Publish Your Book: Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author

by Patricia Fry

Overview

Publish Your Book: Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author is a professional guide to publishing success for the new and struggling author. With insider tips, up-to-date marketing strategies, timelines, and other resources, this book offers a comprehensive tour of the world of book publishing to help authors successfully navigate the industry.

Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, this book will help you write your book for a target audience, build promotion into your book, write a successful query letter and book proposal, choose the right publishing option for your book, establish or strengthen your platform, get your book into bookstores, and successfully promote and sell your book. Authors and publishers in any genre and at any stage of the publishing process will benefit from this comprehensive resource, which is an exceptional companion to Promote Your Book (Allworth Press, 2011).

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781621532958
Publisher:	Allworth
Publication date:	02/01/2012
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	264
File size:	631 KB

About the Author

Patricia Fry has almost forty years of experience as a career writer. She is the author of more than forty-five books, including Promote Your Book, Publish Your Book, and Talk Up Your Book (Allworth Press). Her articles appear frequently in magazines and newsletters, she frequently speaks to writers’ groups and at writers’ conferences, and she teaches an online course in writing book proposals. Fry established her own publishing company, Matilija Press, in 1983, and is the executive director of the Small Publishers, Artists, and Writers Network (SPAWN). She blogs daily at www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog and lives in Ojai, California.

Table of Contents

About the Author xiii

Preface xv

Introduction xvii

Publishing-The Raw Truth xvii

A Few Encouraging Words xix

1 Stop! Don't Write that Book…Yet 1

Step Away From the Keyboard, Now! 1

Dismiss Those Discouraging Words 4

Myth Busters for Hopeful Authors 5

You Want to Write a Book Because? 7

Get In Touch with Your Unrealistic Expectations 9

2 How to Find the Very Best Publisher for Your Project 13

Five Common Authors' Mistakes 13

Why Choose a Publisher Now? 15

Manage the Maze of Potential Publishers 17

Publishing Industry Reference Directories 18

Publishing Industry Periodicals 19

What Can You Learn from a Publisher's Website? 20

Tips for Using Search Engines to Locate Publishers' Websites 20

Tips for Locating Publishers' Submission Guidelines 21

Can You Name That Genre? 21

Your ABC List of Publishers 25

Self-Publishing 28

The Ebook 29

How to Meet a Publisher Face-to-Face 30

How to Get the Most from a Meeting with a Publisher 30

Make a Good First Impression 31

Your Thirty-Second Commercial 32

Two Examples of Thirty-Second Elevator Speeches 32

How to Work a Book Festival So It Works for You 33

3 The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Facts About Pay-to-Publish Companies 35

The History of the Pay-to-Publish Company 36

Is POD Getting a Bad Rap? 36

How Much Does It Cost? 39

What Is the Lure of the Pay-to-Publish Company? 40

When Is Pay-to-Publish the Right Choice? 42

4 Bite the Bullet and Write a Book Proposal 45

Why Write a Book Proposal? 45

The Query Letter-An Introduction 47

What Is a Book Proposal, Anyway? 47

The Nonfiction Book Proposal 49

The Fiction Book Proposal 50

How to Write a Cover Letter 51

Sample Cover Letters 52

The Title Page 56

Now, Create a Magnificent Synopsis 58

Sample Nonfiction Synopsis 60

Sample Synopsis for Fiction 62

About the Author-That's You! 63

Sample About the Author-Paula Spellman 64

Sample About the Author-Corrie Woods 66

Why a Book Proposal for Fiction? 67

5 Write the Right Book for the Right Audience 69

Choose a Marketable Topic 69

Who Is Your Target Audience? 71

Your Target Audience for Fiction 74

Your Bonus Audience 75

Sample Marketing Section-Your Target Audience 76

What's Your Competition? 78

Sample Market Analysis-Your Competition (for a Children's Book) 80

Sample Market Analysis for a Nonfiction Book 82

6 Dazzle 'em With Your Marketing Savvy 85

What Is Your Platform? 88

Build Marketability Into Your Book 91

What's Your Plan? 94

Sample Marketing Strategies 98

7 Okay, Now Organize Your Book 101

Chapter Summaries 101

Techniques for Creating Your Chapter Summaries 102

Sample Chapter Summaries 103

8 How to Approach and Work With Agents 115

What Does an Agent Do for You, Anyway? 116

Tips for Choosing and Working with an Agent 118

9 How to Find a Publisher on Your Own 121

The Query Letter Explained 121

The Basics of a Successful Query Letter 123

Sample Query Letters 127

A Word about Rejection 131

What Happens When You're Issued a Publishing Contract? 132

How to Work Successfully with a Publisher 133

10 Get Ready, Get Set, Write 135

Read What You Write 135

Hone Your Research Skills 137

Interview Techniques 141

Do You Need an Editor? 144

Tips for Choosing an Editor 145

Introduction to Self-Editing 147

Let's Become Familiar with the Parts of a Book 153

How Long Does It Take to Write a Book? 157

Criticism-Take It Like a Wo/Man 158

11 The Self-Publishing Option 159

Why Self-Publish? 159

Is Self-Publishing for You? 160

Explore the Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing 161

Self-Publishing Basics 163

Your Time-Line for Producing a Book 167

12 Book Promotion Basics for the Bold and the Bashful 175

Set Reasonable Goals and Keep Raising the Bar 176

What You Must Do to Promote 178

How to Work with Booksellers 180

Book Signings 181

Book Signing Tips for Authors 183

Specialty Stores 185

Tips for Getting Book Reviews 186

Don't Overlook the Library Market 190

How to Work with Wholesalers 192

How to Work with Distributors 193

13 Reach Out Beyond the Bookstore 195

Create Your Own Website 195

Blog for Exposure and Sales 198

Promote through Social Media Sites 198

Launch a Virtual Book Tour 199

Promote through Fantastic Handouts 200

Press Releases, Media Kits, and Sales Sheets 200

Sample Press Releases 203

Make News 206

Solicit Free Advertising 206

How to Make Sales Using Your Mailing List 207

Produce a Newsletter 208

Network, Network, Network 208

Get on Radio and TV 209

Hone Your Speaking Skills 211

How to Locate Speaking Opportunities 213

14 Creative Bookselling for the Enterprising Author 2*15

Keep a Hot File 215

Give Customers More Than They Expect 216

Sell Books through Articles and Excerpts 217

Let's Go Sell Books at a Book Festival 219

Seek Out Special Venues 223

Seasonal Promotion 223

Boost Sales-Produce Spin-offs 225

How to Deal with Promotion Burnout 226

15 Bookkeeping Tips for Authors 227

Do You Know Where Your Manuscripts Are? 227

Record-Keeping for Uncle Sam 228

Donating Books Is Good Business 229

You and the IRS 229

Welcome to the Shipping Room 230

Copyright Law and Contracts 230

Index 233

Editorial Reviews

This book provides generous doses of insider information about the publishing process.

Jeff Herman

Patricia really knows about publishing! Her book offers years of wisdom and powerful insights on writing, publishing, and marketing your book for anyone serious about book publishing success.

Debbie Allen

Patricia Fry has written an eye-opening book that tells it like it really is. Would-be authors who want to make their book a commercial success should read this for an insurmountable head start over all other others. It is comprehensive, well written, up to date, and highly informative. I believe it is one of the most helpful publishing books out there.

Brian Jud

Patricia Fry does a great job of providing both realism and encouragement to authors who are enthusiastic about publishing their books. I believe in good planning in the publishing process, and Chapter One alone is worth the price of admission.

Scott Flora