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More Advice from Literary Agents

March 24, 2016 by Lisa Tener

In my previous post about publishing tips shared by literary agents from Harvard Medical School’s publishing course, I mentioned that Dr. Julie Silver, who moderated the agent panel, said, “Agents love to lunch.” They also love to breakfast and dinner. Here are some points made over our meals together:

Linda Konner: Over breakfast, Linda mentioned how authors often focus on their next book too soon, diverting crucial attention from a just- published book. “I tell authors not to think about a second book until [their book has] been out at least six months. Most books don’t do that well from the very start.”

Most books take time to build momentum. Keep working to gather momentum. Rushing into your second book can actually make it harder to publish that book, if book sales from book one are not strong enough.

Linda’s other advice: “Just because you’re in a hurry to publish doesn’t mean you’re ready.” Many authors feel a sense of urgency about getting their books published and getting their book proposals into the hands of agents and publishers. However, it’s important to take the time to develop the ideas, polish the writing and also develop a very strong author platform. That way, when you approach agents and publishers, you don’t waste their time or yours—and you put forward the best possible case for publishing your book.

literary agent Jeanne Fredericks and Lisa Tener — With Jeanne Fredericks in front of the Fairmont Hotel, Copley Square

Jeanne Fredericks: Jeanne and I discovered the salads and vegetable/quionoa bowls at B Good on Boylston Street at lunch on Friday. Jeanne’s advice to aspiring authors? “Be open versus being right.”

Give yourself permission not to know things. “Ask questions. You never know what kind of referral, idea or information you will get.”

Jeanne advises course participants and other aspiring authors to help each other and share across social media circles. That’s good advice for any aspiring author.

Regina brooks literary agent and others — Left to right Dr. Julie Silver, Dr. Randy Kamen, Lisa, Regina Brooks

Regina Brooks: Regina, Dr. Randy Kamen and I squeezed in a quick dinner at the Westin before I headed back to teach an evening writing workshop. Regina mentioned the continued trend towards conglomeration in the industry, as Hachette purchased Perseus’ nine imprints. “More imprints are going away, and the smaller book deals are going with them.”

The bigger players tend to be more demanding about an author having a significant platform. One large publisher mentioned a minimum of 30,000 Twitter followers. Now, don’t panic. There are still mid-sized publishers out there. And there are niche publishers, too. However, you do want to be aware that the more you can do to build your platform, the more likely you are to have an expansive range of publishing options available.

literary agentt sally ekus — Literary Agent Sally Ekus © Sandra Costello 2015

Sally Ekus: I caught up with Sally after the conference and here’s what she said. “Attending the Harvard Writer’s conference reignites the passion I feel in talking with authors who are just starting out. Here is some advice that I didn’t get a chance to share on the panel:

We always encourage authors to do things “right, not rushed.” If you don’t have the time or patience to work on a solid proposal it is going to be hard, if not impossible to get the book right.
When looking for an agent: hopefully all agents can do the job, so I encourage authors to think about how that agent does the job when looking for the right fit.
Publishing is a shifting industry. Throughout an author’s writing career their editor may move houses or their publisher may get acquired by a larger house. Think about your agent as one of the most consistent relationships you have over the course of your career.”

There are so many terrific agents at the conference and never enough time to visit with everyone. Next year, I plan to get organized ahead of time, so I have more to report from Albert LaFarge and Don Fehr. Fortunately, I think I can count on seeing Albert LaFarge and his family when they return to the LaFarge family homestead during raspberry season in Saunderstown.

I hope you’ve found this publishing tidbits helpful and perhaps I’ve sparked your interest to join us for the Harvard Medical School CME writing and publishing course in 2017.

Publishing Tips from Literary Agents: Gems from Harvard Medical School’s Publishing Course

March 23, 2016 by Lisa Tener

Publishing Tips from a Literary Agents Panel

publishing: literary agent panel — Photo courtesy of Diane Radford, MD

Short of real life experience in publishing, few resources can give you the depth of education in publishing provided at Harvard Medical School’s CME publishing course, especially if you are working on a health-related or self-help book. In addition to presentations, panels and workshops rich with information, there’s also time to meet agents, publishers, book coaches and other experts, run your ideas by them for feedback and fine tuning. You can even get feedback on your writing in the evening workshops we teach.

