Publishing is a business and to get published you need to approach writing and your work in a business like fashion and pitch your work at a viable market, ensure that it is a saleable commodity and speak the publishers language. This fact sheet lays out the basics for any author in getting published.

Do your homework.

Before you write - but certainly before you start contacting agents and editors - make sure there's a market for the book you want to write, that you can express your idea succinctly in one or two sentences, and that you can distinguish your book from all the others on the market. Ask yourself:

Is it timely? Does it respond to emerging trends or needs?

How many other books have been published in the last two years on this general subject? Call and visit local independent bookstores and ask about the leading books on this subject and why they have sold (or have not). Amazon.com is also a good resource for checking out the competition.

Why do readers need what I have to offer? (That is, what is distinctive, better, different about your approach to or treatment of this subject?)

What do I have to offer as an author that will impress publishers (for example, a thriving seminar and workshop business, a widely circulated magazine of newspaper column, a previously published series of articles on the topic that makes you an expert, or some other form of notoriety that can be used to promote you and the book)?

Be realistic.

You feel a great personal need to write about this topic, but it may have a hard time finding a place in today's competitive marketplace. Ask yourself some questions, and be realistic and specific in your answers:

If you can't answer a strong “Yes!” to these questions, you may have a difficult time getting published.

Educate yourself.

Find out what you're up against. Many writers are so excited about writing their books that they don't take the time to inform themselves fully on the publishing environment, the market for their books, or the process involved.

Learn to write.

Strange as this may seem, many new writers who approach agents and editors today appear to think that they can be published without putting in the time to learn to write well. Many writers of personal memoirs in particular believe that an incredible story is the most important element. The media tend to encourage this thinking because they often don't highlight the memoirist's credentials as a writer.

Writing matters enormously. The way a life story is shaped, narrative technique, and other elements of the craft of writing are essential to a memoir - especially if you are not already well-known. For example, before Caroline Knapp wrote Drinking: A Love Story, about her struggles with alcohol, she had been a reporter and newspaper columnist for a number of years. She had learned the craft of writing, and knew how to write an unforgettable personal story.

If you lack experience and training as a writer, consider working with a professional collaborator.

Be aware of the importance of your profile as an author.

Your book idea is important, but your profile as an author is equally essential. Most large publishers will not seriously consider authors who cannot command large audiences for their work - 50,000 copies and up. Whether we like it or not, the reading public places more and more importance on expertise as a basis for buying books. Ask yourself:

Make sure you have an idea for a book - not a magazine article.

Agents often get queries for books that are really articles - long articles in some cases, but still articles. There isn't enough to say, for example, about how to shop efficiently in a grocery store to make it a book.

Similarly, a 60-page pamphlet on choosing a computer similarly would not work, even if it were well done. Why? Because it can be covered in a magazine in far fewer pages. And even if it were published, it has so few pages that it has no "spine" - the edge of the book where the title is printed. Without a name prominently printed on the spine, it would get lost on the shelves. Beyond this, the logistics of pricing and stocking it in a bookstore make it impractical.

Write the best book proposal you can.

Get a good reference book on the subject, write away for editors’ or agents’ guidelines, hook up with an editor or collaborator who can help you, get hold of a good sample - but whatever you do, spend enough time and resources on your proposal to make it compelling. Remember, it only exists for one purpose: to convince those who read it that you have a marketable author profile and a viable project that fits their program. Since the proposal is a sales document, it must be written like jacket or back cover copy on a published book.

If you feel uncomfortable or unprepared to create a proposal that truly sells, you'd be wise to consider seeking professional editorial assistance.

Create a query letter that grabs editors and agents.

The query letter is your first opportunity to develop a compelling sales pitch to present your project to agents (and editors). It should have one effect: to represent you and your book as a viable business opportunity. It should prompt an agent or editor to want to know more about you and your book. Limit it to one high-impact page that gets across the book idea and your author profile in a clear and vivid way.

Remember: You have much less than a minute to capture an agent's or editor's attention. They are flooded with mail - they won't get past the first paragraph if you don't give them a strong reason to keep reading. And if an assistant is opening and filtering the mail, you need to make your query even more potent - assistants are cautious about wasting their bosses’ time.

Develop the ability to put yourself in others’ shoes.

Your book will be read by a variety of people. Whether it's consumers, an agent, or an editor, you'll need to understand their needs and perspectives. If you can't, you won't get your ideas across, nor will editors and agents jump at the chance to work with you. Ask yourself: What does this person most want or need to know?

Pay attention to details.

