Tips to Query a Publisher

Your first step in querying a publisher should be to order the book Writer’s Market. The book is available through Amazon.com for about $30 or check with your local library. Writer’s Market includes 4,000 listings for book publishers, consumer magazines, trade journals, and literary agents. Most publishers’ listings in the book will tell you if they accept new authors, with or without agent representation, what types of manuscripts they want, what they pay, their contact information, and where to obtain authors’ submission guidelines for their company. Confirm all information by visiting the publisher’s Website if available. Most publishers’ Websites will have authors’ guidelines as well.

Once you have chosen the right publisher and are ready to submit your package, you will need to write the all-important query letter. The query letter must get the attention of the acquisitions editor, or, more likely, an editorial assistant or reader. Many packages are thrown out after the first sentence is read. Your query letter should be a brief one-page tool used to get the editor interested in your book idea. The idea of a query letter is to draw enough interest in your book that the editor will request your entire manuscript be sent. Some editors want to see the entire manuscript on first contact. Check the submission guidelines to determine exactly which method the editor prefers.

Editors change job positions and companies regularly. Don’t assume the listed editor is the current one. Always call the publishing house and ask who the current editor is and then address your letter to that person.

When formatting your query letter:

• Limit it to one page.
• Use single spacing with one-inch margin.
• Use an easy to read typeface such as Times New Roman and a 10- or 12-point type.
• Include your complete contact information including e-mail and phone number.
• Address the letter directly to the acquisitions editor by name.
• Be creative. Get the editor’s attention with a catchy opening line.
• Let the editor know briefly what your book idea is about.
• Include whether or not you have illustrations.
• Inform them of any expertise you have in the subject matter.
• Let them know if you have been previously published.
• Close with a polite offer to send the entire manuscript.
• Thank them for their time and say you look forward to hearing from them soon.

You can locate sample query letters and book proposals in the Writer’s Market book.

When a publisher requests an entire book proposal be sent, your submission should include the following:

• A query letter as described above.
• A chapter summary that gives an idea of your book’s subject and shows in detail how you plan to develop your idea. For fiction books, cover the basic plot.
• An outline of your book’s chapters and what is included in each one.
• Your author biography that includes why you are qualified to write this book as well as any previous writing experience. You can include relevant clubs and organizations you belong to.
• Sample chapters or the entire manuscript. See the publishing house’s specific guidelines to learn how much of the manuscript the editor requests.
• Marketing information. Editors want to who will buy your book and how you plan to reach those people. Be specific.
• Competitive title analysis. Include similar books on your subject and how they differ from yours. Why will your book be better?

Most publishers will let you know through their submission guidelines exactly what they want to see included in your fiction or nonfiction proposal.

If after all your hard work you are rejected by the publishers you submit to, scroll down to an earlier post and read Tips For Accepting Query Letter Rejection.

To learn the entire process of book writing, publishing, and marketing to help you get your book finished, read A Book Inside, How to Write, Publish, and Sell Your Story, ISBN 9780615199245, available at Amazon.com and wherever books are sold.

For The Love of Helping a Good Cause-Book Donations

Many published authors choose to support a worthwhile and personal cause through their book sales. A portion of my own book sales goes to Breast Cancer Research as well as libraries affected by natural disaster. As the season of giving quickly approaches, I would like to share an interview I recently had with another author who makes her own contribution through her books revenue, Jo Fulkerson. Jo has been blessed with the talent to write a book and smart enough to have it published; now she contributes a portion of her book sales to her own personal cause. Read on.

Carol Denbow: How or why did you decide you needed to "work for the cause?" What is your mission?

Jo Fulkerson: I guess I decided to write for and about social issues dealing with young people because I have always been interested in young people and concerned for their issues. As a Wal-Mart employee for ten years, I couldn't help seeing so many young people practically ignored and left to their own devices by parents day in and day out. We raised five children, lost one at 14 in a car accident, and I very recently lost a grandson, so my feelings for young people run deep. If I have an actual mission, it is to create fictional "heroes" for young people to look up to and perhaps give them an incentive to make something of their lives, perhaps even unobtrusively showing young people that there are people who care about them and want to do something for them.

Carol Denbow: You told me about your idea to donate your book to schools. Why are the schools so important to you and how did you get involved?

Jo Fulkerson: The idea of getting my book into schools was not original with me. Somewhere along the line while researching promotional outlets, it was suggested, especially since my novel deals with teenagers. I have only just begun to expand on this idea, but realized that the cost of really doing this on a large enough scale to make any kind of impact was beyond my means.

