Join the Generous Community

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

When they survey the personality of writers, the majority of them are introverts. Most people who have met me in person at a conference or an event would not categorize me as an introvert. I’ve taken personality tests and I do land in this category. At a party or event, I’d rather be sitting in the corner speaking with a person than leading the group or speaking to many people. Writing is something we do alone in our offices. Some writers intentionally need a busy environment to write so they will write in a coffee shop. I have written in those busy environments but it is not my preference.

While writing is a solitary activity, you don’t have to be alone or by yourself in this process. Years ago I learned to join the generous community of writers. Through my local writer group, I got connected to a community of writers. I joined a critique group (learn more how to do that here). At that time of my life, the bulk of the people I interacted with on a daily basis were Christians. I decided to expand my connections and I joined the American Society of Journalists and Authors. Some years I’ve been more active in this group than others. For over 20 years I served as the chairman of their membership committee. Unlike many groups, you have to apply and meet the member requirement of the ASJA to join it. Also I served a term on their board of directors and often attended their annual conference in New York City.

During one of those trips to New York, I rushed to the airport and when I reached my destination and unpacked, I discovered I had left my clothing in my closet at home. In NYC, I had a series of meetings scheduled with literary agents and editors and planned to wear my suit and be appropriately dressed. I called my wife, Christine, in a panic and she suggested, “You are in the biggest city in the world. Go buy yourself a suit.”

The next morning before my scheduled meetings, I went to Harold’s Square and purchased a suit off the rack. That shop adjusted my pants during the day and I returned later for them but I was appropiately dressed for my meetings.

The ASJA had two group meetings. One was the large well-known public meeting. A second meeting with a smaller group was only for members and held the day before the public meeting. That year, one of our members had written a book with Roselyn Carter and they had invited the Carters to attend our member meeting. As a regular member, I wasn’t invited to sit with the former President but with a colleague, we figured out where the Secret Service would sit and sat at that table.

That year I had written a new book with Joe Leninger, who traded for ten years in the Eurodollar Pit of the Chicago Merchantile. Broadman and Holman published our book, Lessons From the Pit and I had a copy in my briefcase. Also I knew Broadman Press published President Carter’s first book, Why Not the Best? I asked the Secret Service, “When could I give President Carter a copy of my book?”

He said, “I’d do it now because we are going to eat, greet and leave.” With the permission of the Secret Service, I signed my book to President Carter, then walked over to his table. The former President stood, shook my hand and graciously accepted the copy of my book. I have no idea if he opened and read anything in it but I know this book was the only one he carried out of the room that day.

I had this incredible opportunity because I joined the generous ASJA community. Among the members, a common saying is “We train our competition.” It’s true there is no competitive spirit among the members because there is plenty of writing work for all of us.

If you are feeling disconnected and alone as a writer, I encourage you to join the generous community and here’s some specific ideas:  

1. Make a short list of the types of groups that tie to your type of writing.

2. Join those groups online or in person and make plans to attend their gathering. 

3. When you are at the event, make sure you bring your business cards and swap with everyone you meet, then follow-up and expand your connections.

Through the years, I’ve met some incredible authors and writers through our generous community. I encourage you to not feel isolated in your writing but to take action steps to join the community and expand your connections and opportunity. I have no doubt my work and what I write and teach is built on what others have taught to me.

What actions are you going to take in this area to increase your connections to the community? Let me know in the comments below.

Tweetable:

We write in isolation. In this article, this prolific writer and editor encourages you to join the generous community with specific action steps. 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 Right Fit Takes Persistence

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Change is the only constant in the publishing world. It’s like playing the childhood game of musical chairs. The players are constantly in motion and change positions and roles. It’s one of the reasons for writers to read the trade publications which report significant personnel changes. Editors become literary agents. Literary agents change and work for a publisher or they become a freelance editor. These examples are just a couple of the continually shifting landscape. 

As a writer, you have a dream and a desire to publish your words. It takes a lot of perserverance and persistence to find the right publisher for your work. The Chicken Soup for the Soul series is one of the bestselling series in the English language. Most people have forgotten their challenging beginning. Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen were rejected 140 times before they located a publisher. That is a lot of rejection in the search to find the right fit.

There is only one way your book doesn’t get published or your story doesn’t appear in print or your book stops selling. It’s when you as a writer give up on your dream and stop. 

