Writers Conferences & the Writers Who Love Them

The weather is warming up and our thoughts naturally turn toward the beach, outdoor concerts, and writers conferences.

Yes, writers conferences.

We love attending conferences, workshops, retreats and residencies. And this year, we’re thrilled to be teaching at a couple. From July 25-27, find us at the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Conference, where we’ll be sharing “What Every Publisher Wants You to Know: Selling Your Book in Today’s Marketplace.” Come October 25-28, we will be teaching, consulting, and rubbing elbows with writers at the Whidbey Island Writers Conference throughout the three-day event. We love Whidbey (particulary Toby’s Tavern) and we love writers, so you can only imagine how excited we are.

Write-o-Rama is another favorite event to get the creative juices flowing and inspiration striking. Twice a year, Hugo House hosts this day of micro-workshops so you can jump from room to room and writing prompt to writing prompt every hour. The summer Write-o-Rama is scheduled for June 22. The low ticket price goes entirely to support Hugo House (instructors donate their time) so you can feel even better about yourself.

Those are just a few of the many conferences and literary events happening around the Pacific Northwest over the next months. If you find it difficult to focus on your writing during the dog days of summer (or are distracted by that strange shining orb in the sky), events like these are fantastic ways to get re-inspired. Not only will you have constant epiphanies about your writing and pick up useful writing tools and techniques, you’ll meet other kick-ass writers. The energy at these events is always super-charged and you’ll leave completely inspired and jazzed and eager to get back to writing.

The Association of Writers and Writers Programs has a searchable database for conferences and writing centers worldwide.

What conferences have you found useful? Which would you love to go to?

(Photo: http://livetowrite1.blogspot.com)

Who’s on YOUR Publishing Wish List? Honing in on the Right Publisher

When you are developing your manuscript and your book proposal, start developing your wish list, those dream publishers or agents with whom you’d love to sign. As you peruse the shelves or search competitive titles online, pay particular notice to who’s publishing each title. Notice if certain publishers keep coming up again and again, which might indicate that they publish regularly into that category or genre. For instance, if you are researching spiritual books, you might find that Hay House or Thomas Nelson crop up again and again. Write them down; they might be the first publishing houses you add to your wish list.

Now, the fun part. Investigate those publishers! Hop online and look at each publisher individually. Note what books they are promoting on their home page, and then search by genre. See if they offer a mission statement or an explanation of their different imprints. Do you like what you see? Will your book feel at home here? This is an easy exercise that you can do in your pajamas or while watching TV.

If you think the publisher may be a good fit for your book, check out their Submission Guidelines. Virtually all publishers offer them online. Here, you’ll find out if they take unsolicited proposals or if you’ll need to work with an agent. They may also indicate how to send the proposal (e-mail vs. snail mail), how many pages it can be, response time, and other pertinent details.

Some other fun ways to compile your publishing wish list:

• Look through your own bookshelf and make a list of the publishers of your favorite books. Jot down any names that may be on the acknowledgements pages.
• Write down the sections of the bookstore where your book idea could possibly live, aside from the obvious.
• Make a separate wish list of the qualities you’d like in your publisher (lots of hands-on interaction with editor, big book advance, prestige, etc.). Now rank them in order of importance. When looking over your list, take into account these priorities.

30 Days to a Winning Book Proposal Intensive Workshop Scheduled for 5/18

With our wildly effective proposal intensive, let 2013 be the year that you get a sweet publishing deal! Back by popular demand, we are offering our highly rated 30 Days to a Winning Book Proposal course. We are offering a full-day workshop on Saturday, May 18. We created this intensive program to illuminate each step of the book proposal process, breaking it down into an easy-to-follow 30-day plan. We will cover every aspect of the development process, detail how to write various components, and provide “homework” so you can move your proposal forward efficiently on your own. You’ll leave with a plan for an on-point proposal, ready to send to publishers or agents.

Included in this results-oriented workshop is the Publishing Toolkit: A Hands-on Resource for Burgeoning Authors. This binder is filled with all the notes and materials to develop your successful proposal from start to finish—including step-by-step advice, helpful exercises and worksheets, key information on creating a targeted submission list, and real sample proposals that have sold to publishers.

