Getting Your Book Proposal Noticed

A while back I mentioned the amazing Help A Reporter Out mailing list, which connects reporters with subject-matter experts to help them write their stories. We continue to monitor it daily in hopes of finding places for our authors to be quoted. But occasionally, it yields a place for me to be quoted.

Case in point, the April BookHitch.com newsletter. I volunteered my advice on what I look for when I screen and evaluate book proposals. That advice, plus tons of spot-on information from other editors, is available by subscribing to the free newsletter (sign up here).

If you are thinking of sending me (or anyone else) a book proposal, I suggest that you read this first!

Get Your Manuscript Critiqued by Writer's Digest Editors

If you're writing a book (and really, these days, who isn't?), here's an event you might want to check out. Writer's Digest is hosting its first ever Editors' Intensive on December 13-14. For $199 you get a Golden Ticket into the F+W headquarters in Cincinnati, where you will attend workshops and have your manuscript or query letter critiqued by one of four WD editors. You'll learn how to find an agent, write a killer query letter, and more.

All this emphasis on writing query letters should tell you something: The pitch is everything. If you can hook me in one page or less, your chances of getting published are greatly increased. That hook needs to be able to travel down the line and hook everyone else--the editorial board, the publisher's salespeople, the marketing department, the media, the chain bookstore buyers, the librarians, and, ultimately, the book-buying public.

via Jane Friedman's There Are No Rules

Joe the Author

On this most glorious morning, on which I can proudly say for the first time in my life that I live in a "blue state," comes word (from Fox News, no less) that Joe the Plumber is writing a book:

"Everyone came at me to write a book. They had dollar signs in their eyes. '101 Things Joe the Plumber Knows' or some stupid s---- like that. Excuse me, I am sorry," he said. "You know I will get behind something solid, but I won't get behind fluff. I won't cash in, and when people do read the book they will figure out that I didn't cash in. At least I hope they figure that out."

The book, called Joe the Plumber -- Fighting for the American Dream, is to be released by a group called PearlGate Publishing and other small publishing houses.

"I am not going to a conglomerate that way we actually can get the economy jump started. Like there is five publishing companies in Michigan. There's a couple down in Texas. They are small ones that can handle like 10 or 15,000 copies. I can go to a big one that could handle a million or two. But they don't need the help. They are already rich. So that's spreading the wealth to me," he said.

Noble sentiments, yes. But I hate to tell him that his media chuckwagon has already rolled on past him. If he had that book done and ready to go the night he became the star of the last presidential debate, and had some big distribution behind him, he could have made some money off the idea. But his 15 minutes are up. Despite his intention to stay active and work toward charitable causes, I don't think anyone's going to remember him a year from now. I suggest that he give Rupert Boneham a call and get some advice on extending your 15 minutes for the good of others without expecting to jump-start the economy or make an independent publisher rich.

Oh, and can we get a little sympathy for his ghost writer?

The Editor Edited My Work!

There's an interesting discussion going on over at the Chronicle of Higher Education (a good place to look for writing and editing jobs at colleges, BTW). A professor writes to the forum for a little sympathy on having had an article edited beyond recognition. The range of responses (from "thank her!" to something akin to "my editor sucked!") is fun to see.

This is an age-old problem. Most people don't like to be edited, especially if they feel the edits have changed their meaning or made them look bad. Their writing is supposed to speak for them; if it misrepresents them, it's a huge emotional issue. Even I have felt myself wincing when I've reviewed someone's edits to my writing (but I generally keep my mouth shut because I know all too well how it feels to have an author argue with me over edits).

On the other hand, I have encountered plenty of authors who are grateful for their editors. The good ones will thank you for making them look good.

What Do You Want to Know About Getting Your Book Published?

A while back, my uncle-in-law asked me to consider doing a two-hour presentation for a local lecture series he's putting together. Of course I agreed because he is so cool (and not just because he's representing us pro bono as we sue a contractor who stole a bunch of money from us).

