Explore Your Publishing Options

 

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

The book publishing community is in constant motion and change. While they may not feel like it on the surface, authors have a great deal of control and options in this process. The roots of it are understanding your choices then making good ones. I admit is is not easy and there are lots of options. In this article, I want to help you explore your options and talk about some of the pitfalls. If you take one of the pitfalls you can waste a lot of money and time.  

Look at Your Assumptions

Many authors don’t explore their options because they have signed with a literary agent and expect this agent to connect them with a publisher. Agents do great work but they don’t sell 100% of their submissions. Is this agent giving you what you expect? If not, then talk with the agent and if that process isn’t satisfactory, then think about making a change. I’ve contracted books with authors who have spent a length time chasing an agent or working with an agent without results. During that period, their book could have been published and gotten out into the market--but they made some different choices and didn’t explore their publishing options.

Other authors have heard the advice, “Never pay to get published.” There is some degree of wisdom in that statement but it is not 100% correct in my view and this opinion can prevent you from exploring other possibilities.

Many Possibilities for Publishing

For many years I published books through traditional publishers. These companies produced attractive books and got them into bookstores. If you write a book proposal or have a literary agent or pitch the right person at a writer’s conference, you can still be published through a traditional house. This option is not without some cautions. You give up your “right” to title your book, when the book will release and many other publishing details. I speak with authors who are frustrated because their books are only on Amazon and not in the other online bookstores like Barnes & Noble or even Target. 

No publisher is perfect but if you hear these sorts of concerns from authors, they give you pause to work with these companies. Speak with people who publish with these companies and listen to their experiences before you jump in the wrong direction.

Self-publish is another option. Using this option is limiting in my view because you are responsible for every aspect of the creation, marketing and distribution of your book. If you do not choose wisely, you can spend a lot of money with little possible return. 

The independent or hybrid publisher is another possibility. For 12 years I’ve worked for Morgan James Publishing. If you google the name, you can easily find a few complaints. Here’s the truth, every publisher has people who complain about them. What I know from working on the inside of Morgan James Publishing is that our system is strong. Our books are sold around the world with an excellent appearance. In the last 21 years, Morgan James Publishing has produced over 5,000 titles or about 180 to 200 books a year. The reputation of the company for excellence is solid and has integrity. 

There is no cost (other than time) to the exploration process. I have authors who get a Morgan James book contract and decline it. Timing is a key part of the process and maybe it was not the right time for this author and this book. I’ve had a several authors return to me after months or even several years asking if Morgan James would now publish their book. I check with my colleagues and I discover the answer is yes. We revise our contract with a new date and anything else that has changed such as the author’s address. Then the author signs their contract and their book gets into production and scheduled for release in the bookstores. 

There are many different possibilities for publishing your book. My encouragement is to not place limitations on what you can or can’t do. Instead explore the options, make a selection and move ahead. There are many different paths but your consistency and perserverance make a huge difference in the process. If I can help you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. What am I missing in this exploration process? Let me know in the comments below. 

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Why Social Media Is Important

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

When writers begin to submit to book publishers, they are often surprised with the questions about social media and their specific numbers on various platforms. Isn’t social media a waste of time? I often hear this waste of time push back from writers about social media. In addition, I’ve read other articles from those inside publishing who say social media does not sell books. In this article, I want to give a series of reasons and insights why every writer needs to be on social media yet also control their time on it so it is productive and not wasted.

At first glance, social media looks like a huge time waster for writers. If you use it well, it can yield great connections and even book sales. Like a lot of publishing, the results for you as an author are buried in the details. 

Choose Your Platform

There are dozens of social media platforms. You want to choose the ones where your target audience is active and using. You can't be on every platform and it’s unproductive if you are trying to be on everything. Instead select two or three of these websites. Recently I noticed one of my author friends had dropped off Twitter/ X. When I asked her about it, she confirmed that her audience was not on this website and she had deleted her account and instead was emphasizing some other sites. I could see the wisdom in such a decision.

Complete Your Profile and Plan

After you select the sites, fill out all of the details on the profile such as photo, bio and other fields. Each one is different so look at others on the platform and learn from their actions. 