* You stop meeting new editors at a conference or on LinkedIN or through an online group.

* You stop reading about new publishing houses and new publications. Change can mean opportunity for your book and your writing--if you don’t stop.

* You stop pitching your writing or your book to literary agents and editors

* You stop writing a book proposal and query letter. If you haven’t read my Book Proposals That Sell (The Revised Edition), I encourage you to download the free ebook then read it and take action on the information. 

I don’t encourage anyone reading these words to stop but instead to choose to keep going until you find the right fit for your writing. 

Last week I heard a published author with an agent tell about her devotional going out to numerous publishers (40 is the number I recall) and getting rejected. The agent and author could not find the right place to publish this idea. Then one of the editors moved to a different publishing house. This editor remembered the author’s pitch and asked for the proposal. It was published along with three additional books. Her persistence paid off with four published devotional books. 

Also last week I met a new magazine editor. One of my friends had written an original story for that magazine and never received a response. Her experience was a common one. When I asked this editor about another editor who attended last year. I learned he was no longer with the magazine. I asked if my friend could resend her article to the publication. The editor said this friend should send it directly to her and use my name with the submission. Will it get published? I don’t know if it will happen but now my friend has another opportunity. As with the book author, it takes persistence to find the right fit.

In these articles, I’ve mentioned how books pour into my mailbox for possible review and from other authors. The volume is way more than anyone could possibly read but I’m grateful for each one and the opportunity. I was sorting books which is an ongoing process to keep them organized and limited so it doesn’t overwhelm. In the sorting process, I realized that I had two copies of a book. I reached out to another writer asking if she wanted it and she did. Then I packed up the second copy and put it into the mail. I tell you this little story to ask what is sitting on your bookshelf unused that you can pass along to someone else. No matter where you are in the publishing world--a beginner or a seasoned professional--each of us have opportunity. I encourage you to be aware of it and take action. 

Many writers are following the “Field of Dreams” action plan. I’m referring to the movie where they build a baseball field then players and people come to it--even in an Iowa cornfield. Writers believe if they pitch to the right literary agent, their book will get traditional published. They believe if they build a great website, people will come. Or writers have many other fantasy ideas which are not based in reality. You have to actively be looking for the right connection and the right fit through your email, phone calls and much more. When you locate a possibility, take action and explore it. For example, last week I spent a chunk of time reaching out to the writers I met at a conference. One of those people emailed me back which was great. She pulled my email out of her spam or junk folder. What is sitting in your spam folder that could be an opportunity?

Do you see the opportunity in publishers and publications when the personnel changes? If you seize the moment, change can provide a fresh opportunity. How have you learned that it takes persistence to find the right fit? Let me know in your 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.

The Smoke of Publishing

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

There is a common expression that something is not true and only smoke and mirrors. The origin of the phrase ’smoke and mirrors’ comes from when stage performers and magicians actually use smoke and mirrors to beguile the audience.

Within the publishing community, there is a lot of smoke or places you should not publish. I’ve thought long and hard about these words and don’t write them lightly. I’ve been in this community for many years and see eager authors who want to get their words into the world. When it comes to the publishing company, these authors fall prey to the wrong publisher or agent and then months or years down the road, they want to change their situation but don’t understand what happened to them and the choices that they made in this process. 

In this article, I want to help you avoid the smoke and find the rose in your search for a book publisher. The process is not easy. First, ask good questions then listen for the answers. For example, how is the book distributed? Is that distribution only online? Is it in different formats? Will it appear physically inside brick and mortar bookstores? How are the books sold to libraries? Each publishing company will answer these questions differently.

Does the publisher encourage presales for the book? How does that happen? One of my Morgan James authors has over 200 presales for his business book which will release later this year. These presales are important because our sales team will notice this activity and use it to drive additional sales. If your publisher doesn’t encourage or even do presales, it might be a caution about using this particular company. 

Take a look at a physical book from this publisher. One of my recent authors at Morgan James Publishing, was considering several different options. He ordered a book from these publishers then compared them. As you look at the book, think about the cover design and how it will draw or discourage readers. Does the book include endorsements and/or a foreword? How is the back cover written? Also look at the spine and see if the title is clear on the book. Finally look at the barcode and see if it is done properly. Sometimes books will not include the price in the barcode and use a string of numbers like 90000. When the barcode does not include the price, it tells me this particular company has no plans to sell the book inside a brick and mortar bookstore (which uses the barcode when the book is purchased). 

