a Q & A with Managing Editor Martha Cook, Pt. I
I'd like to say a special word of thanks to Martha Cook for her frank and enlightening discussion on what helps authors distinguish themselves and what recommends a new author’s project to a publisher.
Martha Cook is the managing editor of Trafalgar Square Books and Horse and Rider Books. She is the liaison between the publishing company and the authors the company publishes. She works directly with authors on each book project from development through production and distribution.
Ms. Cook often works with unrepresented first-time authors who are experts in their field. She also evaluates the project proposals that Trafalgar Square Books receives. She generously gave of her time to answer some questions that new non-fiction writers have and to share an editor’s perspective on how a writer can attract a publisher’s attention.
Her comments regarding an author's platform are essential for all aspiring non-fiction writers to comprehend.
Q: I keep hearing about a “platform.” How important is having one? What do you look for in a platform when considering an author’s book proposal?
A: A platform – a significant, credible, sphere of influence – significantly improves an author’s chances of getting our attention! If we have a choice between two projects similar in subject and the writers have equal qualifications, we are always going to go with the author who has worked to gain recognition among people who are the audience for his or her book.
Authors who present at expositions, write articles for magazines, participate in online forums or have joined associations or groups that build their reputations make the publisher’s job of promoting and selling a book much easier and generally more profitable.
Q: I don't have a platform. I'm not a celebrity--but I can write. Is there any hope for me to get my books published?
A: I can only answer this question from the perspective of a non-fiction publisher of specialty instructional books. There is hope for you to get published if you write really well and IF you are very well versed in the subject about which you wish to write.
As specialty horse book publishers, we will only consider an author who obviously knows his or her subject very thoroughly. Furthermore, in this day and age, the writer needs to be willing to work to create a platform to help promote and market both the book and him- or herself.
While we may contract a well-known horse training star who cannot write (we will find a proven author to ghost the writing), in order to get our attention, an unknown or lesser-known author must be a good writer who shows an excellent command of the subject matter and who is willing to put effort into self-promotion both during and after the writing of the book.
Tune in tomorrow for Ms. Cook's comments on Pitching and Proposals...
Showing posts with label platform. Show all posts
Showing posts with label platform. Show all posts
Monday, March 15, 2010
Friday, October 16, 2009
Applied Marketing
or, Short, Sweet, and "See What I've Done!"
I received the following update from a student in my current Writer's Workshop:
A funny thing happened after your social networking comments last night at class. I finally had time to review some of my writing today and remembered that I had submitted an article to a new website... I had forgotten all about it.
Anyway, I went to the site only to find that it had been published AND THAT I HAD 17 COMMENTS!! And, I am on their Facebook and Twitter pages, too! How funny!! Anyway, if you are interested, click Mamapedia on Facebook and on their first page of their fan site, my article can be found about halfway down called, "When Your Life Calling Changes." I was most excited about the favorable comments... See you next week!
I love getting these kinds of comments. I regularly encourage writers to post on blogs, social-networking sites, forums, and other online venues, as a way of getting their names and projects "out there."
Updates like these warm the cockles of my heart, and it's not just because a student took my advice and found a way to get herself published. No -- what really makes me smile is that I know she is internalizing some of the marketing techniques necessary for writers because she applies them in her note to me.
Not only does she tell me about her submission being published, but she told me the name of it, gave me a short positive review of it, and told me where to go to see it. This may seem like a small thing, but it's HUGE!
The more this writer gets used to applying these techniques as she works to network and build an awareness of her platform, the more it will become second nature to her. That way, when her book is accepted for publication she will be so accustomed to dropping her current work's title, kudos, and accessibility, that it will happen naturally.
Another student in my current Writer's Workshop is a surfer who has a small, self-published book about his surfing testimony. ("I gave my surfboard to God and he sent me to Hawaii for 27 years," is his short one-sentence About-My-Book pitch.) This past week, while he was surfing in Lake Michigan he got interviewed by Fox News.
Because of the Workshop's focus on marketing one's work, he gave the interviewer his book. To me, this seemed like an obvious thing to do. But he told me that he would have never even thought of it had it not been for my hammering home the importance of telling people about what you've written.