The next step is creating a consistent plan for posting on the selected platforms. Your posts should be interesting, contain an image (for visibility and to increase readability) and diverse. Have you been on radio or podcasts? Do you save those recordings on your own website? If you control them, they will not disappear. Then use those live recordings over and over to promote your book and yourself. 

Create A System and Use Tools

For years, I’ve posted thousands of times on three social media sites. On average, I post 12-15 times a day. I’ve created a system for myself, a plan and a pattern. As I’ve mentioned in these articles I use a scheduling program called Hootsuite. The other common program is Buffer. My encouragement is to create a system which will work for you to be consistent and regular yet effective. You may decide to post three times a day or five times a week or some other schedule. Whatever number of posts that you select, be consistent and do it over and over. 

Sometimes I do not get a lot of response or engagement. It makes me wonder if anyone is reading my posts--yet I continue in my same pattern of posting. Then out of the blue, someone will reach out to me or respond to a post. Your consistency pays off.

Here’s the key reason you need to share the benefits of your book over and over. It’s been proven in the marketing world that someone needs to hear about your book at least seven or eight times before they purchase your book. The exposure and highlight of the benefits of your book are a part of the promotion process for your book. Here’s another key fact, your publisher may place the book inside a brick and mortar bookstore (which is excellent) but if you don’t encourage or drive a reader to go to the bookstore and buy your book, then eventually the book gets removed from the store and returned to the publisher. 

The average return rate for a traditional publisher is 40%. At Morgan James Publishing, most of our books are running around 15%. Last week I checked on the sales from one of my authors who is pitching a second completed novel and synopsis. Admittedly, it took a lot of this author's writing time and effort to produce a second novel manuscript. His return rate from the bookstores for the first novel was 73%! This author needs to make some radical changes in his actions to sell that first novel. If he doesn’t take action, he is unlikely to get a second book contract to publish with Morgan James. Authors forget each published book is producing a sales track record. The author is the one who drives this track record through their continued promotion to readers.

Emphasize Benefits for Continued Exposure

As you create your plans to promote your book, look at your different resources. Use live radio and podcast recordings along with other resources to emphasize the benefits of your book to your readers. Also create and use different images with your books and social media posts. In these articles, I’ve mentioned using Mock-up Shots for this effort. Follow the link to get lifetime access and use it for your books. Almost every day I use this tool.

Take 100% of Your Responsibility

Some of you reading these words wonder if you have to do it yourself. Couldn’t you hire someone or some organization to handle your social media? There are virtual assistants and social media consultants and companies which you could handle your social media. I’ve met a number of these people through the years yet I’ve chosen to continue to handle it myself. I’ve often written in these articles about the first principle of success: I will take 100% responsibility for my own success. The process takes regular and focused effort but is important to reach your readers and attract publishers to your work. The first step is to get the insight, wisdom and knowledge from others. For example, read my 10 Publishing Myths book and see the special offer at the end of this article. After reading it, you must take action for your own writing life. From my experience knowledge without action doesn’t give any results. 

I hope I’ve helped you understand why social media is important and some action steps to take for your books. What am I missing that you could add? Let me know in the comments.

 

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Much of the publishing process is outside of the writer’s control. 10 Publishing Myths helps writers have a realistic perspective and take action. Get 10 Publishing Myths for only $10 +FREE shipping + over $200 of free bonuses.

Information Is Power

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Many years ago, I did my first stint as an acquisitions editor working inside a publisher. It was an eye-opening experience for someone like me who had written numerous books on the outside but never witnessed the various dynamics inside a publishing house. Because of working inside a publisher, I wrote Book Proposals That Sell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. 

 

The publisher announced my new position in the trade magazines and other places. Yet to my surprise months after this announcement and with fairly often consistency, I received submissions addressed to the previous acquisitions editor. I was actively looking for new writers but the submissions addressed to someone else on my desk made the wrong first impression.

 

Now years later, I understand why it happens. The publishing world is constantly shifting. Editors move to a different publishing house. Other editors join a literary agency. Some book publishers close their doors while others open new business. In the magazine area, publications cease publishing while others begin new magazines. These shifts in the publishing world often open new opportunities for writers—at least those who keep up with these changes.

