Why AmazonEncore matters

A lot has been written about the publishing industry and the role of new technology. My view is that the system is broken. No longer is a publisher needed to stump up huge amounts of cash and expertise to get books into bookshops. Technology and social media has given writers the ability to bring their own books to the market without the help of publishers. It is now possible for a writer to make their book available to a worldwide audience, at a very low cost, and hundreds (if not thousands) of ‘fans’ can buy that book without a mainstream publisher ever being involved.

I recently spoke to an industry insider about this very topic and he said, “What they [publishers] really want is for social media and self-publishing to go away and for things to be like they were 10+ years ago.” This is great news for the writer. I truly believe we are on the edge of a revolution. We are seeing a shift in publishing power away from the big publishers and into the hands of readers and writers. However, publishers will still have a role to play, though this will be more editorial. However, it seems that Amazon are the only people that can really see what is happening.

This week Amazon released AmazonEncore.

AmazonEncore is a new program whereby Amazon will use information such as customer reviews on Amazon.com to identify exceptional, overlooked books and authors with more potential than their sales may indicate. Amazon will then partner with the authors to re-introduce their books to readers through marketing support and distribution into multiple channels and formats…

What?!? Amazon will use the most sophisticated model of reader’s book buying habits ever known to man to identify books that have been overlooked by the mainstream publishers! And by this they mean self published books.

And!?! Amazon will put the weight of their worldwide business behind promoting these books to a wider market.

My God they get it!

What do agents do?

Part of the standard advice for new writers is to find an agent. Ignoring the fact that finding an agent is often harder than finding a book deal, it leaves the question - what to agents actually do?

Contacts

The single most important thing an agent will bring to your work is contacts. A good agent, and there are many bad ones, will have good, solid industry relevant contacts. They will not know everyone in the publishing world but they will know everyone in your genre that counts.
The advantage of contacts is that they can get your work in front of the correct people. It has now become common place for most big publishers to completely reject unsolicited manuscripts. It’s no longer a case of ending up on the slush pile. The slush pile has gone; it’s now a case of ending up in the bin.

Contracts

Once an agent has secured interest from a book publisher, it is in the negotiations that they earn their money. Agents are not writers. They don’t see your book as the literary masterpiece you do; they see a product to be sold. An agent will be able to negotiate a better deal than a writer almost every time. They know how far to push companies. They know how much royalties to expect. They know the going rate for advances. They know what companies have paid in the past for similar books. In short they know everything they need to know to get the best deal possible.

Money

Once the writer has a deal in place the agent’s job is still not over. They still have two areas of expertise where they will prove invaluable. The first is administration. An agent will make sure that your publisher does what they have promised, when they have promised. They will chase advances, check royalty statements and all the other nifty gritty details that distract writers from writing. The second area of importance is in foreign rights. If an agent has held onto the foreign rights (this may or may not happen). They will try to sell your book abroad. This is often where new writers make the most money early on in their career.

Related articles:

How to write a query letter
How to write a synopsis

How to write a fiction query letter

When submitting a novel to a publisher or agent the Submission Package should consist of three parts: a query letter, a synopsis and an extract (normally fifty, double spaced, pages). This article is about the query letter. You can find out more about the synopsis here.

The goal of a query letter is to get the publisher/agent to read your synopsis. It is your synopsis and (hopefully) your extract that will seal the deal. This means your query letter should be concise and to the point. No waffle, no exaggerated claims, just a focussed and honest summary of your book.

I would suggest a three paragraph approach:

Paragraph 1: This is your elevator pitch - you need just a few lines to sell your book. It is essential that these are concise and to the point. You just need to give the publisher/agent a feel for your narrative; this will give them an indication as to whether your title is something that will fit into their current list.

Paragraph 2: This is a more details about the book. Remembering to be concise and to the point you need to include the following:

1. The book’s genre,
2. The word count,
3. An indication of the market with one or two representative titles,
4. An Indication of if the book is written and if not when it will be finished,

Paragraph 3: This is about you as a writer. Include a brief biography, containing any relevant information such as previous published titles.

The key to remember is that this is just a taste of your book. You are going to expand on some of the points you make in your synopsis. At this stage it is all about the agent/publisher making sure that your book fits their list. If the agent/publisher has no experience of selling the genre in which your book falls then any potential partnership is doomed to failure.

Related Articles

How to write a ficition synopsis

Interview with the Creative Penn

The Creative Penn aka Joanna Penn helps writers who are looking to self publish thier own books...

Tells us a bit about yourself and The Creative Penn...

