How to Handle Editorial Trauma

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Over the last few days, I have been in editorial trauma. It has happened to me over and over in my years in publishing. I don't like to be here but it is a reality of this business. Every writer needs an editor (or maybe a series of editors) to help you with your blindspots, raise questions where information is missing and improve what you are publishing. Whether you are writing for a traditional publisher or self-publishing, this editor is a critical partner in producing excellent work.

Months ago on deadline, I completed a book manuscript, which is one of the first books in a series from this publisher. My book will be published later this year and during those silent months, the publisher was evaluating and talking about the pattern for their series. Whenever you write one of the first books in a series of books, there will be revisions and bumps in the process. I've been working through those bumps this past week and it has not been easy work.

No matter who the publisher or editor, the process is fairly straightforward. You write your manuscript in Microsoft Word, then the editor turns on the tracking feature in Word and edits. If they have questions or need you to fix something, then the editor adds a comment into the margin which looks like a little post-it on the screen. As the writer, my role is to go through these questions and answer each one to the best of my ability. When I am asked for additional information, I add it. When something needs clarification, I clarify. It's the detailed and important work for the book to be excellent. While I understand this truth, it doesn't make the process any easier to complete successfully.

It has been months since I focused on the content for this book. The publisher eliminated some of the features (narrowed them) and added a section or two (which now I have to complete).

Several lessons for you when you are in the middle of this editorial process:

1. The editor's questions are professional and not personal. It is all about the work and producing excellent work for the reader. I've worked with this editor for years and admire his editorial skill—even if I don't like answering all of the questions—I answer them anyway and rewrite and improve my book.

2. The process is messy at times. I've had to do additional research to answer some of the questions and dig into some reference books on my shelf. I've worked long hours at my keyboard with a screen covered with questions and editorial marks.

3. It is all part of the process of making excellent books which touch lives and help readers. It does not have to be easy (because it isn't). If it were easy, everyone would do it.

4. I know I will get through this editorial trauma—eventually. As much as I've been through this process over the years, I look at some of those questions and to myself say, “Enough with all these questions.” Then I get up and take a few minutes away from my screen. I return to it and keep moving forward and making the requested changes and adjustments. The mansucript is finite and I will get through it.

5. Excellent publishing is a team sport. You can certainly design your own cover, edit your own book and self-publish. Unless you are a multi-talented person, I suspect your book will be hard to sell, receive little positive feedback and probably few sales. There are exceptions to these statements but overall we need each other to succeed. However you publish, you will have different people on your team who are experts in their part of the process.

6. I learn a great deal each time I go through this process. I've published many articles and books over the years but I am still growing as a writer and learn as I answer these questions. Months ago I worked hard on the manuscript that I turned in—but now with this additional work, it will be even better. I can absorb the lessons from the questions and improve my next manuscript.

I'm going back to my editorial work and determined to keep moving through it and answer every question to get this manuscript back to my editor. Then the book can move into copy editing, proofreading and eventually printing then distribution to the bookstores.

The reality is we don't have to like every part of the publishing process—but we do need to understand it and work our way through it to produce an excellent book. I hope this article has helped you understand it is not easy to produce excellent books but each of us with persistence (and some patience) can do it.

Have you been through this editorial trauma process? What tips and insights do you have to get through it? Let me know in the comments below.

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Unfinished Business

My work in publishing is like an unfinished puzzle.

I’ve worked at three publishers as an acquisitions editor. For the last six years, I've been acquiring books at Morgan James Publishing.  There is one key lesson that I’ve learned: You are never caught up—yes never. Unfinished business is a part of the work.

There is always more email to answer and more phone calls to make and more to be done. While I am never caught up, I continue to work on the priorities. For example, an author yesterday sent me an email objecting to some things about the Morgan James publishing program and essentially told me that she was going to pass on our contract offer. I wrote a detailed response, answering each of her concerns (that she mentioned) and offering a revised and improved contract. She appreciated the effort and is looking at it  again. Will it work to convince her to sign with Morgan James? That decision has not  been rendered but I hope so. At least I’m doing my part to persist and not give up.

Each author has to decide what they are going to do. Some authors make quick decisions while others look at many different publishers and options before they return to Morgan James and decide fo sign. The path to publication varies for each author. From my years in publishing, I understand our publishing model at Morgan James is different and part of my responsibility is to highlight those differences so the author understands the value. After they understand, they can choose to go elsewhere but I’ve served them with the information. We work hard at answering authors questions and helping them in any way that we can. From my experience no publisher does enough for their  authors but we certainly do more than many publishers.