What type of marketing help does the publisher provide? What do these services cost to the author? For example, with each Morgan James author, I make a point to tell them that 80% of the marketing will be up to them (the bulk) yet our team is still coaching authors who published in 2005 (without charging them or free). I’m managing the author expectations and also telling them about the publishing house resources to help them. 

How long has the publisher been in business and take a look at their success? Have they had books on the New York Times bestseller list or the Wall Street Journal bestseller list? If so, it indicates they doing more than selling online but also selling in brick and mortar bookstores. 

Do they have satisfied authors? Can you speak with some of them about their experience? If you can’t speak with their authors, then you have another reason to exercise some caution in selecting this publisher.

What is the reputation of the editor or person you are speaking with about the publisher? For example, I have a long-time reputation in publishing. I understand my own reputation is involved in the publishing decision. You can see this element in the interview from New York Times bestselling author Jerry B. Jenkins when we spoke about Morgan James Publishing for his writing guild. 

To compare publishing options is not easy. It’s almost like comparing apples and oranges because each one is different. As I’ve written in the past, there is no certain path of success but you can find your path to get published. 

One of your best ways to avoid the smoke of publishing and making a poor choice is to get educated as an author.  It’s one of the reasons that I wrote 10 Publishing Myths. You can get my book for only $10 which includes the postage and over $200 in bonuses. After you get this book, use a highlighter and take action on the different suggestions. 

If you have made a mistake and have had a poor publishing experience, what do you do? Write another book or pull the rights back from the wrong place and take it somewhere new. Whatever steps you take, learn from it and keep going forward. The writing life is not straightforward for any of us but can be done with persistence, learning and consistency.

There is another old saying: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink it. I can lead the author to the right place but can’t make them sign their contract and get published. What steps do you take to avoid the smoke of publishing? Let me know in the comments below.

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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 their own actions--no matter who publishes the book. Get 10 Publishing Myths for only $10 +FREE shipping + over $200 of free bonuses.

Writers, Use Your Marketing Assets

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

In recent weeks, several unpublished authors have written saying they were pursuing traditional publishing because they were writers and didn’t want to spend their time in marketing and promotion. In my role as an acquisitions editor at New York publisher, Morgan James Publishing, I recognized these authors will have some hard realities ahead of them--especially if they want to sell books and be successful. Whether you publish with a well-known traditional house or independent publisher or self-publish, in this process of selling books and reaching readers, you will have to spend a portion of your time on marketing and promotion. 

During my decades in the book business, I’ve seen many missed opportunities. One of my co-authors was interviewed on The Today Show. Her book was never mentioned and yes, I was shouting at my television while watching it. This author had no media training where they teach you how to create a sound bite with the name of your book and weave that into the conversation (no matter what is being discussed). Our book is long out of print. It is not what you want to have happen to your book but another reality of publishing.

After you understand the importance of marketing and promotion then including it in your regular efforts. You will discover it takes continual work combined with wise actions. Some of your actions will sell books and others will fail. It's all part of the process of connecting with your readers and it is different for every book.

I’ve encouraged my Morgan James authors to promote their book on radio. There are thousands of radio shows and opportunities to be interviewed and promote your book. Sometimes they tell me they tried it but didn’t feel like they sold any books from it.

There are several key actions in this process. First, understand your reader has to hear about your book at least seven or eight times before they purchase it. I’ve seen others say ten to twelve times. A part of what you are doing on the radio is giving your book this exposure which eventually leads to sales. 

When you are on the radio, you need to speak in sound bites and make sure you are sending people to multiple places to purchase your book. Don’t simply send them to Amazon (a word bookstores don’t want to see and hate (yes, hate). You want to give multiple options including their local bookstore or direct from you.

Here’s the actions that my authors who didn’t get much out of radio have skipped--but are critical. After your radio interview, get the digital recording. This recording becomes a  marketing asset but only if you use it. I upload my recording to my own hosting place where it is in my direct control and does not disappear. Then I continue to promote these live recordings on social media. Readers listen to them and buy books from it. 

I want to conclude this article with a personal example. Radio host Bob Crittenden at Faith Radio in Alabama interviewed me about Book Proposals That Sell. I promoted the radio station website through my social media connections. Then I uploaded the recording to my own website where I toll continue to promote this asset. Follow the link to catch this 20-minute interview.  

