Tag: how to publish a book

How to Get Your Dream Job in Book Publishing

by Maria

how to become a literary agent

But first, the book publishing stories worth reading this week:

Research Backs Up the Instinct That Walking Improves Creativity (Quartz): “The act of walking itself, rather than the sights encountered on a saunter, was key to improving creativity, they found.”

The Amazon Sales Game: Mastering Reviews and the Author Page (Chadwick Cannon): “There are two killer ways that an author can use Amazon’s features to bring in higher sales: reviews and Author Central.”

Audible, Long Known Only for Audiobooks, Is Branching Out Into Podcasts–and News (NiemanLab): “The podcast/audio world has been waiting for Audible to make its big move into the space. It’s here, including original content from major publishers like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Jeff Bezos’ Washington Post.”

A New Platform for Serialized Work: Tapas Media (Jane Friedman): “On the reader-facing side, Tapas offers bite-sized stories and the ability to try any story free before purchasing or ‘unlocking’ installments. To unlock new installments, a reader might invite friends to read, watch ads, complete some other offer, or simply wait. (The founders are calling it ‘Candy Crush meets books.’)”

How to Get Your Dream Job in Book Publishing

I received an email a few weeks ago that stood out to me. It wasn’t about how to get published—it was about how to work in publishing.

As Becky wrote:

“I am an aspiring writer as well as an aspiring publisher. I am 26, and have been interested in publishing since I left high school. I studied English, History and Art History at university, and applied for a publishing degree but didn’t get in because I didn’t have any publishing experience as of yet.

I worked in an office job for 5 years, moved to London, and now am working as a legal secretary. But I really really want to get into the publishing world in any way I can. Being in London, I feel I am in the right place (so many book shops and literary festivals!) to start my career.

Do you have any advice on how to get started in the wonderful world of publishing? I am willing to start wherever I need to. All I know is, it’s my passion and it’s what I want/need to do.”

Ah! I love this question. You made my day, Becky.

I love it because I think there’s nothing more worthwhile than fighting hard to make it in publishing. And I love it because I think there are too many people out there who will tell you it’s not worth it.

So before we get even another paragraph in, let’s get a few things out of the way:

  • Yes, you will make very little money (at first).
  • Yes, you will work long hours.
  • Yes, you will get promoted more slowly than your friends in other industries.
  • Yes, you will encounter difficult personalities and possibly cutthroat office cultures.
  • But, yes, it is the greatest work in the world.

(And yes, you’ll get free books. Free books! If just the thought of that makes your heart jump, keep reading.)

With those downsides in mind, if the very idea of working with books every day still thrills you, then you belong in publishing.

Note the difference there: it should be the craft of publishing, not the craft of writing that most fascinates you. Yes, writing is a hugely important part of any worthwhile book, but if your real dream is to be a writer, then don’t spend your life working on someone else’s art. You don’t want to be that kind of frustrated writer. (And while many people in the publishing industry get the chance to write every day, or even publish their own books, it’s by no means the most direct path to a writing career.)

But if everything about books, from the typography, to the editing, to the marketing, to the intricacies of the supply chain, makes you itch with joy, then publishing is your home. And it’s a very happy home, if you ask me!

So if you’re sure that publishing is your home, but you haven’t a clue how to get in the front door, start here. This is the exact method I used to land my first (unpaid) publishing internship, as well as my first full-time editorial assistant job. I’ve also incorporated a lot of the insight and methods I’ve seen work for others. While anyone will tell you that there isn’t ONE way to get into publishing, this method will help you create a custom game plan so you can chart your own path.

A 7-Step Game Plan to Help You Get Your Dream Job in Book Publishing

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The One Piece of Advice I Give Every Single Aspiring Author

by Maria

literary agent advice for writers to get published

But first, the book publishing stories worth reading this week:

Your Biggest Book Marketing or Platform Building Roadblocks – And How to Overcome Them (The Book Designer): This is a wonderfully detailed guide that tackles the 5 biggest obstacles writers face when trying to get their books out into the world. If you’re having trouble reaching your “dream readers,” feel like you don’t have enough time or money for a platform, or are struggling to see engagement on your platform, this is a great place to start.