The best publishing isn’t done alone. Yes more than a million books were self-published last year. The best publishing is a team effort—getting the best title and cover design and shape of the book then selling that book to the bookstores as a team. We show the covers to our sales people and get their feedback. The team is always able to make better decisions than an individual from  my experience.

As an editor, I have books in many different stages of the process. Some authors have signed with the publishing  house and their books are in production. Other authors have not signed but are considering signing. Other authors have just submitted their materials and I’m pitching or championing their manuscript to my colleagues to see if I can get them a book contract. While I am respected and build the best possible case with my colleagues, I don’t always succeed. Some of my pitches are rejected and do not receive contracts. The process is all part of that consensus-building process that I was telling you about.

Other times I get push back from my colleagues asking about the author’s connections and marketing plans. I attempt to gather as much of those connections and marketing plans in my pitch to my colleagues but sometimes my words are not enough and need more from the author. This week I went back to an author and asked for more details. They are working on those details and as soon as I have them I will share them with my colleagues. The back and forth is all part of the process.

As I tell every author, the publisher is investing a large amount of money in the creation, production and marketing of the book. If the author is not engaged in this process and selling books to their connections, then no one succeeds. The publisher and the author lose money in the process.

Book selling has several key components in my view:

1. The book has to have great contents and read well.

2. The book cover design and interior have to look high quality and inviting.

3. The book has to be properly distributed so readers can purchase the book. For example, Morgan James not only gets the book on Amazon but also on 1800 other online distributors. They not only sell the book online but also in brick and mortar bookstores.

4. Yet a forgotten key element is the author drives the readers to the bookstore to purchase the book. If the author doesn’t drive readers to the bookstore, then the books are returned to the publisher—and no one sells books.

As an editor, there is always more to be done—more to promote and more to pitch. Yet also as an author, I can always be doing more too. The work is never finished and it’s one of the elements that people like me who work in publishing have to keep in mind. We get up every day and do our best to complete the work and move things  forward in this process. 

Because we are imperfect humans, the process is imperfect. Occasionally we hear from our readers about the impact of our books and our work and how they have changed people’s lives. Far too often we never hear about the impact of our books and our writing. That’s where the faith element is publishing enters the picture. We do the best we can each day and leave the rest in God’s hands.

Do you have unfinished business as a writer? How are you handling it? Tell us in the comments below.

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Learn the Business of Writing

How do you learn the business details of the writing world and which tools to use? From my years of attending writers' conferences, this information is important to your success as a writer—yet rarely taught.

Later this month, I will be in Orlando, Florida teaching Business Tools for Every Writer.  Much of what I've learned has been in the school of hard knocks—trial and error.  Some of what I will be teaching is attitude and daily approach. Without a plan or a haphazard plan, you are certain to hit nothing. If you can’t make this session, I encourage you to look over my speaking schedule and try to connect in person at another event.

Part of the challenge of the writing life is there is no single path to success or a bestselling book. If an exact formula existed, then publishers and authors would use it every time with a guaranteed result. It does not exist. Instead there are principles and actions each of us can attempt for our own books and our own writing life. Then we can see which ones are relevant and useful and which ones are not appropriate for you.

Whether you are aware of it or not, you are constantly making business decisions related to your writing. For example, when someone wants to buy your book, do you send the customer to Amazon (or some other online bookstore) or do it yourself? While I've written more than 60 books for traditional publishers, I've selected several books which I sell myself. If you look at my book page for  

In the last few weeks, I purchased all of the remaining copies of my bestselling book, Book Proposals That Sell, 21 Secrets to Speed Your Success. The book has over 130 Five Star reviews on Amazon but don't buy the book there. Why? I've purchased every remaining copy from my publisher, built my own website, slashed the price from $15 to $8, created new bonuses if you buy the book from me, written my website (at 
http://BookProposalsThatSell.com) and much more.

Yesterday, someone purchased the book. I took a few minutes, printed a label, printed a packing slip, packed up the book. Tomorrow I'm headed to my post office to send this book via media mail. In this process, I made a number of business decisions. I'm making more money on the book sale. The money is coming directly to me and not to my former publisher (who paid royalties once a year—which is typical). Finally I'm putting out more effort to send the book myself instead of sending it to a bookseller or a third party. Also the person who purchased the book is on my email list, gets my follow-up bonuses and makes a personal connection with me—which never happens if they buy the book from someone else.

These small business decisions are rarely taught—but critical to your own success. First, I encourage you to be aware of these decisions, then stop occasionally and evaluate these choices. Is it time to go in a different direction or add a new tool or let go of a tool which is not working? It is important to learn the craft of writing and storytelling. Yet it is also important to handle the business aspects of the writing life. 