Carol Denbow: What is your dream result from all your hard work?

Jo Fulkerson: My dream result would be to make a difference in the lives of young people, having my characters become special "friends" and reach out to anyone who might need a friend at a particular moment in their lives.

Carol Denbow: How can other authors get involved with your cause?

Jo Fulkerson: Anyone who would like to help further this can do so by buying copies of FOR LOVE OF TEDDY to be donated to schools, either in a designated area or in any area, or by making donations to be used to purchase copies of the book to be placed in schools. (If they order copies through me, they are about $10 less than anywhere else.) My Website is www.freewebs.com/thedesertwriter and info about the book and about ordering is posted there.

Carol Denbow: Tell us about the book.

Jo Fulkerson: FOR LOVE OF TEDDY tells the story of Michael Kirkpatrick, high school senior basketball star, and his younger brother, Teddy. Michael is determined to save his brother, Teddy, from the clutches of teenage drug dealers. Feeling responsible for Teddy's slight mental handicap, Michael wages his own war to get rid of the dealers and the supplier. Teddy is mistakenly singled out by the school's Assistant Principal who sees Teddy hand a small package back to Leo, a teenage drug dealer, not realizing the true circumstances of Teddy's involvement. Teddy is further duped and manipulated by the dealer to run an "errand" for him. Michael then becomes more determined to bring down the drug dealers by convincing Leo that he, himself, will get involved in Leo's dealings if Leo will leave Teddy alone. When Michael confronts the supplier, his own life falls into jeopardy and his basketball prowess comes into play as he fights for his life and to bring down the supplier.

Carol Denbow: Are there any future books inside Jo?

Jo Fulkerson: Although I have begun another young adult novel dealing with foster children, I have put that on the shelf and will be working on another novel dealing with teens and drugs in which I plan to reach deeper and more dramatically into the issue.

Carol Denbow: Jo, thanks you for being here and sharing your information with us; you are an inspiration.

For more information about Jo Fulkerson’s fundraising project, or to order her book, visit her Website at www.freewebs.com/thedesertwriter.

I'm On a Roll, A Blog Roll! Do You Enjoy A Book Inside Blog?

***Another year has blown by and we are again asking our Blog visitors to vote for us for the 101 Best Websites for Writers by Writer's Digest for 2010. Last year we were fortunate enough to make the list thanks to our wonderful viewers who sent e-mails to Writer’s Digest on our behalf.

If you find a moment to help us again this year, we would be extremely grateful. Please send an e-mail with your comments and nomination for next year’s list to writersdigest@fwmedia.com with “101 Websites” in the subject line.

***Do you see a post here on A Book Inside that you would like to include on your own Website or Blog? We would love to share! Use the search box in the upper right corner of this page to locate posts of interest.

If you use one of our articles, please do not edit it and include, “Article courtesy of A Book Inside Blog at http://abookinside.blogspot.com” at the end of the article.

***Have a related Website or Blog with useful writing and publishing information? We’d love to hear from you and include you in our Christmas posting this year (it’s a surprise). Send me an e-mail at caroldenbow@gmail.com.

***As the holiday time approaches, I get that warm and fuzzy feeling inside just thinking about how supportive and kind the visitors to this Blog have been over the years, and I am reminded of the need on my part to say “thank you.” I have enjoyed the relationships created through this and many other “online” sites, mine and those of others. It is a tough and stressful economical time we are enduring and I believe the support we offer to each other helps tremendously.

A Couple Book Marketing Tips for my Blog Visitors

I wanted to share a couple good tips for authors who visit my Blog. My eyes are always open for opportunities to help you sell more books.

If you are a published author and would like an online interview on Susan Whitfield’s Blog at www.susanwhitfield.blogspot.com you can e-mail her at dwhitfield@nc.rr.com for more information.

Jo Linsdell may still be looking for guests as well. E-mail her at writersandauthors@yahoo.it.

A note regarding Amazon.com book listings…

If your book is listed with Amazon.com and you are not yet enrolled in their “Search Inside” the book program, read this message from Amazon.com;

“Submitting content for Search Inside the Book is now entirely electronic and physical book submissions are no longer accepted. For those not already uploading your books via PDF, we want to make this transition as simple as possible. Updated information is available at http://www.amazon.com/sitb-submission with links to our submission guidelines, instructions on how to request your PDF upload account (if you do not already have one) and contact information to address any outstanding issues related to Search Inside.”

This program is free for authors and definitely increases your chance of selling books.

Have a tip of your own? Please include it in the comments section below. Thank you!

