Q: I am brand new to the whole Christian publishing process. I bought the book Christian Writers' Market Guide 2007, but it seems to all be in publishing lingo. I am totally lost. It seems I need an agent, but i don't know what an agent does exactly not to mention where to find one. Would you be able to tell a book, website or something that I could find everything I need in everyday people language? I would deep appreciate your help. Thank you very much for your time!
A: Publishing certainly is a whole different process than writing, isn't it? And I guess it does have a different language. I admire you for seeking answers--for wanting to study what publishing is all about. I meet so many hopeful authors who dive right in without learning about the publishing process, without finding out their options or their responsibilities as a published author. Most of them ultimately fail.
I wrote my latest book for you, Amy, and all hopeful and struggling authors. I believe that the first thing you should do before ever entering into the publishing field is to find out what it's all about--to understand the publishing process and, as I said, your options. My book, "The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book" (www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html) explains the process and options in simple terms.
You'll definitely learn what a literary agent (or author's agent) does and when/if you need to contact one. You'll discover that there are 3 main publishing options, landing a traditional royalty publisher (he produces your book and pays you royalties on books that are sold), self-publishing (establishing your own publishing company) and fee-based POD "self-publishing (such as AuthorHouse, Infinity, etc.) The fee-based POD publishing service claim that they will "self-publish" your book for you. Actually, you pay them to produce your book and then you purchase books when you need them to sell. These companies do very little to promote your book, even when you pay them extra to do so.
Something else that you need to know ahead of time is that you, the author, are responsible for promoting and selling your book no matter which publishing option you choose.
While writing is a craft, publishing is a business and it is extremely important that you understand something about the publishing industry before you get involved. You need to know your options, the consequences of your choices and your responsibility as a published author.
I hope this has helped. Please let us know if you have any specific questions. And you can learn more about the book I've mentioned here by following the link provided below.
Sincerely,
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Q: I finished writing and editing a fantasy novel, and am now in the process of hooking an agent. Do you know where I can find examples of good query letters and synopsis'? Thanks for your help.
A: I suggest to the writer that they examine a book that's titled "How To Write Proporsal and Query Letters...or it might say 'and Cover Letters'. The book was published by Writer's Digest Press. I would check to see if it's still available. Another thing to do is go to any large chain bookstore, i.e. Barnes & Nobles or Borders, and check out their Professional Book section (you may have to ask the service or information desk for guidance). There use to be a whole section in book stores on publications and books about getting published. Browse the titles and look through certainly that cover your topic. Also, look at the index of any general book on 'how to get published' as they will likely have a chapter or several pages on writing solicitation letters. Also, look through any book that deals specifically with how to find an agent.
I would also not neglect GOOGLING the subject on the Internet. That are dozens of very legitimate sites, many operated by published authors or writing instructors, who offer excellent advice.
Generally, the key to an affective cover/query/or proposal letter is to be specific and brief. This is your opportunity to grab the agent's/editor's attention, to think carefully about what you want to say to gain their attention and interest in your work. The first sentence, first paragraph is critically, and should be strong enough to entice the editor/agent to WANT to read on!
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Q: I am interested in self publishing a 5X5 "Hallmark Like" gift book. In my research with POD's or self publishing offerings never include 5X5 as a standard print size. I was really surprised by that. This is an 'on the side' project for me but something I've been thinking about for years and now have some to time to commit to it. Do you know of any resources that I could access for direction? I'm also needing to understand copyright and trademark implications.
I've been researching the new offering from Yahoo - Amazon. Any thoughts? (createspace.com)
A: As you have learned, POD (Print on Demand) publishers seldom, if ever, offer specialty trim sizes or other specifications. The reason is cost effectiveness. Limited trim sizes are easier and cheaper to produce. In order to self-publish your 5" x 5" gift book, you may have to look beyond POD. There are companies, such as Jorlan Publishing, that can custom design and print your book to your specifications. My recommendation would be that you research the difference between POD and true self-publishing to determine which would best meet your needs. Articles on the subject are available via internet searches as well as on the Jorlan site at: www.jorlanpublishing.com/articles.htm.
Regarding your copyright and trademark questions, the best resources would be the official sites for both:
Lana Jordan
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Q: I am in the process of writing a book that is fiction. I will be using the name Disneyland, as part of the story takes place on Disneyland and I will use many names of the characters on Disney. Is this leagal to do or will I need to get permission to use all these names? Thank you and have a wonderful day.
A: Disney is known as a company that aggressively protects its trademarks. I am not a lawyer and this isn't legal advice, but if it were me, I'd be in contact with their rights and permissions department and get a written document saying the company doesn't have a problem. Or at the very least have a conversation with a good intellectual property lawyer.
