Help Me Launch My Next Book

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

In 2004, as a frustrated editor, I wrote Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. This book has over 100 Five Star reviews and has helped many writers find a literary agent and land a publishing deal.  One of my key reasons for writing it was to help more writers succeed in publishing and also to help agents and editors (like myself) to receive better submissions.

 

Publishing has changed a great deal since that book was published. In recent months I've revised the content, gathered new endorsements. The revised edition includes a foreword for the book from literary agent Marilyn Allen who has worked with Ken Follett, Stephen King, John Gray and many others.

 

Literary agent Steve Laube told me at a recent conference, my revised edition fixed a key flaw with my original book. At that time I was focused on nonfiction. Some fiction writers used the first edition and it helped them. The reality in today's publishing world, I believe every author needs to write a book proposal—fiction, nonfiction, children's book—even if you self-publish. Why? Your proposal is essentially your business plan how you are going to sell your book and it contains information which never appears in your manuscript yet is critical to the publishing process.

 

I worked with Misty Taggart at Trailer to the Stars to create a 60–second book trailer and you can watch it here.  In addition, I've reworked my old website with new information and a new free book proposal checklist ebook. In recent years I have participated in different launch teams for new books. I'm working with launch manager Tammy Karasek on the details of this book launch. I'm writing to ask if you will join my launch team for Book Proposals That $ell which releases on October 5th. 

 

My launch team will have a limited number of people. You will have access to our private Facebook group, drawings for prizes, special images to use and much more. The first step in this process is to fill out the launch application (which should only take you a few minutes).  

 

Through the years, I've helped a number of other authors as I've read and reviewed their books. I hope you will consider helping me to successfully launch Book Proposals That $ell. You have to apply to join the launch team and fill out the launch application. Thank you in advance for your consideration and help. Hope to see you in our private Facebook group.

 

Have you ever launched a book with a launch team? Or maybe you have participated in a launch team? Let me know in the comments below. 

 

Tweetable:

It takes a team to launch a book. This prolific editor and author needs your help to launch his next book. Here's the details how you can join this launch team. (ClickToTweet)

Why Writers Need Lead Magnets

"Likes" on Facebook is one type of Lead Magnet

John Kremer, the author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Book, says publishing is about building relationships. From my experience, often, who you know is as important as what you know. Yes you have to write an outstanding proposal and manuscript (foundational) but reaching the right person and readers with your writing is a key part of the publishing process.

One of the ways you build relationships is through consistent and regular communication. As I've mentioned in these articles in the past, every writer needs to be growing an email list. Whether you write fiction or children's books or nonfiction, you still need an email list. If you don't have a list of wonder how to begin one, I have an inexpensive ebook called The List Building Tycoon.

The focus of this article is on creating a lead magnet. A lead magnet is a list-building device. For someone to get the desired object (more on what they can be in a minute), this person has to give you their first name and email address. In exchange for them giving you their email address, then they join your email list. On every email list, the subscriber has the option to unsubscribe. Each time I send out to my list, people unsubscribe. It's part of the process and nothing personal. You want people on your email list who want to be there so you want to give them the ability to unsubscribe.

To create a lead magnet, first focus on your readers and the type of people you want to attract. What do they need that you can provide for them? Is it an ebook? Is it a teleseminar? Is it a video?

Lead magnets are tools to get people to subscribe to your list. I have a number of these types of tools:

Free Ebooks

Straight Talk From the Editor, 18 Keys to A Rejection-Proof Submission

Platform-Building Ideas for Every Author

Get More Mileage from Your Content

Free lists of information

My free list of over 400 literary agents (addresses, websites, phone numbers, emails)

Free teleseminars and training

AskSteveLaube.com

AskBobBly.com

AskTerryWhalin.com

YourBookReviewed.com

AskBuildBookBuzz.com

many others

There is not a single way to create these lead magnets. Some people do it with a simple video. The key is to have multiple ways for people to sign up for your email list. Then you have to promote these lead magnets on social media to encourage people to get your information. If you follow me on Twitter, you will notice I cycle through a number of these lead magnets through my Twitter stream (which also shows up on LinkedIn and Facebook). Nothing happens overnight but consistent action will build into something powerful which you can use to touch your audience and readers.

