Nailing the Author Marketing Section of Your Book Proposal

The author marketing section of a book proposal is where you demonstrate to an agent or publisher that you will hustle to sell books.

And it's really important.

Keep reading and you'll get to see an awesome example of an excellent author marketing section.

For starters, here are a few tips:

1. Demonstrate What You Will Do

Don't tell a publisher what you're willing to do to promote your book. Don't assure them that you'll go on the 20-city book tour that they'll plan and fund. Cuz that ain't happening. Publishers want to see what kinds of promotional strategies you will create and implement. Give them names of 10 bloggers who've already agreed to let you guest-blog when your book releases. Tell them the name of the TV anchorman from your church who's promised to interview you on air. List the names of the 5 women's conferences where you've already been invited to speak 18 months from now.

2. Demonstrate What You Are Doing

Even better than showing a publisher what you will do is showing them what you're already doing! Don't promise a publisher that you'll grow your mailing list or social media followers. Instead, show that publisher that your numbers have increased by 30% in the last month or that you've hired a publicist who's growing your list. 

3. Be Creative

You may not have access to Oprah to help you promote this book, but with some creativity, you can come up with some innovative strategies to prove to a publisher that you're going to partner with them to sell a lot of books. Do some research online. Buy a book like Michael Hyatt's Platform. Brainstorm with your tribe. What are the networks and resources to which you already have access that you can leverage to sell books?

A few years ago, an author with whom I work wrote a killer author marketing section of a book proposal, and he gave me permission to share it with you here. You're welcome. Even though he has access to some unique networks, I'm convinced that if you put in the effort, you can also craft an impressive author marketing section in your own proposal.

Find this killer author marketing section on my page of resources for authors!

Best of luck you as you write a winning proposal!

1 Great Way to Build Your Subscriber List

A lot of writers are trying to figure out the best way to increase followers, gather a tribe, build an email list, etc. So when I see something that's working, I want to share it with you!

The savvy Jen Wise shared this post with our writers group this morning--about a smart way to build your email subscriber list--and I think it's so useful that I asked her permission to share it with you!

You're welcome.

Jen writes,

"This is a new resource I'm giving away--I wanted to share because there's always a lot of discussion about building engagement and followers and email lists.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE RESOURCE JEN IS OFFERING

She continues,

"The easiest way for me to build my email list has always been by creating free resources/devotionals/journals. I never charge for them, because the email list is way more valuable than the small amount of money I cold make on each journal. So, I throw them all into a resource library which requires an email address to enter.

Each time I create a new resource it is with the expressed purpose of gaining new email subscribers, and also retaining the ones I have. (And, of course, I just enjoy creating them.) It's worked really well for me. These are the posts I push the absolute hardest on social media and will always pony up the money to promote.

Sharing this, as some of you are trying to build email lists, and this has been absolutely essential for me in the process--and the most effective."

Smart, right?

It's possible that this approach isn't one that has your name on it, but I love that it's working for Jen!

(Check her out & sign up to get her awesome resources!)

How Literary Agents and Publishers Think

This week I heard from a writer who's pitched to agents and publishers without success. And the query reminded me how important it is for writers to be able to get inside the head of these important gatekeepers. Here's what I want not-yet-published writers to know about how agents and publishers think...

1. HOW AGENTS/PUBLISHERS THINK

When they're reading your proposal, the agent is thinking about what the publisher wants, and the publisher is thinking about what the reader wants. And the reader is thinking about...the reader. The BIG question you have to answer for agents/publishers is, "What's in it for the reader?" Whatever book you are writing HAS TO meet the felt need of the reader. Reader's don't buy books they "should" read, they buy books they "have to" read. Why is the book you're pitching a must-read?

2. HOW AGENTS/PUBLISHERS SEE

Without knowing what book you've written, I will hazard a guess that an agent/publisher has seen this book before. Maybe 100 proposals for this book and 5 that made it to market--saying the exact thing you're saying, in a slightly different way. While that can sound jaded, that's their reality. So whatever message you want to communicate--ideally, in the words of Stephanie Smith, a "timeless truth"--must have a FRESH FRAME. Whether you're communicating that "God is gracious," or "You are loved," or "Kittens are God's gift to the world," the agent/publisher must read your proposal and say, "Hmmm...I haven't heard it quite that way before." Are you saying something in such a fresh way that the agent/publisher wants to know more?

3. HOW AGENTS/PUBLISHERS DECIDE

The #1 rule of good writing is "show, don't tell." Your proposal needs to prove to agents/publishers that your project has FOUR THINGS: (1) a unique and compelling project, (2) a market of people who can't wait to buy this book, (3) a growing platform, and (4) mad writing skills. While I'd love to say that if they love your fresh idea, or if they think you're a great writer, they will take a chance and contract your book, I can't say that. They may WANT to, but to convince a publishing board to publish a book, they really need to see strength in all four areas. If you need to develop one or more of those areas, it might make sense to do that before pitching again. Does your proposal demonstrate that you are offering all four things a publisher needs to see?