 

How do you keep up with the various shifts and changes? If you have the right information and use it appropriately, information is power. The answer is an annual book which is essential for every Christian writer: The Christian Writers Market Guide 2023 which released last week.  Don’t be fooled into using an old book and the wrong information,

 

Sally E. Stuart was the original creator of this guide, then she passed the responsibility on to New York Times bestselling author Jerry B. Jenkins who published it for a few years. Several years ago, literary agent Steve Laube took over the annual guide. Through the years I’ve interviewed each of these leaders. In this article, I include links to those interviews which are filled with insights for every Christian writer. You will gain instant access to the replay interview and each of these leaders have included a unique free ebook that you can download and study.

 

Are you looking for a nearby writers group or planning to attend a writers conference next year? Like other elements in the guide, these elements shift and change from year to year. Or maybe you are looking for a freelance editor to go through your material and polish it before you send it to an agent or an editor? This information is also in this volume.

 

In his foreword, Jerry B. Jenkins says, “Here’s a dirty little secret of the writing life: Veteran editors can tell within two minutes whether they are going to reject your manuscript.” From his experience as an editor and publisher, Jerry gives three common reasons for fiction rejections. I’ll include one of them here: “Too many characters introduced too quickly.” If you get these insights and apply them to your writing, the foreword alone has immense value to you.

 

The Christian Writers Market Guide 2023 contains nearly 1,000 listings including more than 200 book publishers, 130 magazine publishers, 45 speciality markets, 215 writers conferences and writers groups, 45 literary agencies, and 240 freelance editors and designers. Also this volume includes information about legal, accounting, speaking services, podcasts, courses and contests. The information can be powerful and priceless to your writing life—if you use it properly.

 

Whether you want to write for magazines or publish a book or speak at a writer’s conference, you will have to learn to write an eye-catching pitch. From my years in the publishing world, you will always have to pitch to the right person at the right time. A key part of that process of finding the right person is contained in The Christian Writers Market Guide 2023 .

 

How do you use this essential reference guide? Let me know in the comments below.

 

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How to Write a Book Review

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Last week I gathered with a group of local writers for a backyard barbecue to celebrate the beginning of our school year and to begin again our monthly meetings. One of the writers brought her first book which was going to release in a few weeks. I asked if she had a launch team or any other plans to get her book into the market. She looked a bit lost how to answer my question then said, “I'm going to put the cover up on my Instagram account and tell people it is available.” 

 

I encouraged this author to get friends and others to write book reviews because readers are making buying decisions every day when they read reviews online at any place books are sold and not just Amazon. I understand the influence of book reviews and it's one of the reasons I've been writing book reviews for decades in print publications as well as online. As you read or listen to books, writing a simple book review is a way to support other writers. If you want to know more about how to get reviews, I have created a free teleseminar on this topic (follow the link). 

  

I've seen many people write a sentence or two for their review but I believe a more detailed review is helpful to the readers (and the author). In this article, I want to give you more of the details about how I write a review. While each review is individually crafted, there are some consistent elements in my reviews to give you some ideas for y0ur reviews. The books that I read and review come from a variety of places. Sometimes publishers will send them to me, others will come from authors, and other times I learn about books from reading other reviews or news releases. I'm often reading one book and listening to a different book. As I read the book, I will open a Word file and sometimes make some notes about the book. These brief notes often turn into the review. Also as I read, I will mark interesting quotes or sections with post-its to be able to easily reference these sections with my review.

 

Every review begins with a headline. This headline can be a summary statement about the book but involves using a few words to draw the reader into reading your review.  Spend a few moments crafting your headline for the review.

 

In my review, I summarize the contents of the book, point out key sections of the book and in general, I include a few sentences which I quote from the book and reference the specific page where it comes from. I inelude this quote to show the reader that I've actually read the book and it gives the reader some more insights about the book. I conclude each review with my recommendation about the book.

 

In recent years, I've learned to use an online program called Mock-Up Shots which has a set of diverse marketing tools. One of those tools allows me to upload the book cover then I select a unique image with the book which I add to my review on Amazon and also use the image to promote my review (and the book) on social media. If you want to learn more about these tools for your use, follow the link. You can get lifetime access which is well worth it in my view and I use these tools almost daily.

 

The bulk of my reviews are about 150 to 200 words in length and afterwords, I will often print the Word file with my review, then read it again and make any changes before posting it on Amazon and Goodreads. The Goodreads review appears right away but Amazon sometimes takes a day or two or three before it appears. When the Amazon review appears, I will post about my review on social media to my different channels (Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn).