Shel Horowtiz, author,
Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers
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Q: I am working on a book proposal with a co-author on a theme related to feminism. I thought that we would go the traditional route of finding an agent who would pitch our proposal to publishers. She would rather apply for a grant from one of the foundations that funds writing projects on feminist themes. What are the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches?
A: Steven, given that you have achieved some success with Get Slightly Famous, the agent route may make sense. With a track record, you'd have an easier time than most. However, what prevents you from pursuing both paths simultaneously?
Either way, it's likely to be slow and frustrating and may or may not result in the desired outcome. A grant could of course fund a good self-publishing venture, and leave you with more control. A traditional publisher opens up more distribution doors but takes most of the profit and pretty much all the control. And you'll want to run any contract by the national Writers Union or Authors guild (join at least one).
Shel Horowtiz, author,
Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers
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Q: I have a question in regards to a magazine article. I'm writing a sales pitch for a product, and I'm not sure what's the best way to submit this to be published in a magazine. It's for a photography magazine, and I was hoping maybe you could point me in the right direction for how to submit this and how I would go about writing a professional email so it would be considered for publication. I wasn't sure also if I did it through submission guidelines or if I contact marketing and/or advertising and pay for a spot in the magazine. Any help is appreciated. Thank you!
A: First, you want to study the target magazine's submission guidelines. It's possible that they will say they do not accept product pitches. Most do not. However, if you study the magazine and see that product pitches are appropriate and/or the submission guidelines for that particular magazine encourages pitch pieces, then simply follow the guidelines (as far as word count, slant, etc.) and submit it.
If the magazine doesn't publish blatant advertisements and you consider yours this sort of piece, consider softening it. Create a product review, for example. Or write an interesting article with anecdotes, statistics, facts and expert quotes--toning down the sales perspective.
If, on the other hand, you want to get this piece published as a sales pitch piece, yes, contacting the marketing department might be appropriate. I'm pretty sure that they would want to charge you for advertising, though.
Another way to get your piece published might be to run an ad in the magazine with the stipulation that they publish your article.
There are as many editorial and marketing policies as there are magazines, so your best bet is to study the magazine and the submission guidelines and make your decision accordingly. If you are considering two of three different photography magazines, launch the same study for all of them.
Patricia Fry, freelance writer, author and editorial consultant.
President of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network)
Patricia is the author of 28 books including, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book,The Author's Repair Kit
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Q: Hi Patrika, I appreciate your time. I'm in the process of writing a vignette-style life lessons book for women. Although agents and editors have responded favorably to the book proposal,they all have had the same assessment: You need a platform. To that end, one of the avenues I'm exploring is writing a regular newspaper column. Next week I have a meeting with a newspaper editor and I could use your help. I'll be presenting five sample columns that I'm proposing he run for the first five weeks. I'm debating whether or not I should submit five life lessons from my book. Doing so could generate a book-buying audience that will make my project more appealing to a book editor. However, my concern is that the opposite may occur and that book editors will be less interested because a portion of it will have already been published in the newspaper(s). What are your thoughts? Should I instead write five fresh columns unrelated to my book?
A: Book editors don't like buying a 'pig in a poke'. In other words, they will want a sample of what is actually contained in your book so they can judge its marketability. By all means, send your best five column!
Patrika Vaughn
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Q: I have a question regarding tenses in a YA novel I'm writing. I started off in third-person, but ended up changing my mind and switched to first-person focusing on one of the main characters. I did have some dialogue and scenes with other relatively major characters when I was doing third-person - and I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to give up a few things that they experienced or said.
I guess my question is - can I do that? I didn't normally think you should mix it, but wasn't sure if there was a way to do it seamlessly or if it should just be avoided. Any help is appreciated.
A: I’m not sure I understand the question. She says she’s asking about tenses but the question seems to be either about person or point of view. If it is indeed about the latter, my answer is that, if the narrative is being told in first person, we can see only through the point of view character’s eyes, so anything s/he can’t see/know cannot be included. There are, of course, ways around this, a subject addressed in my book about fiction writing, THE MIND OF YOUR STORY.
Lisa Lenard-Cook
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Q: I am writing a YA fiction novel, and I was wondering what the standard length is for a manuscript in this field and also if there is a standard chapter length. Any help is appreciated.
A: There are never hard and fast rules, but I think 50,000 words is probably a good safe length for this age group. (That's what Peeling the Onion was, and newer books feel a similar length to me.) Chapters are more variable; the trend seems to be towards shorter chapters but I think the most important is to obey your own instinct about where it ought to end. It's possible that different publishers have house rules about chapter lengths, but I'm not aware of it.
Wendy Orr
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