It’s official; I’m now part of the Library of Congress, the de facto library of the United States. Today, I received my Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN): 2021921794 for my book Clicks, Tricks, & Golden Handcuffs: 5-Point Roadmap for Tech Executives to Land Big-Impact Roles. I’ll be part of the 39 million books cataloged at this cultural institution established in 1800.
For my book’s copyright page, I submitted an online LCCN request. If you want your book carried at a library, you need an LCCN. As a self-publisher of a hardback or paperback book of over 50 pages, you’re eligible. eBooks are excluded, although the form asks for International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs) and queries whether assigned for paper or online printing. Most LCCN requests take 1-2 weeks of processing time. Mine took just 1 business day! It’s free of charge, so there’s no reason not to obtain one for your book.
I submitted my book summary for the LCCN and identified contributors: myself as the author, Emily Fuggetta as editor, and Stephanie Corbin as an illustrator. It was straightforward submission using my book back cover copy, 4 ISBNs, and predetermined Book Industry Standards and Communications (BISAC) categories.
Last week, I joined The Authors Guild by submitting a summary of my forthcoming book with a tentative publishing date of November 25, 2021.
Based in NYC, The Authors Guild is the nation’s professional organization for writers, aiding and protecting author’s interest in copyright, fair contracts, and free expression since 1912. They have 5 membership offerings for authors and illustrators with published works or are emerging authors (me); this includes traditional and self-publishing (me). The not-for-profit organization provides book publishing expertise, legal support, and insurance. Membership is quite reasonable, averaging $135 on an annual basis. There are local chapters outside of New York, so I signed up for the Seattle chapter. You will need a book summary and anticipated publication date to fill out the online application to apply for membership. The entire process took a few days from my submission to membership acceptance by The Authors Guild.
Being a fan of working remotely and globally traveling on my stomach, I’m in Greece for the month of October eating seafood, and more types of feta dreamed possible. I’ve enjoyed the sun and endured the unseasonal torrential downpours at our Airbnb in Piraeus, although they don’t appear to match the force of the cyclone bomb weather hitting Seattle. We’re on the outskirts of Athens, overlooking where the cruise ships and ferries dock.
My writing process isn’t on sabbatical while here. In fact, I ended up doubling down after receiving feedback from beta readers (colleagues who opted-in to review an advanced copy) of my book Clicks, Tricks, & Golden Handcuffs. I sent the beta reader consolidated feedback to my editor Emily last Friday.
Big thank you to Mark Baggesen, my former colleague from Nortel Networks, for his intensive book editing, commentary, and moral support. He’s a self-publishing veteran with 2 books on Amazon in his Coaching for Success Series: Drama-Free Zone and Don’t Work Stupid, Coach Yourself.
Likewise, shout out to my coaching colleague Kate Dixon for book edits, font reviews, distribution notes, and referring me to her book editor Emily. Kate too has published 2 books on Amazon: Pay Up! Unlocking insider Secrets of Salary Negotiation and just published Name Your Price: Setting (and Raising) Your Freelance and Consulting Rates this month.
Please check out Mark’s and Kate’s books! They would make great upcoming holiday reads or gifts.
With that thought in mind, I’m on track to publish my book through Amazon, IngramSpark, and Draft2Digital just in time for Thanksgiving.
Collaborating with Stephanie, my book illustrator, we have the book front cover and the inside section illustrations denoting the 5-point roadmap for a job search completed. Thank you, Linda Scott, for that great insight on images. The back copy is done, the author photo by Sasha Reiko selected, and Bowker ISBNs are assigned for hardback, paperback, and digital online (eBook and Kindle). Next up is finalizing the layout of the back book cover with the unique ISBNs and pricing barcodes.
Once my book edits are finalized next month, I will be submitting them to the U.S. Copyright Office. Did you know it was part of the U.S. Library of Congress? I didn’t, but upon reflection, it makes intuitive sense. You can register online for a $45 fee. There’s a pre-registration option available before your book is published, but you still have to register upon publication. Unless you’re in a rush or concerned about an immediate copyright infringement, the Copyright Office recommends holding tight until your book is complete.
The Copyright Office is the official U.S. government body that maintains records of copyright registration. It is used by copyright title searchers who are attempting to clear a chain of titles for copyrighted works.
How long does the process take? It depends, according to their website: “The amount of time needed to examine a claim and issue a certificate varies depending on a number of factors. These factors may include the complexity of your claim, the Office’s available resources when your claim is received, and the total number of claims that are currently pending with the Copyright Office. Processing times vary depending on whether you submitted your claim through the electronic registration system or sent it to the Office by mail.”
I’ve opted for the electronic copyright route, which averages 1.9 months to process.
Next up, submitting the final edited version of Clicks, Tricks, & Golden Handcuffs to the publishing portals for Amazon, IngramSpark, and Draft2Digital.
There’s a tremendous number of moving parts and administrative work to become a published author. I value my Crank Out Your Book alumni cohort and business colleagues supporting me on this journey.
To think this all started 3 years ago by posting a LinkedIn article for tech executive career strategies. With over 80 articles and blogs with 20,000 views, the book is coming together.
Next month, I’ll be publishing the details on how to purchase my book and review it.