 

The final step in my process relates to how I received the book. If I got it directly from an author or publisher or publicist, I will send the Amazon and Goodreads links to my review along with a link to my posting on social media. Taking this step is important to affirm to the receiver, I have completed the review—and it opens the door to additional books for possible review.

 

Do you write reviews for the books you read or hear? Do you have a pattern or system you've created for these reviews? Let me know in the comments below.

 

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Why Trade Shows Are Important

This week the largest book trade show in the United States will take place in New York City called Book Expo America. I'm looking forward to attending this event. While I've been going to trade shows for many years, I know many writers have never been to one nor understand why they are important. In this article I'm going to cover some of these basics.

Almost every field has trade shows which are closed to the public but draw thousands of participants. Librarians, booksellers, retailers, publishers and many others attend these closed events. The first step is to make sure you can get into the event. By closed, I mean it is not open to the public.

Last week one of my Morgan James authors from California, planned to meet at Book Expo, had booked his plane ticket and hotel, then emailed me that he wasn't sure how to get into the event. We worked out the details to get him into the event but you should take care of first things, first. Can you get into the event? Publishers, exhibitors, vendors and media are all ways you can get into the closed event. Often in years past, I've registered as a journalist, writing for a particular publication.

When I arrive at the event, I find the media or press room to get my credentials to get into the show. When I say the event is closed, there is someone standing at every entrance checking badges and credentials. If you don't have the credential, then you can't enter the event. The registration place is different for different categories of participants.
Ok, so you know it is difficult to get into this event but why do you want to get inside this closed trade show?

Book publishers and others related to the publishing industry exhibit their latest products at Book Expo America. There are miles (no exaggeration) of exhibits.  The publishers are giving out books which will not release to the public until the fall. Most of these books are marked as “advanced reading copies” and not for sale. It is a way for you to read books before their actual entrance or launch into the marketplace. Publishers give away bags so you can carry these giveaways.

Over the years, I've learned the hard way to execute some common sense with these giveaways. Why? The exhibit hall is a long way from your hotel room. You have to figure out what to do with these bags of free books and whether you want to lug them all over the event with you.

Literary agents and editors are attending Book Expo. I've reached out to a number of people and scheduled meetings during the event. Also from my planning, I have learned about agents who are not attending and I will have to meet with them in another way (phone, email, etc). These face to face meetings can be a productive aspect of attending the trade show.

During the event, I will bring lots of business cards and exchange them freely to form new relationships. Also I've learned to keep my eyes open because you never know who you will see at such an event. I've seen editors and publishers who I've known many years. I've seen celebrities and well-known authors at this event.

Your activities after attending a trade show are also important. I'm talking about the follow-up on ideas and connections and new projects. I've formed many important relationships at trade shows and understand the importance of them for my writing life. There are several keys:

1. Work it out so you can attend — i.e. get inside.

2. Form new relationships and connections

3. Follow-up on the opportunities.

One of the reasons I enjoy Book Expo is the entire trade show is focused on books. For many years I attended the Christian Booksellers Trade Show which was renamed the International Christian Retail Show (ICRS). With the name change, ICRS grew their gift (non-book) aspects until it is almost 50% of the exhibit floor space. ICRS has grown smaller each year and for the last two years been held in Cincinnati, Ohio or a venue which it could not have done years ago. I haven't been to the ICRS event for at least seven years.

Trade shows can be valuable to writers but it takes careful planning and follow-up. Let me know in the comments if you have been to a trade show and what you have gained from it.

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21 FREE Audience-Building Ideas

Many times over the last several years, I have encouraged writers to start a regular newsletter as an audience building tool. If you don't have a newsletter, then start one. I've pointed out this free 150-page resource to help you start a newsletter.

Today I want to introduce another free resource to build your audience--an e-course from Jimmy D. Brown. This Internet expert is known for his no nonsense, straight-forward approach to creating and selling products online.

If you go to 21 Email Success Tips and scroll down to the bottom of the page, you can sign up for this free E-course. In a series of 21 emails you will see how Jimmy is using his list for additional income and also to continually expand his audience.