I have been a business consultant for 12 years working in Europe, New Zealand and Australia. During that time, I met a lot of miserable people who were trapped in their jobs and desperate to do something else, but many didn’t know what steps to take next. I was one of those people as well! So I decided to make a change and in the process wrote my first book, “How to enjoy your job”. When I had finished the book, I looked into the publishing process and discovered how long it would take to get through agents and publishers to the finished product. Most books seem to take 18 months to make it through the process (and that’s after you have been accepted!) I like to get things done quickly and efficiently, and couldn’t wait that long so I investigated self-publishing. My book was on Amazon within a month of finishing it, and I used freelancers for the editing and cover etc so the quality was also good. I discovered ebooks, print-on-demand, internet marketing and so much more!

I learnt so much in the last year that I decided to share it with other authors and started The Creative Penn last December. I also wrote 2 more books about the writing and publishing process, as well as internet sales and promotion.

We met via Twitter and social media is clearly close to your heart. How do you think a writer can get the most out of the internet?

Firstly, authors must realise that even traditional publishers expect an author to have a “platform” of some sort. That could be your speaking audience, or it could be blog subscribers, web site statistics or even Twitter followers. So the internet is not an option for authors anymore, it has to be done regardless of being traditionally or self-published.

In terms of making the most of it, immerse yourself in the options available and then choose a couple of ideas and run with them. Don’t try to spread yourself too thin as you won’t be able to build relationships or an effective platform. For example, I am a member of tons of author social networks, but I am mostly only active on Twitter and Facebook. I am also an active blogger and love reading other people’s blogs.

I think you also need a central site to point people towards if they want to know more about you. For me it is the blog, for others it might be their author fan page on Facebook, a Squidoo page or a static webpage.

You have personal experience of the self publishing route. Do you think that self publishing is becoming a real option for many writers?

There are a couple of reasons I think self-publishing is brilliant and an option for everyone.

1. Speed and control. You can get yourself into print, or publish your own ebook to a global market in a very short time. You can keep the quality by using freelance editors, cover designers etc so that is not a valid criticism anymore.
2. Niche markets. Mainstream publishers are increasingly focused on famous authors or guaranteed best-sellers. They will not pick up niche books. But there may be a market for your book, and self-publishing it can make you some money.
3. Release the creativity! I felt so constrained for years with my own creativity because I felt I couldn’t win a Booker prize winning novel. I was also disheartened by the possibility of rejection and spending years in pursuit of publishers. By self-publishing, I got my books out there, I am making some money and helping people! Brilliant! Don’t let the fear of failure stop you publishing!

Also remember that you don’t have to pay a lot of money anymore for self-publishing. You can self-publish a print-on-demand book for free through Lulu.com and also as an ebook on a site like Smashwords.

If people still hanker after traditional publishing, it can also be a way for publishers to notice you. I’m sure everyone has heard of the classic careers book “What colour is your parachute?”. That was self-published for 2 years before being up and has been republished every year for 40 years. A more recent example is Christopher Paolini’s “Eragon” which was self-published first prior to being picked up.

At BubbleCow we come into contact with writers on a regular basis who simply don't 'get' twitter. What would you say to these people?

I think they will get it in the next 6 months when Twitter becomes the no.1 social network! I was also sceptical but after joining I realised what a powerful platform it is if used in the right way. I only tweet about books and publishing and probably 8/10 tweets are useful links to other people’s sites. I put in a couple of my own blog posts per day and that has brought me plenty of new blog subscribers as well as daily traffic for my site. But the best thing is that I have made relationships with some very cool people in the book/publishing industry and as a direct result will be interviewing many of them for my podcast and my new program, author 2.0.

OK last one...Tell us a bit about what you offer for writers and how they can get in touch.

The Creative Penn is a blog with tons of free information on writing, publishing, sales and promotion...for your book. I also have a free “How to be an author” workbook and for more established authors, a free award-winning marketing plan. I am also currently working on this new author 2.0 program which is aimed at helping people actually do everything that is recommended these days for authors. There are lessons on how to podcast, blog, make videos, self-publish, publish ebooks, use Amazon and the Kindle and much more. Each eclass will have a how-to video, an audio interview with an expert and a text module. There is a video here for more information. It will be launching in May 2009.

People can email me at: joanna@TheCreativePenn.com . You can also follow me on Twitter for lots of writing and publishing links, or become a friend on Facebook.

How to write a fiction synopsis

Many writers find writing a book proposal a daunting and painful process. However, the proposal is one of the most important documents a writer will ever produce and can be the difference between your book ending up in bookshops and sitting unread on your hard drive.

There is no one formula for a good proposal but an understanding of the process a book goes through before finally being commissioned, will help you understand just how important the proposal is to the publisher and agent.

Whether you are submitting to an agent or publisher the first person to read your book will probably not be the one that finally agrees to the commission. In most publishers editors will look at incoming submissions, pick the ones they think are worthy of pursuing and then present them to the rest of their team. It is only when all involved (marketing, sales and more senior editors) agree that your book will sell that it will get commissioned. The situation is similar for an agent who will ultimately have to present the book to a publisher.

