When Writers Don't Respond

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

It happens quite often with writers: I reach out to them--even with a publishing contract--and they do not respond. I could be calling or emailing them and encouraging their submission or any number of other publishing details. Instead of a response, I get nothing.  In case you don’t know, I’m an acquisitions editor at a New York publishing house, Morgan James Publishing. We have a 21-year track record with over 6,000 published books, 29 New York Times bestsellers and over 200 times on the Well Street Journal or USA Today bestseller list. This bestselling detail is important because it shows that MJP is not just making books but selling books. 

From my many years in publishing, when an author gets a book publishing contract from Morgan James, that event is a huge cause for celebration--even if they don’t sign it. Silence or no response from the author is not what I expect.

Morgan James is not a self-publisher but one of the top independent publishers (10 times on a list from Publishers Weekly). In fact, we receive over 5,000 submissions every year and only publish about 150 books a year. Behind the scenes, there is a detailed team approach procedure that I have to use to reach the opportunity to offer an author a publishing contract. I’ve worked for this company doing this work for the last 14 years. Despite emailing and calling these authors about their contract, they do not respond.

In this article I want to give some of my speculation reasons then a consistent pattern that I've seen from my years in publishing. First some possible reasons why the author didn’t respond via email, phone or text:

--the author was traveling or on vacation and away from their computer

--this author is working on other publishing paths such as finding a literary agent or crafting a book proposal or pitch for a traditional publisher. Each of these paths take time and could be a reason for a delayed response.

--the author doesn’t have the financial resources to work with Morgan James. While I understand this concern, I also know there are many possible creative ways for the author to get these resources like Publishizer (follow this link to learn more and explore).

If I have sent the author a publishing contract, I will follow-up multiple times and still I receive silence for a response. Through the years, I’ve learned the longer the author does not respond (even a short email or call), the less likely they will publish with Morgan James Publishing. Over the years, it has happened a few times but overall I know the silence is heading in the direction of “no thank you” (even if all I receive is silence).

Because of my years in publishing, I understand the different options and paths. If you want to increase your understanding, I encourage you to get this free Ebook, The Babylon Blueprint for Authors (follow the link). This book has many marketing ideas and strategies along with 40+ pages comparing traditional, self-publishing and independent or hybrid publishing. 

If you are in one of these situations where you have not responded. I encourage you to communicate with the editor or agent--even if you send a short email. The development and continuation of your relationship is important. You may need this relationship in the days ahead--even if you can’t see it now. For my part as the editor, I will continue to follow-up and reach out to these silent authors. I can’t control their response but I can do my part in the process. I encourage you to do your part.

What reasons am I missing that writers do not respond to an offer to publish their book? Let me know in the comments. I look forward to reading them and learning some new perspectives.

Tweetable:

Sometimes when writers receive a New York publishing contract, they do not respond. This editor gives some ideas and encourages maintaining your relationship. Get the details here.  (ClickToTweet)

New Podcasts:

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

Ali Alhajji and I spoke on the Reading the World Podcast about Publishing Myths: Why Being Published Is Not the Same as Being Read. Listen at: https://bit.ly/3Sv0QIZ

Imma and I spoke on the Beyond the Draft Podcast about The Truth About Publishing Nobody Else Will Tell You. Listen at: https://bit.ly/4xGergJ 

Noah May (@noahspodcasts)and I spoke on the Southern Reads Podcast about Publishing Myths. Listen at: https://bit.ly/4oFfsRZ

Throughout my many years in publishing, I’ve co-authored over a dozen books and reviewed thousands of submissions (no exaggeration). As a part of the process of working with these authors, I speak with them about their dreams and plans. Many of these authors have  unrealistic expectations about what will happen with their published book. Many aspects of the details of publishing are outside of anything an author can control. I wrote 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS to give authors practical help. You can get decades of insights in 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS for only $10, free shipping and over $200 of bonuses.