That said, this week I plan to bring you some highlights, including today’s post sharing information and publishing tips from the panel of literary agents who shared how one works with a literary agent and what agents are looking for.

On the Role of Literary Agents

Don Fehr: “A literary agent is a dealmaker, but we do much more than that. We manage authors’ careers.”

[bctt tweet=”“A literary agent is a dealmaker, but we do much more than that. We manage authors’ careers.” – @Don_Fehr”]

Linda Konner: Agents get paid typically through payments from publishers. We work on commission when you get royalties or subsidiary sales.

On the Author/Agent Relationship

Regina Brooks: “I’m looking for someone with a series of books—authors who can be franchised. I’m much more interested in working with one author who has ten books than ten authors with one book each.

Sally Ekus: “I’m looking for long term relationships [with my authors]. Be mindful of the kind of relationship you’re looking for.

On Finding a Literary Agent

literary agent Jeanne Fredericks — Jeanne Fredericks

Jeanne Fredericks: “Look at what an agent brings to the table, their specialties. Some of us have editorial background. Others have been publishers. Others have legal background and know the ins and outs of contracts.”

albert cropped — Literary Agent Albert LaFarge

Albert LaFarge: “Most of us acquire authors through referrals. We rely particularly on people who know us and understand our strengths and interests. If you know someone in publishing, or someone who’s written a book, talk to them. Look at the acknowledgements pages of similar books. Subscribe to Publishers Marketplace.”

On Publishing Trends and Expectations

literary agent regina brooks — Literary Agent Regina Brooks

Regina Brooks: “You can’t just get in with no social media at all.” In fact, a large publisher recently said that their minimum is a 30,000 person following on social media.

People often wonder whether it’s worth having an agent (vs. going straight to a publisher). Julie Silver, MD, the course director and founder, pointed out that agents have all this industry-specific intelligence that the general public doesn’t have.

As Dr. Silver said, “Agents like to do lunch.” At lunch with acquisitions editors at publishing houses they find out exactly what specific publishing houses and editors are looking for today. They have built relationships over time. Publishers will take the time to read what agents send them, because, busy as they are, they know it will be time well spent.

I would add a few additional pluses that literary agents bring to the table, points we didn’t have time to get into during the panel:

An agent can time submissions so that you are more likely to have several offers on the table at once. This is called an “auction” and every author wants to have one, because then your agent can leverage these offers for the best deal.
Your agent also knows the specifics of negotiating a contract and will make sure you retain important rights and that the terms are in the best interest of the author—you.
A literary agent knows acquisitions editors well—their strengths, weaknesses, personalities and preferences. It isn’t just about finding an acquisitions editor who wants your book. It’s also about finding the one who will do it justice and whose vision matches yours.
[bctt tweet=”A literary agent can negotiate contract points that are important—beyond the amount of the advance.”]

Are there times to pitch a publisher directly, without an agent? Yes, especially for a very niched book with a small market. However, in most cases, when your market is a significant enough size to attract a larger publisher, you will want an agent by your side!

Have a question about working with a literary agent? Feel free to ask your publishing questions here.

5 First Steps to Write a Winning Book Proposal

March 21, 2016 by Lisa Tener

Do you feel overwhelmed when thinking about how to write a book proposal?

If so, you’re not alone.

One key is to break it down into small bits.

Before you write your proposal, you need to get very clear about the book you’re writing.”

Here are 5 first steps to write a successful book proposal, steps that can help you choose the write book, save time and write a more effective proposal. Plus, these steps will help prevent you from getting overwhelmed.

[bctt tweet=”5 First Steps to Write a Winning Book Proposal…”]

Dr. Dunckely first set out to write a much more general book about children's mental wellbeing. By narrowing down her vision and focus she was able to write a book that was much more marketable than her inital idea. — Dr. Dunckely first set out to write a much more general book about children’s mental wellbeing. By narrowing down her vision and focus she was able to write a book that was much more marketable than her inital idea.

