Tag: publishing industry

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Guest Posts

What is Sustainable Publishing?

Guest posts

Sustainability is a hot topic in every industry. 69% of consumers say they’ve made changes to their shopping habits to become more sustainable and 50% say they intentionally reuse more products to minimize waste. In fact, increased interest in sustainability has bolstered the second-hand book market in recent years. The compound annual growth rate (CARG) of the used book market is currently 6.6% as readers show a preference for low-waste reading options.

As an author, you can minimize your carbon footprint and increase demand by pursuing sustainable publishing options. Going carbon-neutral can help you stand out in a crowded market and may gain you a loyal following of carbon-conscious readers.

Carbon Neutral

Going carbon-neutral can be a boon for your brand as an author and could help bolster your book sales. However, you may find that actually achieving a net-zero publication is harder than it seems. Start by taking simple steps to achieve carbon neutrality like:

  • Measure: Ask your publisher to track emissions during every stage of the publishing life-cycle. This includes everything from ink usage to shipping and sales.
  • Reduce: As an author, you can reduce your carbon usage by opting for low-energy computers and energy-efficient suppliers. This will make achieving net-zero carbon use that much easier.
  • Offset: Carbon offsets aren’t a perfect science, but they do play an important role in combating climate change. Before launch, fund some projects that align with your book and appeal to your audience.
  • Communicate: Eliminating carbon emissions entirely may be impossible for you at this time. Be open and honest about your current operations and share yield analysis findings with your readers.

Going carbon neutral is a noble goal. However, you’ll need to account for every step of the writing, publishing, and distribution process if you want to truly claim to be net zero. Avoid the temptation to trump up sustainability claims, as greenwashing can undermine your brand image as an author.

Finding a Publisher

As an author, the publishing process is largely out of your control. You don’t get to decide what paper the book is printed on and may not even choose the cover of your upcoming title. That means you need to find a publisher that you trust to deliver on sustainability promises.

Even major publishers, like HarperCollins, are starting to switch to a net-zero business model. The publishing giant (which owns Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster) has already reduced emissions by 30% over the past five years and aims to achieve a 60% reduction by 2030.

If you’re still building your brand as an author, you may want to consider a smaller publisher instead. Small-scale publishers offer higher royalties and may give you greater control over the way your book is turned from an MS manuscript to a printed book.

Before signing with a new publisher, do your research and ask them key questions like:

  • Do you disclose your carbon emissions?
  • How do you source paper for your printed materials?
  • What is your Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) policy?
  • What steps do you take to reduce waste and how do you measure progress?

These questions ensure that you only work with publishers who take climate change seriously. They’ll help you uncover any evidence of greenwashing, too.

Low-Waste Supply

In the U.S. alone, the publishing industry fells 32 million trees every year to produce books. This makes publishing the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gasses related to paper and pulp. Fortunately, many publishers now work with sustainable suppliers who are committed to reducing waste and recycling old books.

As an author, you can take the reins by getting involved in the process. Learn how paper recycling works and push your publisher to turn discarded paper and pulp into bags, kitty litter, insulation, or packaging. This keeps your unsold books and off-cuts out of the landfill and can significantly reduce your carbon footprint.

If you’re a new author, you may be able to pursue print-on-demand publishing. This means that your publisher will only print a single copy of your book every time an order is placed. While this isn’t an appropriate business model for bestsellers, it can be a great way to reduce costs and minimize waste if you’re selling to a niche audience in low volumes.

Conclusion

The book industry produces massive amounts of pulp and paper waste every year. As an author, you can do your part to reduce waste by opting for sustainable publishing. Sustainable publishing minimizes your carbon footprint and can mitigate most of the by-products associated with printing. Just be sure to avoid greenwashing, as this will derail your book launch and undermine your brand image as an author.

Amanda Winstead is a writer from the Portland area with a background in communications and a passion for telling stories. Along with writing she enjoys traveling, reading, working out, and going to concerts. If you want to follow her writing journey, or even just say hi you can find her on Twitter.

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Writers Chat

Writers Chat Recap For October Part 1

Writers Chat Recap

Writers Chat, hosted by Johnnie Alexander, Brandy Brow, and Melissa Stroh, is the show where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers!

“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”

Writers Chat Recap for October Part 1

From Author to Agent: The Inside Scoop on the Publishing Industry

Bethany Jett shares her journey from reluctant writers conference attendee to literary agent. She gives advice on querying, marketing, and other aspects of the publishing industry plus insightful nuggets of wisdom.

Watch the October 3rd Replay.

Bethany Jett is an associate literary agent with the C.Y.L.E. agency, as well as a multi-award-winning author, and a marketing strategist who earned top honors in her master’s program, where she earned her MFA in Communications focusing on Marketing and PR. Her motto is “Teach as you go,” which she lives out as the co-owner of Serious Writer, a company that teaches and empowers writers and authors. Bethany is married to her college sweetheart, and together they’re raising 3 teen/tween sons and their Pomeranian Sadie

Crafting Thrillers and the Magic of Mentorship

Author Dr. Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes presents a two-in-one program on writing thrillers and the the value of mentorship. She shares effective ways to craft a thriller story that has a fast pace and a plot that keeps readers guessing. Katherine also explains the benefits of mentorship. For more on this jam-packed episode be sure to catch this week’s replay.

Watch the October 10th replay.

Dr. Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes is an editor, author, speaker, and educational consultant. Katherine hosts the podcast Murder, Mystery & Mayhem Laced with Morality. She’s authored a Christian Bible study and is working on the sequel to her first general market thriller, A Fifth of the Story, debuting on 2/27/2024.

Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET
on Zoom. The permanent Zoom room link is: http://zoom.us/j/4074198133

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Book Proposals

Why Publishers Prefer Proposals

When you submit your materials, editors, agents and publishing executives prefer to read a well-crafted proposal instead of a full-length manuscript. For several years, I’ve been an acquisitions editor or the first person to read the proposal or manuscript that comes into the publishing house. I’ve interfaced with the publisher’s existing authors and talked with them about new projects. I’ve also championed many first-time authors’ proposals inside the publishing house, presented them to the publication board (the decision-making body in most houses), worked up the financial figures (an internal document which no one sees outside the publishing house), then negotiated with the author or their agent on the final contract. I have firsthand, insider knowledge about the consideration process and can give you a glimpse at how your proposal will be processed and handled.

As you think about approaching a traditional publisher, keep these points in mind:

If the publisher has been in business for some time, a key and regular part of their acquisition’s strategy is to return to their existing authors (provided these books are selling well) and ask these authors for additional projects.

If a publisher has a book with an author who has been consistently selling in the market, they have less risk of publishing another book from this same author and sell it to the audience. Like many other businesses, publishing is about managing risk. To take a completed 60,000-word manuscript and produce it into a book will cost the publisher anywhere between $25,000 and $50,000. This number isn’t a typographical error. Recently I attended the annual conference of the American Society of Journalists and Authors in New York City. One of the participants on a panel about book proposals was Brian DiForio, a New York literary agent who is a former editorial director for some major publishers. He presented to the conference some even higher production numbers, saying,

“Even with a modest advance of $20,000 to $30,000, the overall costs for the publisher are between $75,000 and $100,000. You are proposing a business decision like any proposal to a bank.”

Brian DiForio

These numbers do not include marketing or advertising expenses nor do they account for a large advance for the author (which increases the risk for the publisher). The number is pure production costs, editorial expenses and design costs for the cover and interior pages of the book.

Publishers make this type of financial investment in an author with care, forethought and wisdom—especially if they want to stay in the book business for many years.

If you are writing nonfiction children’s books, the above figure doubles. When I mention this information at a writers’ conference, I can hear the visible gasps in the room. Many parents have read stacks of 24- or 32-page full-color books to their children. They’ve seen few words on the page and probably believed they could have easily written a better book. They don’t realize, however, that the production numbers for these books can vary from $150,000 to $200,000. The reason for these costs is because when it comes to children’s books, the publisher normally purchases full rights from the artist to whoever owns the artwork in these books. In general, these artists/illustrators do not receive a royalty for their work, only a flat fee, and that price adds to the production expense.

Before I began working inside a book publishing house, I had written more than 50 nonfiction books, ranging from children to adult books. I had always worked through traditional publishers. However, I was unaware of the financial production numbers for book production, and I found it shocking—and something critical for potential authors to understand. The author never sees these figures for their books as the publisher doesn’t reveal them throughout the contract negotiation process. A publisher will produce these financial calculations as simply a part of good business practices. As an author, understanding this helped me see publishing as a business. Authors have huge amounts of time and emotional investment in their words. When I saw these production numbers, I understood that the publisher, not the author, has the largest out-of-pocket cash investment in a book.

Inside the publisher, the editor will gather a sales projection about how many copies the sales department believes they can sell of your title the first year.

That sales figure will be used to calculate the production costs of ink, paper and binding for various amounts of printing (5,000, 10,000 or 15,000 copies). As the initial print number is raised, the cost per book decreases. You may ask, so why not print a large volume each time? The answer is, if the publisher prints a large number of copies, then he has to store those copies in their warehouse (read cost and expense), plus make sure they actually sell those copies within a year’s timeframe. The cost of tying up financial resources in storing and warehousing books can become expensive. Also, the federal government taxes publishers on each copy in storage. These tax rules have forced publishers to think long and hard about how many copies of each book to print.

Inside my former publisher, we calculated the overall printing details of the book (paperback with general publishing look or hardcover with jacket) and the number of books to print before offering a book contract. In short, publishers pour a great deal of work into their books and financial projections before they call you and offer a book contract. Understanding this process helps you see some of the reasons it takes such a long time for an author to receive a publishing contract.

I know I took a brief aside to explain about the inner workings inside a publishing house. Now let’s return to my original point about book acquisition. Often the publisher returns to an author with whom they have already published a book. If the publisher takes a second or third book from the same author, they are investing in that author’s career and trying to build that author’s audience and market. If the author’s books are selling well, then the publisher will be eager for another project. Each week, publishers monitor sales numbers on their books to see if particular authors merit another book contract.

Many writers focus only on the creative aspects of writing a book and getting it published, but the executives inside a publishing house are businesspeople who want to sell books and turn a profit at the end of the day. It’s a delicate balance between creating the best possible product and assuring that each product has the best opportunity to sell into the market and reach the target audience. Book proposals are a critical tool in the decision making process and every writer needs to create one.

Terry Whalin

WW. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in California. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Get a free copy of his proposal book (follow the link). Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.

Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success
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Writers Chat

Writers Chat Recap for August, Part 1

Writers Chat Recap

Writers Chat, hosted by Johnnie Alexander, Brandy Brow, and Melissa Stroh where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers!

“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”

The Power of Story with Britt Mooney

On this episode of Writers Chat, Britt reminds us that God is a storyteller, we were created for story, and truth is found in stories. Our stories should encourage readers to ask questions and make the truth their own. Britt shares nine reasons that answer the question: Why Stories? For answers to this question watch Britt’s thought-provoking presentation

Watch the August 1st Replay

Britt Mooney believes great stories change the world, so he endeavors to live and tell great stories. A fiction and nonfiction author, he has a passion to teach churches, nonprofits, and business leaders how to leverage their stories to engage and inspire others. He lives on adventure in Suwanee, GA with his amazing wife, three teens, and a dog.

