PATHFINDER DAY

The Path to Published Author

The Path to Published Author

Hank Shaw // Hunter Angler Gardener Cook // @Hank_Shaw

Marget Dilloway // American Housewife // @mdilloway

PATHFINDER DAY

The Path to Published Author

Hank Shaw // Hunter Angler Gardener Cook // @Hank_Shaw

PATHFINDER DAY

Non-Fiction Proposals

• You won’t get past the door with an agent or publisher without a decent book proposal. In the world of non-fiction, no one wants to read your manuscript. Why? Because your idea must be malleable to the market, so it can’t be too firmly formed. Publishers and agents know the market better than you do, and they know what sells and what won’t – to a point.

• What is a proposal? A really complicated outline, essentially. Not only of the book itself, but of you and how you think your book might find a home in the market.

Book Proposal Essentials

1. A catchy title – Work on this one, it’s important2. Introduction – “The grabber”3. Resume – Who the hell are you, and why are the you the

person best fit to write this book?4. Audience – Who might buy this book?5. Comparable titles – What’s your competition look like?6. Marketing – How do you plan on publicizing your book?

Book Proposal Essentials II

7. Scope of the book – what do you intend to cover in this book?8. Structure – How will your book be organized?9. Sample Table of Contents – Where you get into details10. Sample chapter – Write, baby, write!

The Title

• Everyone judges books by their covers, and their titles. Sorry, it’s true. We’re busy people and need to make snap decisions.

• In general, short titles are best. No more than 5 words.• If you need more space to explain, do this in the subtitle.• Spend time on this!!! While yes, the publisher may change the

title, they might not. Don’t put any title up there you would not want to see in hardcover.

Grab Me

• The lede is all-important. If those first 5 or so paragraphs don’t grab an agent or publisher, you’re done -- unless you’ve published many successful books in the past. And even then…

• Answer who, what, where, when, how and why – or at least allude to it – in this opening. Make me want to read to the next graph, even if I’m not interested in your subject.

Grab Me II

• A good introduction is the concentrated essence of your book, who you are and why this book needs to be published right now. It’s essentially your elevator pitch.

• Imagine yourself talking to a skeptical publisher about your book.

• You want to be persuasive, entertaining, confident, authoritative.

• That introduction will determine if a publisher will read on, so spend a lot of time polishing it. Have others critique and edit it.

Resume

• Who are you and why are you writing this book? Why are you the person to write it?

• What is your platform? Today’s publishers rarely do much in terms of expanding an author’s initial audience. This is why they like bloggers: We come with our own built-in audience.

• The size of your platform can seal a deal. Great writers with small platforms do get published, but rarely. Conversely, mediocre writers with great platforms get published a lot. Unfair, but true.

Audience

• Who buys your book? And it ain’t “everyone.” Do serious market research on who your book might appeal to, across several potential market segments.

• For my last book, Duck, Duck, Goose, it was an even split between duck hunters and home cooks. I researched duck consumption in the US and Canada, trends, interviewed dozens of chefs about how it sells on menus, got stats on how many duck hunters there are in North America, etc.

Audience II

• A general rule of thumb: You can hope to sell a number of books within a year equal to about 1% of your identified audience. So if there are 2.1 million duck hunters in the US, your target goal should be something like 21,000 copies of a duck cookbook over roughly a year of sales.

• Why so low? Lots of reasons. Many won’t like you. Many will never have heard of you. Many never bother to buy your book (or anyone else’s, for that matter).

Comparable Titles

• Again, this is an area of actual research. You need to know what other books are out there on your topic. Even if your angle is unique, there are always similar books – even if you need to go back 30+ years.

• Why is this important? You’ll need to answer a serious question: Why does the world need one more book on “x” subject?

• BTW, don’t use this section to just rip on your competition. It looks childish. Include good books on your topic, too.

Marketing

• Once your book is in print, what do you intend to do to help sell it? Book publishers will do their normal thing, which is often inadequate at best. Bottom line: It’s up to you to make sure your book gets out there.

• Outline your plans to market the book in however way seems best suited to your strengths. Not everyone can do or is good at traditional book tours. House parties work, as do internet “blog parties.” Know anyone in the media? Put that one down here.

The Book Tour

• Chances are you won’t get much money (if any) to do a traditional book tour. So plan on investing your own money to do one. You really need to get out there at least a little, even if you’re shy. People will want to meet you, and that face-to-face contact generates the kind of word-of-mouth buzz every book needs.

