Stumped On A Submission?

Most book authors don't like to consider this dose of reality: there are millions of book proposals, book manuscripts and book ideas that are in circulation. If you want a heavy dose of some publishing statistics, I recommend you check out Dan Poytner's page on Book Industry Statistics because he regularly updates it with additions.

Some days it feels like every one of those would-be authors has sent their material to me--but they haven't.

It's key to continue getting your ideas and proposals out into the marketplace. There are many stories about authors with perseverance who continued to pitch their book concept in the face of rejection. I love this quote from Charles Kettering that came across my email today from Cynthia Kersey at Unstoppable:

"It doesn't matter if you try and try and try again, and fail. It does matter if you try and fail, and fail to try again."

If you are continually rejected with a book proposal, then there is value in getting insight and help from others. You can get this help at a writers' conference which involved a commitment of time and money to reach it. Admittedly it's difficult because the editors and literary agents send out form rejections--not because they don't want to help you--but because of time and that's not their role. I use form rejections as much as anyone else in this business.

Where do you get help? Yes you can turn to a local or online critique group or a paid critique service. I want to give you another resource--and it is FREE.

In two days or on June 25th, I've scheduled another teleseminar where I'm going to answer your questions about book proposals or pitches to editors and literary agents. Just to go http://www.askterrywhalin.com/ and use the form to ask your question. I'm collecting these questions through the Ask Database. (Just click this link for a $1 offer if you don't know about this valuable tool).

If you can't attend the teleseminar at the time of the event, still sign up because the call will be recorded and you will receive the replay information then you can download it to your computer or iPod and listen to it on your schedule. It's the same tool that I used last week with Andy McGuire and a while back with Sally Stuart. Each of these past teleseminars are in "replay mode" so there is no need to ask a question because the live event is past. Just type no question along with your name and email address and you will reach the replay page.

Back to my live event on Wednesday, I wanted to create a new book proposal resource. Since I wrote Book Proposals That Sell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success, I continue to learn new aspects on book proposal creation--whether fiction or nonfiction. I've written about some of these aspects in these entries on The Writing Life. Yes, you can use my search tool in the right-hand column to collect and read this information in the archives. But do many people take this step? I doubt it.

I pulled together over 40 of my Writing Life entries about book proposals into a single Ebook called Book Proposals That Sell Extra Special Report. I removed the dates, created a table of contents and put it into an Ebook format. Every one of the links within the entries works and will take you to the resource that I mention in the text. It's 90 pages of powerful insight about the submission process--and it's free to every one who signs up for the teleseminar. You can download it immediately on the confirmation page, print it and begin studying this resource.

It's my hope that each of you will use this resource and the others that I create so you have better submissions. I'm a bit self-serving because I want those submissions to come into my mailbox but I'm also eager for writers to figure out the best way to pitch their idea.

I hope to be talking with you this week through the teleseminar--and answering your question.