During this all-day workshop, learn how to build your proposal with a successfully proven 4-part program:

Part 1: Research & Refine Your Idea
Develop a winning book idea that will rise out of the slush pile. You will:

• Hone a viable nonfiction or fiction idea
• Learn how to research the marketplace and competition
• Brainstorm formats
• Develop a publisher and agent wish list

Part 2: Sell Your Book—and Yourself
Create a killer author platform and marketing plan that will demand attention. You will:

• Uncover the many strengths and attributes that you can bring to the table as an author
• Learn how to leverage social media and other venues to build a strong platform
• Brainstorm a robust and creative marketing plan for your title

(At this point in the day, you’ll have an hour to grab lunch on your own.)

Part 3: Craft Compelling Copy
Focus your proposal with a great title and introduction, and reel in editors and agents with compelling text. You will:

• Develop a strong opening pitch
• Learn how to create a complete, detailed outline and on-point sample text

Part 4: Submit Your Proposal
Lastly, create a savvy final package and target the right publisher. Learn how to:

• Draft an arresting query letter
• Develop your submission list for agents or publishers
• Discover the pros and cons of self-publishing
• Get a basic grasp of advances and royalties
• Put the final touches on your proposal submission.

Here are the details:
Saturday, May 18, 9:30am-5pm
Hotel 1000, 1000 First Ave., Seattle
$299
Register now

Cover Letter vs. Query Letter: What’s the Difference?

In our workshops, we get this question a lot: What’s the difference between a cover letter and a query letter? Here’s the answer.

A cover letter is one page. It is what you attach to your complete book proposal when submitting it to agents or publishers. It is included as a teaser only, introducing the title and concept of your book, who you are, and why you are sending it to this particular agent or editor. (This shows you’ve done your homework and aren’t just blanketing Manhattan with submissions to anyone and everyone.) There is no need to go into extensive detail about your book in the cover letter; your goal is to simply pique enough interest for the reader to flip immediately to your impressive proposal—which you’ve crafted according to our awesome Business of Books plan.

A query letter is more fleshed out, as it stands in place of your proposal. Many agents require a query letter only, and will then request a full proposal if the concept intrigues them. So, in essence, your query is a mini-proposal, sent in advance. Think about distilling each of the key sections of your proposal—including your Intro, Competing Titles, About the Book, About the Author, and Marketing)—into a separate short paragraph. Be sure to close with the fact that you have a full proposal at the ready if (when!) they want to see more. Case in point: One of our former clients sent out three query letters via email to agents, per their guidelines, and two of them responded the next day asking to see more. This clever author had a polished, complete proposal ready to send right away, while the interest was fresh. Soon after, she signed with one of those two agents (and was published within the year).

Both the cover and the query letter should set the tone and voice of the proposal, and also highlight why your idea is strong and why you are the person to write it. Sell it!

For more helpful tips on your proposal, the submission process, and all things publishing, buy our Publishing Toolkit. It’s Jen & Kerry in a binder!

How Your Book’s Format Can Bolster Sales

How do you physically envision your book? Do you see your novel as a jacketed 6×9-inch hardcover with a $24.95 price point? Are you writing a romance that you can see as a mass market paperback that someone can tuck in their purse or read on the beach? Or do you visualize something more fancy and eye-catching? Maybe a lenticular cover that flips between two images? Or a cookbook that comes in a recipe box?

We both worked for publishing houses (Chronicle Books and Running Press) where format was always up for discussion in acquisition meetings. Our publishing companies specialized in gift products, where a compelling package can be the deciding factor in a customer wanting to hug it and pet it and call it their own.

When it comes to your book project, we want to challenge you to think outside the box, or spine, as the case may be. If all the books on your subject are weighty, does a more portable, pocket-sized book make sense? Could you offer a unique material or special feature, like a waterproof fly-fishing guide or scalloped edges on a pretty gift book?