The topic we figured would garner the most general interest is "How to Get Published." I told Uncle Ken that I could definitely cover the traditional nonfiction part of that equation. But honestly, most people who ask my advice want to know about publishing their novel--something I know very little about. And a growing option these days is self-publishing--again, something I have limited experience with. To make a long story short, I've located and met with some experts who can cover the parts of getting published that I don't know much about.

Meanwhile, I'm developing my outline for my part of the presentation. Here's where you come in: What questions do you have about how to get published? I want to be sure I'm including all the information that people are most likely to ask.

Thanks for your help! When we have dates and times set for the lecture, I'll let you know.

On Agents and Advances

Everyone's abuzz this week because a blogger got a $300,000 advance to write a book (that's money borrowed against the book's future earnings). I dislike stories like this one because it raises everyone else's expectations about how much book advances should be. Joe Wikert does a good job of showing why this kind of advance is a losing proposition for the publisher. Odds are, the book might not even break even.

My first job as an acquisitions editor at a small company is to manage author expectations in terms of advances. If someone has a really unrealistic idea of being entitled to a six-figure advance, I generally cut my losses right there and don't waste time on them. If they are trained to think that everyone gets six figures, they'll never be happy when I offer them four figures--or nothing at all!

It all sounds very stingy, but it doesn't make good business sense to give away big dollars we'll probably never recoup. And if I'm wrong and the book does very, very well, the author will get their fair share--later, when the publisher does, too.

And how does this tie back to agents? The Rejector has a post today about why editors love and hate working with agents. Often an agent will push for a higher advance. That's the very reason I've avoided working with agents for the most part (although I have negotiated contracts with several agents). They help raise the expectation of a bigger advance because they need the cash up front to keep their business working.

So if you're trying to get published, close your ears when you hear stories of people getting big money upfront. Unless you're already a high-profile person or have something really compelling to write about, you'll probably be disappointed by the advances you are offered. And if you get a huge advance and your book doesn't earn it back, nobody will want to publish your next book (but if you're on the beach in Bermuda, you likely won't care).

"This Book Would Be Perfect for Oprah!"

Oh, if I only had a dollar for every time I've read this sentiment in a book proposal. (An equally popular one in the career book biz is "What Color Is Your Parachute has sold eight million copies, so that means my job search book will, too!")

Everyone's now caught onto the fact that if, by some miraculous chance, Oprah features (or even just mentions) your book on her show, you will sell hundreds of thousands of copies. So many aspiring authors dream and scheme for a way to get her to notice their book. But let's face it—the odds are against them.

A lot of freelance publicists lure clients with just such a promise. But it's my belief that the one true way to get on the show is to have a story that everyone wants to hear (the equivalent of the "gee-whiz factor" that journalists used to employ when deciding what was news and what wasn't).

So it was with no surprise that I heard last week (while confined to the couch fighting off a brutal sinus infection and spending a little quality time with George and Wheezie) that a book by some authors with an Indiana connection will be featured on Oprah today.

Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope tells the story of two Taylor University students involved in a fatal school van crash—one survived, one didn't, and the coroner (and their families) couldn't tell the difference between the two. It was already a tragic story before the twist was revealed—that a family had buried someone else's daughter, and that another family was caring for a girl who wasn't theirs. Then it just made me gape. And wonder. And grieve for them all.

So now it's a book. The families have already been on all the network morning shows. Since last week it's been ranked between #2 and #5 on Amazon every day. So in essence, they don’t really need the PR they'll get from Oprah. But I'm sure that will push it to #1 and keep it near the top for a long time.

Compared to that, I guess a career book, no matter how revolutionary, can't really hold a candle.

Guide to Literary Agents Editor's Blog

The Publishing Careers blog is about many things. One thing it is not really about, however, is how to get your novel published. I don't know much about that. But a lot of other people do, so I leave that to them. But I know there are some of you who have written books in addition to your other publishing pursuits. I've found an awesome resource for you.