The way your book is presented by the editor/agent is critical. The problem you face is that the editor/agent will use your proposal as the foundation for their pitch. This means that your proposal needs to contain key information if it is to have any chance of success.

So, bearing this in mind, what do you need in a proposal?

The proposal should consist of the following elements:

• A bit about the book
  
• A bit about you
  
• Your market
  
• An extract
  
• A bit about your book
  

This is the opening section for your proposal and needs to be written as if it were to be used for marketing the book. In essence this is a summary of what the book is about, who will read it and why.

Paragraph 1: The Elevator pitch

The first paragraph of this section should be the elevator pitch. This is a concise and targeted summary of the book in just a couple of sentences. Try to capture the essence of the book.

e.g.
You can't choose who you fall in love with and that's especially true with football teams.
(The Bromley Boys, Dave Roberts)

Belle de Jour is the nom de plume of a high-class call girl working in London. This is her story.
(Belle de Jour, The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl)

Grosvenor HouseDeep in the City something had been woken, something so old and so ordinary that people had been walking past it for centuries without giving it a second look...
(Stone Heart, Charlie Fletcher)

Paragraph 2: Story outline
This paragraph adds more detail to the story. Include a very brief outline of the plot (seven/eight sentences at most). Also add a brief suggestion of your target audience and why they might wish to buy your book.

Paragraph 3: Details
The next paragraph should provide some nitty-gritty details. Try to give as much depth as possible. 

You need to include the following:

• Page count: Publishers are aware that this is only an estimate but it shows you have a clear vision for your book.
  
• Word count: Again publishers will be aware this may change but it lets them know a little bit more about your book.
  
• Completion date: A publisher needs to have some kind of timeline in mind for your book. If unwritten then they will need to know when to expect the manuscript. If written then tell them so.
  
• Images & illustrations: If you need images to be included or illustrations drawn then it is important you include as much detail as possible. This will all add to the cost of the book’s production and will play a part in the decision making process.
  
• Anything unusual: This is the time to include anything out of the ordinary you envisage for your book. If you want any unusual printing style or fold out pictures etc include details in this paragraph.
  

A bit about you

Paragraph 4: Biography
Whether you like it or not the final decision to publish a book may be as much to do with the writer as the book’s content. Publishers and agents are looking for a marketable package. They need a story beyond the book’s narrative that they can sell to their marketing department and ultimately external media. The best way to write this section is to imagine the publisher cutting and pasting it onto the back of the book.

Your biography can usually be done in one paragraph. I suggest that you try and give yourself a ‘story’. Are you a struggling housewife that writes in her spare time, a University professor who really wants to write chick-lit or a policeman putting his day-to-day experiences into a gritty crime novel? Also include any relevant writing experience. If you are a member of the Society of Authors then say so. If you have books already published then give details (including ISBN). Also don’t be frightened of adding a bit about what you do in your spare time. If you are sky-diving vicar then it all adds to your ‘story’.

Some tips that might help-

• Don’t be too clever: The publisher/agent is looking for information about you, so stick to information. Don’t clog up the section with your thoughts, big ideas and plans - just the facts.
  
• Don’t be strange: Try to keep your weird habits (we all have them) out of the text. If you collect used envelopes and the book isn’t about used envelopes resist the temptation to share.
  
• Share relevant experience: If you have experience relevant tot the book then put it into the biography. Don’t include experience that is not relevant. If you worked in McDonalds when you were seventeen - great but a book synopsis is not the place to share (unless your book is about a burger restaurant - you get the idea).
  
• Include all previous writing experience: ANY books and articles you have published should be included. It all helps...
  

Your Market
This section is about allowing the publisher to match your book with a sales strategy. If you have written a fiction book for children and the publisher sells adult non-fiction then there is no match. Your story is not right for them and they are not right for your story. In addition you are giving the editor/agent a kick start on their research into the potential sales figures for your book.

Paragraph 5: Readership
This paragraph is about your readership. You need to be as precise as possible, saying everyone who has read Harry Potter is your target audience is not helping anyone. You have a much clearer picture of your readership than any publisher at this stage. Painting a clear picture of your potential reader will help greatly. You need to explain why your book will appeal. There is no harm in talking about some lesser secondary markets but stay focussed.

Paragraph 6: Competition
This paragraph looks at the competition for your book. You need to pin point carefully the kind of books your potential readers are already buying and reading. This is not a negative, it will give the publisher a clear idea of where they will be marketing and selling your book. It also shows that you are committed and well informed. It helps if you are familiar with the competition titles and reading as many of them as possible is a good start. If your book fills a particular niche in the market or is strong were a best seller is weak, then include this kind of information. Try to include at least the title for the competition, though an ISBN helps for more obscure books.

Extract
This is going to be an extract of your work. You need to check the publisher/agent submission guidelines. As a rule of thumb it tends to be the first fifty pages (double spaced).