 

Do you have marketing assets for your book and are you using them to promote your book? Let me know in the comments below. 

Tweetable:

When you record a radio or podcast interview, how do you use this marketing asset? This prolific writer and editor gives you some action ideas. Get the details in this article. (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.

Help Me Reach This Milestone

   

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

There is an ancient Bible verse that says you have not because you ask not (James 4:3). A more modern translation would be “don’t ask, don’t get.” It’s one of the favorite expressions of David Hancock, the founder of Morgan James Publishing. 

Recently I noticed that I have 44 book reviews for 10 Publishing Myths. A new friend from a writers conference purchased my book and then added a new review. I specifically asked this writer if he would add a review and he followed through and did it. His five star review was my first new review in over a year. Why? Because I haven't been asking people to post reviews.

I’m writing this article to ask for your help to reach the milestone of 50 reviews for 10 Publishing Myths. If you have read my 10 Publishing Myths book, will you post a review? If you have bought the book on Amazon, then that would be a “verified purchase” review (which are nice but not essential in my view). I’ve written Amazon reviews on books that I have purchased other places and books that I’ve checked out of my local library. My local library has three copies of the book. If you live near me, you can check it out or if not, you can order it through interlibrary loan. 

If you haven’t read it, why not? I make it inexpensive for you to get this important book. In fact, several years ago (before the pandemic), I spent several days taking a $5,000 book bootcamp where I set up this site to sell this book for only $10 including the shipping postage. It comes with over $200 of bonus gifts. If you haven’t gotten this book, I encourage you to check out this resource and opportunity.

I wrote 10 Publishing Myths for several reasons. First, I meet many authors who have unrealistic expectations about what will happen with their book such as “my book is going to be a bestseller” or “my book will make a lot of money.” While they say these statements, they have no action plans for those statements to come true. 

There is a second critical reason I wrote this book. From my decades in publishing, I have seen many of my own book plans and dreams crash and not happen. It’s because much of the publishing process is outside of what the author can control. In each chapter of 10 Publishing Myths, I include a practical MBA or Myth Busting Action which every author can take achieve--even if you self-publish. 

You don’t have to get the book directly from me. It is broadly available in any bookstore whether online or brick and mortar. 

Even if you don’t get my book, I encourage you to look at this page I created to promote my book. It includes sample social media posts, links to a book review template and other tools for you to help me spread the word about my need for some more book reviews. Or you can use the ClickToTweet at the bottom of this article to spread the news. 

I hope this article will also give you some ideas about action steps you can take to tell others about your book. If you find a good idea here, please take it and use it for your book. 

One final time, I’m encouraging you to get 10 Publishing Myths, read it, then write a couple of sentences of review. Here’s hoping you will take action. Will you help me reach this milestone with my book? What insights did you learn for your own books? Let me know in the comments below. 

Tweetable:

This prolific writer and editor is asking for your help to reach a milestone for his book, 10 Publishing Myths. Also you will gain insights for your own books. Get the details in this article. (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.

Awareness of A Fine Line

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Within publishing as you approach or pitch editors and agents, there is a fine line between being creative and interesting in your pitch—and being strange (asking for rejection). Editors and literary agents are actively looking for creative and interesting submissions. Even if you are getting rejected with your pitches, I know they are actively reading their emails and looking at their mail submissions for excellent submissions.

 

Recently a novelist approached me to possibly edit their book. As I reviewed the book, it was a clean, well-written novel but had several issues. First, it was substantially longer than a novel I could publish at Morgan James Publishing. We have a limit of 100,0o00 words which is typical for many publishers and based on our experience (sales) and the price point for the novel and other elements. This particular novelist had written a 145,000 word novel (way over our limitation). I pointed out this challenge to the novelist but I also told him about another “different” feature in his novel. Throughout the book for emphasis, he created words from his characters with extra letters. For example, he took the word “buzz” and would add letters so it became “buzzzzzz.” While such action was creative, it also bordered on strange and gave the gatekeeper (agent or editor) a reason to reject the novel. In the rejection process, we don't give such reasons to the author (not our role or responsibility). The author will likely never learn the reason for the rejection. This author was asking me for a critique or edit. As I examined the work, I didn't find anything worthy charging or critiquing so instead I sent a brief email with a few observations and suggestions.

