Write That Book Already!: The Tough Love You Need To Get Published Now

by Barry, Sam

  MORE WRITING

  Once you’ve completed a first draft, you’ll need to reread your manuscript with a sharp eye out for all manifestations of weakness: redundancies, inconsistencies, and inaccuracies. We recommend reading out loud, even if it’s just to the dog or the goldfish (or both). Once you’ve corrected glaring errors, find a trusted friend or two (aside from the dog) to read your manuscript. It’s best if you avoid asking people with personal agendas—your doting grandmother, let’s say, or your ex-husband. You’ll want the opinion of intelligent people who love to read, and who aren’t afraid to give constructive criticism. Give your readers plenty of time, remembering that most people are too busy to concentrate on your writing above all else—and never give anyone the only copy of your manuscript. This might also be a great time to join (or start) a writers’ group or enroll in a creative writing class at your local college or library, where you’ll be able to get feedback on your own writing while reading and critiquing others’.

  Tough Love from the Author Enablers

  You know who you are—you say you’re a writer, but no one’s ever seen your work. What—you think you’re a shy version of J. D. Salinger? Find a writing companion, writers’ group, or class. Not later—do it now! ‹«

  AGENT SEARCH

  Once your manuscript is in very good shape, the next step is finding a literary agent to represent you. Publishers generally look more seriously at projects that are represented by literary agents, especially if the author is relatively unknown, and that’s only one reason why it makes sense to have an agent. Agents know the editors and how to pitch to them. They can set deadlines for responses to a proposal, identify problems in your contract that you might not notice, and act as your designated nagger when you need information from your publisher, allowing you to be the sweetheart in kind of a good cop/bad cop scenario. Agents usually have specialties, and a good place to start looking for the right one for you is a publication called Literary Market Place, available in libraries and online at www.literarymarketplace.com. LMP features a listing of reputable agents with a brief description of each one’s focus.

  You can also meet agents at most writers’ conferences. There are good conferences all over the country, and many offer opportunities to help out as a volunteer if you can’t afford the tuition.

  Yeah, yeah . . . we know all this can be a frustrating and time-consuming process. It’s a little like being told that you can’t get a certain job until you have five year’s experience in the field, and you can’t get the experience without getting the job. All we can say is if you want to be published, then it’s worth hanging in there. It’ll be well worth the time and effort—and the frustration—once you find the right agent to champion your book.

  Everyone Needs An Editor

  It is possible to get published without an agent, and for that matter, without a publisher. If you decide to represent yourself to publishers, we suggest you hire a professional editor/copyeditor to look over your work. ‹«

  MORE WRITING

  Guess what? Even if an agent loves your manuscript and wants to represent you, chances are you will be asked to make some changes. So batten down the hatches and get ready to do another rewrite.

  ACQUISITION

  You do your rewrite and the agent LOVES your book. Then what? While your manuscript is being shopped around to publishers, you’ll be best off trying to distract yourself with just about anything else you can think of. Go ahead, wax that kitchen floor! Get a pedicure! Take up chess! Read a good book! Start writing another book! Nagging your agent won’t help—you just have to trust the process. The process can be a long and anxious one, until the magic day when your phone rings and your agent delivers the news that there’s an offer for your book.

  Sometimes, if there’s more than one offer on the table, a book will go to auction. This means that several publishers are interested and willing to bid on the right to publish your book. But usually—honestly—first-time authors are likely to feel lucky if one publisher makes an offer. Be prepared for a few more weeks of nail-biting while your agent negotiates the details of your contract, and then . . .

  GUESS WHAT ? MORE WRITING!

  Once the contract is signed, you’ll begin your professional relationship with your in-house editor, who will carefully read your manuscript and give you notes for—you got it—yet another rewrite. This is the beginning of the part of the process when your book is no longer totally your own, but heading toward being the result of the hard work and effort of (you want to hope) a crackerjack team of pros.

  EDITING

  In the best of all possible worlds, you will have a great deal of respect and admiration for your editor, who in turn will have a great deal of respect and admiration for you. You’ll work together with the same goal in mind—making your book as good as it can possibly be. You’ll listen to each others’ suggestions with open ears, choose your battles when disagreements arise, and carefully consider all editorial notes. Let’s assume this relationship is functioning properly. Once you get notes from your editor, do your best to follow them as you work on this rewrite. Make every effort to get your rewrite finished by the deadline, because a lot of other factors—many of which you’ve probably never thought about—are riding on the manuscript being completed by a certain date.

  While everyone’s writing and editing away, a lot will be happening behind the scenes at your publisher’s office.