The final thing to say is that you get one chance with a pitch and trying to second guess exactly what a publisher is looking for will not work. Your best chance of success is to present a well researched, clear and serious proposal for your book.

Related articles:

How to write a query letter

How to edit your own work

A synopsis is not a summary of your book!

Navigating the self publishing maze

Self Publishing is rapidly becoming a viable option for many writers. However, this route to print is far from simple and with the potential for writers to make very expensive mistakes this blog post aims to try and offer some kind of guidance through the maze of options.

Despite the plethora of companies and websites offering self publishing services, these can be split into two main groups. The first is what I call one-click publishing. This option is website based and offers the writer a very simple route to print. The best example of one-click publishing is Lulu. The second option is what I call assisted publishing. This is were a specialist company offers writers advice and a range of print services.

One click publishing
In essence this kind of approach is designed to be a simple as possible. I am generalising, but a writer will upload their manuscript, design their own cover and make their book available for purchase on the hosting website. Then, when an order is placed the book is printed via Print on Demand (POD) service and sent to the reader. The writer gets the profit from the sale once the costs have been removed.

Advantages

• Simple
  
• Good for books that will sell a very small volume (10’s rather than 100’s)
  
• No initial outlay
  

Disadvantages

• No pre-production (i.e. the editing and quality of text is left to the writer’s discretion)
  
• Print quality of final book can be poor
  
• The price per book can be high
  

Assisted publishing
This approach is designed to give the writer assistance in producing the best possible book. A good company (and they are not all good!) will at first contact offer the writer advice on the best way forward. The better companies will even go some way to dissuading writers from spending too much money on a product that may not ultimately sell enough to recoup their investment. Generalising once again, the process is started by the writer submitting the manuscript. This then undergoes some kind of pre-production. This can range from a simple type set to a complex copy edit and proofread. The cover will be designed and the book sent to the printer (most of the time this is short run print (200 - 3000) which is cheaper per book than POD). Many companies will also work with a writer to produce a business plan and offer pragmatic book marketing advice. This is just the tip of the ice berg and writers can often purchase a range of ‘additional services’. The model for writers recovering money differs, but one common model is for the writer to get a percentage of the final book cost once the company has remove printing costs and their handling fee.

Advantages

• A writer has a realistic chance of actually making some money
  
• Good pre-production and printing will produce a quality product
  
• Marketing and distribution can come as part of the package
  
• It can all be done to a budget
  

Disadvantage

• There are some unscrupulous companies out there
  
• It can be expensive
  
• It’s not quick
  

The four secrets to getting published

Secret 1 - The book will be excellent: Publishers and agents are inundated with projects and they are looking for something that is almost ready for print. The better you can make a manuscript the more chance you have of getting it published. You should seriously consider paying for a professional edit, since a good detailed edit will lift your book to the next level.

Secret 2 - The synopsis will be excellent: You get just one chance at selling your book. A good well written and well researched synopsis will lift your book above the competition. Check out this free resource for a detailed outline of what your synopsis should include.

Secret 3 - Persistence: This is probably the most powerful secret - never give up. A good idea will almost always remain a good idea. The trick is for a writer to match the idea with the right publisher and then keep their fingers crossed the timing is right. Don’t give up just because an agent or publishers says no. Books are rejected for many, many reasons and only a couple of these have anything to do with the quality of the writing.

Secret 4 - Focus: It is essential you get your book in front of the right publisher or agent. Research the market thoroughly before sending off any proposals. In an ideal world you will be able to get hold of a direct email or a name for postal submissions. The key is to do everything possible in your power to avoid the slush pile.

Interview with editor of The Self Publishing Magazine

Self publishing is rapidly becoming a viable option for many writers. However, in an industry that is still smeared by the reputation of a number of unscrupulous companies, good advice is sometimes difficult to find. One source of reputable self publishing advice is the industry magazine The Self Publishing Magazine.

BubbleCow spoke with Jane Rowland, Editor of the The Self Publishing Magazine.

Tell us a bit about your magazine and what it can offer to writers…

The Self Publishing Magazine was launched specifically to help anyone who has, is or is thinking about self-publishing. Originally the magazine was called as Readers’ Review and focused on reviewing self-published books. In 2007, however, we relaunched as The Self Publishing Magazine and became a feature led magazine concentrating on all aspects of self-publishing. It is full of articles and case studies aimed at helping anyone to self-publish successfully, and we still have an extensive reviews section.

The magazine covers any topic that is of relevance to self-publishers – from marketing and promotion, cover design, the technical aspects of getting a book published, and so on. The most popular articles tend to be those that look at marketing and promotion, which are usually seen as the really hard part of the self-publishing process.

We currently publish three issues a year (in April, August and October), and we are always interested to hear about self-publishing authors and how they have fared – in particular with ‘how to ‘ articles or case studies.

