Earlier this year Baker Books sent a survey to about 15,000 of our readers, and we were pleased to see a solid response. I want to share a few findings from one of the questions that I hope others will find as interesting as I did. (Special props go to the brilliant Scott Belsky for […]
I had just done my best to present a proposed book, and now I was sweating it. This has to be one of the most nerve-wracking duties of an acquisitions editor—presenting book projects to pub board and then responding to colleagues’ onslaught of comments and questions. All fifteen or so people in the room understand […]
In 1939 Herman Baker was twenty-eight years old. He had a young family and a steady job working for his uncle, Louis Kregel. Everyone would have expected him to continue in that job, providing for his family and moving up the company ranks. It was, after all, the Great Depression. Herman was lucky to have […]
With some regularity I hear from authors who say something like, “I don’t want to promote my book because I don’t want people to think this is about me.” I understand the sentiment, and actually I deeply respect it. But there are two problems: 1. Book promotion is not about the author; it’s about the […]
My boss, the publisher for multiple divisions at Baker Publishing Group, says this often: “The door to publishing is either swinging open, or it’s swinging closed.” He’s right. If you are a published author or aspire to be one, your chances of publishing are either getting better or worse all the time. The trick is […]
Traditional publishers should welcome self-published ebooks for the same reason major league baseball clubs are grateful for good farm teams. Fact is, traditional publishers have large infrastructures that require the books we publish to perform at a certain level. If every book we publish sells 300 copies, we’ll be out of business in a year. […]
Your bio. I want to know who you are. I want to know what your networks and affiliations are, where you’re from, how broad your platform is, what you’ve accomplished, what you’re passionate about. I want to know where you’re from and hear something about your family. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this […]
First, consider your context. Fast food chains promote vigorously, as do soda companies, porn vendors, alcohol labels, and your local casino or lotto. And you’re perplexed about promoting something that might actually help someone? Then consider the amount of work you’ve invested in this thing. Hours, right? Hours upon hours. If you’re going to spend […]
In high school, it was the designation we drama nerds longed for: Triple Threat. If you could not only act or sing or dance but do all three, you were that much more likely to get the part. Janey Sommers, our fearless teacher, made it clear that in the real world, if you wanted work, […]
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 […]
