publishers do not offer any type of advance—Marc believed in not only his book, but his work ethic and ability to connect with his target audience. This is an author who went so far once as to get a part-time job at a major bookstore chain just to get insights on the book-buying process as well as to make those invaluable connections that would later pay off for him.
This man’s book, Discipline, released May 2025. Do you know he has pretty much had a book signing or some type of promotional event EVERY. SINGLE. WEEK. since the release date?
FACTS! Check out his tour schedule below . . . and if in the area, be sure to drop by and support this incredible author who stops at nothing to get up close and personal with his fans. Fans he's constantly corresponding with via his author newsletter and social media. You know the saying: Get people, to know, like, and trust you . . . and book sales will follow!
Hockessin Bookshelf
7179 Lancaster Pike, Hockessin, DE 19707
May 28th 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Browseabout Books
133 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
May 31st 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Doylestown Bookshop
16 S Main St, Doylestown, PA 18901
June 7th 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
4209 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE 19803
June 14th 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
1745 S Easton Rd Suite 2E, Doylestown, PA 18901
June 21st 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
150 Swedesford Road Devon, PA 19333
June 28th 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
1708 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
July 12th 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
340 Christiana Mall, Newark, Delaware 19702
July 26th 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
Main Street at Exton 301 Main Street Exton, PA 19341
August 2nd 2:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
36508 Seaside Outlet Dr #1100, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
August 9th 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Philly Bookstore Crawl w/A Novel Idea
1726 E Passyunk Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19148
August 23rd 1 PM – 3 PM
Barnes & Noble – Westminster Crossing West
402 Englar Rd Suite C Westminster, MD 21157
August 24th 12 PM – 2PM
Barnes & Noble
200 Rte 70 W, Marlton, NJ 08053
September 6th 12 PM – 2PM
Barnes & Noble
1991 Sproul Rd, Broomall, PA 19008
September 27th 1 PM – 4 PM
Kirkwood Library (Delaware Author Forum)
6000 Kirkwood Hwy, Wilmington, DE 19808
September 28th 2 PM – 4 PM
Barnes & Noble
4209 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE 19803
October 4th 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
8123 Honeygo Blvd Suite E, Baltimore, MD 21236
October 11th 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
720 W Lancaster Ave, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
October 18th 12 PM – 2 PM
Author Talk with Rese Alisa at Lit Java Coffee & Books
5018 Broadway St, Pearland, TX 77581
October 23rd at 5:30 PM
The Book Readers Venue
802 1st St E #200, Humble, TX 77338
October 24th at 6 pm
Newtown BookShop
2120 S Eagle Rd, Newtown, PA 18940
November 1st at 1 PM
Barnes & Noble
425 Marketplace Blvd, Hamilton Township, NJ 08691
November 8th at 12 PM
And if not in the area, you can purchase a copy of Discipline wherever books are sold.
Happy reading, publishing, and authoring!
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