Subscribe to Terry’s Newsletter:

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

Get these articles on your email: 

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

Listen, then Make Adjustments

 

 By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tweetable:

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

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

Subscribe to Terry’s Newsletter:

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

Get these articles on your email: 

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

Everyone Gets Rejected

  

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

When I opened the email, I moaned internally, “Rejected again.” Several times this past week, I heard from authors where I had championed their book and received a contract from my colleagues. These authors wrote gracious emails to me but the bottom-line was they were going to pass on our Morgan James Publishing contract offer. I understand there are many choices in the publishing world. After decades in publishing, I believe our choice is the best way to get your book into the bookstores.

We are not a self-publisher and Morgan James pays for all of the books that are shipped to bookstores. Any bookstore can keep the book for the lifetime of the book, then return it for a complete refund. Admittedly the economic pressure is on the publisher for this effort and it can amount to thousands of dollars.

As an editor, I do not make the decisions which book we publish but I have a role in that process. The team evaluates the manuscript and decides if we offer a publishing contract. Less than 3% of the 5,000 submissions we receive each year gets a contract offer. There is definitely a consideration process and I champion authors and their manuscript to my colleagues. I get invested in the author’s message and their books. That’s why it doesn’t feel good when the author decides to pass on our contract offer. Everyone (even editors) get rejected.

On the surface, publishing looks simple and straight forward. Write a manuscript then publish a book. Yet there is a great deal of complexity built into each step in the process. Do you want a traditional publisher with a large reach to readers? Then you need to first find a literary agent because those big publishers will not look at your submission or speak with you? The complications begin with many critical choices along the journey. At the time, you may not understand it is a critical choice until later in the journey.

Also many authors don’t understand because of the growth in self-publishing, there are about 11,000 new books that are published every day. This fact amounts to huge competition between authors to find readers and sell their books.

I’ve met authors who have invested $6,000 or even $20,000 with publishers and later understand those self-publishers (which they do not call themselves) are only online. Nothing is sold in brick and mortar bookstores. When an author selects these companies to publish their book, they also don’t understand they are establishing a public sales record of their book. Many years ago, publishers and agents didn’t have access to this information but now they do through an expensive subscription to Nielsen Book Scan. If someone wants to know about your book sales, with a subscription and a few keystrokes they can get the information. These professionals use this sales information to make wise decisions about your manuscript submission. 

For the author, they may not respond (ghost you) or send you a polite rejection letter but these decisions are being made all the time.

At the end of the day, each of us in the publishing community have to make our own choices. It’s called free will.

How do you make a wise publishing choice?

The first step is to get educated about the possibilities. I always encourage authors to meet publishing professionals face to face at a writers’ conference. I meet many author who have never been to a conference. It takes investment, time and energy to attend and make new relationships. Here’s a list of some possibilities. In May, I will be at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference (follow this link to learn more). When you go, meet as many people as you can at meals and in the hallway. I’m rarely in my room alone but I’m talking with people the entire conference. Ask good questions and bring your business cards and one-page pitches. After the conference, send the editor or agent what they have requested. Many people do not follow through so be the exception.

As you make new relatiohships and explore your options, you will be able to determine your path to publishing.

Here’s another resource that’s free and you don't have to travel. David Hancock, the founder of Morgan James Publishing, has a new book called The Babylon Blueprint for Authors. Follow this link and get the free Ebook. It has a lot of great marketing insight. The key reason I'm encouraging you to get it is about 40 pages which  compare the three main paths to publish: traditional, self-publishing and hybrid or independent publishing. As you study these details, you will get some clarity about your next steps in the publishing journey.

To show you that everyone gets rejected, I want to finish this article with a reminder. The co-authors of Chicken Soup for the Soul Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen were rejected 140 times. Mark tells the story in the foreword of my book, Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. Follow this link to download the foreword and first chapter. They told their small publisher they were going to sell a million books during the first year. Their publisher laughed because they had not sold a million copies of any book. It took Jack and Mark a year and a half to sell their first million books. They practiced the Rule of Five and worked hard to get those readers and booksales. Many authors never take those actions but I encourage you to follow their example and be different.

For you to find the right fit for your book will take work but is possible. If I can help you, let me know.

How does this message that everyone gets rejected resonate with you? Let me know your experience with rejection in the comments below.