First impressions count. Before you send your manuscript, proposal, or query letter out, look it over carefully. Grammar, spelling, style, format, letterhead, font style, and print quality are all important. They tell agents and editors "This is who I am as a person and a writer." If you don't pay attention to these details, and if you make careless errors or use language in a sloppy or inappropriate way, agents and editors are likely to think you're not careful about other things either - like the content of your book.

Test your Manuscript

1. Is your manuscript ready for agents and editors?

a) Can you state what your book is about in one or two sentences?

The Professional Editor Says: "This is my litmus test for new writing clients. It's surprising how many people can write a 250-page manuscript without having a clear idea of what it's about." The Literary Agent Says: "Remember that this is a specific statement of purpose, not a 'hook' designed to grab agents' and editors' attention." Make it a clear and concise statement of purpose and scope.

Less effective:

Better:

Best:

2. Can you describe your real reader - your target market - in one sentence?

The Professional Editor Says: "Many beginning writers think of their readers in broad terms or unrealistically.

The question is not just who, but also why this audience will want to read your book." The Literary Agent Says: "Keep in mind that editors acquire books in specific subjects (such as health, women's issues, psychology) so they know the market. Once you describe your audience, you'll have to think about demonstrating why the market needs your particular book, given everything else that's out there."

Less Effective: "I think just about any woman would want to read my book." (Magical thinking, not realistic; maybe women should read it, but there's no book that every woman will buy. Women with a particular problem or interest are a more realistic target readership.)

Better: "My book is aimed at women between 30 and 50 who want to get in shape and feel good." (What else can you about these women? What are their interests? Are they exercisers or non exercisers?)

Best: "My reader is a sedentary middle-aged woman who feels guilty about being out of shape, or has decided she would like guidance in starting to get in better physical condition and wants a relatively easy and fast way to do so."

3. Can you pinpoint exactly what makes your book stand out from other books on the same subject?

The Literary Agent Says: "Most people think their own book is unique - no one ever thinks their book is like others already on the shelf. The problem is that what we think are differences are not (from agents' and editors’ viewpoints) substantial, not significant, or - most important, when it comes to selling your book - not market-driven. Remember that editors and agents are looking for reasons to say 'no' to the hundreds of projects that come across their desks. Sharpen your statement of the book's distinctiveness so that you can avoid those objections before they arise."

Less Effective: "This is the first book to cover housing as an aspect of retirement." (Who says readers care about housing, particularly when they think about retirement?)

Better: "My book will be a comprehensive guide to retirement for people who think it's too far away to think about." (Do you think that people in denial want to read a big long book on the subject?)

Best: "Many baby boomers - my prime audience - think fondly about retirement, but they don't want to read much about it yet. They worry about it in the back of their minds, but they've got kids to get through college and are big procrastinators. My book will target those who are just starting to think about it, identify the most salient issues, integrate spiritual matters, and tie each topic to major midlife concerns and life purpose."

4. Be honest:

Have you taken a good hard look at your manuscript?

The Professional Editor Says: "No matter how many books you've written or even published, your book still needs work. Your book may be nearly perfect, but I'm willing to bet that you haven't had the heart to 'kill your darlings' - your favourite parts, the sentences that have been hanging in there since the first draft, the ones that no longer fit with your latest draft. Don't beat yourself up, but do try to look at your work with an objective eye." The Literary Agent Says: "I receive a lot of manuscripts that were nowhere near ready to send out. People get so excited about the prospect of getting an agent or contacting publishers that they rush to get out their manuscripts out the door. Remember that you have less than a minute to impress agents and editors, so haste on your end usually leads to rejection. Take the time to get your proposal and your manuscript right, have friends and valued colleagues read it, get professional help if you need it. You really only have one chance at all of this, so make sure you give it your best effort."

Writing is for a market - it is a business and your work has to measure up to business goals - keep this in mind when approaching publishers and be your worst critic.

---

Click here to return to Know How Guides

Information supplied by Business Insight Central Library, Chamberlain Square, Birmingham. B3 3HQ Tel: 0121 303 4531 Email: business.library@birmingham.gov.uk www. birmingham.gov.uk/businessinsight www.bestforbusiness.com

Alternatively, click here for our Bite Size Checklists.

Golden Entrepreneurs: Disclaimer Notice GoldenEntrepreneurs.com does not have any responsibility for, or be liable in respect of the content or accuracy of the information so provided, or for any errors or omissions therein.

The Information provided is generic and is researched using a variety of sources. Major sources are acknowledged.