How to Get Published

Brad Stone

Excerpts from an article written by Brad Stone and Mokoto Rich for the New York Times

Ever since electronic books emerged as a major growth market, New York’s largest publishing houses have worried that big-name authors might sign deals directly with e-book retailers or other new ventures, bypassing traditional publishers entirely. Now, one well-known author is doing just that.

Stephen R. Covey, one of the most successful business authors of the last two decades, has moved e-book rights to two of his best-selling books from his print publisher, Simon & Schuster to a digital publisher that will sell the e-books to Amazon for one year. (more…)

by James Scott Bell

1. Before you approach an agent, make sure your concept is killer. That means a) not shopworn (”We’ve seen this before”); or b) not so far off the map that anyone with a profit motive will run screaming from the room. It has to be fresh but not too weird. The characters have to jump off the page. There has to be enough at stake. Your opening pages have too move. Easy, right? Of course not, because if it was your Aunt Sally would be writing New York Times bestsellers. But here’s where you have to dig in if you want to interest an agent.

2. You are better off having no agent than having a bad agent. Anyone can print up business cards and call themselves “agent.” But what do they know about the business? Find out. A reputable agent should have a website with a list of their clients. Start there. What’s their background in the publishing biz? How long have they been agenting? There are some “watchdog” sites that issue warnings about certain names, so use your old pal Google. (more…)

by Diane O’Connell

At the beginning of my online writing seminars, the students each introduce themselves. On more than one occasion, a student will reveal that he or she is coming to the class after having experienced a devastating rejection. By that I mean, not the standard rejection you get when you send your work out to get published, but the more personal kind that rips apart your writing with no constructive feedback, the kind of rejection that feels as though you are being personally attacked, and leaves you wondering if you were crazy to ever think you could write. (more…)

by Don Lafferty

(Cont. from 11/24/09):

6. Know your local booksellers.

Buy the Books. More importantly, make sure they know you and your book. When your book hits the shelves, a passionate bookseller can be your best advocate. Create an Indiebound affiliate account and put that link to your book on all your Internet outposts.

When you do a “drive-by book signing” tell everybody in your online community where they can find signed books. Follow up with the bookseller to make sure your signed books are moving. (more…)

by Don Lafferty

My stressful Saturday morning melted into a tremendously positive afternoon after arriving late to Rosemont College for Philadelphia Stories’ one day writer’s conference, Push to Publish 2009: Strategies and Techniques to Get Your Work in Print and Online.

I met a bunch of cool local writers who reminded me again why I continue to bury myself with live events.

I participated in two jam-packed panel discussions, both focused on best practices in selling yourself - something I’m always willing to do at the drop of a hat.

Kelly Simmons moderated MARKETING: SELLING YOURSELF, with Rosemont College’s very own, author, Lynn Rosen; author/publisher/wonder woman, Karen E. Quinones Miller; and debut romance author, Lisa Dale.

For the final panel of the day, I moderated PROMOTING YOUR WORK IN A WEB 2.0 WORLD with the ¢entcible life blogger Kelly Whalen; poet and owner of the Barefoot Muse, Anna Evans; and children’s author, Nancy Viau.

Between the two panels we covered a ton of best practices for authors marketing themselves and their work. Here are our picks for the top ways and author can market their work in today’s Web 2.0 world. (more…)

by Michael Geffner
One of the best pieces of advice I ever received for getting writing assignments was this: Never ever act like you’re begging.

That came from a pretty savvy, super high-level editor friend of mine.

“Always make editors seem like you’re this very hot writer, even when you’re cold,” he said. “All editors, just like all movie directors, want to work with people who are hot, not cold. Heat in any industry is huge. So always act confident, even when you’re not. Just fake it for awhile. Eventually, if you’re good enough, you’ll catch up to your own hype.”

Mind you, this doesn’t mean that you’re acting like an arrogant diva, just someone sure of his or her talent and track record.