• Options include local TV and radio, local media (websites, magazines, newspapers), live demonstrations or classes, signings at relevant places (i.e., book dinners for a cookbook)

Scope of the Book

• This is an extension of the “comparable titles” section. This is where you outline exactly what you plan to write in this book, without mentioning your competition. You’ll know how your book’s different and so will the publisher reading it, but focus here on your project, not someone else’s.

• How long is the book? Does it have photos? How will you get the photos? (Yes, it’s almost always your responsibility) How long will it take you to write it?

Structure

• An extension of the “scope,” this is where you discuss how you will organize the book. For example, if it’s a cookbook, will you go by season? By course? By type of food? Whatever you decide, explain why you made this decision.

• Oh, and keep in mind this is the area where book editors most like to mess around – chances are your organization won’t be what makes the final book. That’s fine, this is what editors are good at.

Sample TOC

• A sample table of contents is more than just a one-line series of notes. You need to extend the scope and structure of your book into reality here. There are a lot of little decisions you need to make at this point. Think about them, do your best but don’t get all hung up on it. Chances are your editor will play with it.

• Get detailed, however. If you’re doing a cookbook, this is where you tell the editor what recipes you’ll include. In a guidebook, what plants or animals or hiking parks you plan to cover.

Sample Chapter

• Here’s where you get to write, really write. These sample chapters are, along with your introduction and platform, perhaps the most important part of the proposal. Do your best and get trusted people to critique and edit your sample chapters. You want a potential publisher to be wowed by your work.

• Include a wide array of the type of writing you plan on including in the book. For me, it’s essays and stories, recipe writing, how-to and nitty-gritty, data-based articles on the book subject.

Final Words

• Edit, edit, EDIT! A spelling or grammar mistake in the introduction will kill you. The same kind of mistake later in the proposal will hurt. It makes you look sloppy and unprofessional – two things that strike fear into the hearts of publishers.

• Have faith. Once your agent starts shopping the proposal, let it go. Let the agent sweat it for now. Then pop the champagne when you get the deal!

The Path to Published Author

Marget Dilloway // American Housewife // @mdilloway

PATHFINDER DAY

Getting Published

• Polishing your manuscript• Networking• Spreading your name• Finding an agent• Writing a query letter

Polishing Your Manuscript

Polishing Your Manuscript

• Writers generally believe their manuscript is ready to send out several drafts before it is.

• Get beta readers for different drafts.• Take critiques with a grain of salt.• Don’t be afraid of re-writing.• Be aware that most first novels are “practice” novels.

Networking

• Don’t be afraid of networking, even if you’re an introvert.• Networking is really just about making genuine connections

with like-minded people.• A lot of networking can be done online.

Why You Need to Network

• You’ll need support. Other writers re-Tweeting your publication date or your articles will help.

• You’ll need blurbs.• You’ll need referrals one day.• There is a right way and a wrong way to network.

The Dos of Networking

• Approach authors whose work you’ve GENUINELY read and enjoyed BEFORE you need any help.

• Establish a friendly relationship with the author.• Help them by re-posting their links, debut dates, sales, etc. but

don’t expect any reciprocation.• Network at conferences and online.

Spreading Your Name

• Fiction writers strive to publish in lit journals to get exposure, but for commercial fiction writers, this isn’t usually an option.

• Always: Let your blog be a sample of your writing to attract new readers and fellow bloggers. This is important both before and after publication.

• Consider writing for other publications, blogs, and online magazines.

Pitching to Publications

• Use concepts you write about on your blog/what your book is about, and what you could write for other blogs, magazines, etc.

• Look through your favorite magazines and blogs for regular recurring guest columns. Pay attention to style and tone.

• Start with other bloggers, who will probably be the most receptive.

• Find out who the editors are for your target publications and follow them on Twitter. Try to network with them.

Sources for Finding an Agent

• Referrals• Favorite books• Conferences• Querytracker.net

The Query Letter

• Use your voice in the query letter. Failing to do so is the #1 fatal mistake. Don’t make it dry and boring.

• If the book is funny, make the query funny. If the book makes people cry, make the agent cry

Query Letter, continued

OPENING:• Use the agent’s name• Tell her why you love her• Should be brief• Share the title

Query Letter, Continued

• Begin by talking about your main character (as opposed to the general plot) in the same voice you used for the book.

• Use specifics: character’s age, goals, who he loves/who loves him

• Don’t worry if your book doesn’t fit neatly into one genre–don’t put down it’s erotica/YA/sci-fi. It bogs down the letter. The agent will figure out where it fits.

Query Letter, Continued

• List credits, if you have them, toward the close of the letter.• You can also share why you are the only person on the planet

who could have written this book.• Be neat. Have somebody proofread. • Never apologize.• Consider the query letter a flashing ad for your book–

something to make the agent excited to read it.