Preparing for Success is a three-part series targeted to aspiring writers. Any writer who decides to pursue publication, whether through self-publishing, e-publishing, or traditional publishing enters a crowded, competitive field. For most of us it will be a long, bumpy, confusing ride. If we use our unpublished time wisely, we will stand out from the crowd and our hard work will pay off.
Standing Out
At some point on our journey from aspiring writer to published author, we become aware that half the human population seems to be trying to get published. Agents’ in-boxes are full—they request few manuscripts and take on fewer new authors. Traditional publishers have a limited number of slots to fill each year. New e-publishers pop up monthly, but some are better than others, and many, many writers are self-publishing with mixed results. For every author claiming to make thousands of dollars every day, there are many more who’ve sold less than fifty copies.
So how do we stand out from the crowd? How do we get our manuscripts requested? How can we position ourselves to appeal to publishers? Or if you're considering self-publishing, how can you stand out from the thousands of other books emerging each month?
The most important thing we can do to stand out is to write a good book. That’s why the first two installments in this series are so vital. Without a good book, none of our efforts will matter. The majority of our effort should be on writing, learning, revising, and improving.
Eventually, our writing becomes publishable. We aren’t making newbie craft mistakes. We’ve figured out how to write sympathetic characters and strong plots, and we maintain high tension, fast pacing, and create unique premises. But will this be enough?
By studying blogs, reading articles by industry professionals, and talking to other writers, I’ve found five areas we can use to stand out from the crowd.
- Querying
* Research agents and editors. Verify they represent your genre. Read interviews, take notes on their blog posts, and find out who they represent. Follow their query instructions precisely.
* Before you send a query letter for a novel, ask yourself the following:
1. Is my book complete? An agent might request your full the afternoon you send the e-mail. You will look very unprofessional if your book isn't done.
2. Have I gotten feedback on my novel? If you're the only one who has read it, don't query yet. Find a critique partner or hire a freelance editor first.
3. Is my query letter personalized? Do not send a form query to multiple agents.
The Query Letter: Basic Tips
a. Use an easy formula such as Hook, Book, Cook.
* The hook is the paragraph where you write your basic premise in an engaging way. The goal is to make the agent or editor want to read more.
* The book is a paragraph sharing important details such as word count, genre, if it’s one in a series, and if it is completed.
* The cook is a paragraph listing your qualifications to write the book. Include previous writing credits, writing organizations you belong to, if you’re in a critique group, and any other fact that establishes your authority to write the book.
b. Personalize the query. Be specific. Use the agent’s name and give a brief reason why you are querying her.
c. Proofread the query thoroughly before sending it. If possible, have another writer critique it for you.
d. Follow the agent’s query instructions exactly.
- Conferences
If you’ve been querying without getting requests, or you aren’t sure who to query, head to a conference. Choose one that offers agent and editor appointments, and research the agents and editors first. Pitching in person increases your odds of getting a request. Even if no one requests your book, they’ll often give you a reason why. This information is priceless! Conferences allow you to make a more complete impression on an industry professional. Plus, the workshops are great places to learn about craft, career, and the industry.
- Social Media
a. Many agents write blogs, have Facebook pages, and are active on Twitter. If you aren’t following your target agents, why not? Hundreds of other writers are interacting with your dream agent. Who do you think the agent will notice on a query letter—the writer who comments regularly on the agent’s blog and retweets her posts? Or the complete stranger?
- Platform
a. Whatever publishing route you travel, a platform is vital. Platform is basically your audience—the people you can sell your products too.
b. Your product is not just your current book. Your product is your current and future body of work. In some ways, the product is you.
We don’t want to sell just one book, right? We want readers to purchase our future books, pick up our novellas, and spread the word about our writing. This is why I recommend all aspiring authors to build a platform early. Join Facebook, chat on Twitter, read and comment on blogs, start a blog, publish a website, practice speaking in front of your local writer’s group. With time, these will add up to a solid platform.
c. Today’s publishers want to see numbers. They prefer authors who have an audience, even if that audience is small and growing. They also want a great book written on deadline, and they want the author to play a prominent role in selling it.
d. Unfortunate fact: Many agents will not request aspiring writer’s books if the writer does not already have either a website or a blog. Blogs are free, easy to work with, and simple to re-post across social networks. Think about starting one if you haven't already.
e. If you’re considering self-publishing, you need a platform more than the average writer. Hundreds of thousands of books have been self-published on Amazon, Smashwords, and other sites. Few review sites exist, and your book will not be sold in a Walmart, Target, Sam’s Club, or major bookstores. Traditional sales techniques don’t work well when it comes to selling books. You can tweet about how great your book is ten times a day, but you’ll only turn people off. It takes time to understand how social media can help sell your books. And it takes time to build relationships online.
- Generosity
Publishing is a very small world. You’ll be amazed at how often the same names pop up in blogs, articles, e-mails, conferences, and social media sites. Every day, we have an opportunity to share something good with the world. Be generous, be kind. Every writer is plagued with problems—maybe not every minute—but each phase has its own challenges. We need to support each other. And when we support each other, we can’t help but spread our joy for other writers. Generosity and joy always stand out in the world.
Preparing for success in today's publishing world takes unique skills. It takes courage, confidence, humility. It takes strong writing ability. And it takes being able to market yourself as an author. Many writers have taken these steps and have found the success they longed for. It isn't easy, but it's worth it.
On a happy note, I'm so excited to share this good news with you! Wendy Paine Miller, my dear friend and critique partner, signed with Rachelle Gardner of WordServe Literary Agency this week!! If you get a chance, stop by her blog and congratulate her. She's an amazing writer, and I'm excited to see where her journey takes her! Congratulations, Wendy!
Also, Sarah Forgrave, one of my favorite bloggers, just announced she signed with Mary Keeley of Books & Such Literary Agency! I'm thrilled for Sarah and extra happy to have another agency-mate! Congratulations, Sarah!
Do you have any tips to stand out in this crowded field?
Have a fantastic weekend!!