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Shocking News For Authors

The Book Business Is A Business First

Before I began working inside a book publishing house, I had written more than 50 nonfiction books, ranging from children's to adult books. I have never self-published a book and always worked through traditional publishers. 


However, I was unaware of the financial production numbers for nonfiction books 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 time frame. The cost of tying up financial resources in storing and warehousing books that aren't selling is large. 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 nonfiction 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.

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 business people 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.

Editor note: This article is an excerpt from my bestselling book, Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets to Speed Your Success. It has over 130 Five Star Amazon reviews but don't get it from Amazon. Recently I've purchased the remaining copies and cut the retail price from $15 to $8. I've added bonuses and much more. Get it direct from me at: http://BookProposalsThatSell.com Take action today because supplies are limited.

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How to Increase Website Traffic and Why Links Matter

Editor's Note: I'd like to welcome my friend, author and business expert Stephanie Chandler who is a guest blogger today. Earlier this year, I wrote about her excellent Own Your Niche. Today you will read an excerpt from the book. If you hurry and click this link, you can get a FREE Ebook copy of Stephanie's book. It's a limited offer so do it today.

By Stephanie Chandler

Links within your website and pointing to your website from other sites can have an important impact on your overall optimization with the search engines.

Inbound Links

One of the criteria that the search engines use to rank website pages is the number of inbound links pointing to your website from other websites. More importantly, they look at how many links from high-traffic websites are pointing to your pages. If a popular website features a link to your site, it shows the search engines that your site is relevant.

Other important incoming links are from industry-related sites. When another site in a related industry features a link to your site, it helps Google see your site’s relevance. For example, a website that covers news about the spa industry would be an ideal link to have pointing to a salon and spa site.

Government sites (with a .gov extension) and education sites (with a .edu extension) also have high priority with the search engines. If you’re able to get incoming links from any of these sites, it can help your ranking.

The key to success here is to make sure your link is listed in as many places as possible.

Where to Promote Your Website Link:

• Update the free online profiles provided by any trade organizations that you belong to by including your website link.
• Ask colleagues and business partners to swap links with you. They can publish your link on a “Recommended Resources” or similar page on their site, and you can do the same in return.
• Publish articles and include your bio and website link. The more articles you push out across the internet, the more links you will have pointing back to your site. The same is true for guest blog posts.
• Engage in social media sites, including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
• Take advantage of every opportunity you can find to post your link online!
• Some services offer to add lots of inbound links to your site—beware! Adding dozens of links at once can be viewed by the search engines as spam, and many of these services are scams in their own right.
• It takes time to get your link out there, so always be on the lookout for opportunities to add links.

Anchored Links

An anchored link is a link to a web page that is embedded in text. For example, when “Click here for more information” is an active hyperlink to a web page, it is an anchored link.

Anchored links are a boon for SEO because they tell the search engines what content is found on the linked page. 

Because of this, links should incorporate keywords instead of the generic “Click here” example.

For example, a high-traffic site with a link embedded in the text to “Visit Happy Times Day Spa in Toledo, Ohio” would be an ideal anchored link.

The hardest part of this strategy is getting others to link back to your site in the first place, and then to do so with an anchored link. But because anchored links are so valuable, it’s worth your time to ask your link partners to do this whenever possible.

You can also weave anchored links throughout your own site to the different pages within your site. For example, from your primary services page, you could include a link that says, “Find out more about massage therapy services.” You can also incorporate anchored links on your home page in addition to your site navigation links.

The above is an excerpt from the book: Own Your Niche: Hype-Free Internet Marketing Tactics to Establish Authority in Your Field and Promote Your Service-Based Business by Stephanie Chandler.

Get the Entrepreneur Attitude

As you think about your writing life, do you think of yourself as an entrepreneur? For many writers, it is a huge step for them to wear the name of writer or author. 

Maybe you have written for years and are starting to get some magazine articles published but never written a book. Or maybe you have gotten your first book published but few people have purchased it. Or maybe your writing life is chugging along with a few articles each year and a few newspaper articles but not much else to talk about. Yes, you attend a conference or two each year but aren't earning much from your writing and you definitely aren't in a position to quit your day job. If you click this link, you will learn about six well-known authors who did not quit their day job.

How do you make this attitude adjustment? One key step is to begin to think of yourself as an entrepreneur and small business person—yes as a writer. Recently I read a great book on this topic, The Reluctant Entrepreneur by Michael Masterson.

In the first chapter, Masterson sets a new definition for Entrepreneur. He adds the modifier “Reluctant” and the combination makes for a fascinating and compelling book full of insights.

