Top 5 goals for BEA

As you can probably tell, we are getting REALLY excited about Book Expo in NYC next month. What are our current goals for publishing’s Greatest Show on Earth?

1. Evangelize for The Business of Books (natch)

2. Attend seminars about the current state of publishing & bring back useful, up-to-the-minute info for our clients

3. Schmooze and gossip with all our former co-workers in the publishing biz

4. Grab more free ARCs (Advance Review Copies of the hot fall books) than we can possibly fit in our luggage

5. Bump into this guy:

Teresa Guidice & Kim Alexis: True Inspiration

Bet you didn’t expect that headline, did you? Well, it’s true. AUTHORS Teresa Guidice (of Real Housewives fame) and Kim Alexis (of former—like FORMER—supermodel fame) will be at BEA, signing copies of their books Fabulicious! and Beauty to Die For, respectively. Which once again proves our point that if they can write a book, you can, too.  Just break it down into easy steps (explained in our Publishing Toolkit), and you’ll have a viable proposal in short order.

We want to queue up at your autographing table at next year’s BEA.

What is BEA, anyway?

Quiz question: Where can you ogle Michael Chabon, bump into Barbara Kingsolver in the bathroom, score an signed copy of the new Junot Diaz novel, and check out how much makeup Jersey Housewife Teresa Giudice actually wears in person?

Answer: BEA, of course!

BEA is Book Expo America–the biggest publishing trade show in the country, taking place June 4-7 in NYC. This is where all the fall books debut and everyone comes out to schmooze, with  authors autographing advance copies, seminars on every aspect of publishing, and buzz in the air about which books are set to sell big. Publishers showcase their fall titles in booths ranging from small to massive, while authors, agents, sales reps, and retailers walk the floor and take meetings, sussing out what’s going to be hot, placing orders, glad-handing, and greedily scooping up ARCs (advance review copies) that they will later regret having to lug home.

During our many years of working for publishing houses, we walked the aisles of the Javitz Center countless times, working the booth for our employers (Running Press for Jen, Chronicle Books for Kerry) and eating overpriced corn dogs under florescent lights. (See, publishing is glamorous, just like in the movies!) This year, we’re psyched to be there representing the Business of Books–and we’ll be reporting back on all the publishing news. (Plus, Jen will wear her author hat on June 5 to autograph advance copies of Things I Want to Punch in the Face, the new book based on her blog!)

One can find the whole spectrum of weird to wonderful at BEA; let us know what YOU want us to investigate at this year’s show. We’ll be on the case!

Learn to market yourself & your book at upcoming 826 Seattle event

We love 826 Seattle. If you don’t know it, you should. Since 2004, this nonprofit writing and tutoring center has been helping kids develop and rock their writing skills. Now, they’ve added a series of writing workshops for adults.

Write Like I Dofeatures some terrific literary luminaries, such as Ruth Ozeki and Elizabeth Austen, and we’re thrilled to be amongst them. And on May 22, we’ll be sharing our secrets on How to Sell Your Book—and Yourself! During the course of the evening, we’ll tell you how to create a strong author platform and creative, on-point marketing plan, two key components critical to publishing success in today’s competitive marketplace. The event is $35 and proceeds go to supporting 826. We hope to see you there!

Our former student’s book debut

We must admit, we feel a bit like proud parents. One of our previous workshop attendees, the insightful and well-versed Todd Rendleman, has a book coming out in April from Continuum! Rule of Thumb: Ebert at the Movies explores how and why Roger Ebert became the most trusted and influential film critic in America. Listen to the great props his publisher gives him: “Few are in a position to write a firsthand memoir of one of the world’s great film critics, but Rendleman accomplishes just this, smartly intertwining his own coming-of-age cinematic sensibility with a witty critical analysis of his subject. All told, his achievement is noteworthy: he offers a unique view of a celebrated personality, while revealing himself as a writer of insight and dash.”

We remember brainstorming Todd’s book during a “Craft a Winnning Proposal” workshop last year, and it’s gratifying to see his worthy idea make it to the finish line. Like most of our students, Todd is not a writer by trade, but a professional with a passion for his subject and the motivation to put together a killer proposal and get it out the door.  You could be next!

