You’ve probably heard about the editor whose privacy was interrupted by a book proposal sliding under a restroom stall door at a writer’s conference. Suffice to say there are good ways and bad ways to get attention. Yet, if you
I make my living in part by helping writers craft compelling book proposals to increase their chances of landing a book deal with a traditional publisher. So it might seem strange for me to devote a blog post to a
For a lot of people book proposals are intimidating and scary. I wonder how many books don’t happen just because the prospect of a book proposal is so daunting. Often writers don’t know what goes into a book proposal. What
Publishing is legalized gambling.” That’s an aphorism I’ve heard several times from publishing professionals, and there’s some truth to it. Publishers place a bet on an author and her manuscript, meaning they pay an advance as well as all the
Recently I asked readers of this blog, “What’s your #1 question about publishing or getting published?” Below are some the questions I received with my responses. I’ve tried to order these in terms of the chronological process of deciding how
We all know Amazon is the biggest bookseller in the world by far, but marketing on Amazon is still a mystery to many authors. Most writers don’t understand what makes a book an Amazon bestseller. And they’re confused about how
I recently conducted a survey for writers and received several comments and questions about the whole issue of book concepts. Below I’ll copy some survey responses and offer my reflections and advice. “I have several book ideas but can’t get
Publishers get thousands of book proposals every year. How in the world does any writer get their proposal to stand out from the rest? It can feel impossible. The reality is, if there isn’t something that makes your proposal stand
Recently I received these questions from reader Traci Rhoades: “What happens when a writer’s agent sends a book proposal to a publisher? What is the process? What do the various titles of editors mean? It seems to take a long
After sixteen and a half wonderful years at Baker Publishing Group, I have decided to make a move. This blog, now six years old, has enabled me to start a small business, and I feel called to dedicate my energies
Recently my wife texted me while I was at work just after a snow storm. “We started to shovel,” she said, “but it’s too much. Can you blow it?” “I’d love to!” I replied. I wasn’t being sarcastic. I love operating
Recently a writer friend told me about her desire to write a book that wakes people up. “Everybody’s asleep,” she said, “they need to be woken up!” “OK,” I said, “but look at it from your readers’ perspective. What’s the