Changes in technology and the development of the Internet has made self-publishing a viable option for many writers. Would you agree?

The increasing number of people self-publishing, along with the gradual change of attitude from the books trade towards the concept, have both helped self-publishing thrive. There are now many internet-based self-publishing service providers which, if used correctly, can be a fairly cost effective way for people to publish their work. But the internet is also useful for researching self-publishing, and it can help in marketing books, especially for writers who don’t have large marketing budgets. Online bookshops can sell all books in print, making them easily available to potential readers. Social networking sites can help authors create a buzz about a book – regardless of their method of publication.

So yes, advances in technology over the last few years – from the internet to digital printing – have allowed us to all move from being merely consumers of books (or music, or film!) to being producers. In fact, it’s currently a very liberating and exciting time to be involved in publishing.

What advice would you give writers looking to self-publish their work?

People chose to self-publish for a variety of reasons – be it the fulfillment of a hobby or as a launch-pad to a writing career. What many writers do not always appreciate is that there are different ways to self-publish, and what may suit one person will not always suit another. For example, if you want to sell to more than just family and friends, or a close target audience, then you will have to do so via the books trade. You will thus need to sell via the wholesalers (who can take up to 55% of your cover price). So you have to work out what you can afford to sell the book for and then work out how to produce it so that you make the best return on each copy sold. Many people are convinced that PoD is the best way to self-publish – but it is possible (for people serious about selling mostly through the books trade) that PoD can actually be less cost effective than printing copies in bulk all in one go, for example.

I would also say that if you choose to use a self-publishing provider, you need to look carefully at what you get for your money and compare more than one service and get more than one quote. Packages (where you get a certain ‘deal’ for a certain price) can look tempting, but do the packages you are looking at cover all the things you need? Will you get clobbered for any extras on top? It can be hard to compare packages from different suppliers because they all include or exclude different things. It’s also worth remembering that you might prefer to get a quote that is tailor made for your book and your project – rather than simply looking at packages.

Finally, I have found that people often can get impulsive about getting their work into print – and sometimes the manuscript itself could do with a little more time spent on it before it gets turned into a book.

Are the days of the vanity press dead or is it still a case of writer beware?

I think there are plenty of people out there who are looking to make a quick buck out of others – be that in plumbing or publishing! As with everything, you have to go into a project with your eyes open and weigh up the risks. Getting recommendations from writing friends is a good measure of a company, but a bit of research upfront can save heartache later. There are companies that offer full service self-publishing (where you deliver your manuscript and work with them towards getting your book), and companies offering things like critical assessment, editing or cover design. In fact the popularity of self-publishing has resulted in an entire industry of support services, all vying for a self-publisher’s business. Most of these services will do exactly what they say they will, but at a wide range of costs – and of course, some will be less reputable. Recommendations and research are the watchwords!

How do companies like Lulu differ from specialist self publishing companies?

It can actually be hard to generalize about what a self-publishing firm will do for you because there are many different firms that now offer self-publishing – from large US-based firms (with UK offices) to small self publishing companies working in niche markets – and all offer slightly different things! In addition, people self-publish very different manuscripts and all for different reasons. For these reasons I don’t like to give general overviews of the different services that you can get from different service providers because I think that it needs to come down to what is right for your book.

The Lulu style services can be a cost-effective way to get into print, but you do most of the work yourself and need to be fairly computer-savvy. Having said that, some of the other larger self-publishing service providers can also get you to do quite a lot of the uploading of your book and cover – and can be fairly ‘template-based’ as well. This is why I feel the only way to work out what will be best for your book is to do your research and choose a service that best matches that you want.

What you should expect to get from a self-publishing services provider (as opposed to an internet firm where you just upload your own files) would be a company that will work with you to get the book you want, will be available to talk to you, face to face or via the phone (and not just via email). You want a firm that has strong links with the books trade, which offers real marketing, and which will be honest about your book and its chances of selling. It is also important to see the quality of the work they produce (a badly produced book is inexcusable in this day and age), and to get recommendations from people who have used the service already. You will pay more for such a service than you will for online self-publishing, so once again, it comes down to what you want for your book.

Finally, it does not follow that the cheapest option is the best – but it is not a given that the most expensive option is the best either (vanity presses were known for charging eye-watering amounts for doing very little work, for example!).

How can writers get hold of your rather excellent magazine?

We have a website (www.selfpublishingmagazine.co.uk) where you can download a free sample copy of the magazine, see a list of back issues, read some free articles and find information about subscriptions.

The secret to getting published is don’t be rubbish

NOT getting published is really easy. In fact, many writers are very good at NOT getting published. The reason? They are often a little bit rubbish!

My experience is that good writing, presented correctly will ultimately find a home. A well written, well edited story, with a good cover letter and synopsis, offered to the correct people will most of the time end up in print.