Tweetable:

Rejection is built into the fabric of the publishing world. According to this prolific author and editor, everyone gets rejected. Get ideas and resources to handle it in this article.  (ClickToTweet)

New Podcasts:

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

Shilo Creed and I spoke about How to Get a Book Published: What Most Writers Get Wrong on The Author’s Mind Podcast. Listen (https://bit.ly/4bdHM9d) or watch at: https://bit.ly/4ryDBJK 

Sharon C. Jenkins (@Sharon_Jenkins) and I spoke about breaking the 10 myths of publishing on the Doing Love God’s Way with Dr. J Podcast at: https://bit.ly/4rE4RGY

Currently I’m working with my third publisher as an acquisitions editor. During these years, I’ve spoken with many authors about their expectations, dreams and desires for their books. I find many unrealistic expectations. Many aspects of the publishing process are outside of anything an author can control. I wrote 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS to give authors practical help. You can get decades of insights in 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS for only $10, free shipping and over $200 of bonuses. 

Subscribe to Terry’s Newsletter:

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

Get these articles on your email: 

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

The Unpredictable Writing Life

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

For decades, I’ve been in the world of publishing and working with authors. Repeatedly I’ve seen the unpredictable nature of this work and life. For example, as I meet authors and acquire their books at Morgan James Publishing, I learn about authors who are eager to sell their books and reach their readers. I have one author who writes fiction and published two novels with us. She was actively selling these books at specialized trade shows which tied to her plot and characters. When she pitched her third novel, she told me that she had sold over 300 books during the last year which showed her activity as an author. 

As a part of the acquisitions process, I checked in with a colleague about her bookstore sales for her first two books. This number will give me an indicator of the enthusiasm (or lack of it) from my colleagues about the third novel. I was surprised to learn she had sold about a carton of books inside the bookstores. In general, a carton holds 25-35 books and depends on the size of the book. It was not an impressive sales record and showed me that my colleagues would not be inclined to publish a third novel from this author. I spoke with the author about these details and she decided to self-publish her third novel in this series. If the bookstore numbers improve, then it’s possible she could bring this third novel into her series, but not at the moment.

I could not have predicted these bookstore sales and believed the number would be much higher than a single carton. This example shows again one of the many unpredictable details and how a great deal of those details are outside of anything that I can know about or control.

Here’s another example: I wished a long-time publishing professional a happy birthday. It’s something I do on a regular basis and gives me a touch point with people. In her response, she told me she was no longer working at that publisher. I called this author to hear more detail. I learned the change happened because she didn’t hit the sales number for her authors books. This key number is outside of anything this editor could predict or control. She told me about one of her authors with a large Instagram platform has a daily gathering of thousands of participants. The book this group was using repeatedly wasn’t the author’s book but a book from another author. This simple choice gave huge exposure to a different book than the author’s book and contributed to the editor’s dismal sales numbers. 

These stories about publishing teach me lessons about the details of this business and how it works. Yet repeatedly I’ve discovered there are a myriad of details outside of anything that I can control or do anything about. There is one singular person who I can control: me. 

I’d love to have some predictions but the only prediction I can control is myself. I keep promoting my own work. I continue to pitch authors to my colleagues and writing different material. I work with various authors and various types of books. In addition, I listen to my colleagues, answering their questions and helping as many authors as I can. I can’t control others or much of anything--but I can control my own activities.

What about in your writing life? Is it predictable or what steps are you taking for your books and your writing? Let me know in the comments below. 

Tweetable:

The life of a writer is unpredictable and often outside of anything that can be controlled. This prolific author and editor gives some examples then his encouragement. Get the details here.  (ClickToTweet)

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.

First Impressions Count

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

I love the photo which begins this article. The light has made a perfect reflection and impression of the scenery. Our eye is drawn to this peaceful and perfect image. As you reflect on this image, I believe you can gain some insights about the process of submitting your work for publication.

Notice the photo is taken from the right spot. To get the attention of an editor or literary agent, you have to make the right connection. Admittedly it’s not easy for any writer to make this connection but it is possible through personal emails, LinkedIN and other places. As I’ve often said in these articles, who you know is as important as what you know. 