Working with the Best Publicist for Your Book: You! with Maggie Wallem Rowe

Maggie encourages authors to be their own best publicist by emphasizing a godly mindset: we are promoting the message, not the messenger. After making the distinction between publicity and marketing, Maggie shares valuable tips on how we can spread the news about our books and their messages via our website, press releases, media interviews, and more.

Watch the August 8th Replay

Maggie Wallem Rowe is a national speaker, dramatist, and writer from western North Carolina. A former Senior Publicist for Tyndale House and university communications instructor, Maggie holds a master’s degree in biblical studies and is the author of two books: This Life We Share and Life is Sweet, Y’all. Visit her at MaggieRowe.com.

Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET
on Zoom. The permanent Zoom room link is: http://zoom.us/j/4074198133

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Book Proposals

A Practical Story: Why A Proposal Is Important

At a small coffee shop, I met Joe Leininger who had traded for ten years in the Eurodollar Pit of the Chicago Mercantile. In that incredible greed-centered environment, Joe thrived and made a million dollars every year for ten years and then retired. He had some strange and fascinating stories about his experiences on the Merc floor, which he began pounding out in a nonfiction book manuscript. While the writing experience was cathartic for Joe and lots of fun, he wanted a regular publisher to produce his book manuscript.

Unlike the average author, Joe had a few personal connections with some book publishers. He thought this would give his manuscript an advantage for publication, so he submitted it for their consideration. After several weeks, each package was returned with a rejection note. Without professional guidance, Joe was unsure how to get his book published and into the traditional bookstores. Because of his personal resources, he could self-publish his book and have a garage full of his work, but he was wise enough to understand that, in general, book publishing is a closed system. For your book to be sold in the bookstore, it needs to go through a traditional publisher who has a distribution channel for these stores. To test this, pick any self-publisher, go into your local retail bookstore and search for any title from this publisher on the shelf. You will be hard pressed to find much (if any) of this type of product.

I met with Joe, and he gave me a copy of his manuscript. From my reading, I could see potential, but I also spotted a key flaw. Joe included fascinating stories about his experiences in the pit, but these stories had no takeaway information for the reader. He missed passing along the lessons from his experiences to other people—whether they ever saw the crazed action on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile or not. Readers approach books from a selfish viewpoint. Every book has to answer the key question, “What’s in this book for me?”

With some prodding on my part, Joe produced a series of 16 lessons about life and success from his work in the Pit. These lessons became the backbone of the book proposal that I wrote. Eventually Broadman and Holman published our book entitled Lessons from the Pit. Each lesson became a single chapter in the book.

Every reader approach nonfiction books with the desire to learn something for himself and take away some information or insight from their reading. The material has to be told in an engaging manner, but every sentence must be written with the reader in mind. The same approach is necessary when writing a book proposal. You are writing the proposal to attract an agent or editor, and eventually the publisher. If you focus the entire book manuscript on what you want to say without thinking of the reader, it will not be a book a publisher will want to print.

Always remember one basic lesson about nonfiction book publishing: In general, publishers buy book proposals for nonfiction—not book manuscripts. I know Joe has multiple ideas and hopes to write other books. The last time I checked, he was pounding out another complete manuscript. I trust he learned this basic lesson. Certain people are doomed through their stubborn persistence to repeat the lessons from the past. If you follow the advice in Book Proposals That $ell, however, you can benefit from my long-term experience in the publishing world.

Terry Whalin

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.

Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success

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Writers Chat

Writers Chat REcap for April Part 1

Writers Chat Recap

Writers Chat, hosted by Jean Wise, Johnnie Alexander, and Brandy Brow, is the show where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers!

“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”

Writing Inspired by Travel

On this episode of Writers Chat, Johnnie Alexander and a few of her travel buddies, share their experiences on the Serious Writer Italy Tour. The not only share the exciting things that happened, but also the truth about traveling abroad—like missing flight connections—and about looking for the silver lining during such challenges. Be sure to check out this week’s replay for lots of great stories and inspiration.

Watch the April 4th Replay

7 Things I See Differently From the Publisher’s Side of the Desk

Michelle Medlock Adams, acclaimed children’s writer and now acquisitions editor for Wren and Bear, the children’s literature imprint for Endgame Press, shares how thing are different from the publisher’s point of view. She discusses having realistic expectations of the editor’s role, understanding the editorial process, the importance of deadlines, the author/editor/agent relationship, and advice for debut novels. We also talk about marketing.

Watch the February 11th replay.

Michelle Madlock Adams is a NY Times Best-selling ghostwriter and an award-winning author of more than 100 books including, Fly High, Our God is Bigger Than That! and Dachshund Through the Snow. Michelle is married to her high school sweetheart, Jeff, and they have two married daughters, six adorable grandchildren, two diva dachshunds, and two kitties. Visit michellemedlockadams.com for more info.

Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET
on Zoom. The permanent Zoom room link is: http://zoom.us/j/4074198133

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Book Proposals

Will An Editor Fix All My Mistakes?

Among writers in the publishing community, there is a false belief that my submission does not have to be perfect because the editor will fix any mistakes. After all, isn’t that what editors do?

While I’ve been an editor for decades, I’ve also been a writer. I believe it is important for writers to understand some of what editors’ face. A key responsibility for every editor is to produce the best possible magazine or book for their company. They want every publication to be as excellent as possible. In their search for content, they are looking for the best possible writing for their particular audience. To catch their attention, you want your submission to be a fit for what they need and as enticing as possible.

