Write That Book Already!: The Tough Love You Need To Get Published Now (25 page)

As with so many other areas, ever-changing technology is influencing these mechanisms. Catalogues are going online, making the seasonal distinctions less important. But much remains the same; books are still timed to coincide with the appropriate season of the year, and once a book is announced to the world in the catalogue, a publisher is usually committed to its publication.

INTERIOR DESIGN

In publishing, interior design includes front matter (the title page, Library of Congress page), typesetting, page layout, photos, illustrations, and dingbats (those ornaments, characters, or spacers that you see in typeset documents, also known as a printer’s ornaments or characters). Interior design is often done by a professional designer and is overseen by the managing editor, the behind-the-scenes person who coordinates the publisher’s editorial activities.

YOUR BOOK JACKET

Your book jacket (or cover, if your book is released in paperback) consists of some or all of the following: the art, the copy, your author photo and bio, and endorsements (often called “blurbs”). Covers matter, but they are controlled, to a large extent, by the publisher. There may be several designs considered for the cover art, and you will most likely be asked to provide your own author photo. Most first-time authors must waive the right to cover approval. This actually makes some sense, since publishers are more experienced at knowing what will go over with a particular market—and frankly, they are also a little more objective. You’ll be able to express your opinion, but at some point you’ll have to allow the professional people on your team to do their job.

Cull your address book for people who will endorse your book. We do not think you should ever be rude or unable to take no for an answer when asking a favor of someone, but we also want to stress that this is not a time to be shy. Anyone you know (or whom someone you know knows) and who makes sense as an endorser is worth approaching. This includes prominent writers, of course, but depending on the nature of your book, it can also be respected leaders, experts, and even clowns, if your book happens to be about the House of Representatives . . . or the circus. It all depends on the book. Anyone you know in media, from the high and mighty to the local, can be helpful.

A Little More about Blurbs from our
BookPage
Column

There are several ways to go about getting endorsements from fellow authors, but it almost always helps if you have some kind of personal connection. Like most of us, authors get a kick out of reading their friends’ books, and many are honored to be asked to provide endorsements for people—and work—that they love. So where does that put the first-timer with no fancy connections? You’ll have to work harder, with longer lead-time built in, to get the blurbs of your dreams.

Unless you have a Rolodex filled with personal friends who are bestselling authors, at most publishing companies it’s the editor who gets endorsements, usually starting with other authors in her stable, seeking endorsements from those whose books are similar to yours. For example, as exciting as it might be to get a quote from famous children’s author Tomie dePaola, your editor wouldn’t seek him out to endorse a psychological thriller about vampire dogs. By sticking solidly within your genre, the editor sees to it that the endorsements provide a helpful marketing tool meant to attract potential buyers.

If your publisher is unable to seek endorsements on your behalf, then it’s up to you. This is where writers who make a point of becoming part of their local literary communities have an advantage. Is there an independent bookstore hosting regular events and book signings? Go. Meet people. Get to know the owners. Don’t be a pest, but let people know you are about to have a book published. Is there a writers’ conference nearby? Go. Meet people. It won’t happen overnight, but after a while you’ll find that you are part of a thriving community of readers and writers—and you’ll have met some established authors. Many cities have active chapters of organizations like the Women’s National Book Association, groups that provide regular gatherings and networking opportunities. Go. Meet people.

You can also send out galleys with polite requests for endorsements. Write to the authors in care of their publishers and allow plenty of lead time. Don’t take it hard if an author says no—many have a policy of not reading other people’s work when they are writing—but it’s also possible that you’ll catch someone at just the right time, and with just the right captivating manuscript, to get that endorsement. ‹«

BIG-MOUTH LISTS AND GIVEAWAYS

Don’t overdo this, but there are times when it makes sense to give a book away because it atracts attention or provides some goodwill. This is similar to your endorsement list, except you don’t need to know these folks as well—after all, you are giving them something for free. But you don’t want to ship your precious books out to be tossed aside, so lay some groundwork—make contact with the people in the media, and prominent figures (or their assistants) to whom you intend to mail the book. Find out where and when it is best to send the package. If you don’t hear back, follow up after an appropriate amount of time. If you still don’t hear back, perhaps it’s time to move on.

DEVELOP AN E-MAIL LIST

While you’re developing your short list of endorsers and your big-mouth list, you should also start building a bigger e-mail list of people to notify when you are doing events and when your book is released. Again, this is no time to be shy, and the only rule is to avoid being rude. These are the Wild West days of online communities, with Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Fwix, blogging, twittering, skittering, and blittering being all the rage. Even as we write this the possibilities for marketing yourself online are evolving and changing, so we aren’t going to pretend that there is one way and we know what it is. We do know that this is a real and potentially effective way to get the word out, so at the very least you need to develop an e-mail/contact list and have a decent website. It’s possible that your publishing team may develop a website for you, but even if they do, the content on yours will help them get it right.