To begin your own business, you do not have to risk everything or quit your day job or feel like you have to parachute out of an airplane. Instead you can take limited risk and calculated steps which can lead to a successful new business.

Michael Masterson charts the course for every reader in this well-written book. Bring your highlighter because if you are like me, you will regularly be marking different pages to return to them for action. Each chapter has well-drawn lessons with experienced insights.

Many readers can gain from a careful reading and personal application of this material. I loved the critical question which begins the second chapter, “Most would-e entrepreneurs are motivated by an idea—an idea for some great new product. But they almost never ask themselves the big question: Is this the kind of product I can actually sell?” (page 21) Then he continues, “There is only one way to find out if your product is good, and that is to start selling it. The sooner you start selling it, the faster you will know. (Most products, it turns out, are not as good as the inventor—or her son—thinks they are.)” (page 23)

A careful reading and application of this material to your own business ideas will cut years of rabbit trails and failure from your life. Instead you can follow the well-worth path to success that successful business man and multi-millionaire Michael Masterson has blazed for readers through The Reluctant Entrepreneur. 

When Authors Need A Form

In my life as a writer, I need a legal form from time to time. For example, when I have to bill for a job, I need an invoice. When I work with a collaborator, I need a collaboration agreement. When I'm going to give an estimate, I need a form to give this estimate in a professional way.

Where do I turn? I can search online and maybe cobble something together that will work for the need. Normally I reach for Business and Legal Forms for Authors and Self-Publishers by Tad Crawford. In one convenient place, this book lists 25 different forms and includes the negotiation checklist for each form.

I'm not an attorney. When it comes to publishing matters, not just any attorney will do because the language and issues for publishing is a specialized area. You need someone skilled in this area. Crawford has worked in publishing law for many years and put together a terrific resource. I've actually purchased this book several times over the years because it has evolved into different versions. The most recent version includes the forms on CD-ROM in three different formats (Word, rich text format and PDF).

When I need a form, I will put the disk into my computer, pull up the form, modify it then send it to the other party. The forms aren't perfect and my long-term literary attorney friend doesn't like them because she believes each case is different and there is no one-size-fits-all form. Yet I also realize that boilerplate contract language is common throughout publishing. For my use, these forms work for my simple need. This resource may help you as well.

The Crux of Good Business

It may seem pretty basic but if you are going to work in the communication business, you need to work at this thing called communication. It seems like I need to work at it every day--even when I don't want to work at it.

Recently one of my customers wrote and said, “This EBook has not been up to my expectations and I wish to request a refund. I don't believe the content was substantial enough to merit the $39 cost.”

The comment made me a bit angry and I wanted to come back in protest. After all I had sold many copies of this same Ebook around the world without a single person asking for a refund. Wasn't it my “right” to protest such a request?

Instead I dropped it and simply refunded the money. On my website, I have a “no questions asked refund policy.” It says that if you ask for a refund, then I refund the money. It’s straightforward and simple.

This customer had requested a refund so I was going to return the money. Within the hour, I sent the money along with this note to the customer, “I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you this time. I hope to work with you again later on.”

Notice my comment leaves the door open for this customer to return and purchase another product from me at a later date.

Over the years in business, I’ve learned several important lessons in this area of customer service which are important for every business person.

1. Never burn a bridge. Relationships are critical and it is important for you to take steps to preserve your relationship. Someone may return a product today but become a major monthly client if you handle the return properly. It is never worth burning a bridge with some snappy comeback.

2. Always deliver prompt customer service. When someone emails me about a product, I try and answer within 24 hours. I don’t care if I’m traveling and away from home or where I am when I get the request. I quickly send a response. If I can resolve it, then I try and resolve it. If I need to explain that I’m on the road and will resolve it in the next day, then I send that message. My customers deserve a timely response.

When I have a customer service issue with a product or service, I’m expecting a prompt response. As Jesus said in Matthew 7:12, “Do unto others as you want them to do unto you.” It’s called the Golden Rule for a reason.

3. Be certain to respond. Whether the customer service issue is someone asking for one of my free products or someone asking to return a product that they have purchased, I attempt to deliver prompt customer service. I have a simple principle: when someone write or calls, I call them back or email them in response. In today’s world it is shocking the lack of response from vendors. If you take this simple step, it will distinguish you from the others.

Communication and quick resolution will pay off for you and build rapport which will preserve your reputation and build trust.

Here's the “rest of the story.” The Ebook that I'm talking about was Writing For The Christian Market. Recently I was talking with som

eone about a Christian publishing company and the way they treated their customers. The person I was talking with was not a Christian but he complained, "This company talks all over their site about God and uses that reason why people should use their company. Because they are Christians, I hold them to a higher standard of excellence." While I didn't turn the discussion into one about faith and standards, I agreed with the person.

