Over at Books and Such…
A while back two commenters asked how big a platform was big enough. “How many Twitter followers, Facebook fans, email subscriptions should I be shooting for? What’s the goal I should have in mind?” In a guest post over at that Books and Such blog, I address these questions. The post is called 5 Questions […]
How to Get Published in Five Steps
Recently I participated in a Q & A session for writers at Baker Book House—a very fine Christian book store in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (By the way, if you don’t already subscribe to Louis McBride’s “Baker Book House Connection,” it’s worth your time. While you’re at it, check out the blog of Josh Mosey, the […]
Book Proposal Coaching Update
For those who have been following along as Gary Neal Hansen and I work through a book proposal together, I wanted to give you an update. For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s a brief setup: In December 2012 I started a series of posts on how to create a book proposal. I […]
8 Essential Tips for Marketing Your Book on Facebook
Guest Blogger: Natasha Crain (www.christianmomthoughts.com) We all know Facebook is the largest social media network in the world. Our intuition tells us it can be a powerful tool for book marketing, but how do you use it effectively? In a word, it all starts with fans. The more fans you have, the more effective Facebook […]
The Basics of Building a Platform
Lack of platform (which here can be defined as your ability to help a publisher promote your book) is the number 1 reason we turn books down at Baker, and I’m sure we’re not alone. It’s simply easier to come across solid concepts and great writing than it is to find an influential platform. While […]
How to Come Up with a Great Book Concept
Let me start with three reasons working on a book with a lousy concept is a bad idea: Beautiful, compelling writing is terribly important to publishers, but if your beautiful writing is in the service of a concept that no one will buy, publishers will have a hard time getting excited. A far-reaching platform is […]
The #1 Reason We Turn Books Down . . . And How It Can Help You Get Published
Several weeks back I attended the International Christian Retail Show, which is the main annual event for Christian booksellers and related vendors. I’ve attended this show the past several years because it’s a good place to meet with industry friends, authors, and literary agents. One afternoon my editorial colleagues and I sat around a table […]