So -- again, for those of us who need the review -- Write. Create. Do your very best work. And then come up with a short, relevant way to let those interested in you or your subject know that your writing exists. Apply what you learn about marketing your work in the same manner that you apply what you learn about honing your craft. I've said it before, but it bears repeating: you owe it to your future fans to let them know that your work exists...
I received the following update from a student in my current Writer's Workshop:
A funny thing happened after your social networking comments last night at class. I finally had time to review some of my writing today and remembered that I had submitted an article to a new website... I had forgotten all about it.
Anyway, I went to the site only to find that it had been published AND THAT I HAD 17 COMMENTS!! And, I am on their Facebook and Twitter pages, too! How funny!! Anyway, if you are interested, click Mamapedia on Facebook and on their first page of their fan site, my article can be found about halfway down called, "When Your Life Calling Changes." I was most excited about the favorable comments... See you next week!
I love getting these kinds of comments. I regularly encourage writers to post on blogs, social-networking sites, forums, and other online venues, as a way of getting their names and projects "out there."
Updates like these warm the cockles of my heart, and it's not just because a student took my advice and found a way to get herself published. No -- what really makes me smile is that I know she is internalizing some of the marketing techniques necessary for writers because she applies them in her note to me.
Not only does she tell me about her submission being published, but she told me the name of it, gave me a short positive review of it, and told me where to go to see it. This may seem like a small thing, but it's HUGE!
The more this writer gets used to applying these techniques as she works to network and build an awareness of her platform, the more it will become second nature to her. That way, when her book is accepted for publication she will be so accustomed to dropping her current work's title, kudos, and accessibility, that it will happen naturally.
Another student in my current Writer's Workshop is a surfer who has a small, self-published book about his surfing testimony. ("I gave my surfboard to God and he sent me to Hawaii for 27 years," is his short one-sentence About-My-Book pitch.) This past week, while he was surfing in Lake Michigan he got interviewed by Fox News.
Because of the Workshop's focus on marketing one's work, he gave the interviewer his book. To me, this seemed like an obvious thing to do. But he told me that he would have never even thought of it had it not been for my hammering home the importance of telling people about what you've written.
So -- again, for those of us who need the review -- Write. Create. Do your very best work. And then come up with a short, relevant way to let those interested in you or your subject know that your writing exists. Apply what you learn about marketing your work in the same manner that you apply what you learn about honing your craft. I've said it before, but it bears repeating: you owe it to your future fans to let them know that your work exists...
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Writer, Promote Thyself
or, Lessons from the Little Red Hen
I regularly speak to and work with writers who are actively working on developing their craft. Yet these writers often harbor the misconception that once they have perfected their writing, it will sell itself. They sigh longingly of being on "Oprah" and hitting the bestseller lists. They talk about holding book signings. And they think that the publisher is going to make this happen for them.
When working with newer writers, I tell them to spend as much time studying marketing as they do working on their writing. Many many books on the bestseller lists in recent years have gotten there more on the merits of a marketing campaign than on the beauty of their prose.
The realities of the publishing world, combined with the current climate in the spheres of technology, economics, and entertainment, have created a Perfect Storm of Doldrums ("a state of inactivity") when it comes to a publisher's plans to market a new author's work.
So, what's a novice to do?
Take the advice of that great literary figure -- the mother of inspiration -- the Little Red Hen. Do it yourself.
It behooves every writer to remember the Writer's Golden Rule: No One is More Interested in My Work's Success Than I Am. A new author who expects the publisher to put the entire marketing department to work on his or her book is riding a bullet train to disappointment.
When you consider that over 560,000 (HALF A MILLION, folks!) books were published in the U.S. in 2008, the competitiveness of the marketplace and the need for writers to take responsibility for promoting themselves become clear.
Consider Kelly Corrigan, the recent subject of a Washington Post article on book promotion for novice writers. She didn't see sales of her book take off until she spent some of her own money (smart authors know that's what the advance is for) and created her own media campaign for it. It was her story. She believed in it. And she took it upon herself to find ways to let people know that it existed.