So why are you NOT getting published?

Is your story too weak?

Does the manuscript need to be tighter?

Could you edit it just one more time?

Is the spelling incorrect?

Is the grammar a bit off?

Does your cover letter stink?

Is your synopsis just not good enough?

Are you sending it to the wrong people?

Have you just given up?

The secrets to a successful synopsis

The synopsis is the document that will sell your book, the cover letter is the opening gambit but the synopsis is the big sell. You need to remember that this is a sales document not (only) an extract of your work. You need to give the publisher/agent an insight into your vision.

Paragraph 1: This is your elevator pitch - you need a few lines to sell your book. This needs to be concise and to the point.

Paragraph 2: This is a more detailed outline of the book. It should consist of a guide to the book's structure and the basic narrative thread of the story. Also include a word count.

Paragraph 3: Here you need to define the genre of your book, detail your potential market, suggest similar titles and give any ideas for future titles.

Paragraph 4: This is about you. Detail any previous writing experience. If you have other books written then include them. Also include an outline showing who you are and why you write.

Rest: This is an extract of your work - normally the first fifty pages. Do avoid the temptation to pick the 'best' bit of your book.

BubbleCow can offer more personalised advice at the BubbleCow website.

A synopsis is not a summary of your book

You would be amazed at the amount of times I come across a synopsis that is simply a summary of a book’s narrative (well twice so far this week but I am not really counting).

A writer must remember that a synopsis is a sales document. Its job is to convince the publisher/agent that the book in question is a commercially viable project. An outline of the book’s story IS important but please keep it brief. Instead focus on explaining where your book will fit in the market, who is likely to buy your book and what you can offer as a package.

IF the publisher/agent thinks your book is interesting, they will read the enclosed extract and then (hopefully) ask for the full manuscript.

The three secrets of a successful book pitch.

At BubbleCow we spend a lot of time helping very talented writers fine tune their submission packages so agents and publishers are more likely to offer them a deal. There is no doubt that in the current financial climate book deals are becoming more elusive. If you add to this the simple fact that many submissions simply slip onto the slush pile and are never given a fair review, then you can see just how tough it can be for a writers.

It is essential that your submission package is faultless. So here are the secrets to a good book pitch.

Don’t be rubbish - Your work needs to be of a professional standard BEFORE any agent or publisher ever reads it. This is especially true for smaller publishers who will be looking for a finished product. This is the reason that companies like BubbleCow exist. We provide the expertise that allows unpublished writers access to professional editors. But it is not just your writing that can’t be rubbish. You also need to ensure you are pitching to the correct company (one that already sells your genre of writing), you are addressing the letter to the correct person (name spelled correctly) and that you have no grammar mistakes. I could go on…

Your submission is a sales document - The cover letter and synopsis are not just summaries of your book, they are sales documents. These documents are all the agent/publisher has to assess your book. They are not going to read your extract unless they feel it is commercially viable. So, and this is important, you must SELL your book in the cover letter/synopsis. Pin point your market, highlight similar titles and make it as easy as possible for the publisher/agent to say yes. A big mistake many writers make is they simply include a summary of the story - this is a big no no.

Realistic expectations - All writers want to be the next JK Rowling. You know the dream - big advance, worldwide sales and a nice new house. However, this approach is fatal in trying to get published. Big advances are very rare, if fact a £3000(ish) advance is more realistic though still big. It is essential a writer is realistic about their book. You need to assume you are talking about a couple of thousands books sold, not millions. You also need to think carefully about which publisher is correct for you. The big boys offer the best deals on paper but smaller, more dynamic independent publishers may make you more money and give your book a better chance.

Should I self publish?

In recent years self publishing has become a very real option for many writers. Advances in both digital and traditional printing technology have made small print runs a commercially viable option. In addition, desk top publishing means that many pre-production tasks can be completed by ‘non-professionals.’ This leaves the question: Should I self publish?

The current economic climate has seen big publishers react in two ways. The first is that they are focusing more on the writers they already have at their company. It is easier for the publishers to predict sales for these books and therefore the investment risk is reduced. However, publishers are still looking for new talent but the criteria required to win a publishing contract is tighter today than ever before. Publishers need writers that are professional, marketable and above all predictable. New writers must fit very tight market criteria and have almost guaranteed sales (hence the rise of the celebrity biography). This means that many, many good writers are finding it difficult to match their work with the big publishing houses.

One group of publishers who may benefit from this trend are the smaller independents. These companies are suddenly finding that many of the ‘bigger’ name writers are coming to them in search of a deal. This is giving the indies a chance to strengthen their lists and hopefully build sales. Yet this is not good news for new writers. Companies given the choice of a risky new writer or a slightly safer established talent are naturally going to take the safer option.

So does this mean self publishing is the right route for new writers?

Well, no and yes.