           “You only get one chance to make a good first impression.”

An old yet true saying,

The first impression from your submission is a critical factor. As a writer, you do not want to be missing some crucial element for the editor. The hardest missing element to find with your submission is something that is not there.

Another important element for you to know about editors is many editors are not writers. Yes, they write emails or guidelines but they do not write for publication (magazine or books). Their expertise is in management of workflow and excellent editing skills. Also, a number of my editor colleagues do not teach workshops at writers’ conference. It is simply not in their skill set. These individuals can recognize excellent writing and can adjust your writing but not create it in the first place which is a different skill.

Recently I spoke with a bestselling author and asked about her forthcoming books. She admitted that she had no forthcoming books because she had not written a book proposal or made a pitch through a query letter. If you want to be published at a magazine or publisher, you have to learn how to craft an enticing book proposal or query letter then be pitching it consistently until you find an editor who is interested. Every magazine and publisher has expectations about what they need. They spell out these expectations in their guidelines which are often on their website. The simple steps are to study their guidelines and what they publish, and then send the editor what they need.

While writing is a creative endeavor, publishing is a business.

As you understand the business, marketing and selling aspects of publishing, this information will feed into your submission and you will become more of the type of writer that editors want to work with and publish.

I’ve been in some of the top literary agencies and publishers in the United States, the good news is every one of these professional colleagues are actively looking for quality writing—whether they send you a response or not. Each personal is actively reading their email and their physical mail looking for the right fit.  If you write what they need, you could be the next person that they publish.

Terry Whalin

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.

Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success.

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Book Proposals

The Two Big Cs

So, it’s Christmas and we’re all still dealing with Covid. Who would have imagined a year ago when we first heard rumblings about this virus that we’d be dealing with it twelve months later? And the artsy community is seriously suffering. Whether it’s authors, actors, singers. All in the what many people see as “disposable” community are working hard to keep afloat.

So, what does this all mean for writers? Huge sigh. It means, publishers are taking longer, looking harder, deciding slower, especially for debut authors. It’s tough. Without in-store shoppers, more bookstores have closed. Publishers are being far more selective in those they sign. Folks aren’t spending the dollars as many have lost jobs. “Thanks, Linda. Lots of really uplifting news here!”

But don’t despair. Because a LOT of folks are home now, it’s been a great opportunity for more writing hours. Instead of simply shopping one book around, I have quite a few clients with multiple books now. They have spent their extra time wisely and have been glued to their computers: writing, writing, writing!

As things begin to return to normal … and they will, my authors are going to have a bag full of new tricks, new novels, new ideas that can be shopped to the publishers. Instead of that one really awesome book I signed them for, there are now two or three books ready for a home.

How have you spent your extra time? Or, if you were lucky enough to continue to work, did you still look for new ideas, new ops for writing? And as you get those weekends back, will you push forward with even more writing? Now is the time to use your spare minutes wisely.

The key, folks, at any time, in any circumstance is to continue writing. Too often, we find excuses (and let’s face it, Covid has been a real game changer) to give up. We get depressed, who isn’t today, right? But those who keep at it. Those who refuse to allow their fingers and minds to quit. Those who see this as an opportunity instead of a loss will emerge on the other side stronger, better prepared, and ready!

Am I still signing folks? Yes! More in the last few months that in the last couple years. I’ve found that cream has truly risen to the top, and I’ve been lucky enough to find some amazing authors in this mix. How do I know they’re the cream? They’ve continued with conferences even if a Zoom conference isn’t first choice. They’ve worked at learning their craft. Even my clients that I’ve already been shopping around have used this chance to write more, write better, write with innovative motivation. They’ve taken out old manuscripts and rewritten them. They’ve dug deeper in to the ones I’ve seen.

Key here: they have not given up.

Nor have I. Again, Zoom conferences aren’t my first choice, but I’ve continued to be part of them in order to find new talent. And many very prestigious conferences have offered online versions for less than half the price. I’ve found numerous new clients over a simple Zoom appointment. I’ve done my best to stay abreast of changes and learning what the publisher are looking at now. And it has changed! But one thing never does: publishers want stellar writing from teachable authors who aren’t afraid to get themselves out there.

2020 has allowed most of us the opportunity to spend more time at the keyboard. If so, have you spent your time wisely? Are you writing more? Are you improving?

In less than a month, 2021 will replace what many see as the year of the century. What have you done to take advantage of and try to improve your lot in 2020? Stay the course, my friends. As my beloved mom used to say, “This, too, shall pass.”

Looking forward to a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year with hope just on the horizon for all of us. God bless you all, God bless your writing!

Linda S. Glaz is an agent with Hartline Literary Agency, and also the author of eight novels and two novellas, so she “gets” writers. She represents authors in both the Christian and secular communities. She speaks at numerous conferences and workshops around the country each year. Married with three grown children and four grands, she lives in a small town where everyone is family.

Categories
Book Proposals

When You Hear Little (or Nothing) from Submissions

We live in a “hurry up” culture. If someone doesn’t answer their email or text you back right away, you figure something went wrong. From my years in the book business, I understand traditional publishing always moves to a slower pace. No matter what time of year you submit your proposal, it can take weeks and months to receive any response.

This year has been unusual with a world-wide pandemic. Editors and agents have moved out of their offices and are working from home. Depending on whether they have school age children at home, their work environment has grown even more complicated and makes getting a decision or any communication even slower than in the past.

I almost hate to tell you this pattern within publishing but need to prepare you for the final months of the year. During November and December, the response time changes to mostly silence or hearing crickets.

What significant actions can you take when your proposal submissions receive no response?

