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What Publishers Want: 5 Things a Publisher is Looking For When They Read Your Query or Book Proposal

August 20, 2015 by Lisa Tener

book cover- laugh your way — Cathy Turney’s book and e-book won best book and e-book at the International Business Awards this summer. While Cathy self-published, she thought like a publisher!

My clients have been busy this summer: 3 client books were published, 3 clients signed book deals, 5 are busy meeting publishing deadlines, 1 book just went on preorder and 1 client won an International Business Award for her book and ebook. Several are appearing in national media–OWN (Oprah Winfrey’s network), the Chicago Tribune, Glamour, Men’s Health and more. Wow, I feel like a proud midwife!

Behind the scenes, while editing, I’ve also been shooting videos on how to write a book proposal for a new course–details soon. With all things publishing on my mind, I thought about where you may want to get started. What’s one of the most valuable things I could tell you today? And I think it’s this: “Think like a publisher.”

Now, if you know me, you know I’m all about the beautiful meeting place of the muse and the marketplace. It’s important that your heart be in it. That’s a given. Still, if you want to get traditionally published, it’s important to understand how publishing works and what publishers want. Here are [bctt tweet=”5 Things Publishers Are Looking For:”]

1. A Big Pie: A big market means the potential for more book sales. Is there a way you are thinking too narrowly about your audience? Can you open it up to a large niche? For instance, I pointed out to a client once that her market was not just people who saw themselves as creatively blocked but rather people who were anxious, depressed or unhappy. That book got a top publisher and having a large potential audience helped.

Now, of course, what’s “large” to a big publisher may be hundreds of millions of potential readers and “large” to a small publisher may be more in the millions or even hundreds of thousands. “Large” is relative. Of course if you are self publishing you may focus less on the the size of the potential market and more on the impact you can make with your book. Niche publishers may also have more flexibility to focus less on big market size.

real fit kitchen book cover — Tara Mardigan’s and Kate Weller’s book is a cookbook and nutition guide for athletes and fitness-philes.

2. Reachable Peeps in a Clear Niche; the more deeply they need or want your book’s solution or results the better: When you are clear about a specific market, you can brainstorm the different ways to reach this market: do they belong to specific organizations, visit certain websites, watch certain TV shows? The easier to reach your specific market, the easier it is to sell books.

Rather than write a dating book for everyone, you may do better writing for divorced women in their 50’s and up. Or 20-somethings fed up with the current “Scene.” When you “get” your peeps, you can write in a voice and tone that resonate for them. And they’ll get “This book is for me.”

Many of my clients have recently signed book deals with mid-sized and smaller publishers because they served a very distinct and under-served market, and this market was quite desperate for the information (athletes looking to eat fit, women with controlling partners, people inspired to eat more “plant-based” but feel overwhelmed when they try to stick with it). These are motivated readers!

3. A Fresh Take: It’s much easier to compete with the books on the market if your book adds something to what’s already out there. Do you have a new perspective? Is there a

Linking meltdowns and poor grades to electronic screen use is fairly groundbreaking in itself. Beyond providing evidence and information, Dr. Dunckley provided a 4-week program parents can implement to get reslts.

need of your market that’s not being met well by the other books? Does your book address a subsection of the larger market—a specific niche?

Do you have research that sheds new light on an ever-green subject? Can you add special features to the book that will help make the book more valuable to readers, such as experiential exercises? Or perhaps you just have a fresh voice (irreverent, playful or provocative). Spend time looking at what’s on the shelves and brainstorm what you can do differently–what’s authentically special about your approach or personality? Can you translate that into features, tone or niche?

In Rethinking Narcisissism, Dr.Craig Malkin had more than a fresh take–a controversial one. He redefines how we think of narcissism. Of course, the media love controversial views and Dr. Malkin has been all over the media–from Oprah’s OWN to Men’s Health to Cosmopolitan to Forbes and much more.

Reach and Following: Yes, publishers are certainly interested in your credentials, but even more crucial is how many people you reach and how you reach them. Do you have a mailing list? Do these folks regularly open and read your newsletter and click on links? How many people do you speak in front of—or teach—annually? The more loyal and engaged your following, the more that will translate into book sales.

Yes, publishers like to see a strong promotion plan but that plan needs to be based upon having a strong following already—one that you will continue to grow. A branded, professional looking website is a must. Social media is almost always a must, though you don’t have to be everywhere—just the places where your readers congregate. A blog is always a positive.A strong mailing list is usually a must, but not always. As to size—that varies publisher to publisher. I’ve heard Reid Tracy say that Hay House wants 30,000-40,000 on an author’s mailing list. Other publishers are happy with less. And some publishers, for certain markets or genres, want even more.