Our Publishing Toolkit = Jen and Kerry in a binder!

Did you know you could get all of our publishing insight and guidance in one crisp white binder? It’s true!

The Business of Books’ Publishing Toolkit made its debut in February to rave reviews. Chock-full of information on researching your idea, developing the key sections of a proposal, honing your submission list, sending out your proposal, and navigating contracts and the business of publishing, the Toolkit is a resource that can stand in for us and keep you focused and inspired. As one attendee said, “The toolkit has been extremely informative and helpful. It is an anchor that I’ll refer to again and again.”

We’re excited to share this material with other burgeoning authors, namely you. So, for a limited time, we’re offering  the Publishing Toolkit to our mailing list and blog followers at the special rate of $79 plus shipping. This binder provides 100+ pages of insider information and includes worksheets and two actual proposals (rarely seen outside of publishing circles) to guide you on your path to publication. Click here to purchase the Publishing Toolkit through PayPal, or email us at jenandkerry@gmail.com if you have questions. Write on!

30 Day Book Proposal Series a Resounding Success!

We are still on a high after wrapping up our “30 Days to a Winning Book Proposal” series with one of our most dynamic groups yet. As always, we leave these talks feeling energized by all the creative energy in the room–and happy to help these ideas get heard! We are excited to hear what’s in store for these burgeoning authors as they go forth and submit their polished proposals. Here’s what a few of our attenedees had to say about the series:

“Jen and Kerry, you deliver! I really appreciate your down-to-earth, practical approach, with endless insider information. This has been so helpful!”

“This series made the process seem so manageable…I now have new book ideas that I didn’t even know I had.”

“I can’t say enough great things about the classes provided by The Business of Books, offered by Jen and Kerry. They are both such knowledgeable and friendly people and completely demystified the process of publishing. Thank you for giving us the keys to this unknown world.”

We truly appreciate this terrific feedback, and we want to continue to support people with great ideas. To that end, we’re working hard on new offerings, including online classes, so that more people can benefit from The Business of Books. Stay tuned!

Series continues with “Craft Compelling Copy” on Feb. 15

Two talks in, we are thrilled to see that our attendees are doing the homework and assembling smart and focused book proposals that will soon be ready to send out into the world of publishing. The room is chock-a-block with enthusiasm, savvy, and creativity; we are truly inspired by the abundance of great, viable ideas these folks bring to the table. And we expect to continue to be impressed next week, when we get into the meaty, juicy part of the proposal, such as the sample text.

On Feb. 15, we’ll be discussing how to “Craft Compelling Copy.” Learn to focus your proposal with a great title and introduction, and reel in editors and agents with compelling text. This talk will help you to pique interest with a strong opening pitch, and to knock it out of the park with a complete, detailed outline and on-point sample text. Single tickets are still available here, so join us and move your project closer to publication.

Next Up: Sell Your Book–and Yourself

We had a blast on Feb. 1, when we kicked off our series, 30 Days to a Winning Book Proposal. The room was positively buzzing with creative energy, and we loved hearing all those intriguing, marketable book ideas from our attendees! As always, we left feeling inspired–and excited for next week’s class.

Sell Your Book–and Yourself is our topic for Feb. 8′s talk, and we’ll be covering the vital topics of author platform and marketing. There’s still time to join us! Click here to purchase single tickets and make this the year you write your winning book proposal.

New Series Begins Feb. 1!

Imagine having your polished, marketable book proposal out in the world by the end of February! Yes, the launch of  30 Days to a Winning Book Proposal is almost upon us…and there are a few spaces left if you’d like to join. We are so excited about these new seminars, which will be more results-oriented and hands-on than ever before. Plus, we’ve gone from 0 to 60 on our classroom materials; offering a 100-plus page Publishing Toolkit to our series subscribers. Packed full of insider information from honing your idea to negotiating a royalty, this is a great resource for your entire publishing journey. You can check out full descriptions of the talks and purchase your ticket here. Or, drop us a line if you have any questions on whether the series is right for you. Make 2012 the year you get published!