 

The experience reminded me of several important principles that as writers we need to be aware:

 

1. We need to pour creativity into our submission but not cross into strange. Don't give that editor or agent a reason (even if unspoken) to reject your work. Instead give them reason to keep turning the pages and reading. This process is a careful balancing act.

 

2. Follow the guidelines from the agent or editor and even take a few minutes to review them before sending off your submission. Does your submission fit what they are looking for? If not, don't send it and find another place.

 

3. Your pitch or proposal is important and needs to be complete and excellent. Every publisher is looking for authors who are connected to their readers or what some people call their “tribe.” If you are beginning or don't have this group of readers, then start immediately to gather it. As I've written in the past, every author should have their own email list. You also need to have a social media presence (not every social media place but select a couple where you will work at building your presence). For example, I have invested a great deal of energy into Twitter and LinkedIn. Admittedly these sites are “rented” and not anything that I control or own. Any editor or agent with a few key strokes can check out your presence or lack of it on these places.  The look and numbers are important to these editors and agents as they make their decision about working with you (or not).

 

Publishing is a complex business that looks easy and simple on the surface but isn't. As a writer, you are lookng for the right connection. Finding this connection will take effort, education and insight but can pay off to advance your publishing career and also garner sales of your book. From my decades in publishing, it much better to work with others and produce excellence, than to do it on your own (self-publish). This simple principle explains why there are so many strange self-published book. There are plenty of companies that will take your money, publish your book and not give you honest help in the process. My advice is to choose carefully, ask many questions and avoid the missteps.

 

Are you aware of the fine line between creative and strange? What steps are you taking to get help from an editor or agent? Let me know in the comments below.

 

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Resolutions for Writers

 

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

I don't normally post a new article on a Friday but it is the first day of the year. Happy New Year, everyone. I'll be back next week at my normal time. As we turn the calendar to a new year, I reflect how 2020 was a strange year on many fronts. I'm glad to turn the calendar page. As a writer, what I like to do is think about the year ahead and make plans. Years ago I used to make resolutions but most of them were broken before I reached February. Now I make resolutions which I can keep.

 

Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? If you are like me, you have goals, dreams and plans for the New Year. I encourage you to write down these resolutions or plans or goals. You want to make them specific actions so you can hold yourself (or your partner can hold you) accountable to carry them out.

 

Over 25 years ago in 11 days I wrote a diet book by Carole Lewis called First Place. I took such a crazy writing deadline because the publisher was determined to have the book inside the bookstores for January. If you look at bestseller lists, often in January there will be several diet books about losing weight. In our overweight society, many people resolve to lose some pounds in the New Year. They begin with such great resolve and commitment.

 

To become a proactive author, I want to suggest several resolutions or goals that you can keep throughout the months ahead. I encourage you to use these ideas to create your own goals. Make sure you make each one specific, measurable and action oriented.

 

1. Plan to consistently talk with others about your books or products. As the author, you should take the primary responsibility to market and tell other people about your books. There are dozens of tools and ways to do it. Your method should be a way that serves other people (helps them) and doesn’t pound them with “buy me” messages. The “buy me” message is a turn off and the service to others is an attraction. Can you take your book and create a teleseminar or take chapters from your book and turn them into magazine articles or blog posts?

 

2. Resolve to Persevere. Are you trying to publish something which is getting rejected? You are in good company. Just check out this article from bestselling novelist James Scott Bell called Rejecting Rejection. Possibly you have not made the right connection to get your work published. Are you consistently submitting your work? Often when I ask writers about this detail, I find they haven’t been consistently working on getting their book pitch to the right editor at the right time and the right place. I don’t believe that I’m a great writer. I work hard at improving my storytelling and writing—yet I am persistent and preserve. I’m determined to a fault. Nurture this quality in your own life in the weeks and months ahead.

 

3. Resolve to take better care of yourself. Over the last few years, I’ve worked hard at getting more consistent sleep, taking a daily multiple vitamins and a commitment to regular exercise. Also I attempt to watch my weight and eating patterns to be in balance. Am I perfect? No, but I continue to consistently work at these elements and build regular patterns into my life. With a pandemic this year, my weight increased but several months ago my wife and I began changing our eating patterns and working on weight loss. Currently I'm at my lowest weight in over 20 years and my blood pressure has lowered and other health benefits. It's all part of my resolution to take better care of myself and something I encourage you to do too. Your goal will be different for your lifestyle and situation but do consider this area of your life.

