TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING WRITER’S STRATEGY
SELLING YOUR FIRST BOOK
By Stu Leventhal
The first book contract is the hardest! After you have sold that first hard cover some doors should open up for you. But of course it also depends on how well that first book sells in the books stores. Usually most publishers will not sink a lot of money into promoting a new author so it is up to you to hit the book store circuit. Do some book signings, interviews and talks, stay online and promote, promote PROMOTE!
FINDING A PUBLISHER, PUBLISHING HOUSE OR SIGNING WITH A BOOK PUBLISHING FIRM…
Finding a publisher for your first book is difficult and probably the most frustrating thing you will ever do. No one wants to take a chance on an unknown author! Yes many, first time book authors, choose to go it alone, self-publishing.
Indie publishing may cost you some money but if you finance your book’s marketing campaign all by yourself then you do not have to share your profits with anyone. You could also publish digitally as a Kindle and as an e-book or in PDF form. But the truth is, if you want to be recognized as a serious author you need to attract the attention of a traditional book publishing company.
Publishing via a traditional publisher carries more weight and credibility in the literary world than self publication. Self publishing requires no approval; anyone with money can publish their own book. Traditional publishers put their author's through a rigorous book and author evaluation process before they offer them a contract to sign.
One of the first things a new author will want to decide is whether to try to get a literary agent and then let your agent contact traditional publishers on your behalf or are you going to solicit directly to the publishing world yourself.
When an author finalizes the last proofread of a manuscript there is a short sigh of relief but then the real work begins; promoting your book. The trek to becoming a traditionally published author could take years once a book is finally completely written! When you self publish you could be offering your book for sale almost immediately.
But you do not just want to get published; the goal is to be a bestselling author!
Literary agents, book and author promoters and book marketing firms will take a percentage of your book sales but they will also take over the responsibilities and stresses of selling your book and promoting your pen name! An agent allows you to concentrate on writing the next book whether it is a sequel or a whole new idea.
Why is it so much tougher to sell a book than to write one?
It is always difficult to do what we are not enthused about doing. Authors are creators and communicators first and foremost not sales people or business minded! We convince through our art. We pitch our ideas through our art. We do not want to have to sell our art! We just want to create more art!
It may be naïve but generally artists and especially writers wish for their writing to sell itself! We also, as artists, do not like to explain ourselves or to explain our art projects after they are completed. We artists, as humans, are often shy about tooting our own horns! That shyness towards self-promotion and that negative attitude towards commercializing that many artists harbor is not helpful for driving book sales or even for gaining writing clients.
Artists expect that if their art is good enough then clients, fans and promoters will seek them out and buy their productions. Fiction Writers and Nonfiction authors being artists want to practice their craft 110% of their time and let their body of work speak for them instead of them speaking for their art. This antagonism towards salesmanship is idealistic but professionally dangerous, even disastrous, career wise!
You should know that even if you have a great Lit Agent and a good publisher you will still need to get involved with promoting your book. Readers want to know about their authors and to see the face behind the scenes…your face!
Writers and authors love writing and hate selling, marketing and promoting. If you wished to become a sales professional you would not have barricaded yourself into your room to spend hours, days and months alone, with no distractions, typing away at your computer key board to write your first book. Ideally, now that the first book is finally complete, you want to jump right into starting the next creative writing project before your enthusiasm cools down. You are a creator, writer, thinker; writing is where your passion lies.
While writing your first book you probably discovered there were tons of other writing journeys you now want to travel on. I am sure you uncovered at least a few new writing ideas for your next book project. Writing one book often sprouts new ideas for writing new books in the future. Authors get more confident as they complete one creative writing project and thus they wish to continue by taking on more complicated literary assignments.
This self-development aspect of writing is all part of the value of being a writer and the appeal of choosing a life of writing as one’s profession. Self-growth, spiritual enlightenment, raising your feeling of humanistic and societal wealth via your contributing of value to the community through your art drives authors to learn how to express themselves better and communicate clearer with one’s fellow men and women.
Self discovery, contributing to mankind's advancement and understanding more about the universe as well as man's place and role in relation to other things are just some of the joys and benefits of taking on such a daunting ordeal as writing a novel, poem book or text book.