Different formats and/or bells and whistles to consider when developing your book proposal:

• Paperback vs. hardcover
• Dust jacket, belly band (a paper band that encircles the book, usually containing sell copy), or fold-out flaps
• Pocket-sized or smaller
• Oversized
• Wire binding (so the book lays flat)
• Larger type (for easier reading)
• Water-resistant pages
• Cards
• Box or kit
• Book-plus (meaning is it a book plus something, like a toy)
• Die-cut trim (so book is a special shape, such as round)
• Special textures on pages (such as fuzzy or scratch and sniff)
• Pocket or envelope built into cover
• Special charm on a hangtag (a ribbon bookmark)

Thinking about how you can make your book’s format special or unique can help catch a publisher or agent’s eye, demonstrates that you’re a creative thinker, and may just be the thing that sets your book apart from the rest of the titles in your subject area.

When you compile your submission list, take time to dive into each publisher’s catalog. Do they have a pre-existing format into which your book would fit beautifully? Mention this in your proposal, as publishers already have pinned down the sourcing and pricing on these special specifications and will be able to assess your project with real numbers and real interest.

Taking the extra time to think of how your book looks, as well as what it says, may be just the thing that lands you a book deal and drives sales.

Learn more savvy tips on how to make your book proposal stand out in our Publishing Toolkit. Or subscribe to our monthly newsletter here.

Who’s Reviewing Your Book Proposal?: The Chain of a Pitch

We started the Business of Books because we want to get writers to think like publishers. We want you to constantly remember that publishing is a business. As personal and dear to your heart as your idea may be, it is still a product that has to be sold. So you need to think about to whom you’re pitching. It’s not just about getting the right agent or editor to love your concept. In reality, a whole team weighs in before acquiring your book—and your pitch needs to speak to everyone and answer the questions they might have. Use our handy chart to see who you have to win over before you book can hit the stands and hands of readers.

We can help! We offer a Publishing Toolkit that will help you develop an on-point proposal that will address the questions of everyone weighing in during the acquisitions process.

How to Use Goodreads to Build Your Author Platform

Whether you are self-published, traditionally published, or working on getting published, Goodreads has, in short order, become an effective tool for reaching your audience. We believe that the time for building a strong author platform is NOW, even if you haven’t finished and submitted your book proposal. If you can demonstrate a powerful online reach to an audience of book-buyers, you will be that much more desirable to a potential publisher.

Enter Goodreads.

If you’ve spent any time on Goodreads at all, you’ll know that it’s a robust social network that focuses on books and the readers who love them. No matter your niche demographic, your broader audience—book buyers and readers—hang out there. Here are five tips to get you started.

1. Add friends to your reading network. You can send invitations to your contacts on other platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail. You can also add friends of your current Goodreads friends, and take advantage of people already inclined to dig you.
2. Post reviews and ratings. Detailing the books you’ve read and are reading is not just an anal way to catalog your library, it’s an excellent way to partake in the giant community of Goodreads. It’s one of the fastest growing social networks, and the largest one targeted toward readers. To date, it has more than 2.8 million members who have added more than 76 million books to their shelves. Get your book on their cybershelf.
3. Create an author profile. Linked to the same account as your “reader” profile, an author profile allows you to post events (and invite friends), create an author bio, list all of your books, and add a blog feed, links, and videos (such as your book trailer). You can create a special Q&A author group, where you take readers’ questions for a specific time period. You’ll also have an author dashboard that features useful links and statistics about your book(s). If you are published, read the author tutorial for more information on joining the Author Program.
4. Offer giveaways. Goodreads giveaways are a fantastic way to promote your book across the site and give it serious visibility. I mean, who doesn’t want a free book? Ask your publisher to put up 5-10 copies and if you’re self-published, give it a go yourself. Giveaways get your book in the hands of interested readers—they are sorted by category—and often lead to reviews on the site.
5. Interact. Like any social media platform, your effectiveness is directly related to how much you interact with others. There are discussions on particular books and on genres (Read Gone Girl? Join the “Nick: Villain or Victim??” discussion). Jump into an active discussion or start your own around a book, genre, or topic.
6. Respond to the fans…and the haters. No matter how small your print run, there will be reviews and ratings of your book on Goodreads. It’s inevitable when there’s such a big, active community. If someone leaves a review of your book, comment on it. People are tickled when they feel heard and get a little thrill if you take them behind the curtain. Thank them for their positive review, offer a measured response if they threw you some shade, give them a sneak-peek of your new work-in-progress, you get the idea… Offer up something personal and they’ll be a fan, if they weren’t already.