Literary Chop Shop

I've often talked about how an author can slice and dice their book, making more money on the parts than they can on the whole thing. This week I was reminded of that very fact when I had the opportunity to visit an automobile junk yard for the first time in my life. What an experience that was!!

First off, there had to be about 25 different junk yards all located pretty much in one place. Junk yard heaven, for those who would see it that way. Then, to see neat rows and rows of cars up on cinder blocks, as well organized as any filing system I ever created when I was a professional organizer.

I needed to replace the disintegrated sun visors in my convertible, and had no reason to purchase them brand new, since my car is now in its middle-aged years and is likely to replaced in the next 10,000 miles. The junk yard was the perfect answer. While waiting for the guy to remove the sun visors from their car, I thought about the fact they were charging me $40 for the sun visors (a bargain for what I was finding elsewhere), and how many zillions of other random parts, large and small, there were in that junkie car before it would no longer exist. Yes, the owners of that junk yard would make mannnny times more selling the parts than they would ever get for the whole thing.

Now, your book is far from junk nor does it belong in a junk yard. I'm sure you realize that wasn't the common thread here. It was the part about the parts -- selling parts of your book as booklets and in other formats, THAT's the point.

Until next time,
Paulette - who can now say she's gone to a junk yard and doesn't really need to repeat the experience again
www.tipsbooklets.com