What Hurricane Katrina Can Teach Authors
by Lynne Klippel
Published on this site: September 20th, 2005 - See
more articles from this month
By now, you are heartsick and tired of looking at the images
of the horror and devastation in the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina. However, if you are an author and self-publisher,
it pays to look at this disaster as a wake-up call.
Just for a moment, image that a disaster stuck YOUR home.
What would happen to your writing and to your business? Could
you keep things going if you had no electricity, no internet
connection, or no phone service? How could you continue to
sell your books, even if you were unable to get online to
process orders?
There are several important steps all authors and self-publishers
need to take immediately to ensure that your books and your
business are protected from natural disasters, fires, and
unexpected events like plumbing leaks or computer meltdowns.
- Your number one priority should be to create several back-up
copies of your manuscript. You can burn it onto a CD and
store it in a safe deposit box. Send a copy to your mother
or friend who lives out of state. Another option would be
to consider creating a private blog where you can immediately
access your work from any internet connection. For a free
service check out http://www.livejournal
where you can set up a totally private blog. Another option
is http://www.blogger.com
but blogs there may be accessible via blog rings.
While your printer will have a copy of your manuscript,
it will be in PDF format so that you will not be able to
make any changes. I suggest saving both a PDF and Word document
of your completed books and a Word document of any works
in progress. Don’t forget to have a back-up copy of
any cover art as well.
- Check your insurance policy to ensure that it covers
your inventory of books. Many homeowners’ policies
do not cover inventory for a home based business. Ask your
insurance agent to ensure that the books you have on hand
would be protected in case of fire, flooding, or other unforeseen
damage. Keep an up-to-date inventory of books so that you
could be compensated in the event that you need to make a claim.
- Back up your computer. Purchase a back up system or subscribe
to an on-line back up service. Your records of customers,
book purchases, and tax information are priceless. If they
were lost, it would cost you countless hours and many dollars
to rebuild them.
- If you do your own shipping, create a back up-plan. Research
fulfillment houses, virtual assistants, and the shipping
options that your printer may provide. In the event that
you are unable to ship your books for any reason, you will
still be able to serve your customers and generate income
if you have a back-up plan in place.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Does reading this article scare me because I know I am
not adequately prepared to protect my books and records?
- What steps could I take today to begin protecting my
books and records?
Nobody likes to think about disaster preparedness. However,
spending a few hours now following the steps in this article
will give you the peace of mind that you will be able to continue
writing and publishing your books no matter what unforeseen
event may come your way. That peace of mind is worth its weight
is gold.
After you've taken some steps to secure your manuscripts
and your publishing business, why not make another donation
of time, prayers, cash or clothing to help Katrina's survivors?
They will be needing our support for a long time as they seek
to rebuild their lives.
Who knows, you may just find something to write about in
the process!
Lynne Klippel is an author, publisher, and book shepherd.
She’s the creator of Book School, a 9 week teleclass
especially for coaches, consultants, and speakers who want
step-by-step information on how to write and self-publish
their books. For free publishing information, visit http://www.MyBookSchool.com
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