As a writer, why do you want to continually expand your audience? Publishers and literary agents are looking for writers not only who can write--but who have audiences to sell books. The larger your audience, the more attractive your pitch will be to a prospective publisher. Through this free resource, you can get proven ideas to expand your reach as a writer. Get started today--one email at a time for the next 21 days.

Who Are The Top U.S. Publishers

You name the type of book but from my experience, most new authors want to be published with the top publishers. One of the things they don't understand is whether the publisher is large or small, the author is still the person on the planet with the greatest passion for their particular book. And this author will have to translate that passion into marketing action for their book to give it the best possible reception in the marketplace.

Also I've heard horror stories about marketing and publicity efforts from authors of all persuasions--whether they went with a major publisher or a relatively small house. Publishing is not an exact science because to a degree it is unpredictable which books will strike a chord with the buying public. For example, why did how-to books about canasta sweep the nation and land on the bestseller list during the 1950s? The card playing craze caught on and the public went to their local bookseller to get a how-to book on canasta. It's the same sort of unpredictable nature of publishing today.

In the paper issue of Publishers Weekly which I received in yesterday's mail, it included an article with publishing sales data from 2007 about the top publishers in the world. When it comes to the U.S. publishers, the magazine included this illustration with the data:Notice this data is about publishing of all types--textbook and trade publishing. Earlier this year, Mike Hyatt included some data about the market share of trade publishers. If you look at the Publishers Weekly information it was interesting that Thomas Nelson doesn't appear in the top 50 publishers of the world. While I don't understand the difference, I suspect it is from a different way of defining the data will be at the root cause.

As long as I'm writing about Publishers Weekly, another bit of information came out at The New York Observer about the PW reviewers. Traditionally there is no printed list of the reviewers in the magazine but in recent days they have changed this policy and The Observer pulled together an article about the background of some of the PW reviewers. I thought it was interesting and I hope it will help your knowledge of the publishing industry as well.

Finally whether you land a large publishing house or a smaller press, I continue to encourage you to take an active and consistent role in the marketing of your book. That passion will pay off in the long run.

The Moving Editorial Target

In my years in publishing, there is always a lot of "transitions." That's a code word for when people within the publishing house--whether their decision or someone else's decision--make a move to a different publisher. It happens a lot and my rolodex is in a constant state of revision to try and keep up with the various changes.

The July 7th issue of Publishers Weekly which arrived in my mailbox yesterday and I was amazed to see this visual representation of some of the "corporate shuffle" which has taken place in 2008. If you glance at this graphic, you will see that they are major shifts in the leadership of name-brand publishing houses.

Some people wonder why they need a literary agent. One of the reasons is to make certain your material gets to the right person within the right publishing house. Each book internally needs a champion who will stand up for the author and support the importance of their work--throughout the publishing process and including after the book is published. It's a little hard some times to hit the moving editorial target.

A Gift Beyond The Season

Several years ago, I was the acquisitions editor at Cook Communications (now rebranding as David C. Cook) when the company acquired hundreds of book titles from Eagle Communications including the books from Honor Books. One of those many books was a beautifully packaged novel from Jim Stovall called The Ultimate Gift. If you look at Jim’s site, one of the things you will be hard pressed to learn is that Jim is visually impaired.

Tom Bosley approached me as the acquisitions editor about our publishing house producing an audio version of the novel. I listened to the entire audio CD as I commuted back and forth to work. The story is remarkable and I attempted to move this effort ahead but found little interest in audio from the key players in the publishing house. Almost everyone in a decision making position has changed from those days but from Jim Stovall’s site, it looks like they found a way to produce the audio version of The Ultimate Gift. I was pleased to see that Tom Bosley or someone didn’t take the rejection as the final word but continued pressing ahead to bring the audio product into existence. It’s a lesson many of us should learn as writers.

A week or so ago, my wife and I were wandering around in Blockbuster looking at new releases and spotted the movie version of The Ultimate Gift. The storyline stirred great memories for me and I picked it up and brought it home. What a terrific story and especially a good one to watch during this Christmas season. I recommend it.

For a taste of the movie, check out this YouTube version of the trailer:

Finally, in the spirit of the season, check out this Audio Postcard which I created yesterday and download the gift and listen to the teleseminar.