Do you have a lead magnet or a number of lead magnets? How are you promoting these lead magnets? Let me know in the comments below.

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A Place to Get Publishing Answers

It is a challenge for writers to get answers to their publishing questions.  While there are many opportunities, editors and agents are often overwhelmed with email and physical mail—so they do not respond. Your submissions go into a black hole (no response) or you receive a form rejection letter which basically says “thanks but no thanks” or “your submission was not a fit for us” (no information or insight about the reasons). I understand the reasons for these form letters but they don't give you the specifics that you need.

I want to tell you about a place to get answers. One place I blogged about last week, the Christian Writer's Market Guide. For more than 25 years, The Christian Writer's Market Guide has been the most comprehensive and highly recommended resource on the market for Christian writers, agents, editors, publishers, publicists, and writing teachers. In addition to providing a wealth of ideas and tips for publishing in the Christian industry, The 2017 Christian Writer's Market Guide also includes up-to-date information on more than 200 book publishers, more than 200 periodicals, and 70 literary agents, contests, conferences, editorial services, niche markets, self-publishing services, and more. This is the ultimate reference tool for Christian writers. I blogged more details about this book here.

Have you heard of Steve Laube?

To refresh your memory, Steve Laube is a literary agent and the president of The Steve Laube Agency. He has been in the book industry for over 35 years, first as a bookstore manager where he was awarded the National Store of the year by the Christian Booksellers Association. Then Steve spent a decade with Bethany House Publishers and was named the Editor of the Year. Later he became an agent where he has
represented nearly 1,000 new books and was named Agent of the Year by the American Christian Fiction Writers. In addition, Steve is the publisher at Enclave Publishing, an imprint of Gilead Publishing, and also serves as president and owner of The Christian Writers Institute.

Why am I telling you this?

I'm telling you this because I have convinced Steve Laube to grill him during a LIVE  70-minute telewebcast on Tuesday, January 17th!

* * * Here's Our Small Request * * *

Rather than have the “content” to come out of my head (or Steve's head) for the January 17, 2017 telewebcast at  5 p.m. PDT / 8:00 p.m. EDT, I have decided to let you ask Steve a question.

Sound fair?

So, if you could ask Steve ANY question you wanted about publishing for the Christian writer, what would your question be?

Here's your chance to ask Steve directly and get registered for the call on Tuesday, January 17, 2017 (starts promptly according to www.Time.gov).

Click the link below:

http://www.askstevelaube.com

* * Get a FREE Ebook, Book Proposal Tips & Tricks * * 

You will receive a 47-page Ebook, Book Proposal Tips & Tricks. It's FREE if you ask a question and
register for this telewebcast.

Click the link below:

http://www.askstevelaube.com

After your question gets submitted, you'll find out how to get phone access and webcast access to Steve Laube and I for the LIVE telewebcast,  January 17, 2017.

If you can't make the time of the call, please go ahead and sign up anyway. The entire teleseminar will be recorded and EVERYONE who signs up will receive an email with the replay link. Also if you sign up, you will be able to download the FREE Ebook right away.

I look forward to speaking with you on Tuesday as we answer your questions about writing for the Christian marketplace.

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Four Ways To Use An Essential Reference Book

For over 20 years, I’ve been actively writing and publishing in the Christian market with magazines and books. The professionals (editors and agents) are constantly changing. New publications enter the market and old long established magazines fold. For many years, one of the best resources for keeping track of these shifts was THE CHRISTIAN WRITERS MARKET GUIDE. This annual publication contained the latest information packed into one book. Sally E. Stuart was the creator of this resource for many years. Then several years ago, she sold the market guide to bestselling author Jerry B. Jenkins. The last guide from Jenkins was dated 2015 to 2016—which means the last time the information was updated in late 2014 or three years ago.

