Listen, then Make Adjustments

 

 By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Throughout my day as an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing, I receive a wide variety of email. As an author, I also get another set of emails. Also I’m speaking with authors on the phone and listening to their responses. 

Sometimes in this process, I learn some elements of my online presence which need adjustment. Recently one author introduced me to another author. In her email response, the new author mentioned she followed the link to my bio from my email and signed up for my newsletter. When I read this line, I asked myself, “Which newsletter?” 

During the last year, my newsletter has gone through many changes and adjustments. For over 20 years, I used a shopping cart for my newsletter which closed and involved a detailed behind-the-scene change to my online presence. 

Because of her comment, I took another look at this bio and in particular where this person could sign up for my newsletter. I saw she was using the wrong form and the wrong newsletter. Through many emails to new authors, I often refer to this link but it had been years since I made adjustments to that page. With this new insight, I made the effort and eliminated the wrong form and replaced it with the right one. My change came because of one person’s short feedback. If you haven’t subscribed to my weekly A Publishing Insight newsletter, I encourage you to follow this link and subscribe or forward it on to other writers. 

Throughout your day, are you listening to the feedback and making adjustments? It’s part of how we grow and improve as writers and communicators.

Here’s another recent example, I looked at this author’s blog post and encouraged him to use this article as the start of a personal experience story for a print magazine. Many authors don’t consider how to get more exposure and mileage from their writing. One of the easy ways for every writer is creating a personal experience article which many different publications are using. This author liked my idea and mentioned he was going to submit to two different publications. 

Because of my magazine writing experience, I knew these two publications each had large circulations. If a publication has a large circulation, they receive many submissions and overall it is more difficult for a new writer to grab attention and get published in them. You are entering a large competition for the editor’s attention and go ahead. 

I reached to my bookshelf and pulled out the 2026 Christian Writers Market Guide. It is important to have the latest edition of this guide because much of the information changes from year to year. When you pitch a magazine editor, you want to make sure you are following their current guidelines and use the current editor’s name. The guide has a topical index for magazines. The personal experience section listed 46 publications looking for these types of articles. The magazines with large circulation are in this section. I suggested the author select a couple of other publications with strong circulations (over 100,000 readers) yet lesser submissions and competition. 

Here’s several other actions before you submit to these publications:

--read their writer’s guidelines (which can normally be found online and will tell you the specific needs of the publication. If you pitch toward one of these needs, you will have a greater chance ot attention and possible success.

--read some of the publication’s articles online. Who are their readers and notice their audience. If you want target this audience with your pitch and article, you once again have a higher chance of publication.

--look for a theme list. In some cases, the editor has created a theme list for different issues in a year. From my magazine editor experience, I know how rare it is to receive a pitch tied to the theme list. In fact, I’ve had to call and email authors to gather enough submissions for a particular theme issue.

--tell the editor that you are submitting simultaneously. Some publications take a long time to respond. Other times the editor will say he doesn’t need a 1,200 word article but would love to have one which is 750 words. Then I submit the 750 word article.

With each pitch to a publication, you are building your relationship and credential with that editor. If you are a book author, I encourage you to use your personal experience stories in your book (or that you have in your life) then turn those into magazine articles. You will likely reach more readers through your print articles than any book will reach (thousands). At the end of your article, you can include a once sentence statement like: Terry Whalin is the author of 10 Publishing Myths, Insights Every Author Needs to Succeed In general these magazine bios are short and may or may not include a website link to your book. Every author needs the repeated exposure to readers about their book. We’ve learned readers need to hear about your book as many as two dozen times before they buy your book. Every author has to create many different ways to tell readers about your books. 

I told these stories to highlight our need as authors to listen to feedback from others and make adjustments. What steps are you taking? These actions are not difficult and can be learned but are skills you can use over and over with your writing life. Let me know in the comments below.

Tweetable:

As a writer, you need to listen to feedback from others then make adjustments. In this article, this prolific author and editor gives the specifics for you. (ClickToTweet)

Through my years in publishing, I’ve written for over 50 publications and more than 60 books with traditional publishers. Several of my books have sold 60,000 to 100,000 copies. I’ve also written different types of books such as biography, children’s books, how to/ self-help, co-authored and devotional books. From speaking with different authors about their books, I find many unrealistic expectations. Many aspects of the publishing process are outside of anything an author can control. I wrote  10 PUBLISHING MYTHS to give authors practical help. You can get decades of insights in 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS for only $10, free shipping and over $200 of bonuses. 

Subscribe to Terry’s Newsletter:

During the last year, once a week I’ve been sending a short free newsletter. Just follow this link to subscribe. When you are added to the newsletter, you will receive a FREE 87-page Ebook which is packed with insights for every writer.

Get these articles on your email: 

Since 2004, I have blogged about The Writing Life over 1,800 entries and one of the top 27 content writers. With this simple form, each week you can get my new articles, encouragement and insights at: https://t.co/W6uU64u6aA

Social Media Is Not For Everyone

 

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

As an editor working for a New York publishing company and an author, I understand the importance of social media and why those numbers are important to the process. It’s why I’ve invested lots of personal time and energy into building, maintaining and working my social media.