A self publishing writer must ask all the same question of their book as every publisher, big or small:

Can I sell enough books to make enough money to cover my costs?

Many factors go into answering this questions, here are just a few:

• Can I find suitable companies to complete the pre-production (editing, design etc) at a reasonable cost and quality?
• Can I market the book to enough people and who is going to part with their hard earned cash for the book?
• Where will I sell the book?
• Do I need third-party distribution?
• Should I offer a digital/audio version?

And so on…

The long and short is that self publishing is a business venture. If a writer is going to sell their own books then they need a viable business plan, as well as cash up front. The good news is that many writers have self published and gone on to make a profit. For some the self publishing route is the perfect match. However, for each success story there are many failures.

So my advice is do not rule out self publishing but think carefully before you take the plunge.

The three tiers of publishing or can my book make any money?

Tier 1: The Big Boys
These are the big publishers such as Random House and Pan Macmillan. They are huge, international companies, made up of many smaller imprints. They print and sell hundreds of thousands of books each year.

• Advantages: Writers have the best chance of selling enough books to make some serious cash.
• Disadvantages: Very difficult to get placed and a writer will almost certainly need an agent.

Tier 2: The Independents
These are smaller companies such as Tonto Books and Chicken House. They are often local or operate in just one country. These publishers have a smaller budget, print and sell less books but still have a significant impact on the market.

• Advantages: Writers have more chance of getting their book seen, since they don’t need an agent and can approach the publisher direct.
• Disadvantages: Smaller budgets mean less book sales. Writers are much less likely to make enough money to give up their day job.

Tier 3: Self Publishing
Advances in traditional print technology, the development of digital printing and the Internet have made self publishing a viable option. However, the market is still new and the quality of the product produced can vary greatly.

• Advantages: Gives niche writers a viable approach to getting their work into print.
• Disadvantages: Writers must do everything! An effective marketing approach is essential if costs are to be recuperated.

The reality of getting published

BubbleCow is all about helping writers get published. In addition to our editorial services we offer advice (lots of advice) to writers looking to get their books into print. One of the avenues we use to talk to writers is Twitter (I could go on…) and last week I put out an appeal for unpublished writers willing to complete a brief interview for this blog.

This is just one response from Oliver Mell.

Tell me a bit about your book and why you decided to enter it into the spinetinglers competition?

My book is entitled Godless. Briefly; a soldier is sent home early from a tour in Iraq after an accident. He tries to make some sense of his life and gets a job in a local nightclub as a bouncer. Here he witnesses an assault that draws him into an underworld of vampires, lust and blood. It’s 90,000 words long split up into three parts. You can read the prologue and 1st chapter on my blog or if you are a member of Authonomy the first three chapters are there. I found spinetinglers on the web, after looking at some of the work they had posted online I decided to enter a competition, my work is now up for possible publication depending on how it does in the unpublished book of the year, I have to resubmit in July. They gave me good initial feedback and they give good criticism for anything you submit including scripts (which are my real passion).

Have you submitted your novel to any publishers and agents? If so how did you cope with their reactions?

I haven’t' submitted to an agent. I wanted to get some interest in my work first (it's something I will do when I can afford to and when I find the right one). I did send my work out to a lot of companies before I found spinetinglers. I got a few flat out rejections, not a lot of people look at unsolicited work. I anticipated it and just moved on. Some companies were good enough to give some useful pointers; I try to deal positively with criticism. I even got a few complaints about my content when my blog first went up from some Catholics who read my extract. I apologised for offending them and put up a warning, but it didn't bother me, I've never tried to please everyone.

What is your writing process? How do you fit it around real life?

Godless took five years from start to finish. In that time I had my daughter and got married and changed my job three times, so the writing process had to change. When I was just doing door work I used to finish work about three o'clock on the weekends, come home and write till about five in the morning then pass out and sleep all day. You just can't do that with a family and a day job. I went through a period where I dedicated one day of the week to writing and reading, My wife took our daughter round to the grandparents and I spent 7-8 hours working solid. It was affective, but exhausting. Now I'm a self employed personal trainer in the day. Even though I'm pretty busy, I make time for one hours reading and one hours writing a day (mostly scripts, but I am working on another novel). The PT job means I have to read anyway and it's amazing how reading nonfiction can help with your research, I feel a lot sharper and a lot more creative.

What do you think is the biggest hurdle that faces new writers looking to secure a publishing contract?

I think almost every writer I have ever met (me included) is their worst own enemy when it comes to publication. Either they can't take constructive criticism or they are too scared of rejection to really push for publication. I might not be the best one to give out advice, Godless isn't even published, but I feel writing it made me a better writer than I was five years ago, that might be the best advice to getting published, put the hours in reading and put twice the hours in writing.