It's the Guide to Literary Agents blog. It's written primarily by Chuck Sambuchino, editor of the Guide to Literary Agents book from F+W Publications in Cincinnati. Chuck updates this blog frequently and does extensive interviews with agents. If I were trying to publish a novel, I'd read this blog every day. (I just might do that anyway!)

There are two other significant things to note about the existence of this blog. For one, what an amazing promotional tool it is for that book! And second, it gives you a pretty good idea what Chuck's job as an editor for F+W is like. For example, he does extensive touring and speaking to promote the book. It's not too common for an editor to do that, but this is a book without an "author," per se. So he fills that role nicely.

Role-Reversal: My Stint as an "Author"

I'm living a double life and I've decided to "out" myself this morning. For the past six months, I have been working nights and weekends as a ghost writer of sorts. I got the job because of who I know (and maybe also because of my long history as a development editor).

My longtime friend Linda Seifert's husband Mark is an anatomy professor at IU med school. This summer he got a contract to write a Complete Idiot's Guide on human anatomy. But he wanted someone to help him "Idiotize" it and also help him navigate the publishing process. When he offered me the gig, I couldn't turn it down: great experience, and also the chance to help a friend.

I think he will agree with me that it's been a wild ride. Although we missed some deadlines (gasp!), we turned in a manuscript that was quite clean. Now we're in the author review stage and can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The experience has given me a renewed appreciation of just how much thought, time, and work go into every book that is published. When I crack the whip as an acquisitions editor and say I need something turned around in a week, someone is missing spending time with their kids. I will try to approach my "day job" with renewed empathy for all my authors for whom writing isn't their only responsibility.

I've been asked whether I'd do it again, and the answer is "Not while I have a full-time job." It's just been too stressful trying to do it all. I did love the experience, but it was also hard on Jason and Cate. Jason became the laundry maven and Cate began acting out for attention. It's time for me to just do one job for a while now.

The (Published) Novelist Next Door

On the coasts, maybe you can't sling a dead cat without hitting someone who's published a novel. But 'round these here parts, it's a mighty rare occurrence. So maybe that's why we're all so excited that our co-worker, John David Anderson (aka "Dave"), is about to publish his first novel. Standard Hero Behavior will be released by Clarion Books on November 19. And it's already been singled out for a starred review in Booklist magazine (but it's not posted yet).

So Dave has the unique experience of being a fiction author and a nonfiction editor at the same time. We chatted a little about the book and his experiences in publishing it:

From the review, your book sounds like a cross between Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Monty Python, and Not Another Teen Movie. What genre would you classify it as?

It's your typical pseudo-fantasy-satire-mystery-road-buddy novel. With singing. And a werewolf.

Set the scene and give us a rundown of the plot.

Mason Quayle is a bard. Bards sing about heroes. But Mason's not a very good bard because there are no heroes to sing about. Well. Not entirely true. There's one, but he's a total jerk. So life is pretty crappy until a couple of orcs sneak into town with a giant battle ax and an ultimatum. What ensues is a sometimes less-than-heroic quest to find real heroes (whatever that means). And Hilarity also ensues. And a swordfight or two. Am I being too secretive? Oh. And somebody swallows a pixie...but that's all I'm gonna' say.

Lots of people write novels, but very few actually get them published. Tell us about the process you went through to find a publisher for your novel.

Hard to believe, but I actually went through the painful "send out query letters to the names in the book" process. I understand it helps to have connections or an agent. I had neither. Thankfully I got some good feedback from editors who took enough pity on me to read the manuscript. About one out of every five queries landed me a manuscript request. Then one day I got a phone call from Clarion Books asking me if the book was still available. I tried to play it cool, but I'm sure she could hear me screaming even through the fist I had crammed in my mouth. It doesn't hurt that there is a strong market for middle grade and young adult fantasy fiction right now. Thanks J.K.

What are the most rewarding things about writing a novel? What are the most excruciating?

