3 Ways to Keep the Doors to Publishing Swinging OPEN
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 […]
Why Traditional Publishing Should Kiss Self-ePublishing’s Feet!
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. […]
The Very First Thing I Look at in Your Book Proposal and Why
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 […]
When the Best Thing to Do Is Reject Humility
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 […]
3 Things You Simply Must Do to Get Published
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, […]
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 […]