With the new year upon us I thought it would be appropriate to post some helpful hints to getting that book published this year. Let 2015 be the year you decide to finish your book and submit it to publishers.
Deborah Malone
The Road to
Publishing
1. Finish That Novel:
Finish
the book. Publishers are not really interested in ideas. They want to see that
a would-be author has the skill, the stamina and the discipline to finish the
job. After finishing your book set it aside for a couple of weeks then go back
to it and start editing. Hire an editor if necessary. Two books I’ve found
invaluable for my writing:
“Write in Style”
by Bobbie Christmas and “Goal, Motivation and Conflict” by Debra Dixon.
2. Researching Publishers And Agents: Study books that are the same genre as
your book and see who their agent/publisher is. It is usually listed in the
front of their book. Look for publishers on-line and study their guidelines for
submissions. Find out what they are looking for. There are also books that are
helpful to find publishers such as: “Christian Writer’s Market Guide” by Sally
Stuart and “2012 Writer’s Market” by Robert Lee Brewer. Note: It is necessary
to have an agent for big name publishers. If you do not want to go this route
please do not forget the small presses. Please do your homework and check out
small publishers or self-publishing companies. If you go this route a book you
will want to read is: “Stress-Free Marketing” by Renea Winchester.
3. Write A Synopsis And Query Letter: According to
Kaye Dacus at www.kayedacus.com you should first and foremost familiarize
yourself with the kind of synopsis your targeted publishing house requests.
Most will want a “normal” synopsis (about one doubled-spaced synopsis per
10,000 words of your novel.) - Your
query letter is your introduction to an editor/agent. You do not want to
immediately label yourself as a “newbie” or an amateur when they open the
envelope. Spend time learning the correct way to write a query.
4. Prepare Your Proposal: The proposal is
where you really brand yourself as a writer. It’s where you show the
agent/editor that you’re so much more than just 100,000 words of a story
written down on paper. It’s where you show them you understand the industry,
you understand what they’re looking for, you know who your competitors are, and
you realize that 80% + of the marketing for a published author is done by the
author.
5. Send Out Queries:
Be sure and follow the guidelines of the publishers you’ve researched.
Send only what they’ve ask for – do not add anything unless they’ve requested
it. It is important to not send any photographs or illustrations. Do not use
fancy paper or elaborate fonts. These are the marks of an amateur, and will
only hurt your chances. (www.mythicscribes.com)
6. Be Prepared For Rejections: You will receive them. Most of the
rejection letters will be in form letter style. Do not let this get you down.
Keep sending out the queries. Every author has a story to tell about the
rejections letters they accumulated before being published. Consider a
rejection letter as a sign you are writing. How many people can say they’ve
even received a rejection letter? Keep writing and persevere. The writers who
persevered are the ones who are now published.
7. Continue Writing:
Don’t
stop writing. The more you write the more you improve in the craft of writing.
It will help you find out if you are able to write more than the “one hit
wonder.” It might be that it will be your second or third book that gets
published so don’t sit idle while waiting to hear from those publishers.
THINGS YOU CAN DO WHILE WAITING FOR PUBLICATION
1. Establish A Website: Once your book
is contracted and by the time it shows up in online bookstores, you should have
a website – preferably one with your author name as the URL,(www.deborah-malone.com)
so that readers can easily find you. Use Google blogspot for free and pay only
for the URL.
2. Start A Blog:
I’ve
discovered blogging and reviewing books is a great way to get your name out in
the world of writing. You can build a following before you have your book
published. If possible use your author name as your URL. Interviews and book
giveaways are a great way to draw traffic to your blog. You can use Google or
Wordpress for free
3. Start An Author Facebook Page: If you start an author page as opposed
to a personal page it allows followers to connect with you without having to
wait for a friend approval. You can post book news, awards, and book signings.
4. Get An Updated Author Photo: This doesn’t have to be a high-priced
photograph, but make sure it is updated and of good quality. It won’t hurt to
have a couple of different shots.
5. Set Up Accounts On Reader Sites: There is a great opportunity in this area.
You can sign up at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, and Shelfari. Then
when your book is published you can set up author pages and list your book and
your information.
6. Get
Business Cards, Postcards and Bookmarks:
Vista Print offers great prices on these items. You can get your
business cards before your book comes out – be sure and put your picture on
your card. Someone might not remember your name, but they will remember your
face. If you place a small order with Vista Print they will send you discount
cards with that order then you can place future orders at a greatly reduced
price.
I made my own
bookmarks out of heavy duty paper and saved a lot of money. Don’t forget the book I mentioned earlier “Stress Fee Marketing”
by Renea Winchester, it includes a lot of detailed information on these
marketing strategies.
Deborah Malone’s first novel Death in
Dahlonega, finaled in the
American
Christian Fiction Writer’s Category Five writing contest!
Deborah
was also nominated for 2011 and 2012 Georgia Author of the
Year
in Novel category. She has worked as a freelance writer and
photographer,
for the historic magazine “Georgia Backroads” since 2001. She has had many articles and photographs
published, and her writing is featured in “Tales of the Rails,” edited by Olin
Jackson, as well as the “Christian Communicator.” She is a member of the
Georgia Writer’s Association, Christian Author’s Guild, Advanced Writers and
Speaker’s Association and the American Christian Fiction Writers.
For "Pacific Beach," I wanted to write a book preserving the memory of our beloved family reunions at the Pacific Terrace Hotel, a five-star venue right on the beach in San Diego. What fun to combine all the activities our family enjoyed with a murder mystery!