 

4. Resolve to learn a new skill then practice it repeatedly. Maybe you want to develop your storytelling skills. Or maybe you can learn from a how-to book or take an online training. I use all of these methods to keep growing in my abilities and skills.

 

5. Resolve to do more writing. It takes more than a resolution to increase your writing. You need a plan. Do it consistently and set a reasonable word count then do it day after day. No little elves come out and write your words. You have to sit in your chair, get your fingers moving on the keyboard and do it.

 

6. Resolve to do more reading. Writers are readers. Read widely and varied types of books. I read but also learn from listening to audiobooks.

 

I’m expecting great things will happen in the coming months. How about you? Are you setting goals and moving in this direction? Take action today. As you look at the new year, are you creating resolutions you can keep? Let me know in the comments below.

 

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W. Terry Whalin is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. His work contact information is on the bottom of the second page (follow this link).  He has written for over 50 magazines and more than 60 books with traditional publishers. His latest book for writers is 10 Publishing Myths, Insights Every Author Needs to Succeed. Get this book for only $10 + free shipping and over $200 in bonuses. One of Terry's most popular free eBooks is Straight Talk From the Editor, 18 Keys to a Rejection-Proof Submission. He lives in Colorado and has  190,000 twitter followers. 

Right Fit: The Search Within Publishing

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

For over seven years, I've been acquiring books for Morgan 
James Publishing. As an acquisitions editor, I have a lot of interesting exchanges wtih authors, editors and literary agents about books. In this article, I'm going to tell you a few stories related to a constant search within publishing: finding the right fit.

If you can't find the right fit for you. You can always self-publish. Last year over 1.6 million new books took this route of self-publishing. One of my writer friends self-published and told me how he spent over $10,000 in the process of creation, editing and launching his book. When I spoke with him, he was wondering if he made the right choice for his book. As an editor, I've heard this story many times from various authors. For many houses if you self published, they will not consider taking it into their publshing house—unless you have huge sales like 100,000 copies. The good news is occasionally at Morgan James we take a self-published book and move it into our books. It does not happen often but it is possible and something to explore if you have gone this route with your book.

I regularly read a number of blogs and online articles. While reading a recent article, I learned a detail buried in the article. This author (also a book editor) was looking for a publishers for her historical novel. Because Morgan James publishes some fiction, I used her website to reached out and suggested she submit to Morgan James. We are looking for clean fiction (no profanity) and 100,000 words or less. This author responded that her story was gritty and over this word count. It was not the right publishing fit for this author.

Recently a Christian author with an unusual proposal approached me. While over the years I've reviewed thousands of submissions, I had never seen a book with this particular topic. From my understanding of the publishing world, I believe it will be a challenge for this author to find the right publishing fit but I liked the concept and wanted to help. As an editor, I went ahead and processed his submission and moved it forward through the process. My colleagues agreed with me that it would be a fit for Morgan James (doesn't always happen—yes my pitches get rejected at times) and we offered this author a contract. He responded that he's looking for a literary agent and a different type of fit. Will he find it? I don't know. He has an opportunity with Morgan James but like several other authors that I've spoken with, he is looking for the right fit.  

This search for the right fit is not just something writers are doing. Literary agents are looking for the right fit. They do not represent every type of book but search in specific categories and types of books they want to represent and place with publishers. Publishers are looking for the right fit. In fact, every person in the process is looking for this right fit. In many ways it is one of the constant factors in the publishing search.

One of the best actions any writer can take to find the right fit is to make sure they have a solid pitch or proposal to send to the editor or literary agent. Often these pitches are missing a critical element. Years ago as a frustrated acquisitions editor, I was not getting the right pitches from writers to be able to convince my colleagues to give them a book contract. I wrote Book Proposals That Sell, 21 Secrets to Speed Your Success. 

This book has over 110 Five Star reviews—and I have all of the remaining print copies—and I've discounted the book from $15 to $8. No matter what you write, you will find valuable information in these pages and be able to use it to improve your pitch and search to find the right fit in the publishing community.

What steps are you taking to find the right fit for your book? Let me know in the comments below.