HarperWave approached Dr. Malkin after seeing his blog posts on Narcissism on Psychology Today and the Huffington Post

Many of my clients grow their reach by blogging. They start with their own blog and work up to Psychology Today, the Financial Times, The Huffington Post or other more niched news sources. This is one of my favorite ways to develop an author platform.

Perfect Pitch: Pay attention to the rules: Query first; only send your book proposal once a publisher or agent requests it. My recent blog post (see below) provides guidance and insight into when to contact agents and publishers and how to do it right. Format your proposal correctly, too. I recommend Michael Larsen’s How to Write a Book Proposal. And edit your book proposal so there are no typos or lack of clarity.

You want to make the absolute best first impression you can and also show that you’ll be easy to work with (they can count on you to follow rules and send a perfectly done manuscript). You can start here with my complimentary articles on how to write a book proposal. Any questions? Ask below.

Whom Do I Contact First? Finding an Agent, Getting a Publisher and Sending a Book Proposal…

August 11, 2015 by Lisa Tener

Are you at all confused about the order of finding an agent, getting a publisher and sending a book proposal? Do you wonder, “Where do I start?”

A couple of days ago, Jennifer wrote this comment:

Reading through your website and other people’s questions and ideas has been extremely helpful.
I am very new to this, however, and I’m unsure of the process/protocol in finding a publisher, editor or literary agent. Is there an order of operations as to who to reach out to first and when?”

The first question is easy to answer: First, reach out to a freelance editor if you want to polish your book proposal and/or manuscript. It’s a competitive market and that extra step is almost always crucial.

Next, if you can attract a literary agent, I always recommend querying literary agents before looking for a publisher. Agents can negotiate a better offer, plus they can time the offers to increase likelihood of the book going to auction. In addition, literary agents know the acquisitions editors personally and know what they are looking for. Here’s more about why to work with a literary agent.

This publisher, New Harbinger, contacted the author directly. Since then, I have contacted the publisher directly for a client who had a modest, but not big, platform and a very focused market for her book.

The answer to the third question is a bit more complex. Jennifer is writing a memoir, so let me start there. The publishing process with memoirs tends to be a bit different from other nonfiction. In general, agents and publishers will want to see the entire memoir before signing you on. Once they like your proposal and sample chapters, you’ll need to send them the rest of your book–and you want an absolutely perfect, polished manuscript.

Don’t wait until their request, however, to polish your manuscript. Once an agent or publisher expresses interest, you want to send your polished manuscript while your book is still fresh in their minds and they are excited about it. So, with a memoir, have your manuscript fully edited before sending out a query or book proposal.

That is not so true with self-help and how-to books. With these books, it’s possible that an agent or publisher has strong ideas about changing the structure or content of your book. It may save you time to write the bulk of your book once you sign with an agent or publisher.

[bctt tweet=”Steps to Approach Literary Agents with a Book Proposal for a Memoir”]

1. Polish your entire memoir, including multiple rounds of editing–from developmental editing to line-by-line copy editing. I can help you find an editor, through my editor referral program.

2. Write a polished book proposal. I highly recommend consulting a book proposal coach to write the best proposal possible and make an airtight case for your book. If you don’t have a platform/following, you will most likely need to develop your author platform before moving forward, as this is crucial to most publishers.

This author found her agent through a friend.

3. Identify appropriate agents who represent the kind of memoir you are writing. Here are some good resources for finding the best agent:

Publisher’s Marketplace
PubMatch
The Acknowledgements section of books in a similar genre or subject area to yours.
Word of mouth from successfully published authors
Attending writers conferences where many agents in your genre will be present, such as the San Francisco Writers Conference.

4. Query appropriate literary agents.

5. Immediately send the polished book proposal, including sample chapters, when they ask for it. Be ready to send the whole manuscript when they ask for that, as well.

Do not send a book proposal or manuscript without first querying the agent or publisher and making sure they want to see it.

[bctt tweet=”Steps to Approach Literary Agents (or Publishers) with a Book Proposal for a How-to or Self-help Book”]

My favorite book on how to write a book proposal

1. Generally, I recommend you write a book proposal before writing the rest of the book, for the reason mentioned above. The proposal does include one or, more often, two sample chapters and outlines/summaries of all the other chapters. Polish that proposal, working with a book proposal coach or editor, to make your proposal as compelling and professional as possible. It’s a competitive arena and a polished proposal will give you an edge. It also indicates it will be less work to “take you on” than someone who makes a good case but whose sample chapters or formatting need work.