1. Discover new places to send your proposal Leading up to and during the holidays, some editors and literary agents turn to the unsolicited submissions and process them. The market is always changing. Find these places at your local bookstore or use a market guide from your library. Send your well-crafted proposal to different publishers and literary agents. Make sure in your cover letter or toward the first page of your proposal, you inform them it is a simultaneous submission. It is acceptable to submit to multiple places at the same time but if you use this approach, it is expected you will explicitly tell the agent or editor within the submission.

2. Review then rewrite your book proposal and sample chapter. If it has been some time since you’ve reviewed your work, fresh eyes can give you new insights and improvements.

3. Read in your subject area or a how-to book and take action to increase your connection to your audience. Get my free Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. Use several ideas to increase your audience.

4. Plan to attend a spring writers’ conference. Begin to study the editors and agents attending to prepare your pitch. Read their online guidelines and look at their recent publications to assure your book fits their editorial needs.

5. Purchase a resource like Book Proposals That Sell (http://BookProposalsThatSell.com) or take an online course like Write A Book Proposal then apply the new insights to your submission. When you learn more about how editors and agents operate and their needs, your submission will be more desirable.

If you make productive use of these quiet months, you can propel your publishing dreams to new levels of success in the months ahead.

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. Get Terry’s newest book, 10 Publishing Myths for only $10, free shipping and bonuses worth over $200.. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. He answers to your proposal questions at: www.AskAboutProposals.com. Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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History in the Making

Reverential Capitalization, or God and Pronouns

History in the making

An interesting thing happened to me on my way to being traditionally published. During my most recent edit, the editor changed all pronouns of God (he, him etc.) to capitals. In writing my novel, I did my due diligence and consulted several style guides to find that pronouns of God should not be capitalized.

Following the style guides did not mean I do not respect God (caps in English do not mean respect anyway). It meant I did not want the capitalization of pronouns to muddle clear communication to the largest number of readers as possible. It can be a distraction, which you don’t want. And a broader than Christian readership may think a Him or He in the middle of a sentence is there for emphasis, changing the meaning of the sentence.

Fervent Feelings

I discussed the changes the editor made with my husband and a couple of friends and found strong opinions on the subject. I unintentionally stoked the flames of a fight regarding grammar and religion. “Of course they should be capitalized,” was the initial reaction.

And then we opened the Bible.

We looked at the first translation, the King James, and found pronouns of God were not capitalized. We looked at the New International Version (the most used Bible translation), The English Standard, and The New Living translations and found no capitalized pronouns.

I use the New King James Version, and knew the pronouns were capitalized. But reading in Matthew, I found verse 16:1. It says, “ Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.” The capitalized pronouns read as though the Pharisees and Sadducees accepted Jesus as a deity, and they did not. Which to me, seemed to change the meaning of Scripture.

The Style Manuals

The Chicago Manual of Style, The Society of Biblical Literature, and Associated Press style guides, state that he, him, his, and so on shouldn’t be capitalized even when referring to God. The Christian Writers Manual of Style states: Most publishers, religious and general, use the lowercase style in large part to conform to the two most popular versions of the Bible (the best-selling NIV and the historically dominant KJV).”

I wanted to confirm most religious publishers used the lowercase style, so I dug around in my own library. I pulled out Historical Biblical Fiction and even one non-fiction book from Tyndale and Bethany House. Flipping through the pages, I found the style guides were right, they did not cap the pronouns referring to God.

Authors and publishing houses can make their own rules regarding reverential capitalization. But the large houses have chosen lowercase pronouns that refer to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. However, words that refer to God; the Lord, the Almighty, the Creator, are capitalized.

Those are the rules, but what are your thoughts on this subject?

Blessings,

KD Holmberg

K. D. Holmberg is an author, blogger, and freelance writer. She is a member of ACFW, Word Weavers International, and a founding member of the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild. She is represented by Hartline Literary Agency. A retired flight attendant, she has traveled and lived all over the globe. She and her husband, Keith, love to golf and live in South Carolina. You can find more about her: Facebook @authorkdholmberg, twitter @kdeniseholmberg, and website kdholmberg.com

Categories
Book Proposals

Use the Holidays to Beat the Catch-22 of Publishing

      From my experience in publishing, editors and agents are often slow to respond to submissions. This time lag grows even worse during the final months of the year because often these professionals are focused on outside activities like sending holiday greetings and special events.

     Yet time is marching on during the holidays. How can you make the best use of this slow publishing season when you feel like your correspondence goes into a black hole? Take this time to be writing and refining your book proposal. Use my book proposal checklist to make sure you are creating what is expected and needed.

     Also use this holiday season to increase your publishing credits and credibility with the editors and agents. As a New York acquisitions editor, I’ve read thousands of submissions. One of the key elements publishing professionals will notice is your publishing experience. But maybe you’ve never published anything or only self-published and your credits are limited. If you are in this situation, it is like when you get your first job. How do you create a job resume when you don’t have any experience? You are stuck and unsure how to do it—which I call a catch-22 type of situation. It’s the same in publishing but you can get around this catch-22 if you publish in magazines. If you have published other books and in magazines, your proposal gains a more careful reading and consideration.

          The best place to gain publishing experience is in print magazines. Magazines are shorter than books and quicker to accomplish than books. Yet in print magazines you learn how to write for a target audience, for a specific deadline and word count—all valuable skills for your book writing. First select some target publications. Use a Writer’s Market Guide (even from your library). Which publications do you read? Study them and see how much freelance material they are using? Craft a query letter or if they allow it, the full article, then submit this material. Then you will be published and your proposals will gain much more attention.

Use the holidays to improve your publishing potential.