Get Clear on Your Vision and Goals: It may sound simplistic, but I’ve met many an aspiring author who started out writing the wrong book because they skipped this step. If you skip this step you may end up trying to fit two books into one, or writing a book that’s more complicated than it needs to be, or one that isn’t going to get you where you truly want to go. So, take a deep breath and have fun with this step. This step is about imagination, envisioning the results of your book. This step should inspire you. What a great way to start!
Ask, “Who am I writing for?”: Most first-time authors try for too broad an audience. The key is to be very clear about your core readers. If you try to write for everyone, no one will know the book is for them! When you are clear on a core readership, your title, anecdotes, language, examples, metaphors will all speak to your readers and resonate for them. You’ll know just what to put in each chapter and what information your readers need to know. You’ll know how much science or math or medicine to include and what to assume your readers know. You’ll address the concerns of your readers and understand their point of view, their pain, their goals, their dreams. When you try to go for too broad an audience, many times, you end up with no one. The crazy thing is, when you write for this core audience, other people will find your book as well.
Research the Market: Talk to your core readership. Ask them about their experiences. Find out what they think and want. Ask them about the books they’ve read on the subject. What’s missing for them? Blogging can be a great way to get to know what topics get your readers excited (you’ll get more comments and social shares when they’re engaged).
Brainstorm: From what you learn about your market, jot down ideas about what you want to put in your book and what may be better left unsaid. List ideas for features (science sidebars, experiential exercises, questions for reflection, cartoons, graphs, pictures or quotations), tone (playful, scientific, academic, nurturing, humorous or adventurous) and style (accessible, formal, short). Keep thinking from the point of view of your core readers and what would make the book most useful for them.
Hit the Bookstore—Real and Virtual: Sure, an Amazon search has its place. You can quickly purchase ebooks and compare them to the book you want to write. Compare the books that yours would compete with and ask how they compare to what you have in mind. What features do they have? What’s the tone? How accessible or conversational are they? What works with these books? What could better serve your readers’ needs? Now, head to your favorite bookstore. Check out other books on your subject. In what sections do you find them? Self-help and psychology? Or do you find a few surprises in other sections as well? Which books seem to have struck a chord? Why? When Tara Mardigan, co-author of Real Fit Kitchen first began work on a book proposal, she took up my bookstore challenge. After sifting through books, she sat on a bench to listen and observe her potential readers in action:

“A woman in her late twenties said aloud to her friend, ‘Oh, I like that this book has recipes but there’s no way I’d have any of these ingredients in the house.’”

“A forty-five-year-old man told his girlfriend, ‘I just want to have permission to eat the stuff I want. Can any of these books help with that?’”

What will you learn from watching your potential readers?

10-book-proposal-coversmalll — Download this free report now and get started.

As you can see, these first 5 steps to writing a book proposal are loaded with adventure, permission to get creative and opportunities to connect with others. Enjoy the process and you’ll end up writing a terrific book proposal. I often like to say that the more fun you have writing your book (and proposal), the more fun your readers will have when they read it.

For more tips on writing a winning book proposal, download my free report, 10 Tips to a Book Proposal Publishers Will Love.

And feel free to ask questions below!

How to Write a Book: From Chore to Joy in 21 Minutes

March 18, 2016 by Lisa Tener

How to Write a Book? Seems like a straightforward, here-are-the-steps, kind of thing.

It’s not. In my experience, writing a book is a somewhat alchemical process. You take the stuff of heaven and earth and all that lies between and weave it into form. Quite literally, you take thoughts and turn them into a thing, a physical object, a book.

And this process can be scary, overwhelming, confusing or frustrating at times.

When you feel those kinds of feelings, know that you are in a state of resistance. You want to write but you don’t want to write. There’s a war going on inside you.

Winning the War on Writers Block

If you ever feel stuck, struggle with finding your flow, or feel pressure to write without feeling the passion, then you have experienced this internal state of strife.

There’s an expression, “Peace is just a breath away.” In this case, the words, the flow, the passion are a metaphoric breath away.

I was reminded about this in a consultation with a woman in my Bring Your Book to Life Program today. She struggled with her book. Once or twice as we spoke I heard the passion she felt for the project. I sensed this passion just below the surface. It was clearly there. But she didn’t notice it. All she felt was wrong, blocked, frustrated, mad at herself.

