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(It's probably not what you think.) Most aspiring authors come to me worried about time, platform, and writing experience, but often, what they REALLY need isn't even on their radar.
The only platitude I’ve heard repeated as often as “show don’t tell” is “you need a thicker skin.” Nonsense. You need a better rebound.
As I’m sure you’re aware, the path to getting a book into bookstores is not easy, but it is straightforward. I’ll go over the ins and outs from literary agents to advances, editors to proofreaders, marketing to publicity.
When it comes to your book's success, it's less about self-publishing versus traditional publishing and much more about the foundation you've laid. Before you put a book into the world, do these two things first.
When you should and when you shouldn't query literary agents in another country. Plus, what you need to be ready for if you do.
Pitching agents can be torturous. Did they get my query? Did they hate my query? I bared my soul and all I got was this form rejection? Ugh, I’ve been there. Fortunately, you don’t need a miracle to turn this around. You need a strategy.
Here’s a case study for you.
I am a huge advocate of personalizing query letters. but too many authors are going about this the wrong way. Let’s talk about a better way to open your query letter, a way that convincingly shows the agent why your book is perfect for them.
You’ve got a great book, but now you have to write something that might feel even harder — a knockout query letter. In this detailed guide, I’ll show you exactly how to do that without making all-too common mistakes.
I talk a lot about finding the right agent for you, rather than just any agent. You want someone who gets your vision, who knows how to sell books like yours, and whose personality gels with yours, which means finding the right agent is a pretty personal task. That said, there are a few consistent qualities we should all be looking for:
Format your book the right way for each occasion— pitching agents with a manuscript, querying nonfiction with a book proposal, or for self-publishing. You want your book to stand out for its stellar writing, not for its unorthodox formatting. Here’s how the pros do it.
A pretty common fear among aspiring authors is that if they pitch their book to an agent or publisher, that person will steal their idea. They either avoid querying, or they write “copyright” all over their manuscript, which immediately makes them look like an amateur.
I didn’t believe it when I started out, but to get a book published, you’re going to need to know people—mentors, teachers, friends, colleagues, critique partners, and cheerleaders. There’s nothing I hate more than schmoozing, so I’ll tell you how I found those people without ever networking.
Landing a literary agent may be difficult, but that doesn’t mean you should be getting ignored. If you’re sending out queries and not hearing back at all, you’ve got a problem that needs to be addressed.
Here are some possible reasons you’re hitting a wall:
While non-fiction books are generally sold on proposal, novels are not. With fiction, they don’t just want an idea of what they’ll get, but they’ll want to read exactly how the whole thing pans out. Ideas are a dime a dozen. It’s the execution we all struggle with.
I recently had the pleasure of connecting with Lucinda Halpern, owner of Manhattan-based literary management firm Lucinda Literary. I talk with her about traditional publishing, self publishing, how to stand out as an author, and what she’s looking for.
If you want to sell your book to a major New York publisher, you need an agent, no question. As with anything in life, there are rare exceptions, but do you want to drastically narrow your chances in hopes of winning the lottery? If so, why? A good agent has relationships with editors and publishers, they know who’s looking for what, they know how to sell a book, they know how to negotiate a good contract, and
You’re trying to juggle a dozen things at once – an unforgettable first line, a fresh voice, an original theme, complex characters, mood and tone and conflict and a sense of mystery, and so on and so forth. In so doing, there’s a good chance you’ve inadvertently lost the most important element of all – clarity.
Once upon a time, I was a magazine editor with an inbox full of pitches from writers and publicists. Many of the senders probably submitted those queries and imagined me waiting for them to come in, reading through each one carefully to decide whether or not it had merit.
Here’s what was really on my mind each time a new pitch pinged through:
Rejection sucks. Writer’s block sucks. Burnout sucks. And yet, they’re all part of the job. Below are some super quick and simple exercises designed to make you feel creative, capable, and alive.
Rejection is a cost of doing business. This is true not only for writers and other creatives but for anyone courageous enough to live wholeheartedly.
You can minimize it by
Age-old wisdom says you should never query literary agents in the summer months, but is this a myth or a fact? In this post, I give you the complete low down, along with tips on querying for fiction and nonfiction.