Writers and authors write often because they are compelled to write and create worthwhile textual endeavors. Whether it is the creative art muse driving us to keep writing or some inner passion for the subject matter, a mysterious inner voice or the love and respect we have for our audience; we write because it is in our blood. Now what is not natural in most of us is to sell, pitch and promote. Unfortunately, to have success with a writing career you have to learn how to become a business pro too!
You are your best salesman; like it or not!
The perfect solution for authors is to find a literary agent who specializes in selling the type of books that you write then letting your agent promote you and your writing projects. Now you can concentrate on book writing and someone else handles book promoting, book marketing, book selling and pitching to publishers!
SELLING A BOOK TAKES TACT STRATEGY AND PLANNING
Now I get that finding an enthused literary agent should be easy. Authors and creative scribes all would love to be able to simply email a bunch of literary agents their manuscript in a e-doc then just wait for the lucrative replies, offers and contracts for representing us and our work, to come flooding into our email in box. But, that rarely ever happens!
Agents are bombarded by new writers’ requests for author representation every day! Agents' desks as well as publishers' desks are piled high with manuscript submissions as well as book proposals.
Competition is steep for new writers to land a good literary agent; good meaning an agent with a real track record of creating star author careers!
If you have never been published you want to get that first book up on the book shelves with your author name on it as soon as possible! Manuscript rejection slips ware down your common sense and push new author’s into accepting the first offer that comes along, which is usually a shady deal for you the author.
Whether you try to attract the attention of a literary agent or go straight to courting traditional publishers directly; know that both will be looking at your online activity.
The way a new writer shows a traditional publishing house or a literary agency that they are a serious writer is by building an online following that is impressive.
Can you see why if you have a large online fan base and another author has a small online following that a publisher or an author agent might conclude the writer with the most online fans and cyber activity is the better risk?
Publishers want to represent authors who already have a lot of people interested in what they write. Thus, if a publisher signs you for a new book deal, they already are guaranteed a few sales from your fan base.
Writing great is not near enough to get a book contract deal. Today, Publishing Houses want their authors to build up a digital presence before you send them your manuscript to evaluate. It is all part of the book pitching process.
Having a million social media followers proves you have credibility in cyberspace. New authors have to prove that they know and understand social media and web promotion before publishing houses and literary agent will take a chance on them!
By Stu Leventhal
The first book contract is the hardest! After you have sold that first hard cover some doors should open up for you. But of course it also depends on how well that first book sells in the books stores. Usually most publishers will not sink a lot of money into promoting a new author so it is up to you to hit the book store circuit. Do some book signings, interviews and talks, stay online and promote, promote PROMOTE!
FINDING A PUBLISHER, PUBLISHING HOUSE OR SIGNING WITH A BOOK PUBLISHING FIRM…
Finding a publisher for your first book is difficult and probably the most frustrating thing you will ever do. No one wants to take a chance on an unknown author! Yes many, first time book authors, choose to go it alone, self-publishing.
Indie publishing may cost you some money but if you finance your book’s marketing campaign all by yourself then you do not have to share your profits with anyone. You could also publish digitally as a Kindle and as an e-book or in PDF form. But the truth is, if you want to be recognized as a serious author you need to attract the attention of a traditional book publishing company.
Publishing via a traditional publisher carries more weight and credibility in the literary world than self publication. Self publishing requires no approval; anyone with money can publish their own book. Traditional publishers put their author's through a rigorous book and author evaluation process before they offer them a contract to sign.
One of the first things a new author will want to decide is whether to try to get a literary agent and then let your agent contact traditional publishers on your behalf or are you going to solicit directly to the publishing world yourself.
When an author finalizes the last proofread of a manuscript there is a short sigh of relief but then the real work begins; promoting your book. The trek to becoming a traditionally published author could take years once a book is finally completely written! When you self publish you could be offering your book for sale almost immediately.
But you do not just want to get published; the goal is to be a bestselling author!
Literary agents, book and author promoters and book marketing firms will take a percentage of your book sales but they will also take over the responsibilities and stresses of selling your book and promoting your pen name! An agent allows you to concentrate on writing the next book whether it is a sequel or a whole new idea.
Why is it so much tougher to sell a book than to write one?
It is always difficult to do what we are not enthused about doing. Authors are creators and communicators first and foremost not sales people or business minded! We convince through our art. We pitch our ideas through our art. We do not want to have to sell our art! We just want to create more art!