The interesting thing about Corrigan's success story isn't that her book sat on the New York Times bestseller list for 20 weeks. (Ok, truth be told -- that is a rather interesting part of her story...) What makes her experience selling her book so noteworthy is that she spent a modest amount of money and did it all herself. It didn't take getting on Oprah, or a coast-to-coast book tour, or a major billboard or print ad campaign. She used the means at her disposal and found ways to get the word out.
Now, I'm pretty well known for giving my little pep talks -- for telling authors that they can do it, that their work and their dreams have merit. This is true, when it comes to following your muse and working on your writing craft.
When it comes to marketing your work, however, I have to change my tune a bit. It's not so much that you CAN do it... You MUST do it. You must find a way to champion your book. Be creative. Study marketing. Study trends. Analyze what makes you buy a book and then apply it to your own project.
So, go on... Get out there... Write! Create! Indulge the Muse with wild, wanton abandon. And then be ready to roll up your sleeves and get to work. You owe it to your readers to crow a little about what you've done for them.
I regularly speak to and work with writers who are actively working on developing their craft. Yet these writers often harbor the misconception that once they have perfected their writing, it will sell itself. They sigh longingly of being on "Oprah" and hitting the bestseller lists. They talk about holding book signings. And they think that the publisher is going to make this happen for them.
When working with newer writers, I tell them to spend as much time studying marketing as they do working on their writing. Many many books on the bestseller lists in recent years have gotten there more on the merits of a marketing campaign than on the beauty of their prose.
The realities of the publishing world, combined with the current climate in the spheres of technology, economics, and entertainment, have created a Perfect Storm of Doldrums ("a state of inactivity") when it comes to a publisher's plans to market a new author's work.
So, what's a novice to do?
Take the advice of that great literary figure -- the mother of inspiration -- the Little Red Hen. Do it yourself.
It behooves every writer to remember the Writer's Golden Rule: No One is More Interested in My Work's Success Than I Am. A new author who expects the publisher to put the entire marketing department to work on his or her book is riding a bullet train to disappointment.
When you consider that over 560,000 (HALF A MILLION, folks!) books were published in the U.S. in 2008, the competitiveness of the marketplace and the need for writers to take responsibility for promoting themselves become clear.
Consider Kelly Corrigan, the recent subject of a Washington Post article on book promotion for novice writers. She didn't see sales of her book take off until she spent some of her own money (smart authors know that's what the advance is for) and created her own media campaign for it. It was her story. She believed in it. And she took it upon herself to find ways to let people know that it existed.
The interesting thing about Corrigan's success story isn't that her book sat on the New York Times bestseller list for 20 weeks. (Ok, truth be told -- that is a rather interesting part of her story...) What makes her experience selling her book so noteworthy is that she spent a modest amount of money and did it all herself. It didn't take getting on Oprah, or a coast-to-coast book tour, or a major billboard or print ad campaign. She used the means at her disposal and found ways to get the word out.
Now, I'm pretty well known for giving my little pep talks -- for telling authors that they can do it, that their work and their dreams have merit. This is true, when it comes to following your muse and working on your writing craft.
When it comes to marketing your work, however, I have to change my tune a bit. It's not so much that you CAN do it... You MUST do it. You must find a way to champion your book. Be creative. Study marketing. Study trends. Analyze what makes you buy a book and then apply it to your own project.
So, go on... Get out there... Write! Create! Indulge the Muse with wild, wanton abandon. And then be ready to roll up your sleeves and get to work. You owe it to your readers to crow a little about what you've done for them.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
The Platform Primer
I recently conducted an interview with Martha Cook, Managing Editor at Trafalgar Square Books and Horse and Rider Books. In the interview, I posed questions that I often hear from new and struggling writers about how best to break into the publishing industry.
One of those questions had to do with the elusive, necessary, and oft-misunderstood platform:
The real question is not "how important is having a platform?" Instead, it is, "how do I get one?"
Note Ms. Cook's definition of platform: "a significant, credible sphere of influence." The key to developing your platform is in the definition. Decide what you want to talk about, write about, expound upon, and be known for. Then get out there and do it. Write articles, keep a blog, comment in forums, Tweet -- but do so with the ultimate goal of developing a readership that shares some quantifiable, common theme.