W. Terry Whalin is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. Get his free Book Proposal Checklist at: http://terrylinks.com/bookcheck Terry is the author of Book Proposals That Sell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success  and he has written over 60 books and for more than 50 magazines. He has over 200,000 followers on twitter. http://twitter.com/terrywhalin

Categories
Mastering Middle Grade

Writer, Educate Thyself

Last month we talked about the basic steps involved in getting your manuscript ready for submission. This month, I want to talk about something I struggle with, and that’s keeping up.

I don’t mean keeping up with laundry or keeping up with the neighbors’ fabulously maintained lawn. If those are your things, high fives to you, but what I mean is the constant challenge to stay current in an industry that’s always changing.

I’m by no means an expert at this. I feel like I’m just starting to get my head around it, so don’t be shy about commenting here with suggestions or corrections.

I’m always curious about a) who/what is getting published, b) what are my readers reading? c) are there any new hints/tips/tricks for writers I need to know about?

You might be thinking, yes, but I can get all this at a conference, shouldn’t I just go to a conference or two and call it good? Why do I need to spend precious writing time on industry info?

Yes, you can and should get yourself to as many conferences as possible. They are an excellent and much needed resource. However, conferences can be expensive endeavors. My budget doesn’t allow for me to attend nearly as many as I’d like. Plus, working parents can’t always get time away from day jobs or find appropriate child care.  

And guess what happens when the conference is over? The industry keeps moving. If you rely only on conference info, you may find yourself out of touch sooner than you’d like. That’s why you need to invest a little time and energy each week.

How do we do it? How do we supplement the education we get at conferences?

As I mentioned, I am figuring this out as I go. I have found three resources (aside from Almost an Author, which obviously I love) that consistently turn up new, reliable information.

1) SCBWI – Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators. My local SCBWI chapter has been a fountain of information, connected me with critique groups (whom I love dearly), and hosts local quarterly events where we can meet other writers, editors, and agents, and exchange ideas.

2) PODCASTS – What better way to be productive during your commute than listening to podcasts about writing? I’ve recently discovered a delightful middle grade book review podcast hosted by a pair of Australian children’s authors called Middle Grade Mavens. A few others that I like are the SCBWI Conversations Podcast, Matthew Winner’s Children’s Book Podcast, and the Middle Grade Ninja Podcast by Robert Kent, and The Manuscript Academy.

3) SERIOUS WRITER – I subscribe to the Serious Writer Club, which I highly recommend for the access to content and frequent Q&A sessions. The SW Club is only open for enrollment a couple of times a year. Check out their website and subscribe to their mailing list for open enrollment dates.  

Whether you spend a little time each day or a little time each week, the point is the same: immerse yourself as much as you can in your reader and writer life. Staying as connected and current as possible will help you step closer and closer to your goals.

Kell McKinney earned a B.A. in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and an M.S. in documentary studies from the University of North Texas. She’s a part-time copywriter, double-time mom and wife, and spends every free minute writing and/or hunting for her car keys. Connect with her on Twitter @Kell_McK or kellmckinney.com.

Categories
Becoming an Author

Are Your Expectations for a Literary Agent Too High? Part 1

When I meet with writers at writing conferences, they aren’t always afraid to share why they want a literary agent.  

I want an agent who can help me become a bestselling author.

I want an agent who can serve as my energetic cheerleader, offering encouragement when I face self-doubt.

There’s nothing wrong with having certain expectations as you search for an agent. In fact, it’s a good thing! It’s important, as an aspiring author, to go into an agent/author relationship with certain goals and refuse to settle for an agent who cannot help you attain your author vision.

But what if you never find the perfect agent?

Let’s say you’ve received interest from multiple agents and realize none of those are “good enough” for you. Or what if, after signing with an agent, you soon realize this agent just isn’t meeting your expectations? Do you then call it quits and try to find one who might do a better job at fulfilling your requests?

Yes, it is important for aspiring authors to refuse to settle—but at the same time, overly-high standards can cause frustration to both the agent and the author.

Relationships that are focused on what the other person can grant us never turn out well. And when we demand unreasonable expectations in a relationship, then guess what? We will never learn how to have a healthy relationship. We will never be content, because we will always focus on what the other person doesn’t provide rather than what they do provide.    

So as an aspiring author, how can you set expectations that are both reasonable and necessary?

To answer that question, let’s take a look at what the job of a true literary agent entails.

A true literary agent should…

  • only receive 10 – 15% from their clients’ income on book deals they have secured (book advances and royalties). This means they should never ask for an upfront fee.
  • help their authors make wise decisions based on the current state of the market
  • shop their authors’ books to the right editors and secure the best publishing deals
  • negotiate publishing contracts on behalf of the author
  • support the author’s vision
  • keep the author informed as to when their projects are submitted and which house they have submitted to
  • stay informed on the publishing landscape
  • build relationships with editors at publishing houses
  • provide their authors with career advice, encouragement, and support
  • resolve potential conflict that may arise between an author and acquisitions editor
  • only send projects that are ready for submission

These are the standards by which aspiring authors should build their expectations. However, each agent is different. Agents have various work styles, methods of organizing the submission process, and personalities. Some agents are more hands-on and known as editorial agents, while others would prefer that their clients’ projects are professionally edited beforehand.  

The agent preferences will vary from author to author. There’s nothing wrong with this; however, a problem may arise when these preferences become high standards that are impossible for any agent to meet.

In the next post, we will discuss the tasks that literary agents are not required to fulfill. Hopefully this will help you to enter the submission process with a level head and healthy expectations. You will approach a new agent/author relationship with the right attitude, less likely to be disappointed, and ready to work with this agent for the long haul. 

What kind of expectations do you think it’s important to set when shopping for literary agents? Let me know in the comments!