I’m delighted to see THE CHRISTIAN WRITERS MARKET GUIDE 2017 from Steve Laube. A well-known Christian publishing professional, Steve has brought this new version back to the market with new tech innovation—a monthly subscription to get the latest updates online. I’ll admit to being old school and love using the printed book resource.

As Laube writes in the introduction, “While it may seem like the industry is shrinking, in reality, it is simply changing. Thus you have to research more to find the best place for your work to shine. One of the biggest mistakes a writer can make is to ignore the guidelines of an agent, a publisher or an editor. Some publishers even dropped their listing in this guide due to writers failing to follow the instructions posted on their website or in here. Editors are looking for writers who understand their periodicals or publishing houses and their unique approaches to the marketplace. This book will help you be such a writer. With a little time and effort, you can meet an editor’s expectations, distinguish yourself as a professional, and sell what you write.” (Page ix)

The volume is divided into five sections: book publishers, independent book publishing, periodical publishers, specialty markets, and support for writers (agents, conferences, writers groups, editorial services, publicity and marketing services and contests.

As the back cover proclaims, “Over 1,000 listings including more than 200 book publishers, 200 periodical publishers, 70 agents, 100 freelance editors, and much, much more!” This annual volume and current update is a goldmine of information and opportunity to the Christian writer—but only if you get a copy and follow the information in it. I highly recommend this new resource.

Besides giving you some information about the book, I want to conclude this article with four ways you can use this reference book.

1. Discover new magazine markets in the section called Periodical Publishers. As a writer, you need to follow the guidelines. This refrain to follow the guidelines made repeatedly throughout the book. Why? Many writers ignore the guidelines, then they wonder why they got rejected. If you follow the guidelines, you will stand out in a positive way—and be successful as a writer. When the magazine requests “query only” then learn to write and send a query. If they want the complete article, then send the article. Besides discovering new magazines, you can also be reminded about other publications where you can get published. This section is packed with possibilities for every Christian writer. 

2. Locate a book publisher. Other authors are looking for a book publisher and this section of the guide has the latest and up to date information about publishers. Some publishers require a literary agent while others do not. Use this section to make sure what you are sending is what the publisher is asking to get from you.

3. Select a writer's conference. The Market Guide includes a comprehensive list of conferences, dates, location, number of attendees and much more. Again this resource is valuable for every writer to attend the conference which best fits their particular need.

4. Locate a literary agent. The Market Guide includes a great list of agents with their contact information and what they are looking to represent.

The key for these different ideas is to use the book. If you get the book (first step) and it sits on your bookshelf without use, then you don't propel your writing life forward.   

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Increase Your Learning with Your Flash Drive

Through the years, I've collected a number of flash drives. Sometimes I will attend a writers' conference and all of the sessions (even those I miss) are sold on a flash drive. Often these flash drives will pile up in my desk drawer. How do I find the time to listen to this material?

In May I taught on the faculty and they offered the entire conference without cost. I know these audio files contain valuable teaching insights for every writer. The files came as an online download and I put them in a folder with the conference name on a flash drive. Because I used the flash drive, these files are portable and don't fill my main computer. 

In the past, I've mentioned about using the Bluetooth feature of my car audio and listening to audio books. My car has a USB connection on the dashboard that until recently I had never used. With the flash drive which contained the audios from the writers' conference, I turned on my car and plugged it into the port.

Touching the “files” on my dashboard, I saw all of the audio MP3 files from the flash drive. Last weekend, I drove 45 minutes to an hour to a writers' meeting in Colorado Springs.  Instead of listening to an audio book, I listened to several teaching files from the flash drive.

Steve Laube, founder of The Steve Laube Agency, taught a workshop titled, “Do I Need a Literary Agent?” While much of the information was familiar, I enjoyed hearing Steve's stories and insights on the audio file. My time in the car passed quickly and I was learning from my flash drive.