Non-fiction platforms are somewhat easier to build. You determine your area of expertise (whether it's building bird houses, relationships, or virtual worlds...). Then you actively look for ways to spread the word so that YOU become inextricably linked with that topic.
Building a fiction platform can be somewhat dicier at first -- probably because it's a relatively new requirement in the ever-changing world of publishing. (I don't believe that a publisher ever asked Margaret Mitchell what her platform was when she was shopping "Gone With the Wind" around.)
But be not dismayed. Perhaps building your FicPlat -- a word I just invented because I like the way it sounds in my head -- is easier than you think. If you are already online doing research and contributing to forums, simply start paying closer attention to the posts you leave.
1. Decide in which "sphere of influence" you wish to leave your mark. Romance? Horror? Cutting-edge gritty urban poetry?
2. Establish a blog, website, and / or Facebook Fan Page. (Ideally, do all three...)
3. Make posts in forums, tweet, do some guest blogging, or write short online articles that have something to do with your chosen sphere.
4. Post regularly enough that you start building a readership that values what you say and that turns to you for "spherical" inspiration or information.
5. Continue writing your book. Then, when you approach agents and publishers with it, mention your platform and launch yourself to the head of the "consider" pile.
So there you have it: a simple 5 Step Plan for building a workable FicPlat.
Joanna Penn, who writes The Creative Penn has an excellent primer on building an online writer's platform. And hers is only 3 steps!
Also from the Creative Penn (which often has useful writing-related posts), comes this interesting downloadable podcast with Roger C. Parker on how to successfully build an author’s platform.
There is no time like the present to develop your platform. Here's to yours!
One of those questions had to do with the elusive, necessary, and oft-misunderstood platform:
Q: I keep hearing about a “platform.” How important is having one? What do you look for in a platform when considering an author’s book proposal?
A: A platform – a significant, credible, sphere of influence – significantly improves an author’s chances of getting our attention! If we have a choice between two projects similar in subject and the writers have equal qualifications, we are always going to go with the author who has worked to gain recognition among people who are the audience for his or her book.
Authors who present at expositions, write articles for magazines, participate in online forums or have joined associations or groups that build their reputations make the publisher’s job of promoting and selling a book much easier and generally more profitable.
The real question is not "how important is having a platform?" Instead, it is, "how do I get one?"
Note Ms. Cook's definition of platform: "a significant, credible sphere of influence." The key to developing your platform is in the definition. Decide what you want to talk about, write about, expound upon, and be known for. Then get out there and do it. Write articles, keep a blog, comment in forums, Tweet -- but do so with the ultimate goal of developing a readership that shares some quantifiable, common theme.
Non-fiction platforms are somewhat easier to build. You determine your area of expertise (whether it's building bird houses, relationships, or virtual worlds...). Then you actively look for ways to spread the word so that YOU become inextricably linked with that topic.
Building a fiction platform can be somewhat dicier at first -- probably because it's a relatively new requirement in the ever-changing world of publishing. (I don't believe that a publisher ever asked Margaret Mitchell what her platform was when she was shopping "Gone With the Wind" around.)
But be not dismayed. Perhaps building your FicPlat -- a word I just invented because I like the way it sounds in my head -- is easier than you think. If you are already online doing research and contributing to forums, simply start paying closer attention to the posts you leave.
1. Decide in which "sphere of influence" you wish to leave your mark. Romance? Horror? Cutting-edge gritty urban poetry?
2. Establish a blog, website, and / or Facebook Fan Page. (Ideally, do all three...)
3. Make posts in forums, tweet, do some guest blogging, or write short online articles that have something to do with your chosen sphere.
4. Post regularly enough that you start building a readership that values what you say and that turns to you for "spherical" inspiration or information.
5. Continue writing your book. Then, when you approach agents and publishers with it, mention your platform and launch yourself to the head of the "consider" pile.
So there you have it: a simple 5 Step Plan for building a workable FicPlat.
Joanna Penn, who writes The Creative Penn has an excellent primer on building an online writer's platform. And hers is only 3 steps!
Also from the Creative Penn (which often has useful writing-related posts), comes this interesting downloadable podcast with Roger C. Parker on how to successfully build an author’s platform.
There is no time like the present to develop your platform. Here's to yours!
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