What Questions Do You Think Are the Hardest to Answer as a New Author?

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Permalink Reply by Tominda Adkins on September 6, 2010 at 8:09pm

Chest Press,

My biggest beef, not as a self-publisher but as an author, is the time it always took to approach agents as individuals. They're people, too, I get it. Perfectly nice people, most of them. But it's common knowledge that an unknown, un-published, un-connected author should expect to contact at least sixty agents before getting so much as a request for additional materials. And so my question is this: wouldn't it be more humane if vetted agents adopted some kind of standardized query process? A form, even?

Every single one of them wants to see something different. The first three pages, no, only one. One chapter. One would be way more interested in your marketing plans than your actual story, the next just wants three sentences about your book as a query, nothing else. Oh, and they each want that little personalized paragraph addressing "why I contacted you in particular".

Seriously? And I do that sixty times? Re-hasing my query, personalizing it, reorganizing my submitted material to the right point size, margins, etc. And maybe, just maybe, I'll get a form letter in the mail?

No thanks.

I'm willing to work hard, be persistent, pay my dues, and whatever else it takes. But I don't have time for that. Total brick wall. Not interested.

As far as what I know about self-publishing: everything in Collier and Ross's "The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing". My book is due out in Feb, and I'm doing all the grunt work they suggest in the meantime: printing galleys, wooing reviewers, creating a pitch-packet for booksellers, organizing a virtual author tour, building up my website, etc.

What I wish to know? If it's all going to pay off. What marketing tactics are absolutely worth it, and which ones to ignore. How to increase your book's visibility to the public at large, to create demand for it. Those are the biggest questions I can think of for now.

Thanks!

Tominda

Permalink Reply by Chest Press Publishing on September 19, 2010 at 10:20pm

Tominda, what's your book about? Is it going to be a niche market? Is it a serial? What agents have you queried, and why? What service did you choose to use for self-publishing--how did you design the book, what format did you end up going with, and how many copies are you printing? And--finally--what is your marketing plan? If you can answer those questions to me, either in public or private, I can lowball you an estimate and tell you in my experience what you can expect.

You're totally right. The unfortunate truth that I learned the hard way--as I think everyone has to--is that publishers are in the business of making money, not books. I know it sounds completely cliche, but that's why I got into this business--it was always some fantasy I had that if I just made a good book, people would want it. People would recognize it and sell it. Literary agents usually complain about the same, sad fact: there are just too many good books out there to be able to publish all of them; the question becomes not what's really the best of the best, but what's hot in the industry, what people are buying and why those people are buying it become the qualifications for choosing books to send to publishers.

If an agent floods a publisher with too many requests that the publisher can't use (and it's an agent's job to know what they can use and why) then the publisher may just disregard the suggestions of that agent altogether after a time, and so making the best decision in quality doesn't always mean making a living as an agent. And so they require ridiculous and varied queries; they use these demands to weed out the authors who aren't interested (after all, if you aren't interested enough to follow submission guidelines, how are you going to be interested enough to sell your book?).

Another unfortunate fact is that many publishers who aren't located in New York, or who aren't representing authors in New York have trouble even getting the book pitched--there's just too rich a resource in their own backyard for publishers to work with an author from another state who it will be difficult to meet with and see face-to-face. You might think that all of these things can be done over the phone or internet, and they can, of course, but would you rather rent the movie or own it--would you rather be able to call your author on Monday and meet with them Tuesday or call him Monday to set up a date in October to see him and just try to play phone and email tag in the meantime? Time is money, and especially with the industry changing so rapidly, time is not something publishers have on their side.

That's why I'm so glad I don't base my living soley off book sale revenue--it really allows me to spend the time with authors who work full time and can only video chat or email back and forth; it helps those authors with something to share able to share it on the terms that they are able. If you're able, keep up your search for your next book--ask around, especially here, and see what worked and for whom. Again, if you give me some specifics, I can probably steer you in a clearer direction; it's hard to say what can help you the most without knowing the details. But I can point you the right way if you need a little push.

Best of luck, and congratulations on the impending publication of your first book!

Permalink Reply by MARY MADJESKI on October 29, 2010 at 4:46am

Chest Press,

I've always loved writing, and have thought of being an Author for a while now. I actually, consider myself a Ghostwriter. About 6 months ago, I Ghostwrote a non-fiction story that my friend told me. When I heard his story, I knew I just had to write it. I figured that it would give me a kick in the pants to go forth with my writing, so I can get some of my work published.

My question deals with the book I've Ghostwritten for my friend. My question is, does the author always have to pay the Publisher to publish the book? Some have told me this, and that if the Publisher finds your story worth publishing, and thinks it will be profitable, they will pay for the publishing, or does it depend on the Publisher? I was also told, that when you are a first time, and not someone that has some books that have been already published, the Publisher won't invest their money in you. Thus, I need some clarification.

I appreciate your assistance. I look forward to your response.

A Fellow Aspiring Author & Child of God,
Mary Madjeski

Permalink Reply by Sandy on September 21, 2011 at 9:37am

The questions that plaque me are is it a good manuscript, how do I get it published, and the publishers I have talked to are asking for more money than I can afford.  I do not have the funds or answers to publish myself.  I still need to finish the book, and have been so discouraged by other publishing companies and other contacts that will not only tell me if the manuscript needs work but just want to get me to pay money that I do not have.  I am essentially the starving artist.  Thank you for letting me post this.