The most rewarding thing for me is unpacking the mystery. I'm not the kind of storyteller who plans it all out in advance. I start with a character with a problem (or several) and see how he or she tries to wiggle out of it. The narrative often unfolds in surprising ways (surprising even to me), so the endings are always satisfying. Of course I also like the blank page when I'm about to start something new. That pulsating "I" of a cursor just begging for a first sentence. There's so much potential in that white space. The most excruciating is the copy editing process, at least for me. By that time I've been through it at least seven times. I'm tired of tinkering. It's finished. Set it free. But then along comes some brilliant copy editor who finds all of the times I used the same word twice in a paragraph, and the book is back in front of me again. Don't get me wrong, I would die of shame if anything I wrote was published without the keen eye and ear of a good copy editor, but I'd rather be churning out fresh sentences full of errors than deliberating over an adjective for an hour.

You have the unique experience of seeing publishing from the inside, as an editor, and from the outside, as an author. What insights can you offer from your experience that will help authors and editors understand one another better?

I think editors and authors "get" each other for the most part. Sure it's a delicate dance, and power struggles ensue, but once the writer realizes that the editor only wants what's best for the book, I think it can click along smoothly. I think authors need to trust their editors--after all, these people earn their paycheck making an author's work better. Their (the editor's) livelihood is at stake. At the same time, I think editors need to let authors feel like they are an integral part of the process. As much as I complained about having to okay every change in my novel, deep down I always appreciated the opportunity. After all, you should at least ask me before you trim a bush or cut down a tree on my intellectual property. It also helps when an editor stays in touch, even after the book goes to the printer. I know as an editor I have a tendency to disappear into the next project when the last one is out the door, but for the author, that journey might just be getting started.

What differences have you noted between nonfiction publishing and fiction publishing?

Author credibility. You don't need a Ph.D. to write a work of fiction. If your story, your talent, and your commitment are strong enough, you can see it through. Fiction publishers acquire stories, and then the marketing departments hope the authors will go out and promote them. In the nonfiction world, who you are matters almost as much as what you've written. There are exceptions, of course, but I think a lot more rides on an author's credentials and connections when the decision to publish a nonfiction work is made. I don't think that makes it harder to publish nonfiction--in some ways I think it's easier, provided you know your stuff and show what you can do to help sell the book. Though to be honest, getting published is a chore no matter what you write. Sometimes I think I'd have more impact as an author scrawling limericks on bathroom stalls--at least then you're ensured a semi-captive audience.

So you spend a weekend immersed in a world of fantasy and creativity as you write your novel. How do you keep from gouging you eyes out when you have to go back to psychometrics on Monday morning?

I keep my nails trimmed so that gouging out my eyes ultimately is just more effort than it's worth. I also keep phone cords and sharp objects more than an arm's length away. Truthfully I think Monday morning is why I write. I won't lie. I often use fiction, whether reading it or writing it, to escape. I believe that quality fiction has a didactic role to play--it can help us to ask questions and envision innovative answers; it can help us to grow as human beings and make the world a better place, and all of that good stuff. But it's also nice to lose yourself in another universe, or at least another part of the world, and see how it operates. Then, when you come back to yours, you often have a slightly different perspective on it all. Then Tuesday comes and you clip your nails again, just to be safe.

I hear your publisher wants to see your next novel. What obstacles will make that difficult?

Twins. They're two and a half and they happily consume most of my non-work hours. There's never a shortage of ideas, only a limited number of hours in the day. I think the vast majority of published authors out there aren't making a living from their writing. The key is to try and find a balance. You eke out your time when you can. Get up early (or in my case, go to bed late). Pick one evening a week that you will devote to your craft. Keep a notebook handy so that you can jot down good ideas at work. Or you could always marry someone with a great job and convince them that you are some kind of brilliant artist ready to shed your cocoon and let them be your patron.

Will you remember us when you're famous?

Oh. No worries there...

P.S.: Dave announced earlier this week that he is leaving JIST to be a stay-at-home dad and start work on the next book. So now he's going to be living the dream, and we are so happy for him!