2. Identify agents who are a good match. See the resources and suggestions for memoir above.

3. If your platform is small or the potential market is narrow, or if you have tried finding an agent without success, identify appropriate publishers. Resources for identifying publishers include:

Writer’s Market, published by Writer’s Digest
Bookstores
Google searches
Searching related competing and complementary books on Amazon.com and identifying the publishers.

4. Send a Query Letter to appropriate agents (or publishers).

5. Send your book proposal to those who have said “yes!”

6. Keep writing or thinking about your book as you wait to hear back. Work on building your author platform, or reach, as well, since it will help you reach more potential readers in the long run.

7. Once you get an offer, evaluate the offers and choose the one that best meets your needs. If you do not have a literary agent, consider hiring an intellectual property attorney to read the contract and negotiate points. I often recommend a attorney who is also a literary agent. Generally, this costs about $600 and is money well spent as it will protect your intellectual property.

[bctt tweet=”When to Approach Publishers Directly Rather than Agents”]

autism — This author did not have a platform so she approached smaller publishers directly herself.

If your platform is small, you may have more luck querying small publishing houses rather than trying for big house through a literary agent. Small houses generally pay small advances and literary agents cannot afford to spend much time on books that are unlikely to garner a big advance. In addition, if your book appeals to a narrow niche audience, you may have more luck approaching publishers directly. Recently, I have worked with quite a few clients whose books appeal to a modest-sized audience and have pitched their books directly to publishers. While it’s generally ideal to have a literary agent, this strategy is good for cases where you are unlikely do find one due to platform size or market size issues. In this link, you can read more about whether to approach agents or publishers for your book.

As mentioned above, if you get an offer from a publisher, it’s still worth having an agent or attorney negotiate the finer points of your contract.

Have a question about publishing your book, finding an agent, getting a publisher interested, how to write a book proposal or anything else? Ask your questions here and I will answer…

How to Get a Publisher: Should I Pitch Them Directly or Get a Literary Agent?

August 3, 2015 by Lisa Tener

98% of the time, my answer to the question of how to get a publisher used to be “Get a literary agent first.” Literary agents bring so much to the table—from their ability to garner several offers at a time, to their understanding of which acquisitions editor might be a perfect match for your book to their ability to negotiate a book deal.

In fact, I would still say, if you think you can interest a literary agent, that is still generally my recommendation if you want to traditionally publish. And, most of the time, to get a literary agent and get a publisher—in particular, a large trade publisher—one ingredient you need is a significant author platform (or online and/or offline following). However, the smaller and mid-size presses may not require quite as huge a platform—and could be a good fit for your book.

The issue is that since smaller and mid-size publishers are giving smaller advances than they used to—small enough that it may not be efficient use of an agent’s time to try to sell a book that they know will likely go to a smaller or mid-size publisher—you’ll need to approach these publishers yourself (or work with a book coach who has connections to smaller and mid-sized publishers).

[bctt tweet=”Here are some reasons to directly query smaller and mid-sized #book publishers:”]

1. The publisher specializes in your audience and has very specific ways to help you reach that audience, whether through speaking gigs, a targeted mailing list, publications or other avenues.

2. You want to do some targeted marketing and promotion for your book but you’re not interested in doing the type of campaign that would be expected by a larger publisher.

3. Your book appeals to a smaller, niche market, such as an academic market or a specific niche such as people with a specific medical condition.

4. You don’t have a big enough reach to interest a larger publisher and you don’t want to do lots of up-front work growing your following before sending out queries.

5. The smaller publisher shares your vision for your book, while an agent or larger publisher wants you to go for the largest audience possible, requiring adjustments to the book concept that don’t resonate with you. This may be especially true if the book is already written and you feel ready to publish.

Here are a few examples of client books recently published by smaller, niche publishers:

book cover ocd — Leslie Shapiro is a Harvard Medical School CME Leadership and Publishing course graduate and her book, Understanding OCD came out this March.

Understanding OCD by Leslie Shapiro: A specific niche, a book that can appeal to both practitioners and patients; an author who definitely did not want to do things like national TV but was certainly willing to do modest publicity like interviews for print media and speaking at conferences. Published by Praeger / ABC-CLIO. When I first queried the Acquisitions Editor, Debbie Carvalko, Debbie immediately e-mailed back, “I’m looking for a book on OCD and have saved a slot for 2015 or 2016,” and she encouraged us to send the proposal right away.