A couple of ways to accomplish this: (more…)

by Penny C. Sansevieri

If you’ve ever wondered what motivates people to buy a book, consider this: consumers don’t buy a book, they buy a brand or, as a friend of mine says, consumers crave a brand. This is true now more than ever. Why? Because people want consistency (think McDonald’s), they want value, and they want to be entertained, enlightened, or educated. A brand, when done properly, can really pull in readers to your site, your message, and your book. Here’s how to do it. (more…)

by Seth Godin

Is the purpose of the cover to sell books, to accurately describe what’s in the book, or to tee up the reader so the book has maximum impact?

The third.

It’s the third because if the book has maximum impact, then word of mouth is created, and word of mouth is what sells your product, not the cover.

Tactically, the cover sells the back cover, the back cover sells the flap and by then you’ve sold the book. (more…)

by Carole Barnes

What is it? Do I need one?

An author’s press kit (also known as a media kit or a promo kit) is a package of information about you, the author.  Often authors are asked to provide details about themselves and their work to members of the press, their publishers, or potential clients. A press kit is a simple tool for handling this request quickly and efficiently. A press kit is a great, cost-effective way to generate exposure for you and your business. If you don’t already have one then it may be time to consider one.

A well prepared press kit is an all-in-one package that summarizes you as an author and all of your professional information. It allows you to have pertinent information about your books, biographical information, activities, achievements and press coverage at your fingertips whenever needed. It can be as simple or as elaborate as you like, with its main purpose being to pull together all your information and make a good solid first impression.

The most important element of your press kit is its professional appearance and packaging. We want to promote you, your products and your business, as well as providing your contact and ordering information.

So, what’s actually in the Press Kit?

The contents can vary, depending on the intended purpose and/or audience, but in general, a press kit contains the following:

1. A brief biography - a one page summary about you, what you do and what makes you unique. This is a good place to insert your contact information and a photo of you.
2. If you are promoting your current book, your press kit will include a summary, title, publisher, publication date, synopsis, and a picture of the book’s cover. This is a great place to add reviews about the book, as well as an order form.
3. If you wish to promote your general writing services, a list of what you’ve done for others in the past and some testimonial comments from satisfied clients can be added.
4. Reprints of newspaper and magazine articles, printouts from websites and references to TV and radio shows where you have been mentioned. Articles and media exposure lend tremendous credibility.
5. All awards and citations you have received.
6. A list of all your works, including where and when they were published.
7. Previous book signing photos as well as mention of any upcoming signings.
8. Of course you’ll need something to put it in so it all stays together - a professional folder with your photo or logo on the cover.

With all of your information put together in an attractive, professional kit, you’ll have a cohesive, convenient, and centralized marketing package. This packet will clearly communicate all the key facts about you, your work and achievements. The best part is that it will be ready to distribute at any time, with the goal, of course, of attracting future business and interest.

In these hard economic times, if an agent/publisher requests a summary of your information, it makes sense to have a showcase of your work ready to send out or take with you. A press kit can be handed to anyone… TV executives, agents, publishers, reviewers, etc., and can also be used to introduce yourself to prospective bookstores.

Press kits can be as simple as a one page summary of you and your work, or as detailed as you like. The best part is you can customize your kit for any occasion.

Whatever your preference, I can work with you to develop a professional press kit specifically for you and your needs!

Carole Barnes & Associates provide individual press kits for authors and speakers. “Clients are assisted with articulating their vision and personality by having promotional materials developed and made into press kits that will effectively communicate to their target audience.”

by Anne Hawkins, Literary Agent
John Hawkins & Associates, Inc.

Rejecting authors’ projects is one of the least pleasant aspects of my job. It’s no fun to feel that I’ve ruined someone’s day, even though I always try to be gentle and courteous. How much nicer it is to call or e-mail and say, “I love what I’ve read. Please send more.”

Of course, the most common reason for rejection is a perceived lack of quality, a natural reaction to a misbegotten query letter or sloppy sample pages. Sometimes, however, I have to turn down projects that are actually quite good. Subjective judgment plays a large role in that sort of decision, but so do other business considerations. Let’s take a look at some of the factors that influence an agent’s choice of books for representation. (more…)