Tessa Emily Hall writes inspirational yet authentic YA fiction to show teens they’re not alone. Her passion for shedding light on clean entertainment and media for teens led her to a career as an Associate Agent at Hartline Literary Agency, YA Acquisitions Editor for Illuminate YA (LPC Imprint), and Founder/Editor of PursueMagazine.net. Tessa’s first teen devotional, COFFEE SHOP DEVOS, will release with Bethany House in 2018. She’s guilty of making way too many lattes and never finishing her to-read list. When her fingers aren’t flying 116 WPM across the keyboard, she can be found speaking to teens, decorating her insulin pump, and acting in Christian films. Her favorite way to procrastinate is by connecting with readers on her blog, mailing list, social media (@tessaemilyhall), and website: tessaemilyhall.com.

Categories
Becoming an Author

Achieving the “It Factor” in Publishing – Part 2

I understand the struggle that aspiring authors often face on their attempt toward publication. Honestly, this is one of the reasons why I’ve chosen to work in the publishing field—not just because I love books, but because I want to help other writers’ dreams come true.

However, as the publishing industry becomes more and more saturated, aspiring authors are finding it harder to receive recognition. The recent changes in the industry have caused editors to become more selective in their acquisition decisions. Us literary agents, as a result, are dealt with the same dilemma. We only get paid when a sell is made; because of that, we have no choice but to sign with clients whose book(s) we think could sell. 

As I mentioned in my previous post, possessing an “it factor” can help aspiring authors to increase their chances of landing a traditional publishing deal in today’s age. And it all begins with the submissions to literary agents (or publishing houses).

First, in order to understand how you can catch an agent/editor’s eye, you must know what it is that we’re looking for from an author. 

Below is a list of questions that I personally ask myself when reviewing a proposal…

1.     Does this project fit my criteria of what I’m looking for?

2.     Is the hook of this book strong enough for me to pitch to editors?

3.     If the book is non-fiction, how does it fit into the current marketplace in a way that brings a fresh perspective? If the book is fiction, does the story tap into trends in a way that refrains from coming across as cliché or overdone?

4.     Does the author understand who the target audience is of the book?

5.     Does the author have potential to reach his/her target audience through platform?

6.     Does the marketing plan prove that the author understands marketing and will partake in publicity efforts?

7.     If the book is non-fiction, is this author the right person to write this book (based on his/her credentials)?

8.     Does the author have connections in the industry with people who can act as an influencer or give a possible endorsement of the book?

9.     Has the author been published in the past? If so, what are his/her sales history?

10.  Last—but certainly not least—is the writing strong enough to carry this project?

As you can see, there is a plethora of factors that can play into whether an agent/editor accepts or rejects your proposal. It is not solely based on writing potential. 

Why is this?

When an editor is interested in a submission at a publishing house, he/she will then meet with the rest of their team to discuss the project. Several departments will review the proposal from various angles. Believe me when I say that the answers to some—if not all—of the above questions will be considered at this meeting!

Fortunately, since you are an author who takes your writing seriously, you won’t see this challenge as a threat to your publication dreams; instead, you can use this as an opportunity to craft a stronger submission. A proposal that will allow you to stand out in the slush pile.

And achieve the “it factor” in the process.

What are other questions ways you attempt to stand out from the crowd in your submissions? How do you strive to achieve the publishing it factor in publishing? Let me know in the comments!

Tessa Emily Hall writes inspirational yet authentic YA fiction to show teens they’re not alone. Her passion for shedding light on clean entertainment and media for teens led her to a career as an Associate Agent at Hartline Literary Agency, YA Acquisitions Editor for Illuminate YA (LPC Imprint), and Founder/Editor of PursueMagazine.net. Tessa’s first teen devotional, COFFEE SHOP DEVOS, will release with Bethany House in 2018. She’s guilty of making way too many lattes and never finishing her to-read list. When her fingers aren’t flying 116 WPM across the keyboard, she can be found speaking to teens, decorating her insulin pump, and acting in Christian films. Her favorite way to procrastinate is by connecting with readers on her blog, mailing list, social media (@tessaemilyhall), and website: tessaemilyhall.com.

Categories
Publishing Pulse

Don’t Let the Industry Dehumanize You

If you are an author, a human being writing for other human beings, you have been blessed with a precious ability. If you write fiction, you have the unique gift of storytelling. If you write nonfiction, you are no less creative, because you have devised ways to describe and explain truth to make it understandable and compelling. Don’t let it go to your head, but also don’t deny the importance of the  role you play in the publishing industry.

I feel the need to make such a warning because the publishing industry can tend to dehumanize us (a danger I suspect is found to some extent in most industries). But book publishing wasn’t always this way; the artistic and creative interaction between authors and publishers tended to keep the human factor at the forefront. It’s only in the last couple of decades that the publishing industry—or I should say, certain elements of the publishing industry—began referring to the person who writes the words as a “content provider.”

It all came about innocently enough. With the advent of ebooks (and to some extent, audiobooks, computer apps and other derivative products), publishers started realizing that they were not the purveyors of books, but of content. The author’s words were what had value, and the medium—paper and ink, a text file, or an audio file—were merely the window dressing. In a sense, they made an about-face from the 1960s chant of Marshall McLuhan that “the medium is the message” to see that the value was in the message, regardless of medium. The new refrain has become “content is king.”

I appreciate the sentiment. Of course, the content is what makes the book, the ebook, the audiobook a sellable product, but where does the content come from? It comes from the mind of the author, not from a computer with artificial intelligence, and certainly not from an infinite number of monkeys with an infinite number of typewriters. They really have it all wrong—the author is king, and always has been. Your words are the commodity that is for sale on the marketplace. The rallying cry of “content is king” attempts to divorce the product (the content, your words) from the creator and owner of the content—you, the author.