Dream Therapy for PTSD by Bruce Dow, MD received some interest—and feedback—from literary agents, but all agreed that to appeal to a larger publisher, the author would need to add chapters to deal with additional types of trauma that the author had not dealt with, such as working with children. This was not a fit at all for the author and his interests. The book was written and very engaging. He wanted an avenue to get it out there. The acquisitions editor at Praeger/ ABC-CLIO, again Debbie Praeger, loved the extensive case studies and felt no need to broaden the examples (which were soldiers, policemen, policewomen and a few civilians) for their audience.

And authors who recently signed with smaller publishers:

Vicki Tidwell Palmer recently signed with Central Recovery Press, a publisher I have recently gotten to know. Hers is a niche audience and CRP is uniquely positioned to help Vicki reach her target audience in the addiction treatment and recovery community, including behavioral healthcare professionals, as well as friends and families of people experiencing the type of addiction addressed in her book. Given their special focus, CRP will also be an asset in bringing Vicki’s book to the library market, having invested focused resources in reaching librarians with a special interest in her topic.

As Eliza Tutellier of CRP says, “The advantages of going with a smaller press, especially for a first-time author, can be numerous. Your book is more likely to chosen as a lead title during its season, securing more of the press’ promotional resources and sheer human attention. Marketing will be more focused on your target readership, reaching niche channels and communities some of the bigger presses may not even know about. Finally, you’ll be dealing with a smaller, potentially more agile team: sales and marketing staff are likely to sit one desk over from your editors rather than in a different part of the building, so decisions on promotional opportunities, book design, and even editorial consideration can be made more quickly and efficiently.”

Tara Mardigan and Kate Weiler signed with Fair Winds Press after being contacted by the publisher and realizing it was a good fit in terms of vision and specific niche market. Their book, Real Fit Kitchen: Fuel Your Body, Improve Energy, and Increase Strength with Every Meal comes out September 1, 2015 and is currently available for preorder on Amazon.

Other mid-sized presses, independent presses and University publishers (another niche!) that clients have recently signed with or published with include Yale University Press, Johns Hopkins Unversity Press, New World Library, New Harbinger and AMACOM (the publishing arm of the American Management Association).

Do your research and you can come up with a list of your own. Make sure the publishers accept queries and proposals without an agent (most do) and check their guidelines to include exactly what they ask for.

Get That Summer Magic Working for Your Book

July 21, 2015 by Lisa Tener

I’m loving the fireflies (they seem to be sticking around much longer this year), picking loads of raspberries in our yard, boogie-boarding with my son, enjoying family dinners on the porch and riding my new bike, though my eight-year-old still beats me in races.

Summer is such a precious time; we want to drink in all the pleasures—from the smell of the honeysuckle to the taste of each blueberry.

Summer can also be a wonderful time to write outdoors and be inspired by nature—the sounds, scents and sights that can infuse our writing with depth and feeling, as my Writing in the Zone class participants are discovering and re-discovering.

As I imagine you do, I seek balance–of pleasure, family, teaching, work and book writing. While I am limiting VIP days to one or two in August and two in September, perhaps one has your name on it?

This June, I helped one VIP client :

– Polish her manuscript

– Plan her strategy for platform building

– Plant the seeds for her book proposal

– Break through a particular challenge

– Reconnect with her confidence and passion

– Commit to her next steps in a way that felt do-able, enjoyable and sustainable, rather than pushing herself.

We paced ourselves with a walk around Saunderstown enjoying the gardens, the beach and Narragansett Bay while we brainstormed about a couple of a challenges and helped her get unstuck about a particular issue, coming up with a plan that created ease and calm where there had been fear.

She left refreshed, reignited, with very clear plans, including the revisions to make to her manuscript.

If you would like to[bctt tweet=”get feedback, brainstorm, get unstuck and make significant progress on your book project…”] a VIP day may be just what you need.

You and I will both prepare for your VIP day before and after, together and individually, so that you will get the most out of the experience and also have the momentum, support and accountability to continue to make great strides after the event. VIP days cost between $3,500 and $4,997, including our preparation and follow up activities and calls. If you would like to explore whether a VIP day is what you need to make your big leap, contact me to discuss your vision, needs and desired outcome.

What’s a Forward? Oops, What’s a Foreword?

July 16, 2015 by Lisa Tener

“What’s a Forward?”

A forward is the player on a team, who plays in front and helps score. Period.

If we’re talking books, the correct question is: “What’s a foreword?”

Be sure to spell it right if you’re asking someone to write one for your book!

