Author Talk Is Cheap

 

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

As an author, you have to learn a great deal about publishing to make a good pitch. The reality is you have seconds to capture that person’s attention. If you are meeting in person at a writer’s conference, your first few minutes are important. 

In these articles, I’ve encouraged you to learn to catch attention, craft a book proposal, write a query letter, and generally make the right connection to secure a positive reaction from that publishing professional. No doubt that achievement is valuable and terrific.

In this article, I want to encourage you to take an additional step: do the work to successfully execute your plans to reach readers. It’s the work which gets no attention and no one pushes you to do but if you do it, then you will become the exception and sell books. As my title for this article says, author talk is cheap.

I understand the work and thought that goes into an author pitch to a literary agent or editor. From my experience, the more detailed about your connections to the reader, the better the plan.

Here’s what I have learned: authors can make detailed marketing plans, then not execute those plans when the book is published. You may tell your editor about your terrific connection to a large circulation print publication, then when the book comes out, the editor looks at the book sales and sees that little happened. Talk is cheap. The real action from authors comes day to day in the trenches when they do the work.

For example, it’s no accident that since 2004, I’ve written and published hundreds of how-to articles on this blog for people interested in publishing. I’ve taken my variety of experiences and poured them into these stories and the articles. No one required me to do it but I have consistently written these articles and done the work. It’s the same sort of detailed work that you must do as an author with your topic.

I encourage you to keep learning about new aspects of publishing, then engaging in the process and do the work to apply that information to your work. Admittedly the work can feel routine and boring but your consistency is a critical element in your success. Even if you don’t get any (or much) feedback. Keep learning, going to workshops and reading books and online to discover new aspects of publishing. 

If you notice that something isn’t happening, then increase your work on that aspect. For example, using PodMatch I’ve booked or been on over 90 podcasts during the last year or so. Recently I don’t have as much activity in this area. When I think about the reason, it’s because I haven’t been pitching new podcasts. I’ve put more effort into this pitching and believe soon I will be adding more podcasts to my schedule. 

You want to keep knocking on new doors and trying new tools and ways to get your message into the marketplace. One of the critical and unglamorous aspects is to continually do the promoting and marketing work. 

What new aspects of publishing are you learning and reading about? How are you apply these plans to your topic and passion? Talk is cheap but the real work takes steady and continued effort. If I can help you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. Let me know your actions in the comments.

Tweetable:

Are you making plans to reach readers and tell others about your book? These plans are terrific but are you doing this work? As this prolific author and editor says, author talk is cheap. Read the details here. (ClickToTweet)

After speaking with authors for years, I know many authors have a unrealistic ideas about the details of publishing—and these details are important for your book to succeed. 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS 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.

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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

Why Follow Up Is Critical

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

No matter how you publish your book, it is a mulltiple step process where you work with others to accomplish your goals. At Morgan James Publishing, I’m working with a number of authors at different stages with their books. For example, last week I sent book contract offers to several authors. Then a few days later, I made a brief phone call to check in with these authors. For each call, I got their voicemail then left messages to see if they had additional questions. If they don’t have any questions, I encouraged them to take the next step: to print their contract, sign it, date it then scan and email it back to me.

After those calls, I turned and made calls to a couple of new authors that I spoke this past week. I followed up with these authors because I'm missing some details from them which I mentioned during our conversation and in my follow up email. If I don’t get these details from the author, I can’t move forward wtih their submission to my colleagues and possibly get them a book contract offer. These follow up calls are an important part of getting the information that I need from them. With my phone calls or voicemail messages, I reminded them of the information I needed and encouraged them to send it. 

I’ve learned without my follow up, the publishing process gets stalled and does not move forward. For every writer in many different areas, followup is a critical skill. You need to learn to do it--and use the right words in your followup. If you push an editor to make a decision about your submission, this type of follow up will likely give you an answer you don't want: no (rejection). Instead when you followup on a submission (which is important to do), you want to ask if the editor received the submission or possibly needs you to resend it. This type of question shows empathy for the massive amount of submissions that pours into the email and mail for every editor and literary agent. We each get way more material to consider than can be easily processed. 

While day in and day out, I do a great deal of follow up work, there are times that I fail in this area. Several weeks ago I told you about my secret plan to promote a new Morgan James Publishing book that I brought into the company. I poured a lot of work and effort into this behind-the-scenes effort. I emailed and/or called almost 20 people, told them about the book, sent them details and asked if they wanted a print advanced copy of the book. I kept a list of these people and the dates when I contacted them. When they agreed to read and review the book, I mailed each one a copy of the print book to their home address. Here’s what I missed in this process, I did not follow up with each one to confirm the arrival of the book and that they read it and were writing a review.

A few weeks after this book launched, I checked the Amazon page and Goodreads page for my requested reviews. There were only a few reviews. It showed me again the importance of following up. While my followup failure happened weeks ago, I know I can still follow up and it is not too late. I can send those follow up reminder emails, asking for their honest review and encouraging them to do it. Followup is critical.

Throughout publishing, without follow up almost nothing happens. People are busy. People forget and have other things crowd into their lives.

It’s the same with submissions. Authors need to follow up.

It’s the same with book contracts. Editors need to follow up.

It’s the same with any sort of pitch to a podcast, a magazine, newspaper, a speaking event, etc. You have to follow up.

Don’t forget to use care in your follow up. Don’t accuse or make the person receiving your follow up to feel terrible. Your follow up is to remind them about your interaction and ask if they got it. I call these actions the gentle follow up. With each exchange in the publishing community, you are building a lasting relationship with this author or editor or professional. 

Where do you use follow up? I encourage you to tell me about those experiences. I look forward to your comments.

Tweetable:

An important skill for every writer to learn is followup. This prolific author and editor gives the details why followup is critical.  (ClickToTweet)

New Podcasts:

In these articles, I’ve encouraged you to use PodMatch or some similar tool to book and record podcasts. Last week one more new podcast recording launched:

Sheila Slick and I spoke about publishing myths no one talks about on the Milestone Moments in Business and Leadership Podcast. Listen on Apple at: https://bit.ly/4dPgxCC  or YouTube Music at: https://bit.ly/4AJsDqV

Every type of publishing has its own complexity, and many parts of the process are outside of anything that an author can control. In addition, from speaking with authors, I find many of them have unrealistic expectations about publishing. I wrote  10 PUBLISHING MYTHS to give authors practical help. 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