Consider the attitude of Amazon’s publishing arm toward authors and content. They claim to have the most content of anyone—and that is true, except they don’t own that content, they did not create that content, and (unlike most traditional publishers) they do little or nothing to develop and polish that content.

A lot of authors think it is wonderful that Amazon allows them to publish their material with little or no editorial “interference.” But the better authors, the ones that succeed, realize their creation needs polishing, and their creative ideas need an editorial sounding board—the feedback of a first reader, who may see problems that the author is blind to. You get that polishing, that sounding board, at a good traditional publisher, but you won’t get it at a self-publishing provider such as Amazon. It is unlikely that you will even have any interaction with a human being—the Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) system is computer-automated. Talk about dehumanizing!

So don’t let the “content” mongers dehumanize you. Demand (or if you are self-publishing, pay for) a real, live editor who will work with you creatively to hone your manuscript into the best book it can be.

David E. Fessenden

Literary Agent, WordWise Media Services
Publisher and Proprietor, Honeycomb House Publishing LLC

David Fesseden has degrees in journalism and theology, and over 30 years of experience in writing and editing. He has served in editorial management positions for Christian book publishers and was regional editor for the largest Protestant weekly newspaper in the country.

Dave has published seven books, written hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles, and edited numerous books. He is a frequent speaker at writers’ conferences. Two of his books, Writing the Christian Nonfiction Book: Concept to Contract and A Christian Writer’s Guide to the Book Proposal, are based on his experience in Christian publishing. The Case of the Exploding Speakeasy, Dave’s first novel, reflects his love for history and for the Sherlock Holmes stories of Arthur Conan-Doyle.

Dave and his wife, Jacque, live in south-central Pennsylvania and have two adult sons.

Websites/Blogs:

www.fromconcepttocontract.com
www.davefessenden.com
www.thebookstore.info

Categories
Publishing Pulse

The Economics of Publishing

I don’t think many authors have a clue about how rugged the economic terrain is for the average publishing house. Publishing is changing (again and again and again!), and with every change it seems that it’s even harder than ever for a publisher to make an honest buck (or even a dishonest buck, for that matter).

When a publishing house contracts with an author to publish their book, most authors look for some upfront money—an advance on royalties, which is usually the amount of royalties a publishing house expects to pay out in the first six months of publication. Smaller publishers, and even a lot of bigger publishers, are not so quick to give advances anymore—it’s just too risky, and too much of a cash flow issue.

Still, even if the the publishing house does not put out a royalty advance, they still have to put out a lot of money well ahead of getting any income from book sales. The whole company starts working on the book, so chalk up the salaries of the editors, typesetters/page designers, cover designers, marketers, and so on. This process can take a year or more, and remember the book hasn’t made the publishing house a single dime.

But finally, the book gets published, it is sent out to distributors and retailers, people buy the book, and the revenue gets back to the publisher—eventually. Distributors are notorious for delaying payment of sales for several months.

The publisher puts out all the money up front to edit, typeset, design, print and market a book, and then has to wait for months for the sales revenue to come in. And far too often, the sales are not enough, even after a year or two, to pay for the investment. So what do they do? Well, they bleed red ink! Thanks to print on demand, the initial investment for printing can be lower (you don’t have to print a large quantity all at once), but since the per-book printing cost is higher, their profit margin gets cut down. So print on demand helps you cut your losses if the book doesn’t sell, but it also cuts into your revenue if the book is successful.

And how often is a book financially successful? It used to be that about one-third of all books published lose money, about one-third break even, and about one-third make a profit—hopefully, enough of a profit to make up for the losses. Today, I suspect it’s more like 25% lose money, about 50% break even, and about 25% make a profit. One of the old jokes of publishing is that we should only publish the books that make money—then we’d really be successful!

The sad truth is, publishing houses usually expect all of their books to be profitable—which means these “experts” in the publishing industry are wrong about most of the books they publish! No one has a crystal ball to predict which ones are going to succeed and which will fail. There are innumerable stories out there about how this or that best-selling book was rejected by a lot of publishers, but the other side of the coin is that there are at least ten times as many stories about how a book that had everything going for it, that looked so promising, got published and lost a lot of money.

So next time you’re tempted to accuse publishers of being stingy, remember the economics of the industry, and shake your head in amazement that they manage to survive in this crazy business!

David Fesseden has degrees in journalism and theology, and over 30 years of experience in writing and editing. He has served in editorial management positions for Christian book publishers and was regional editor for the largest Protestant weekly newspaper in the country.

Dave has published seven books, written hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles, and edited numerous books. He is a frequent speaker at writers’ conferences. Two of his books, Writing the Christian Nonfiction Book: Concept to Contract and A Christian Writer’s Guide to the Book Proposal, are based on his experience in Christian publishing. The Case of the Exploding Speakeasy, Dave’s first novel, reflects his love for history and for the Sherlock Holmes stories of Arthur Conan-Doyle.

Dave and his wife, Jacque, live in south-central Pennsylvania and have two adult sons.

Websites/Blogs:

www.fromconcepttocontract.com
www.davefessenden.com
www.thebookstore.info

Categories
Publishing Pulse

Beware the Hollywood Stereotypes of Publishing

There seem to be plenty of people out there who have never published anything, but are happy to give you advice on how the publishing industry works, based on something they saw in a movie. Far too many people have a stereotype in their mind of publishing a book, and worse yet, it’s a 20th-century stereotype. Here’s some of the questions I have been asked that are mostly the stuff of fiction:

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