Meet Your Creative Muse

So, we did my favorite exercise. You may have heard me speak about it before. I call it “Meet Your Muse.” I guided her to connect with her inner muse, her creative source and had her ask her muse about how to reconnect and write.

She hadn’t been making the time, so I wanted to start there. I usually insist that writers schedule the time in their calendars in order to make it happen. Her muse would have none of that. “No scheduling.”

And yet, the muse told her, “Set aside time and focus on the book.”

Right Brain / Left Brain

It took me a minute to let that sink in. What’s the difference between scheduling and setting aside time? And then I got it. I realized her muse made a distinction between the left brain dictatorial “scheduling” and the more right brain, gentle, “set aside time.”

That made real sense to me. When we resist something and feel pressured–and pressured was one of the first words she used when our call began–then forcing ourselves to do something will often just create more resistance. She didn’t need more of an inner dictatorship, she needed to enter that sacred, beautiful internal space from which words could find their flow.

Next, her muse told her,

[bctt tweet=”Instead of pushing your book away, sit down and think about it. Give it attention.”]

Think about what you want to talk about.

I sensed that her muse wanted her to just be with the book. I suggested she could even imagine that as she drove her car, her book was placed in the passenger seat next to her. She didn’t have to do anything about it–just be in its presence. My sense was that she needs to draw the book near to her, to be gentle in this process of connecting with her book, getting to know it.

Romancing Your Book

Imagine your book as a potential romantic partner. Flirt with it. Ask it questions. Let it tell you about itself. Get to know it. Don’t just ask it to perform for you, to produce. Engage it. Dance with it. Lie on the grass next to it looking up at the clouds.

This idea of setting aside time felt better, so we dealt with her second challenge, after making the time. This writer, an academic, had trouble just writing without editing. Instead, she worried over each word, striving for perfection. And every statement needed to be backed up by research.

Now, you may also have an experience of trying to write from that directive place of “It has to be perfect.” It’s a surefire way to prevent flow!

While I had told everyone in class to try as much as they could to leave holes for research with a note to come back later and fill it in, she couldn’t do that. So, chapters were agonizingly slow and painful. Slow is okay. Pain, I like to figure out how to abate.

Breaking Down Your Inner Parts

I asked her to imagine a few different parts of her: The Muse, The Perfectionist, The Academic/Researcher. And I asked her to thank those aspects of herself when they arose. “Say thank you and let the Perfectionist know that you’ll need her later. Now isn’t the time but she’s going to be very important in the editing process.” The same for the Academic/Researcher. Most research could be left for the end when the writer would very much need that important skill and aspect of herself when the time came.

She agreed to give it a try.

One More Challenge

Still, something didn’t quite feel right. “I’m afraid it will take over my life once I get into the writing.”

I asked her to imagine the part of her that worried about this in one chair and her muse in another chair. The dialogue went something like this:

Author: “I’m afraid it will take over my life once I get into the writing.”

Muse: “Nonsense, it’s something you want to do.”

Author: “But I have other commitments, too.”

Muse: “Actually, your book is not a commitment. It’s a joy to be writing it.”

She told me that felt good, but there was still something her muse wanted her to know:

Muse: “You have to write a literary review.”

Author: “Yes. I just have to write that and I will.”

Now, she felt a sense of harmony.

Connect with Your Passion and Joy

My last bit of advice was to help connect her with the passion and joy she had for her subject, something she had not been feeling when she sat down to write. I share that advice with you.

Do something beforehand that puts you in a receptive space—walking, deep breathing, listening to music, flipping through photography books with images related to your subject—whatever works for you. You can experiment with different activities. Then write.

And that is how to write a book: by not thinking of it as a chore, but receiving it as a gift, a joyful privilege, by engaging with it, getting to know it. Be with your book and it will come.

Write it on a Trampoline

March 15, 2016 by Lisa Tener

Do you think of writing a book as a serious, hard and gargantuan task?

Most people do.

And most people don’t get their books written, even if they get started. It just feels too big. At some point, many people get overwhelmed and stop.