Tips for Accepting Query Letter Rejection

GIMME CHOCOLATE, NOW! Dealing with rejection, written and submitted by Molli Nickell (we thank you Molli!)

Heart pounding, you open the mailbox. Digging through bills and letters, you spot something familiar. It’s the SASE (self-addressed-stamped-envelope) you’d submitted with your manuscript. Woo-hoo! Your heart dances with possibilities. “Finally, I can order ‘Published Author’ business cards.” You rip open the envelope and yank out the letter. Then . . .

There it is. That letter. You’ve seen it before. Crookedly copied, coffee-stained, unsigned, offering the same sappy platitudes—“blah blah blah, not right for our list. Best wishes for placement elsewhere.”

Your reaction? “GIVE ME CHOCOLATE, NOW!”

Or, you pull the mail out of the box. “Hmmm, there’s my SASE.” You carry it inside and open it. “Oh well, not a good match. I’ll cross this not-right-for-me agent off my list.”

Same situation, totally different reactions. What makes the difference? Mindset.

The second example demonstrates the reaction from a writer who understands the nature of the publishing business. Instead of the emotionally shattering, kicking-screaming-chocolate-cramming reaction, they simply remove this non-match from their agent list.

Is it easy to adopt a this mindset? No. Can you do it? Absolutely yes!

The next time you receive a non-acceptance letter and wolf down some chocolate, pause for a moment and consider the “why” of your reaction to the situation. As a writer, you’ve created something uniquely yours. Your manuscript is a product of your heart and soul, something that was inside of you, screaming to be written. You listened and loved it well enough to put your BIC (butt in chair) for the required hours, days, months, or years to bring your manuscript to life. Then, the time arrived to send your manuscript out into the world.

Moving from “telling” to “selling” can be a difficult, gut wrenching step. You open your manuscript to scrutiny, and release its fate to the actions of someone else. The feeling is similar to how you might have felt the first time you left your precious child at day care.

However (here’s where the situations differ), you probably never retrieved your child and found a crooked, photocopied note pinned to their little shirt. “Dear Parent, thank you for bringing us your child. So sorry, but he/she is not a good match with the other children in our program. Perhaps another school will feel differently.”

Nobody likes rejection. It doesn’t feel good, especially if your mindset tells you it’s personal . . . which it isn’t. However, some writers (maybe you) build up a case in which non-acceptance becomes vindictive rejection. You decide the person returning your query or manuscript hates you, your ideas, your writing skills, your family, your dog, your haircut, your grandmother, and so on. You expand your “rejection-it-is” to include your entire world.

If you must jolly yourself out of rejection depression, imagine the person who sent you the letter sprouting a wart on their nose (or developing a rash in a place where it’s not polite to scratch).

Then, consider this basic truth about the publishing business. It’s a business. When your query or manuscript is returned, it’s a business decision. The “no thank you letter,” (or no response at all) means that, for one or more of a zillion reasons, what you have offered isn’t what that particular agent is looking for at the moment.

So, what to do? Prepare your query or manuscript and send to the next agent (s) on your list. Give up mailbox angst. Start another project. Hold the thought that eventually you’ll match yourself up with the most appropriate agent to guide you through the publishing maze to publication.

Former publisher Molli Nickell helps writers create effective queries, synopses, first pages, and book proposals. Her “teaching” websites include: www.getpublishednow.biz, http://QueryLetterWizard.blogspot.com/ and http://queryclub.weebly.com/

Book Trailer for 100 Ways to Market Your Book For Free (or really cheap)

Yes, I know, enough is enough! But please allow me to brag just once more about my newest book, 100 Ways to Market Your Book For Free (or really cheap).
I just put this book trailer together and I'm excited to share it with my viewers. The video cover image didn't quite work out the way I hoped so I'll have to adjust that at a later time.

Thanks for your patience. I promise to get back to the writing and publishing business very soon (next post)!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

100 Ways to Market Your Book for Free (or really cheap)

Hey all, thank you for your pre-release e-book orders for 100 Ways to Market Your Book for Free (or really cheap). Many of you have expressed frustration over having your only ordering option being through Pay Pal. Well it’s really not. If you are able to dig out your dusty checkbook, I will accept a check as payment. Please mail $6.95 to Plain & Simple Books, LLC, P.O. Box 1506, North Bend, Oregon 97459. If you wouldn’t mind writing the book title and your e-mail address on your check I would appreciate it. I wouldn’t want to get your order confused with another book.

The really good news is, the wait is already over and the book is now available! It will be sent out as an e-mail attachment shortly after payment is received (usually 1-2 days).