How to write a book synopsis

Writing a good synopsis is a skill all writers need to develop but many writers find the process painful and difficult. I do have some good and bad news about the dreaded synopsis. The bad news is that there is no one outline or standard way to write a synopsis. The good news is that there are some things you can include to avoid writing a terrible synopsis.

• An elevator pitch: A few lines to sell your book. This needs to be concise and to the point. Kind of like the blurb you see on the back of books.
• A detailed outline: This should consist of a guide to the book’s structure and the basic narrative thread of the story
• A word count: No really.
• Marketing information: You need to define the genre of your book, detail your potential market, suggest similar titles and give any ideas for future titles.
• A bit about you: Detail any previous writing experience. If you have other books written then include them. Also include a very brief outline showing who you are and why you write.

BubbleCow offers a product that can help with your synopsis.

The latest advice can be found for free on BubbleCow's website. 

Top ten tips for getting published

1. Make sure your work is the best it can be.
2. Get someone you trust to read your work before you send it to any publisher/agent.
3. Remember your cover letter and synopsis are sales documents.
4. Make sure you have picked the correct publisher/agent for your work.
5. Remember that you don't need an agent to get published.
6. Consider smaller publishers as well as the big boys.
7. Set up a blog and post regularly.
8. Get involved with twitter.
9. Read and comment on published writer's blogs.
10. Never ever ever give up.

How to find an agent

If you are looking to become a full time writer then at some point you are going to need an agent. This elusive breed will not only help you negotiate new contracts but will also manage your financial affairs, though typically an agent will take 15% of all your income from writing for this service.

Agents are not essential. Many, many writers make substantial amounts of cash without an agent. Independent publishers often prefer to deal direct with writers who are not represented. However, if you are interested in one of the big boys, the publishing houses that sell lots of books, then an agent is essential if only to get your proposal read.

One book that I have come across that will help US writer’s find an agent is Maria Schneider’s digital book Get An Agent. This book offers a bit of general advice before getting down to the nitty gritty of listing 100 E-friendly agents open to new writers. Each agent has their own entry which contains the agent's name, website address, email address and genre(s) they represents.

Gold dust for any writer - you can buy and download Get An Agent here.

Here’s an example:

Jenoyne Adams
Bliss Literary Agency International
blissliterary.com
jadams-at-blissliterary.com
•Adult fiction •Narrative Nonfiction •Writing books •Women's issues •Parenting •Environment •Animals •Literary •Ethnic/ Fiction •Middle Grade •YA Fiction and Nonfiction •Young Reader Literary •Fantasy •Urban •Graphic Novels

How to get your book published in a recession

As the global recession bites the publishing industry is as much under threat as any other. We have seen big companies shedding jobs and small indies going to the wall. So in this climate can a writer still get their book published?

Here are a few things you can do to give your book the best possible chance:

1. Know your market: A writer must remember that a book successfully pitched today will not be in print for one or even two years. This means publishers are not looking so much at current trends, but trying to predict future trends. However, certain genres are easier to place than others. Young adult fiction is currently experiencing a boom, whilst historical fiction is always a good seller.
2. Don’t be rubbish: When approaching a publisher or agent a writer MUST offer the best possible pitch they can. Your cover letter must be immaculate, the synopsis beyond reproach and the manuscript the best it can be. The key is self editing. Before you send out your work make sure you have been over it with a fine tooth comb. Remove all unnecessary sentences, tighten up each and every paragraph and make sure the grammar is spot on.
3. Offer the whole package: Publishers are looking for more than just a book; they are looking for the whole package. As a writer you need to offer yourself as part of the deal. Develop your story by producing a potted narrative of your journey to writer. Give them a hook on which they can hang your marketing. Also establish an online platform. Set up a blog, start twittering and make a habit of populating the writer’s forums.
4. Persistence: Beyond all else don’t give up. It can take years to find the perfect publisher for your book. It also helps if you widen your search. Every writer looks for one of the big boy publishers but these are almost impossible to snare without an agent. Don’t be scared of setting your sites lower and targeting the small (and not so small) indie publishers.

How not to #11

Continuing with our 'How not to' guest blogs, bestselling author and former literary agent Orna Ross explains what NOT to say to an Agent or Editor:

“I’m so angry / disheartened / fed up with the publishing industry.”

Publishing is a tough business for everyone involved, not just writers. It’s tough going at times but there’s nothing for it but to keep a professional attitude and keep your spirits up so you can keep on writing.

Know what you are getting into. Do whatever it takes to develop the resilience you’ll need to thrive in this always competitive environment. Don’t speak or act inappropriately. Keep your emotional reactions for family and friends.

But most of all, keep writing. It will take you where you need to go.

Writing is not publishing; and being published is not what makes you a writer. But if being published is what you want, then there’s nothing for it but to work on. Despite how it appears, agents and editors are desperate for good ideas and stories, elegantly expressed.

Keep on improving and sooner or later, you will find somebody who wants to put you into print.