A foreword is an introductory section in a book that establishes the author’s credibility and establishes the usefulness or importance of a book. The foreword helps provide motivation for the reader to buy the book or to continue reading it. The foreword is not written by the author but by either an authority on the subject or by someone your readers trust and admire.

“Who Should Write a Foreword?” “Whom Should I Ask to Write My Foreword?”

The best person to write a foreword to your book is someone well known by your readers, someone they know, like and trust. It’s ideal if the foreword writer is an authority on your subject or a broader subject that encompasses yours, but they can also just be a person of renown who knows your work, knows you well, used your system (or methods or teaching) that you share in the book, or knows people who have benefited from your work. Or perhaps they were not familiar with your work before you contacted them but they have a personal connection to the subject.

In the modern world of online search and Amazon, one of your best sales tools is having a bestselling author write your foreword. Why? Amazon considers that person a co-author. Therefore, when someone searches on the name of that well-known author, your book will also come up in the list. That means many more eyeballs that see your book on Amazon and more eyeball owners who have the opportunity to buy it.

Publishers and agents know this. [bctt tweet=”A bestselling author as foreword writer will increase your chances of a book deal. No kidding.”] An agent told me she’d sign my client if, and only if, the client was able to convince the bestselling author who had said he would likely write her foreword to provide a firm “yes.” Happy ending to that story. I’m glad the agent pushed.

If you have been asked to write a foreword, or wish to provide information to someone you’ve asked to write a foreword, here is a post that tells you exactly how to write a foreword.

Please share your questions or comments below!

“Marketing Terrifies Me”: How to Overcome Fear of Marketing / Sales (for Authors and Others)

June 29, 2015 by Lisa Tener

In preparing for her recent VIP Day consultation with me, a client divulged her immobilizing fear of marketing.

She’s not alone.

I’ve heard dozens, maybe hundreds, of variations on this theme for years now. And, if you can imagine yourself saying these words, I want to be clear: It’s probably not marketing you’re terrified of.

No. No. No.

In a minute, I’ll share how to overcome fear of marketing or sales, but first, here’s my own admission:

When Melissa Sones encouraged me to apply for “Marketer of the Year” from the American Business Awards, I felt that clutching fear in my tummy. I didn’t see myself as a marketer nor did I want to be seen as a marketer.

marketer of the year award — I felt funny then about the word “Marketer” but now I’m proud.

Melissa convinced me, though, and, with her help, I received the Gold Stevie Award for Marketer of the Year in 2012.

And I was embarrassed. I hadn’t gotten over the “marketing” stigma.

I thought it might make me look sales-y and that people might think it meant that my trainings and services lacked substance–that perhaps my work was marketing hype.

I’ve gotten over it. So over it.

Here’s the truth: Marketing is about reaching people. It’s about connecting with your tribe, sharing the wisdom, skills and experience you have to offer them to make their work and lives easier. Some of that you do for free and some of that you charge for.

You strive to do it gracefully. Professionally. With a smile.

Marketing is about being of service to those you wish to serve, and in a way that creates a sustainable business.

Is that so bad? Is it terrifying?

Okay, if it’s still a bit daunting, take a deep breath.

At its heart, marketing is about being of service.

Imagine meeting someone at a party–a friend of a friend (FOF). This FOF needs help with her ____________. (Go ahead, fill in that blank with something related to your services).

At the party, she tells you her dilemma, problem or challenge. You offer some helpful advice to address it, based on your many years of experience. You even share an example from your life or your client’s business that brings it to life.

She leaves the party elated. She goes home and implements your ideas. They work! She wants more.

Luckily, you gave her your business card. Oops. You forgot to do that. Oh, well luckily, she remembers your name–sort of–and is able to find you in a Google Search and ends up on your excellent website–a website full of inspiring testimonials from people just like her whose lives you changed.

Or maybe your book is already written. She googled and found your book. She buys it. More helpful advice.

Then she wants more of your wisdom and expertise. She’d like to hire you to help her in a more customized way. She goes back to your website and contacts you about hiring you for her next steps.

That’s marketing. Right? Doesn’t sound so bad.

Now, multiply that by how many people you want to help. Suddenly, maybe, you can’t have 100,000 conversations but that’s how many people you want to help.

Okay, now you need a way to help more of those people–your book, a webinar, a downloadable course.

And now you need a way to have 100,000 conversations like the one you had with FOF.

Now you need to think and act like a marketer. Now you need to see marketing as one of your roles.

Are you afraid of marketing? What’s the fear? Or have you overcome a fear of marketing–please share your wisdom as a comment!