Publishers ask authors about their social media numbers. Often I hear writers say that social media doesn’t sell books. That selling might not be visible to you but I understand why publishers are asking for the numbers. These book professionals know that someone has to hear or see your book at least a dozen times before they purchase the book. Your social media activity is part of this exposure process. You aren’t posting “Buy my book.” Instead you are highlighting the benefits for the reader who buys your book. Those benefits will be different for each author and their type of book. 

Some authors have written a riveting story which could be something you read on the beach or another vacation place. Others have crafted a personal story about their lives with insights and lessons for other. Another author has written an adventure for middle grade readers while others craft their words into a 32 page picture book. While there are many different types of books, the author needs to focus on the specific benefits of their book. What aspects will readers gain from reading your book? Keep a running list of these benefits because they will be the aspects you will highlight on social media and in your blog posts and your newsletter articles. 

As an example of the important stories or benefits, I point you to my Billy Graham, A Biography of America’s Greatest Evangelist. Through reading about the life of Billy Graham, the reader gains insights and examples for their own life. When this book released several years ago, I recorded over 50 radio interviews. For a sample, I listed several of them here but I continue to use these interviews on social media to highlight the benefits and life of Mr. Graham. 

No matter what type of promotion you do for your book (including social media), it is important to understand and talk about the reader benefits for your book. 

As an editor, I speak with authors about their social media presence. For my colleagues on the publication board at Morgan James Publishing, I gather the author’s online presence and social media links. If the author has large numbers then terrific but we are looking to see if the author has started this process. If they have a start, then we can help them build their online presence. We can not teach an author how to fill out their LinkedIN or X/Twitter profile.

During these author conversations, I hear words of protest about social media.

--It’s time consuming.

--It takes away time from their writing.

--It’s ineffective.

--etc.

One of my authors researched the social media presence of several bestselling authors in their category. They mentioned that several of these authors had limited or no social media presence. I understand the time and energy it takes to build such a presence. As an author, I’ve been active on social media and building my numbers for years. Part of the reason I do it is to be an example for my authors for their own actions. Also I do it because I know my actions are selling books.

While I didn’t look into these specific bestselling authors with no social media presence. I suspect someone on their team is using something else to market and promote these authors and their books. The publisher could be running online ads or an active booking podcasts and radio programs. Or the publisher could have hired a publicist to gather book reviews. There are many ways beyond social media to promote your book. If you need more ideas, I recommend JohnKremer's 1001 Ways to Market Your Books. 

I understand the dangers and time suck nature of social media. I’ve read others suggest authors have to be everywhere. You don’t. Instead I recommend you consider the social media platforms your readers use then become active on those particular platforms. About a year ago, I noticed one of my author friends was no longer on X or Twitter. When I asked about it, she said, “My readers are not on X so I cancelled my account and stopped posting there.” The response made perfect sense.

A large social media presence is not for everyone but a choice. I encourage you to understand where your readers are active and build on those sites. Limit your time and monitor it. Also there are social media experts who for a regular fee will do your social media for you. Each of us are on different paths to reach our readers. The key for every author is to be aware, choose a path, then develop your own system and method to repeatedly reach these readers.

Whether you use social media or not, you have to show the literary agent and publisher that you have connections to readers. These connections can be your regular newsletter, your personal speaking events or any number of other ways. Many years ago I learned that publishers make beautiful books and get them into bookstores. But what moves those books out of the bookstore and into the hands of readers (sells) is the author’s activity. Without your involvement as an author, those books in the bookstores are returned to the publisher then often destroyed which is a shame.

I want to end this article on a positive note about social media. It's an important tool to keep up with my friends and their activities. As I post articles from others on social, I read them and grow in my own insights and knowledge of the world of bookselling. Often I don’t get a lot of feedback for the years I’ve been active on social media. Just when I consider pulling back on my activity, someone will comment on something. These comments show me that while people may or may not comment, they are reading it. Your consistency and persistence is important. The rent for success comes due every single day. How can you standout from others? 

Are you limiting your social media presence? How are you touching readers and highlighting the benefits from your books? Let me know in the comments.

Tweetable:

While social media is not for everyone, this prolific author and editor encourages authors to build something somewhere to reach readers. Get the details here.  (ClickToTweet)

I’m currently working for my third publisher as an acquisitions editor. Without exaggeration, I’ve spoken with hundreds of authors about their books and plans. Over and over, I find many authors have an unrealistic expectation for what will happen when their book gets published. I know much of the publishing process is outside of anything that an author can control. I wrote 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS, which is a practical easy reading book to help you. Get my decades of insights in 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS for only $10, free shipping and over $200 of bonuses. 

Subscribe to Terry’s Newsletter:

During the last year, once a week I’ve been sending a short free newsletter. Just follow this link to subscribe. When you are added to the newsletter, you will receive a FREE 87-page Ebook which is packed with insights for every writer.

Get these articles on your email: 

Since 2004, I have blogged about The Writing Life over 1,800 entries and one of the top 27 content writers. With this simple form, each week you can get my new articles, encouragement and insights at: https://t.co/W6uU64u6aA