  PRE-PUBLICATION

  In the six months leading up to the publication date, your focus shifts away from writing and on to many new areas, such as:

  GALLEYS

  Galleys (sometimes called AREs—for advance readers editions or ARCs for advance readers copies) look like paperback versions of your book with a lot of typos in them. This is because galleys are printed before final copyediting is completed. Galleys (or AREs or ARCs) are used for several purposes. They are sent to book reviewers and other media, especially those requiring a long lead-time for reviews or interview booking. They are also distributed to book buyers at retail outlets and others who can influence advance orders. When you hear about “early buzz” for a title, this usually means that booksellers have read the galleys and are excited about the forthcoming book. It’s a good thing. Also, they are often used for soliciting endorsements.

  CATALOGUE

  Not unlike the catalogues you get in the mail at holiday time, this is an in-house publication used by the sales and publicity team. Your catalogue page will typically have an image of the cover (though this, and even the title, may change before publication rolls around), a description of the book, an overview of the publicity and marketing plan, and a bit of information about you. It’s important, for example, for booksellers and media outlets to know where you live and work, so they’ll know how flexible your time will be when it comes to booking interviews and appearances. If you have a website, it might be mentioned here, and your previous publications and media appearances may be included. The catalogue is seen by librarians, book and gift buyers, university professors, other publishers, and—who knows—maybe even an enterprising movie producer or two. The decision to catalogue your book means that the publisher has made a fairly firm decision about a number of aspects of your book, such as the title, subtitle (for nonfiction), price, and publication date. Timing is based on many factors, including the state of your manuscript, the business needs of the publisher, and your writing and genre. In the world of bookselling, each season has its own personality, and you’ll be listed in the appropriate catalogue. There are many, many exceptions, but “big” books are usually released in the fall, gift and self-help in the winter, and lighter reading in the spring/summer seasons. We say there are many exceptions because there really are—a publisher might release a big fiction title in the summer because the manuscript was delayed or the style of book lends itself to that season. An important book about some great historical figure might be tied to the birth or death anniversary or some other important life event. R
eligious holidays, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, elections, and so on are all considered when a book’s timing is being determined.

  As with so many other areas, ever-changing technology is influencing these mechanisms. Catalogues are going online, making the seasonal distinctions less important. But much remains the same; books are still timed to coincide with the appropriate season of the year, and once a book is announced to the world in the catalogue, a publisher is usually committed to its publication.

  INTERIOR DESIGN

  In publishing, interior design includes front matter (the title page, Library of Congress page), typesetting, page layout, photos, illustrations, and dingbats (those ornaments, characters, or spacers that you see in typeset documents, also known as a printer’s ornaments or characters). Interior design is often done by a professional designer and is overseen by the managing editor, the behind-the-scenes person who coordinates the publisher’s editorial activities.

  YOUR BOOK JACKET

  Your book jacket (or cover, if your book is released in paperback) consists of some or all of the following: the art, the copy, your author photo and bio, and endorsements (often called “blurbs”). Covers matter, but they are controlled, to a large extent, by the publisher. There may be several designs considered for the cover art, and you will most likely be asked to provide your own author photo. Most first-time authors must waive the right to cover approval. This actually makes some sense, since publishers are more experienced at knowing what will go over with a particular market—and frankly, they are also a little more objective. You’ll be able to express your opinion, but at some point you’ll have to allow the professional people on your team to do their job.

  Cull your address book for people who will endorse your book. We do not think you should ever be rude or unable to take no for an answer when asking a favor of someone, but we also want to stress that this is not a time to be shy. Anyone you know (or whom someone you know knows) and who makes sense as an endorser is worth approaching. This includes prominent writers, of course, but depending on the nature of your book, it can also be respected leaders, experts, and even clowns, if your book happens to be about the House of Representatives . . . or the circus. It all depends on the book. Anyone you know in media, from the high and mighty to the local, can be helpful.

  A Little More about Blurbs from our BookPage Column

  There are several ways to go about getting endorsements from fellow authors, but it almost always helps if you have some kind of personal connection. Like most of us, authors get a kick out of reading their friends’ books, and many are honored to be asked to provide endorsements for people—and work—that they love. So where does that put the first-timer with no fancy connections? You’ll have to work harder, with longer lead-time built in, to get the blurbs of your dreams.

  Unless you have a Rolodex filled with personal friends who are bestselling authors, at most publishing companies it’s the editor who gets endorsements, usually starting with other authors in her stable, seeking endorsements from those whose books are similar to yours. For example, as exciting as it might be to get a quote from famous children’s author Tomie dePaola, your editor wouldn’t seek him out to endorse a psychological thriller about vampire dogs. By sticking solidly within your genre, the editor sees to it that the endorsements provide a helpful marketing tool meant to attract potential buyers.

  If your publisher is unable to seek endorsements on your behalf, then it’s up to you. This is where writers who make a point of becoming part of their local literary communities have an advantage. Is there an independent bookstore hosting regular events and book signings? Go. Meet people. Get to know the owners. Don’t be a pest, but let people know you are about to have a book published. Is there a writers’ conference nearby? Go. Meet people. It won’t happen overnight, but after a while you’ll find that you are part of a thriving community of readers and writers—and you’ll have met some established authors. Many cities have active chapters of organizations like the Women’s National Book Association, groups that provide regular gatherings and networking opportunities. Go. Meet people.