J.K. Rowling posts letters of rejection on Twitter to help budding authors (The Guardian): “When she pitched under the name Galbraith without revealing her true identity, she faced many more snubs. Since then, Galbraith has published three successful novels but the first was rejected by several publishers, and Rowling was even advised to take a writing course.”

The Art of Influence: Who’s an Influencer, Who’s an Endorser, and How Do I Talk to Them? (Chadwick Cannon): “People don’t trust brands. They rarely trust strangers. But they do trust familiar people.”

The Charming Doodles Charles Darwin’s Children Left All Over the Manuscript of ‘On the Origin of Species’ (Brain Pickings): “In contemplating family, work, and happiness, Charles Darwin proclaimed: ‘Children are one’s greatest happiness, but often & often a still greater misery. A man of science ought to have none.’ And yet he and Emma had ten.”

Relevant (Literary Agent Donald Maass on Writer Unboxed): “Being relevant is not the same as being topical. Nor is it the same as being resonant. Topical stories have the quality of being current, ripped out of the headlines, a take on what is happening right now. Resonant stories are less immediate. They echo in the mind. They cause us to reflect and ponder. ”

The One Piece of Advice I Give Every Single Aspiring Author

The weather is gorgeous here in DC, submissions to publishers are in full swing, and the spring publishing season is chockfull of wonderful books. (Try this gorgeous cookbook, or this personal favorite.)

And today I’m on Kirsten Oliphant’s podcast, Create If Writing, chatting about everything from how the traditional publishing process works to what I look for when signing clients. Kirsten is incredibly savvy and hard-working–she writes books, hosts a podcast, leads online courses, and writes a blog, all while being a mom and wife. I actually think she may be the Beyoncé of our little writing blog community. All signs point to yes.

We were able to get in deep and talk about some of the most important topics that plague aspiring writers today:

  • How to get excited about building a platform (even when you really, really don’t want to)
  • Why you don’t need to be a used car salesman for your book
  • What a typical day in the life of a Literary Agent looks like (spoiler alert: a lot less glamor than you’d think)
  • How to avoid a lie-awake-at-night-in-fear book launch
  • How focusing on your own personal development can also help you in your writing career
  • Why you should buy your name as a domain (and how I failed at this)
  • The one piece of advice I give to every single aspiring author

Click here to listen to the full interview!

Get one free tip for reading more + living better each week!

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The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Authors

by Maria

7 habits of highly successful authors to get published

But first, the stories worth reading this week:

A Former Book Publicist’s Advice to Traditionally Published Authors (Andrea Dunlop on JaneFriedman.com): “What’s true now is that you don’t have to so much as leave your couch to help your cause. Get your head around social media, web analytics, bloggers, all of it—there are a million resources out there to help you help yourself, and there’s no excuse for you not to be an integral part of your book’s promotion.”

Brews and Books: Beer and Book Pairing Recommendations (Aram Mrjoian for Book Riot): “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, books and beer are a perfect match. Trust me, if you need a legit fix for a lousy day at the office it’s the best medicine. Here are some new recommendations for pairing books and brews.”

The Biggest Marketing Mistake an Author Can Make (Amanda Luedeke, MacGregor Literary): “YOU HAVE ALREADY CREATED SOMETHING. You created your book. Now is the time to step out of the world of creation and into the world of relationships and networking. Get in front of the people who would typically read your book (and no, your author friends don’t count). Engage them. Befriend them. Let them know your book exists. THAT is marketing. And THAT will sell your book.”

Neil Gaiman Shares Writing Advice to Fans on Tumblr (Kristian Wilson on Bustle Books): If you’ve ever wondered how the pen behind Sandman and American Gods keeps writing, you’re going to want to pay attention.

Pinterest for Authors: A Beginner’s Guide (Kirsten Oliphant on JaneFriedman.com): “Finding the balance between actual writing and all the online promotion is a real struggle for writers. Lately I’ve heard many voices saying that writers need to be on Pinterest. With all the platforms to choose from, is Pinterest really an effective platform for writers?”

The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Authors

This week I’m over on She’s Novel, a great writing website run by the lovely Kristen Kieffer. I first came across Kristen’s site through Pinterest (yes, Pinterest is chockfull of writers), and I loved that she had totally nailed her branding and built such a vibrant platform—as a fiction writer!