Also notice the photo is a perfect reflection in the water. As writers we must become aware of what the editor or agent needs and is looking for. For a writer to gather this information will take work and effort. Study the books they publish or list of authors. Also download and study their guidelines and what they need. It's different for each publisher or agent but this information is often clearly spelled out on their website (and the submitter or author doesn’t always follow it--which is a mistake on their part).

Every writer must make the right pitch at the right time. If your pitch is not crafted right or the timing is off, the publishing professional will pass on it. 

Throughout my years in publishing, I’ve seen many missed opportunities, poor and inappropriate pitches. For my example, recently an author submitted a children’s book manuscript. The submission was just a manuscript and not crafted into pages and without a book proposal. If the author had crafted it into pages, it would have shown knowledge about the children’s book market. A proposal shows the author's business plans and background for publishing the book. Admittedly it takes work to craft such a submission but is well-worth the effort from my experience. 

Unfortunately this author made the wrong first impression. He didn’t learn Morgan James Publishing has published some children’s books but they are a small percentage of the types of books which we publish (maybe 3%). Also this author called my phone and then disconnected--over a dozen times--before he left a voicemail with questions asking for my return call. Such an action from an unpublished author raises red flags for the professional. The submission will be processed but a pass or rejection letter will also be scheduled. This author made the wrong first impression and it counted.

I love children’s books, have published more than a dozen of them and I’m a former instructor for the Institute of Children’s Literature, which is the oldest home correspondence course for children’s writers. Beyond the submission, I’m looking for the right author.

As New York Times bestselling author Jerry B. Jenkins wisely said when he interviewed me (follow the link), editors and agents are reading their email looking for what they can publish or the diamond in the rough. Unfortunately it takes thoughtful work to send the right pitch or proposal. My encouragement for each of you is to do this work on the submission side of things and the relationship-building side.

To balance my previous story, let me tell you about another author. On the surface, the full-color book didn’t look like one that Morgan James would publish. Through a series of over 50 emails and phone conversations, the publishing details for this book were worked out. The author received a contract offer. Admittedly there are a number of additional steps before this book gets published and in the bookstores. I include this story so you see that every author needs a champion inside the publishing house for their book. It will take effort for you to find this person but if you work at it, you can certainly find such a person.  I encourage you to always be expanding your relationships to have the right one for your right idea.

On the surface, publishing may look simple but it is a complicated endeavor with many twists and turns. I encourage you to continue to take the journey. What steps are you taking to find the right place for your pitch? Let me know in the comments below. 

Tweetable:

For every writer, first impressions count. This prolific writer and editor tells several specific examples to help you make the right one. Get the details here. (ClickToTweet)

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.

The Easy Answer You Don't Want to Hear

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

I love a good story and getting lost in the pages of a great read. Also for years I enjoy telling stories and putting my fingers on the keyboard and writing it. As I shape a story, hopefully I have a plan where this story will be published. Some people are inspirational writers and only write when the spirit moves them. Others (like me) are writers whether inspired or not to meet a deadline and finish a work. Where do you fall into these two extremes?

 

After you have written your manuscript or book proposal or query, then you need the courage to get it into the world. As writers we have to pitch or submit our material to a literary agent or an editor. One of my authors let me know he had received a contract offer from another publisher. Then he pushed to get a response from my colleagues. They stepped up the process and ultimately offered him a contract—but he decided to go with the other publisher. Writers have choices and from my experience the selection of a publisher is a critical juncture which can make or break a particular book.

 

When you are going to push a literary agent or an editor for a decision, you want to be careful. The easiest answer for this agent or editor is the one you don't want: “No thank you” or “Not a good fit for us” or “Going to pass on this opportunity.” The easiest answer is often one you don't want to hear.

 

A yes or acceptance takes time, patience and persistence. Many of us are short on patience and persistence—yet it is an important quality for every writer. If you are going to push for a decision, I encourage you to pull back and wait or push in a non-threatening fashion—such as doublechecking to make sure they got your submission in the first place and it has not gotten lost. Thousands of submissions are in process. Last week a writer approached me asking if I got her submission. To my chagrin when I checked I had received it but had not moved it into the process and through the system. I apologized for the delay, then moved it forward. 