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The Anatomy of a Book Review

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

I've been writing reviews on books for many years. My first book review appeared in a magazine that no longer exists. I've written hundreds of print book reviews and for two publications, I was their book review columnist which meant I had regular deadlines to deliver my columns which contained multiple reviews. In recent years, I still write some reviews for print magazines but in general, my reviews appear online.

I read many different types of books then write these reviews. Often as I read the book, I open a file in Microsoft Word and begin to write some of my thoughts about the book. When I finish the book, I will craft my review. Sometimes I will post the review right away on Goodreads and Amazon and my social media—but not always.You can follow these links for Amazon and Goodreads to see the various types of books that I read and review. Notice not all of them are print books but I also write reviews about the audiobooks that I hear. Sometimes I will write reviews in batches or one review after another. Do you ever handle a certain type of writing in batches?

The majority of the books that I read are nonfiction—and this has been my pattern for years and explains why I have written mostly nonfiction for years (a few short stories are mixed into that writing). I do read several fiction authors and look forward to these books.

In the last few days, I've finalized a number of book reviews—in a batch. When I write a review, it is not just a sentence or two—like some people do. Instead, I write at least a paragraph which summarizes the content of the book. What are the major sections in the book and is this something worth writing about in your review? I do sometimes and sometimes not. Normally I as I read the book, I am looking for a quotation or two from the book. Often it is several sentences that I locate from the book. I like to use quotations because it shows readers that I actually read the book and pulled out something important for me from the book. At the end of my quotation, I include a specific page number from the book. 

As I read a book, I will take little post-its and flag a particular passage or section so it will stand out—and I can use it for my review. I use these flags to highlight possible quotations or content that I want to highlight in my review.

While many of my reviews are five star reviews and positive, I write honest reviews so not all of them are five stars. If I didn't finish the book or something else, I try and write about it in my review. It is important for reviewers to write their honest feedback about the book. My reviews are much more than a sentence or two. Normally they range from about 120 to 220 words in length.

I hope this article gives you some ideas to write your own reviews. The  key is to jump in and write reviews over and over for the books that you read or hear. It is a solid way you can support other writers with your reviews. For more information and insights, I recommend you get this free interview and ebook from Dana Lynn Smith. It is a resource I created to help other book authors with reviews.

Do you write book reviews? If so, let me know about your tips and insights in the comments below.

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Control Your Social Media

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

In recent years, I've gained a large social media following with over 200,000 on Twitter, over 4,900 Facebook friends and over 12,000 connections on LinkedIn. In other articles, I've provided details about what I am doing and how I am doing it. Today I want to talk about a different aspect of social media: control.

All of these social posts are something I personally do. I don't have an assistant or someone else doing it. I realize several things:

--consistency is important

--people are reading this information and at times responding to it

--the information will be online FOREVER (yes I understand that all CAPS is shouting but I want to make sure you see these posts are around for a very long time)

The words matter. I begin each day with an inspirational quotation and an image of this person. Today on one of these social networks, someone added a comment about the person I quoted and flamed this person because of other actions they have taken. The comment was inappropriate and very public—and I've watched these types of things escalate on social media to move in a strange direction. I immediately deleted the comment. Then I took further action: I blocked this person from this network so they can never again make such a comment on my posts. I'm in control of my own social media so I took immediate action. Yes I believe in free speech but I also understand that I can control my own social media.

When you read something you don't agree with, you can post a comment or you can move on in silence or you can write the person directly (not public). Each of us have choices in this area. The person who puts out the social media post has a choice and the person who responds (or doesn't) also has a choice.

Several points in this area:

1. Take control of your social media

2. Monitor the comments so you can respond and engage with it. Engagement is a huge reason for being active in social media and the more your audience is engaging, the better in my view.

3. Use tools like Hootsuite and others to help you easily monitor the responses to your social posts. For example, people try to send me direct messages often on Twitter and I don't read those on Twitter because of the time involved (mine is limited for social media because of other things I do throughout the day—a choice). Instead I read these messages and at times respond through Hootsuite. Find your own way to handle this aspect of social media.

4. Always look for ways to expand your readership and grow your social networks. I'm not talking about doing it artificially where you buy Twitter followers but organically where you connect with more and more people. As you increase your reach, you will increase your interest from editors and literary agents and others in the publishing community.

OK, that's my view on the necessity for us to take control of our social media. Do you agree or not? Let me know in the comments below.

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