Also I heard another literary agent, David Van Diest, teach on the elements of a book proposal. While I have a bestselling book on this topic called Book Proposals That $ell, there is always more to learn on this subject from this seasoned publishing colleague. David has worked in marketing and other aspects inside publishers as well as run his own agency for many years.

To be honest, I have many more hours of teaching to catch on these audio files. Instead of never hearing them or leaving them stuck in my desk, through using the flash drive, these files are actively on my car audio system. Whether I'm driving a long distance or only across town, I can grab a few more minutes of writing instruction.

Through this experience, I've been reminded of a simple principle: There Are Many Different Ways to Learn Information. Some of us learn best through reading. Others learn through actually doing while still others are audio learners. 

I'm glad I decided to explore how to use the USB port on my car dashboard. Now I have one more flexible way to learn in my car. Bestselling author Zig Ziglar recommended turning your car into a “rolling university.” 

You probably have some of these audio files on your computer. Can you transfer them to a flash drive then begin listening to this instruction in your car? Getting the information is the first step, then apply the information to your own writing life.

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When You Hit A Bad Day

Let's face it head on. Everyone has a bad day. You know what I'm talking about. 

When you walk out to your car and see the tire is flat—and naturally you are trying to rush off to some important meeting.

Or your computer crashes in the middle of an important rewrite on an article or book and you lose hours of work because you didn't back it up. 

Or you get sick and land in bed. Or someone in your family gets sick. Or a dear friend suddenly dies.

Or a friend or a co-worker promises they will do something—and they don't. So it creates huge amounts of unexpected work for you or a project you were counting on completing didn't happen.

These various possibilities that I just listed are a fraction of what happens to everyone. The unexpected happens to each of us with our writing and publishing lives. 

Here's the critical question for you: when you meet one of these difficulties, does it totally derail you so you don't complete what needs to be written. Or do you rise to the challenge and continue forward with your writing?

Something derails writing for a day. Do you shake it off and return to it the next day? Or do you set it aside and say, the time must not be right? There is a time and place to persevere. 

This month many publications and programs have been celebrating the storied career of journalist Barbara Walters. At 84, she is retiring this week from 17 years on The View. This week I read an article about Barbara Walters in AARP magazine, which claims have the world's largest circulation at 24.4 million (more than three times the circulation of Reader's Digest).

In the AARP article called What I Know Now: Barbara Walters, she shares the secrets of her success saying, “I think the secret of my success is that I persevered. I didn't give up. I didn't say, 'This is a lousy job, and I'm unhappy, and I'm going to quit.' I went through the tough times, and they were tough. And I was fortunate that I came out the other end.” I admire Barbara Walter's perseverance.

Recently my agent friend Steve Laube wrote an article What to do when technology fails? I did feel bad for the author who lost the entire manuscript on a computer the day it was due at the publisher. As a result the book was canceled. Buried in the story was the fact the author had missed the third extension. What happened in the case of the first two extensions? This story wasn't told.

About ten years ago when I started working as an editor on the inside of publishing houses, I learned that writers are notoriously late. I've often been the editor who the author calls and tells about their bad day then asks for an extension. Publishers know about bad days so they often build some flexibility into the deadline.

Yet writers should not count on that flexibility or extension. Here's how to distinguish yourself as a writer and make editors love you: turn in your writing when you promise to turn it in—with excellence.

It's one of the elements that I've done over and over with my writing deadlines—met them. I recall writing one section of a book where I stayed at my computer all night in order to meet the deadline. At that time, I had a full-time editorial job and I had taken on a book project to write. 

When I didn't come to bed, in the middle of the night my wife came down to my office to see if everything was OK. Everything was fine except I had to meet a deadline and did not make it to bed that particular night. I fired off my deadline material to the editor, cleaned up and went off to my full-time job. Yes, I drank some extra caffeine that day and was tired but I delivered what I promised to the editor and put in a full day at work. I've only done it once so I don't make a regular habit of such actions. 

How do you handle bad days? Does it derail you so you don't complete what needs to be written or do you shake it off and continue?