Visit http://www.authorsbox.com for more information about the e-book 100 Ways to Market Your Book for Free (or really cheap).

Happy Halloween!!

100 Ways to Market Your Book for Free (or really cheap) is Available for Pre-Order!

After months of preparation, my newest release is finally available for pre-order! 100 Ways to Market Your Book for Free (or really cheap) is the first “living book” of its kind. What is a “living Book?” Read on.

This new e-book is continually updated by myself and its reading audience. When you order the book, you have the “eternal” option to help keep the content fresh and re-order the most recent copy any time you wish, for free! When you come upon a new free or cheap book marketing idea, simply e-mail the information to me and it will be added to the books content, along with a linked credit for the contribution directly to you (more free book promotion!). Unlike most other informational books, this one will never become outdated.

Many new authors are shocked at how few books they are able to sell once published. The expense of preparing a book for publication can be overwhelming and frustrating. No longer are traditional publishing houses willing to fork out the big bucks to pay for their authors’ book promotion. Self-published authors find themselves at a standstill when their profits on a single copy are minimal. With that said, can authors really afford the added expense of paid promotion? With as many 30 new books released each hour of every day in the United States alone, authors need an edge to compete. There are many methods of book marketing available to authors—many for free. Researching and locating those free resources takes time and energy. 100 Ways to Market Your Book for Free (or really cheap) will show you how to gain the edge in sales over most other books on the market—for free, or really cheap!

One of my favorite quotes:
"Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."
-Thomas Edison

Like many of my previously published e-books, this new and informative resource is available only through my Website. I maintain a tight budget on e-book publishing and that keeps the price very low ($6.95). So expect that the editing may be lacking of sort, the layout unperfected, and the cover “B” rated. But the content holds all the information you will need to successfully market and sell your books without financial burden.

The release date of November 1 gives authors the time needed to prepare for holiday book sales. All orders received before the official release date will be sent the e-book in PDF format to their email address no later than November 2. Click on to http://www.authorsbox.com/apps/webstore/ and scroll down the page to order 100 Ways to Market Your Book for Free (or really cheap).

If you have questions about the book, please feel free to e-mail me at caroldenbow@gmail.com

Christmas is Coming! AHHHH! How About a Good Book?

Okay, so every year I seem to “miss the boat” on early bird holiday shopping because I simply refuse to accept that it is never too early to shop for Christmas gifts. So there I’ll be, one week away from the big day and empty handed again. This year will be different. Apparently, holiday buying begins the day after Halloween now; I’ll be there this year—or here!

We all love books, and one reason many visit this Blog is because they have written and published a book (or two) of their own. So before any of us goes out to purchase a gift book for the holidays, how about we share what we ourselves have available?

I welcome all published authors to use the comment section on this post to list their book titles, description, and where they can be ordered. I also encourage all Blog visitors to check out the comments and see if perhaps the perfect gift is waiting there!

Happy early holiday!

How to Promote Your Book

Since I’ve recently been on the topic of book promotion, I think I’ll go one more. It’s a trying ordeal to compose and publish a book, but selling it can be the biggest and most frustrating part of the journey. So I believe this topic to be the most relevant to authors, especially newly published authors.

The key to selling books is exposure; if no one knows about your book, they won’t buy it. So how do we get noticed in this competitive field? Statistically, most books are not sold through traditional brick and mortar book stores. 52 percent of all book sold are sold via mail order, online, book clubs, discount stores, and nontraditional retail outlets. Since 2006, online sales have nearly doubled and are expected to increase steadily year after year.

I suppose then the answer is to get online. Personally, I’ve been working this method of marketing for three years. Just for fun, Google me and see how much exposure I have accumulated—“Carol Denbow.” Now some of my search results are for recent news unrelated to books (I’m a golfer in a small town, always makes the news!). But for the most part, you’ll see a massive number of links to my books and marketing articles, interviews, etc.

I have found the best means to gain online exposure is through author interviews and submitting book related articles to article sites such as Amazines.com and EzineArticles.

Join sites like Author & Book Event Center (get in the Author Spotlight for great front page exposure).

The restaurant business is one of the toughest out there. Even as a competitive business (as we are), there is a saying amongst restaurant owners, that is, “where there’s a restaurant, build another and they will come.” Ever heard the expression, “restaurant row?” This is a tough business and we must work together.

So with that in mind, I’d like to ask that all published authors add a comment to this post and tell us what your most successful marketing tool has been. Let’s share our ideas and get some books sold!