Nine Little Known Facts about Getting Published
“We all want progress,” wrote C. S. Lewis, “but if you’re on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.” If you as a writer pursue getting published with false ideas about how to get […]
See How Easily You Can Structure Your Book with This Method
While it’s true a thousand-mile journey begins with a single step, this is also true: If that first step is in the wrong direction, you’ll end up in the wrong place! Like this Air Asia flight, you could end up in Melbourne instead of Malaysia! When it comes to structuring a book, writers can go […]
5 Literary Agents Tell You Exactly How to Secure Representation for Your Book
I travel a bit for work, and one part of the process that always causes me a bit of anxiety is getting into my hotel room. The process is rarely without incident. Often I feel like a complete doofus as I swipe my key card a dozen times waiting for the green light to flash […]
How an Acquisitions Editor Reviews a Book Proposal
This year I will review well over a hundred book proposals, and my personal goal is to acquire at least fifteen high-quality original books within the year. Just because I present a book in pub board does not mean I’ll acquire it because other publishers will also be pursuing it. Assuming a 50 percent success […]
6 Strategies for Getting Your Book Published
The #1 question writers ask me is, “How do I get my book published?” Too often they can’t get a straight answer to that question. They get vague responses that aren’t really actionable or helpful. That’s about to change. I’m going to share six strategies that are all but fail-proof for getting a traditional publisher interested in […]
The “Smarter Not Harder” Way to Get a Literary Agent
How do I secure a literary agent?” This is an excellent question writers often ask me. Many publishers (including my employer, Baker Publishing Group) are explicit about not accepting submissions unless they come through an agent. So if you’re pursuing traditional publishing, getting an agent is essential. I asked this and some other questions in an […]
An Amazing #Giveaway for Writers Who Want to Get Published (Worth $7000)
I confess: I love a great giveaway. One of the reasons I love them is because I’ve been the recipient of free gifts that have made a HUGE difference in my life. I also like the rebelliousness of overturning the typical money-for-service paradigm and just giving somebody a huge gift. To register right now for […]
Why a Shorter Book Proposal Is a Better Book Proposal
How long should my book proposal be?” I suspect writers ask this question because they want to know how much work they need to do for a solid chance at a book contract. The good news is often a shorter book proposal is better than a longer one. The bad news is it may take […]
7 Simple Steps to Building the Structure of Your Nonfiction Book
Imagine driving around an unknown city for a while when suddenly your phone and all its GPS abilities goes dead. You smack it a few times. You look to the heavens. You yell “C’mon!” Nada. It’s a goner. What would you do next? Many writers find themselves in this situation. Here’s the kind of question […]
3 Questions Publishers Will Ask about Your Next Book Project
For aspiring writers the “pub board meeting,” where book contracts are won and lost, is mysterious and even unnerving. “What goes on in there?” writers wonder. “What’s the conversation like?” For over ten years I’ve been attending publishing board meetings in an acquisitions role for a large book publisher. I’ve learned to anticipate the most […]