CLAIM YOUR EXPERT STATUS

In case you didn’t realize this, as an author you are an expert, and you need to get used to the idea. This is especially true for nonfiction writers. If you’ve written a book about aardvarks and their wily ways, get the word out to media that you are the “go to” person on the aardvark issues of our day. Why does this matter? If you present yourself as an expert you may well be called upon by media to comment on your area of expertise, leading to interviews, speaking engagements, and free publicity. If you are a novelist, then you are an expert on everything. Well, maybe not quite, but you are an expert on writing fiction, and if you write in a certain genre you are an expert in that: a time and place if you write historical fiction, crime if you write mysteries or thrillers, horror if you write horror, and so on.

CREATE YOUR DREAM INTERVIEW

It is a good idea to come up with ten good interview questions and ten good book club or reader’s guide questions to give to your publicist. Start by imagining your dream interview and write it down. (Oprah was weeping as she alternately hugged me and then my book. “I love your book,” she cried, holding it aloft as if it were the Holy Grail. “Please tell me more about You!”) You can look online for author Q&As and reading guides if you are unsure how to do this. Generally these are designed to pique interest in the book by drawing the reader in without giving away the farm.

REALITY CHECK

Nobody’s perfect, and stuff happens. Remember to be courteous to the people on your marketing and publicity team, even when they make mistakes. These publishing professionals are generally overworked and underpaid, and you will not get more out of them by making them feel bad. A better way to motivate them to higher heights is by doing a good job yourself and by being encouraging, creative, and cooperative.

PUBLICATION PERIOD

Although many new authors expect a book tour to be part of the deal, fewer authors are sent on tour these days. Tours are expensive, and it’s difficult to quantify their effectiveness. Instead, many publishers rely more heavily on the “tie-in tour,” a fancy way of saying that they’ll help you drum up some interest if you happen to be traveling on your own dime. Obviously, lead time is needed—don’t expect to be able to tell your publicist that you’re flying to Portland on business next Tuesday, so can she please arrange a bookstore signing and a full day of media interviews? But if you know, one to two months in advance, that you’ll be somewhere on the publisher’s radar, be sure to tell the right people.

Should you happen to be one of the lucky authors who is sent on tour, see our handy
survival tips
. But if you’re not touring, there are still a lot of ways to get the word out about you and your book.

YOUR MARKETING AND PUBLICITY TEAM

Whether your publisher is a small independent or one of the big conglomerates, the people who work in publishing are, by and large, dedicated professionals who love books. They wouldn’t be in this business if they weren’t book lovers—publishing is generally not the most lucrative career. In fact, publishing pays less than most other white-collar jobs, and less than many jobs in other media. Yet the pressure to produce results can be at least as intense.

These dedicated folks work long hours juggling several titles at once, trying to figure out how to get the word out about their books (one of which is
your
book) in a market where many competitive titles and distractions clamor for readers’ attention. That’s why a box of chocolates from the author, arriving at the office mid-afternoon, can help you by perking up spirits and earns you the lasting loyalty of these hard-working pros out of all proportion to the cost of the gift. While you’re at it, get yourself some chocolate. You deserve it, too. And how about your sweetheart?

MOM, DAD, AND SIS

Tastefully and respectfully let your family, friends, and various local circles of people know you’ve written a book. Of course you’re going to give some of the closest folks a copy—that is, if it isn’t an exposé of your family’s foibles. But don’t get carried away. Your family, friends, and colleagues can help get sales off to a running start. Resist the temptation to give a free copy to everyone you know. You need the people who love you (or even just like you) to
buy
your book. Let your people support you in this project if they possibly can, because every single sale encourages a bookstore to order another copy from your publisher. And that’s what you want (and, whether they know it or not, what your family and friends want for you)—recorded sales.

YOU ARE THE GREATEST

How often have you heard an author say, “Oh, it’s not really literature but it was a fun bit of a romp to write” or “I wish I’d had one more crack at a rewrite” or “I’m not really a writer; this all happened by accident.” Doesn’t that make you want to stuff a wet sock in that person’s mouth?

Never put yourself or your book down (metaphorically speaking— you don’t have to bring it into the shower with you). Think about it— if you are down on yourself and your book, why should someone else plunk down the cash and spend hours reading your writing? It’s good to be charmingly humble and employ graciousness and good manners at all times, but it’s also important to be confident and take pride in your work. If you are not ready to promote yourself and your writing, maybe you’re not ready to become an author.

SOME REAL THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP

Visit local bookstores. Booksellers can make a difference for unknown and emerging writers. Many stores host author events and are an important part of their communities’ cultural landscape as well as the American book scene, and even the smallest store can help to shape the tastes and reading patterns of its customers. Sometimes we forget that human culture is still very much a word-of-mouth affair, even if that word-of-mouth is being delivered on Facebook or via text message. Books are often sold one by one (this is called hand-selling), when a trusted bookstore employee mentions a title to a customer at just the right time. So make friends with the smart, dedicated, hardworking people who work in your local bookstores. Introduce yourself and let them know you are an author. Don’t pester them about placement of your book or sales—just let them know you are published, what your book is about, and that you are available for events—or to introduce other authors at
their
events. Think long haul, here—if a store can’t do an event for your first book, maybe you can ask again for your paperback reprint, or for your next book.

How to Be a Hero to Booksellers