Within the publishing process, a number of elements are outside of our control as writers. Of course, if you self-publish, you can control everything as far as the appearance of your book but the average self-published book sells less than 100 copies during the lifetime of the book. You risk such an experience when you make this choice.

 

If you haven't read my 10 Publishing Myths, I encourage you to read it. In this book, I focused on the false expectations from writers but also gave practical steps every writer can do to succeed with their book. If you don't have my book, I encourage you to get the 11th Publishing Myth (free). While I'd love each of you to purchase 10 Publishing Myths, here is another idea: check it out from your local library. My local library has three copies of the book--and you can get the book through inter-library loan and read it. There are many different ways to get a book. Don't limit yourself or your readers.

 

Your persistent and consistent action as a writer is a critical part of the process. Keep going in spite of whatever is happening in your life. Have you pushed an editor or agent for a decision and heard the answer you didn't want? Let me know in the comments below. 

 

Tweetable:

When writers submit, there is an easy answer they don't want to hear. This prolific editor and author gives advice and the details here. (ClickToTweet)

Get 10 Publishing Myths for only $10 +FREE shipping + over $200 of free bonuses.

Writing About Holidays

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

It's rarely discussed in the writing community but one of the most difficult type of writing for editors to find is tied to holiday themes. The good news is everyone has unique personal experiences during the holidays. Your opportunity as a writer is to capture the raw dialogue and unique elements, weave them into a story then submit them to print magazines. Print publications have a higher standard for their work than online (in general).

 

For example, when I was a magazine editor at Decision and our circulation was 1.8 million copies, we decided to do a February issue with a love theme (Valentine's Day). Personal experience stories which related to love combined with other crieria for our publication didn't naturally come unsolicited from authors. Instead, I had to create a list of authors and ask them to write what we needed. That experience and others at the magazine showed me the on-going need for holiday writing.

 

Your personal experience stories from holidays can be evergreen or an article which you can sell to many different magazines. Typically with a magazine article, you sell “first rights” which means after the article is published, the rights return to you. Then you can sell “reprint rights” to other publications. Depending on the publication, you can be paid more for a reprint right than the first rights. Each publication is different with different expectations. Make sure you read their submission guidelines before sending your article. In these guidelines the editor tells you exactly what they need. Many writers skip this important step in the submission process and then when their submission is rejected, they wonder why it didn't get accepted and published.

 

As you experience different holidays, make some notes into your computer or journal so you capture the essence of the experience and the raw dialogue. Then use these experiences to write personal experience articles and even how-to articles. After writing your article, send it out into the marketplace. I encourage you to keep track of your submissions and if you don't hear from the editor in a period of weeks, send them a gentle follow-up note to make sure they got it. I use the word gentle because if you push these gatekeeper/ editors, then you will likely get the response you don't want—a “no, thank you” or “this isn't a fit for us.” 

 

Are you using your holiday experiences in your writing? Let me know in the comments below. 

 

Tweetable:

Writing about holidays can be a great source for your magazine articles according to this prolific editor and author. Get ideas and the details here. (ClickToTweet)

Does your fiction or nonfiction book have a business plan? Every type of book needs a proposal—even if you self-publish. Get this resource.

Five Ways to Earn Your Spot

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

As a writer, how do you earn your spot to have others read your work? In this article I want to give you some ideas about how to acquire this skill and the action steps you need to take.

In this article, I mentioned working on getting my books into libraries. I reached out to the collection librarian. I asked what sort of check out activity a book needs.  While this standard may be different for every library, here's what I learned: “We are a demand-driven collection, so everything on our shelves earns it’s spot! Our nonfiction collection has an average turnover of 5 checkouts per year per book, so circulation needs to be close to that to either stay on our shelves, or if damaged, repurchase.”