That won’t be you, because you are about to learn a few tips to make your book-writing journey what one emerging author in my Bring Your Book to Life Program called “Easy Breezy.”

Tips to Get Unstuck and Get Your Book Written

One of the best “tricks” is to make writing a book fun.

Another is to intend for ease in the process of writing.

[bctt tweet=”View book-writing as an adventure!”]

In a book concept consultation this week, I led an emerging author in a favorite exercise I call “Meet Your Muse.” We asked her muse how to ensure not just starting–but finishing–her book. Her muse told her, “Keep it light. Have fun.”

When she asked how to make writing fun, her muse told her, “Write it on a Trampoline.” So, she made a note to find a recording device and do just that.

book cover on the verge — Cara Bradley’s just published book, On the Verge, can help you get into that space of spontaneous flow and inspiration.

Now, I’m not suggesting you go out and purchase a trampoline as your next book-writing investment. Instead, I invite you to think about how you can turn your book-writing into more of an adventure, or a playful journey, and enjoy yourself.

How can you take off some of the pressure you’ve put in yourself about your book?
How can you capture the sense of inspiration you first felt when you decided to write a book?
How can you connect with that inner creative spark?

That last question will not only help you make writing fun, it can help your readers enjoy your book. When you connect with that spark, your book can be more spontaneous. You may discover new exercises that will help your readers engage with the material. You may find a way to tell a story that brings the drier information to life. You may discover a new element that makes your book even more wonderful for your readers.

Everyone has their ways of tapping into that creative spark. For me, it’s often through nature, and I love to take a walk before writing. For some people music or movement do the trick. For others, prayer or meditation. Mix it up. Try different things on different days.

Find your spark.

And check out my weekly writing workshop, Get Your Writing Done, for the commitment, support, community, creative space and spirit of playfulness to complete your book, blog posts, scripts, articles, podcast scripts and other writing.

Target Market for a Book: Do I Go Broad or Niche?

February 24, 2016 by Lisa Tener

I’m often asked about identifying the target market for a book. Here’s my answer, in a nutshell.

Do you want to impact the greatest number of readers possible? Does it seem to you that your book could benefit just about everyone?

That was my orientation when I co-authored The Ultimate Guide to Transforming Anger. I soon learned from my more experienced co-authors and several literary agents that the audience needed to be narrowed down. While people outside a defined market may well read your book, you still need to target to a defined market. That’s how you reach them.

Writing a Book for “Everybody”

In a phone consultation with a client in my Bring Your Book to Life Program the other morning, I found myself in what is for me a familiar conversation. The writer has medical and scientific information that can help people with virtually any health issue, people of all ages, all demographics, preventatively or even if they have some kind of health condition.

And, of course, wanting to help as many people as she can, it’s tempting to make the audience as broad as possible.

The problem is, people tend to buy a nonfiction health-related book based on one of two things:

I think this book will help me solve my problem.
I think this book will help me reach my goal.

Sure, sometimes curiosity or inspiration fuels a book sale, but, by far, the majority of sales, particularly for a health-related book come from the above two motivators.

If the title is too broad, it’s going to be hard to get the reader’s attention. A diabetic is looking for a book about diabetes. A pregnant mom looks for pregnancy books. A parent with an autistic child will look for a book with “autism” in the title and will likely search for “autism” on Amazon or in a bookstore.

While some broad titles do make it big, it’s much easier to go niche, especially if you do not already have a big following or mailing list.

Know Your Book’s Market

Amazon dominates book sales. If you want your book to do well in that dominant market, you need to think about what keywords readers will type in to find your book. And, in general, the more specific the keywords, the more likely that readers will find you on Amazon.

While your book’s title will attract core readers to the book, researching your book’s market and knowing your core audience will also help you write to that audience in a voice and tone that resonates for them. Knowing your target audience will also help you market and sell books, because you’ll know–or can research–where such readers “hang out” online and offline–news sites, websites specific to a disease or problem or goal, association websites.

Are there ever reasons to go broad? Absolutely. I always counsel my clients to educate themselves on the market and then listen to their inner promptings. If the inner voice counsels differently, don’t ignore it. Explore it.

What questions do you have about writing a book? Ask away.