  You can also send out galleys with polite requests for endorsements. Write to the authors in care of their publishers and allow plenty of lead time. Don’t take it hard if an author says no—many have a policy of not reading other people’s work when they are writing—but it’s also possible that you’ll catch someone at just the right time, and with just the right captivating manuscript, to get that endorsement. ‹«

  BIG-MOUTH LISTS AND GIVEAWAYS

  Don’t overdo this, but there are times when it makes sense to give a book away because it atracts attention or provides some goodwill. This is similar to your endorsement list, except you don’t need to know these folks as well—after all, you are giving them something for free. But you don’t want to ship your precious books out to be tossed aside, so lay some groundwork—make contact with the people in the media, and prominent figures (or their assistants) to whom you intend to mail the book. Find out where and when it is best to send the package. If you don’t hear back, follow up after an appropriate amount of time. If you still don’t hear back, perhaps it’s time to move on.

  DEVELOP AN E-MAIL LIST

  While you’re developing your short list of endorsers and your big-mouth list, you should also start building a bigger e-mail list of people to notify when you are doing events and when your book is released. Again, this is no time to be shy, and the only rule is to avoid being rude. These are the Wild West days of online communities, with Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Fwix, blogging, twittering, skittering, and blittering being all the rage. Even as we write this the possibilities for marketing yourself online are evolving and changing, so we aren’t going to pretend that there is one way and we know what it is. We do know that this is a real and potentially effective way to get the word out, so at the very least you need to develop an e-mail/contact list and have a decent website. It’s possible that your publishing team may develop a website for you, but even if they do, the content on yours will help them get it right.

  CLAIM YOUR EXPERT STATUS

  In case you didn’t realize this, as an author you are an expert, and you need to get used to the idea. This is especially true for nonfiction writers. If you’ve written a book about aardvarks and their wily ways, get the word out to media that you are the “go to” person on the aardvark issues of our day. Why does this matter? If you present yourself as an expert you may well be called upon by media to comment on your area of expertise, leading to interviews, speaking engagements, and free publicity. If you are a novelist, then you are an expert on everything. Well, maybe not quite, but you are an expert on writing fiction, and if you write in a certain genre you are an expert in that: a time and place if you write historical fiction, crime if you write mysteries or thrillers, horror if you write horror, and so on.

  CREATE YOUR DREAM INTERVIEW

  It is a good idea to come up with ten good interview questions and ten good book club or reader’s guide questions to give to your publicist. Start by imagining your dream interview and write it down. (Oprah was weeping as she alternately hugged me and then my book. “I love your book,” she cried, holding it aloft as if it were the Holy Grail. “Please tell me more about You!”) You can look online for author Q&As and reading guides if you are unsure how to do this. Generally these are designed to pique interest in the book by drawing the reader in without giving away the farm.

  REALITY CHECK

  Nobody’s perfect, and stuff happens. Remember to be courteous to the people on your marketing and publicity team, even when they make mistakes. These publishing professionals are generally overworked and underpaid, and you will not get more out of them by making them feel bad. A better way to motivate them to higher heights is by doing a good job yourself and by being encouraging, creative, and cooperative.

  PUBLICATION PERIOD

  Although many new authors expect a book tour to be part of the deal, fewer auth
ors are sent on tour these days. Tours are expensive, and it’s difficult to quantify their effectiveness. Instead, many publishers rely more heavily on the “tie-in tour,” a fancy way of saying that they’ll help you drum up some interest if you happen to be traveling on your own dime. Obviously, lead time is needed—don’t expect to be able to tell your publicist that you’re flying to Portland on business next Tuesday, so can she please arrange a bookstore signing and a full day of media interviews? But if you know, one to two months in advance, that you’ll be somewhere on the publisher’s radar, be sure to tell the right people.

  Should you happen to be one of the lucky authors who is sent on tour, see our handy survival tips. But if you’re not touring, there are still a lot of ways to get the word out about you and your book.

  YOUR MARKETING AND PUBLICITY TEAM

  Whether your publisher is a small independent or one of the big conglomerates, the people who work in publishing are, by and large, dedicated professionals who love books. They wouldn’t be in this business if they weren’t book lovers—publishing is generally not the most lucrative career. In fact, publishing pays less than most other white-collar jobs, and less than many jobs in other media. Yet the pressure to produce results can be at least as intense.

  These dedicated folks work long hours juggling several titles at once, trying to figure out how to get the word out about their books (one of which is your book) in a market where many competitive titles and distractions clamor for readers’ attention. That’s why a box of chocolates from the author, arriving at the office mid-afternoon, can help you by perking up spirits and earns you the lasting loyalty of these hard-working pros out of all proportion to the cost of the gift. While you’re at it, get yourself some chocolate. You deserve it, too. And how about your sweetheart?