What are you doing to foster or hinder good communication in your writing life? That connection is critical in many different areas of life and it was a good reminder for me.

Discover The Missing Piece

Are you missing a critical piece of your business? If you are a small business owner, speaker, coach or consultant, according to Sophfronia Scott, you need a book. In fact, you can build your business around a book.

Wednesday evening, I will be interviewing Sophfronia but I want to ask your questions so now is your chance to watch me grill this journalist who spent over twenty years writing and editing for People and Time. When she published her first novel, "All I Need to Get By" with St. Martin’s Press in 2004, one prominent reviewer referred to Sophfronia as potentially "one of the best writers of her generation." Sophfronia holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Harvard. In her current position as executive editor of The Done For You Writing & Publishing Company, Sophfronia helps entrepreneurs and speakers to write and publish books to promote their businesses.

Whether you have a question or not, go over to AskSophfronia and sign up. You will receive a free copy of her special report, The Missing Piece which you can instantly download.

Hope to speak with you on Wednesday.

Calm in the Hoopla

From the moment you walked into the room at Mega Book Marketing University, the conference was unlike any other that I've attended. The large ballroom wasn't set up with simply chairs. It included tables in a classroom like environment. When you registered, everyone was given a large three-ring binder notebook which became a tool throughout the three-day experience. Each keynote speaker had their own section of the notebook. Some speakers included fill-in-the-blank types of notes while others simply included their powerpoint and space for notes. Others had blank pages for notetaking.

Each major session began with loud inspirational music combined with cheering and applause. Each of the speakers had a unique perspective on the book business and different insight about it. Over 650 people registered for this conference. Two key facts emerged to me from the overall conference. The first point is one that I've emphasized repeatedly in these entries about the writing life: the book business is just that--a business. Yes, people have inspiration and creativity but they also need to be using the best and latest business techniques to enhance and improve their business. A second key was meeting some extremely successful people in the business. Each of them had a commitment to giving back to the community from their abundance. At the speaker dinner on Thursday night, Mark Victor Hansen, co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books (over 144 million in print), talked about eradicating world poverty. Now there is a major goal.

Besides the speakers, I met a number of remarkable people one on one. After the hoopla, the key will be the follow-up and results which happen from such a conference. How will I apply the information into my daily living? Will I be one of the small percentage of people who do more than have a great experience? I want to be one of the people who apply the information to my writing life. There are some terrific conferences which are happening in the months ahead. I'll be attending several of them and participating in various ways. The key from my view will be in the application.

Build New Business

The article addressed booksellers but I was instantly interested in the topic: Booksellers: Tips for Building New Business by Janet Switzer in the February 5th issue of Publishers Weekly. I knew Switzer's name associated with marketing Chicken Soup for the Soul.

While this article is addresses to booksellers, much of the information can easily be applied to writers--at least writers who are working at their craft more like a business than a hobby. Switzer is a skilled marketer who has sold millions of books. Next month she has a new McGraw-Hill book, Instant Income. Notice the planning that went into this article. It's targeted to a niche audience for Publishers Weekly and it appears immediately following one of the most read sections of the magazine (the various bestseller lists).

The online version of the article includes an active link at the end of the first paragraph along with this sentence: Switzer also has developed an entire book signing promotion kit for bookstores, at http://www.instantincomebooksigning.com/. I clicked the link and when I reached this landing page, I signed up for her Instant Income Book Promotion Kit. It is a fascinating study in a smart campaign with great tools for any retailer to use and promote her book which releases next month. Notice how each item in the package considers her audience (retailers) and is targeted to them with useful tools.

I've seen too many book authors not enter the process until too late or with too little energy. Then they are surprised with the lack luster sales results. It will take consistent work on your part--just like you've had to work at learning to write a book proposal or other parts of the writing business. I appreciated this post from John Jantsch, the author of Duct Tape Marketing who asks, "How Long Should It Take For My Marketing To Work?" It's not a one time event but something you work at for the long haul.

Let's return to Janet Switzer's article for the writer and I’m going to ask a few probing questions for you. Are you targeting your book proposal to a specific category and niche of buyer? Are you working to create media events around the launch of your books or your travel plans to other places? In Switzer's materials, she's open to scheduling a teleseminar for a "informative virtual booksigning." I'm sure she qualifies these teleseminars to make sure the audience is going to be substantial.

The other key points of her article can also be developed for writers with a little creative spin. Are you working to open new doors and build new business for your writing? It's more of a lifestyle mentality than a one time event.