I know I promised everyone a post answering that big question—do fiction writers need platforms?—but I thought it would be much more interesting to have Kristen tell you herself why she found platform-building worth her time, even when it means less writing time.

So next week I’ll be sharing a conversation between Kristen and I, as well as some of her on-the-ground advice for balancing writing time and platform time.

Until then, let’s talk about the simple habits that any writer can start building now to lock-in their success later…

Remember that earmarked book from the 90s that was supposed to teach us how to be highly effective people? I think we need one for publishing. Raise your hand if you agree!

Everyone wants to be highly successful. And we all know who the highly successful authors are: they get all the sales, all the reviews, all the fame and fortune. But how did they get there, and how do they stay there? Is their success the perfect confluence of writing skill, platform savvy, and maybe some pure, dumb luck?

Yes and no.

Yes, there is an extraordinary amount of whacky, weird luck in the publishing world. (Lookin’ at you, adult coloring books.) But there are also some underlying principles—an operating system, really—that runs on autopilot for these successful authors. They know how to do the right things, because they’ve done them over and over and over again.

When I started out in the publishing world as an editor, I didn’t know a foreword from a preface. I had a full tank of enthusiasm and an empty skull, waiting to be stuffed to the brim with publishing wisdom. At the time, I was pretty sure I knew nothing about publishing.

And I was pretty right. But what I didn’t realize was that I did, actually, have a few things going for me. (Other than a knack for pestering the heck out of people until they would give me interesting work.) I had four things:

  • An obsession with following up and deadlines. (This from a brief stint as a paralegal at a law firm.)
  • A stubborn desire to be over-the-top nice so that every single person would like me. (This is not always a good thing, let me tell ya.)
  • An annoying amount of curiosity about how publishing worked. (I think I abused the “any questions?” prompt more than anyone can reasonably forgive me for.)
  • No other options.

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The One Limiting Belief That Holds Authors Back From Success (And a 3-Step Process to Work Your Way Past It!)

by Maria

how to market your book

But first, the stories worth reading this week:

  • TED-Ed Lessons for Writers to Kick Off 2016 (Maryann Yinn on GalleyCat): “Would you like to take in some writing wisdom? We’ve compiled a list of five TED-Ed videos on how to create captivating fiction, the definition of ‘orwellian,’ pronouns, misused modifiers, and the origins of the English language.”
  • Ten Things I Learned As A First-Time Published Author (Kristin Meekhof on HuffPo Books): “There were missteps on my part. I was green and it showed. Even a well-established person in the book industry told me so. She went to far as to say, ‘I knew you were on the learning curve, but I didn’t know you were at the bottom of it.'”
  • Details Help Writers Overcome Fear (Benjamin Vogt on JaneFriedman.com): “Writers are scaredy-cats. We go in fear of lots of stuff, like sharing our true thoughts or wondering how others will think of us.”
  • 7 Book Marketing Trends Authors Can’t Afford to Ignore (Kimberly Grabas on The Book Designer): “In today’s world of rapidly evolving digital media, an author’s book marketing strategy requires clear career objectives and goals, an understanding of what’s working right now (and what’s on track to pay dividends in the future), and some smart planning to tie it all together.”
  • At the Codex Hackathon, a Two-Day Marathon of Tech for Books (Jon Christian, The Boston Globe): “’There are a lot of really talented developers who love books, and who would love to participate if they knew the problems that needed to be solved.’”

 

The One Limiting Belief That Holds Authors Back From Success (And a 3-Step Process to Work Your Way Past It!)

When I was in college, I used to make fun of marketing majors. I didn’t think marketing was really a thing—it sounded more like a vague corporate job where you were paid good money to sit in meetings and say jargon-y things about customers and profits.

(This is especially hilarious, because I was an English major, of all things. Which is the epitome of a vague major, and one where you would most certainly not be paid good money. I guess I was just bitter.)

When I graduated and actually got a job in publishing (!!), I was still a little snot about marketing. Secretly (and I probably shouldn’t admit this because it is just so snotty)…but secretly, I thought the marketing assistants were just there because they hadn’t been able to get the editorial assistant jobs. (I know. I was new to publishing and too proud about working in editorial. Also, just dumb.)

Over the years, as I started acquiring books, building my own list, and working at different publishers with different systems, I got curious about why some books weren’t selling and others were. I really, really wanted to crack the code. I still do.

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