It may be naïve but generally artists and especially writers wish for their writing to sell itself! We also, as artists, do not like to explain ourselves or to explain our art projects after they are completed. We artists, as humans, are often shy about tooting our own horns! That shyness towards self-promotion and that negative attitude towards commercializing that many artists harbor is not helpful for driving book sales or even for gaining writing clients.
Artists expect that if their art is good enough then clients, fans and promoters will seek them out and buy their productions. Fiction Writers and Nonfiction authors being artists want to practice their craft 110% of their time and let their body of work speak for them instead of them speaking for their art. This antagonism towards salesmanship is idealistic but professionally dangerous, even disastrous, career wise!
You should know that even if you have a great Lit Agent and a good publisher you will still need to get involved with promoting your book. Readers want to know about their authors and to see the face behind the scenes…your face!
Writers and authors love writing and hate selling, marketing and promoting. If you wished to become a sales professional you would not have barricaded yourself into your room to spend hours, days and months alone, with no distractions, typing away at your computer key board to write your first book. Ideally, now that the first book is finally complete, you want to jump right into starting the next creative writing project before your enthusiasm cools down. You are a creator, writer, thinker; writing is where your passion lies.
While writing your first book you probably discovered there were tons of other writing journeys you now want to travel on. I am sure you uncovered at least a few new writing ideas for your next book project. Writing one book often sprouts new ideas for writing new books in the future. Authors get more confident as they complete one creative writing project and thus they wish to continue by taking on more complicated literary assignments.
This self-development aspect of writing is all part of the value of being a writer and the appeal of choosing a life of writing as one’s profession. Self-growth, spiritual enlightenment, raising your feeling of humanistic and societal wealth via your contributing of value to the community through your art drives authors to learn how to express themselves better and communicate clearer with one’s fellow men and women.
Self discovery, contributing to mankind's advancement and understanding more about the universe as well as man's place and role in relation to other things are just some of the joys and benefits of taking on such a daunting ordeal as writing a novel, poem book or text book.
Writers and authors write often because they are compelled to write and create worthwhile textual endeavors. Whether it is the creative art muse driving us to keep writing or some inner passion for the subject matter, a mysterious inner voice or the love and respect we have for our audience; we write because it is in our blood. Now what is not natural in most of us is to sell, pitch and promote. Unfortunately, to have success with a writing career you have to learn how to become a business pro too!
You are your best salesman; like it or not!
The perfect solution for authors is to find a literary agent who specializes in selling the type of books that you write then letting your agent promote you and your writing projects. Now you can concentrate on book writing and someone else handles book promoting, book marketing, book selling and pitching to publishers!
SELLING A BOOK TAKES TACT STRATEGY AND PLANNING
Now I get that finding an enthused literary agent should be easy. Authors and creative scribes all would love to be able to simply email a bunch of literary agents their manuscript in a e-doc then just wait for the lucrative replies, offers and contracts for representing us and our work, to come flooding into our email in box. But, that rarely ever happens!
Agents are bombarded by new writers’ requests for author representation every day! Agents' desks as well as publishers' desks are piled high with manuscript submissions as well as book proposals.
Competition is steep for new writers to land a good literary agent; good meaning an agent with a real track record of creating star author careers!
If you have never been published you want to get that first book up on the book shelves with your author name on it as soon as possible! Manuscript rejection slips ware down your common sense and push new author’s into accepting the first offer that comes along, which is usually a shady deal for you the author.
Whether you try to attract the attention of a literary agent or go straight to courting traditional publishers directly; know that both will be looking at your online activity.
The way a new writer shows a traditional publishing house or a literary agency that they are a serious writer is by building an online following that is impressive.
Can you see why if you have a large online fan base and another author has a small online following that a publisher or an author agent might conclude the writer with the most online fans and cyber activity is the better risk?
Publishers want to represent authors who already have a lot of people interested in what they write. Thus, if a publisher signs you for a new book deal, they already are guaranteed a few sales from your fan base.
Writing great is not near enough to get a book contract deal. Today, Publishing Houses want their authors to build up a digital presence before you send them your manuscript to evaluate. It is all part of the book pitching process.
Having a million social media followers proves you have credibility in cyberspace. New authors have to prove that they know and understand social media and web promotion before publishing houses and literary agent will take a chance on them!