The job of your book proposal is to convince the agent/publisher that your project meets the reader's need in a fresh and compelling way, and that you can sell books. To help writers do that, I've got a few free resources online...

1. An Author Inventory helps you mine and mention every asset you're bringing to the table.

2. An Annotated Book Proposal Template offers tips for each section of the proposal. (Not necessary to use this particular template, but do read the tips.)

3. The Book Proposal Checklist helps you review the first draft of your proposal, to make sure it's as strong as it can be.

Help agents and publishers say YES by offering them the strongest proposal you can!

Q & A: "Does a writer need a large platform to get signed with an agency and get a book contract?"

I so appreciated this wisdom, on author platform, from Karen Hardin, President of PriorityPR Group & Literary Agency, that I wanted to make it available to writers, here. You're welcome.

Q: Does a writer have to have a large platform to get signed with an agency and get a book contract?

I really am looking for good writers who are willing to work hard to create a career. I am less and less willing to take on complete newbies who have absolutely no platform and want me to push it all uphill. I’ve done that, and can make it work, but at this stage in my life, I just don’t want or need to go there. I’m looking for good writers who have something interesting to say and are hard workers.

Q: So what about writers who don’t have large platforms?

I tell writers to be working on their platforms every day. Just a little bit daily helps. That’s really the key. 

One author I represent didn’t have much, but she had a couple of key contacts that we worked hard for a year before I would present her proposal. The result was she was a very hard worker and even though she had a small platform we got a contract that has now resulted in another contract. 

Karen says, "Small platforms that are growing work. No platforms don’t."

Margot adds: Love this, Karen. Thank you! Stay tuned for Karen's four steps to begin building platform. (Seriously, she's a smartie. Don't miss it.)

Connect with Karen:

Karen Hardin

President of PriorityPR Group & Literary Agency

Over 25 year’s experience in the publishing industry

www.prioritypr.org

Karen@prioritypr.org

Want to Get Published? 3 Things a Publisher Must See

Note: This is the first post in a series of four: 3 Things a Publisher Must See.*

You have a book in your heart that you'd love to see published. It may even be a great book. A publisher and her editing board need to see three things to say the “yes” you’re hoping for. They need to see: a unique project, a viable market and the right author.

1. A Publisher Needs to See a Unique Project

Although what you're writing may seem fresh to you, know that publishers have already received countless pitches for "My Cancer Journey," "My Eating Disorder Journey," "My Spiritual Memoir.” Does this mean you scrap your project? No. But it does mean that you need to demonstrate how yours is unique. For example, these might catch a publisher's attention:

• Why Cancer Was The Best Thing To Happen to Me This Year

• How My Eating Disorder Was Cured When I Won "Biggest Loser"

• I Was a Satanist High Priest and Now I Love Jesus

Make an editor curious enough to open your proposal! 

One baby step toward publication: Read other books in your genre and identify what, if anything, makes yours unique.

2. A Publisher Needs to See a Viable Market

The publisher also needs to see that there is a market for this book. Who are the readers who will buy your book? What is the felt-need they have that will cause them to purchaser your book, read it and rave about it to their friends? Research the market so that you can demonstrate that there are book-buying readers who need your book.

One baby step toward publication: Develop a one- or two-sentence "elevator pitch" that succinctly communicates the substance of your book, who will read it and what distinguishes it from similar books.

3. A Publisher Needs to See an Author Who Can Write and Promote This Book

A publisher is looking for authors who can write and who can also get that writing before an audience.

You’ve probably author platform—your ability to reach readers—is the most important thing to a publisher. (And it’s pretty important.) But hear this: every publisher wants to publish great writing.

Chapters and pages and paragraphs and sentences and phrases need to engage readers. Your goal is to get a publisher (aka "reader") to read the first sentence of your proposal and want to read the next one and the next one. You may think it’s an editor’s job to give your proposal a thorough reading, but it’s not. Her job is to find quality books to publish. When she is perusing your proposal, she can check out—and check facebook—at any point in the process. Develop your craft so that you can write prose that a reader does not want to put down.

And there’s also that platform business...

Who has platform? Oprah. Rick Warren. Francis Chan.

Intimidated? You don't need to be. You can be building your platform right now by:

• pitching and writing articles for publications

• developing an audience for your blog

• building your speaking resume by speaking places for free: MOPs groups, churches, etc.

The key is finding what works for you and sticking with it.

One baby step toward becoming a great writer: Sign up for a local writing class, sometimes available at city colleges, or attend a writing conference in your area.

One baby step toward building platform: Set a goal to publish one article or story, with a reputable national publication that appeals to the eventual audience for your book, in the next three months.

Cheering you on,

Margot

*Published previously at Wordserve Water Cooler blog.