 

From my exchange with this librarian,  I've created a plan to regularly plan to market my own books which are inside my local library. In the past, I've done nothing to encourage people to use my books. But now I'm going to regularly encourage my local writer's group and others to check out and use my books from the library book shelf. Through my own marketing efforts, I want to help my books stay in the collection.  My marketing of my books in the library doesn't have to be sophisticated or fancy—but it does have to happen and I will be the person doing it. This additional activity stems from my philosophy of taking 100% responsibility for my own success.

 

How do we earn the right to be read or published as writers? I've already mentioned one way with actively working to get your books into libraries.

 

A second way to earn your right to be read is to learn the craft of storytelling. It is a developed skill to tell interesting stories. Some of it you can pick up through extensive reading but it is also a skill which can be taught as you learn how a mixture of dialogue and narration detail can make for page turning wriiting.

 

A third way to earn your spot is to write on a regular basis and submit your writing. Notice the second part of this point. It's good to write on a regular basis but you don't earn your spot and get published if it never reached an editor. Admittedly it takes work on your part to find the right editor but you have to be in the market to have any opportunity to be published.

 

A fourth way to earn your spot is to reach your audience in different formats and methods. There are an endless series of methods to reach your audience such as an email list, your various social media links, reviews, magazine articles, podcasts, books and radio interviews.

 

The fifth and final way to earn your spot is to make an action plan then keep working your plan—even in the face of failure or rejection. Each of us (yes me too) face these twins of failure and rejection. The difference between those who succeed and those who don't? The ones who succeed keep going forward even when they are rejected. Our world is full of opportunity. As a writer, you have to seize the day, keep your fingers on the keys and keep moving forward. 

 

Our lives in publishing are not easy but are possible. I hope in this article I've given you some ideas and encouragement to keep moving ahead.  How do you earn your spot? Let me know in the comments below.

 

Tweetable:

How do you earn your spot to have others read your writing? Learn five ways from this prolific editor and author. (ClickToTweet)

Are You Missing A Key Element to Publish Your Book? Get the details here. It makes a great Christmas gift.

Can You Follow The Editor’s Directions?

As a long-time member of the publishing community, I interact with a number of authors. In fact, I have my personal email address onmy Twitter profile. It generates a number of emails that I answer. I do love to help writers which is one of the reasons I write these articles each week.

Recently I got an email from “Tom” (not his real name). He told about sending his novel out to numerous literary agents and not finding one. He sent me his phone number and asked to “schedule a time to chat.”

From my experience, this author’s suggestion was a big mistake. My time is as limited as the next person and I’ve “chatted” with plenty of authors who have wasted my time.

Because Morgan James publishes about 25 to 30 novels a year, and I work for them, I quickly transferred this discussion to my work email. I wrote Tom and asked for several specifics—true for any novel submission:

1. I need the full manuscript

2. I need a synopsis

3. I need the author’s mailing address

Tom responded that he would be sending it to me and appreciated the quick response.

About a week later Tom sent the preface to his novel and the first chapter. He acknowledged in his cover note that I asked for the full manuscript but he wanted to send what he wanted to send.

I quickly responded and asked for the full manuscript, synopsis and address. It was several weeks ago—and to date I’ve not heard from Tom. I believe Tom is going to struggle to find an agent or a publisher. Why? He has refused to send what is requested. 

Possibly he is a talented writer with a great novel but unless you follow the directions, you will never be read and published (other than self-published—and the average self-published book sells less than 100 copies during the lifetime of the book.). These details matter and are part of the evaluation process as I meet authors. Are they coachable and teachable?

Like I often hear from our Morgan James founder, David Hancock, we can always fix the manuscript but sometimes we can’t fix a poor or bad author.

Are the lack of attention or following the details holding you back from achieving your publishing dreams? If you are struggling to find the right connection with a literary agent or a publisher. I encourage you to consider if your material is in the requested format and if you are following the directions in the guidelines. Not delivering what is requested can prevent you from achieving your dreams as a writer. It can be something simple but important to the editor or agent which blocks you from moving forward.

Have you ever discovered that when you added something which was missing, it changed how it was received and opened a new opportunity? Let me know in the comments below.

Tweetable:

It is important to follow the editor's directions. Learn the details here. (ClickToTweet)