The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Published, 4th Edition

by Bykofsky, Sheree; Sander, Jennifer Basye

• ISBN13: 9781592575183
• ISBN10: 1592575188
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Package
• Copyright: 2006-08-01
• Publisher: DK Publishing, Inc.

Summary

Times have changed for first-time authors. Publishers have consolidated. Editors are fewer. Literary agents are more selective. The result is that it's tougher than ever to get published. That's why new authors need The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Published, Fourth Edition. For years, new authors have depended on the wise inside advice and tricks from Sheree Bykofsky, successful New York literary agent, and author, and Jennifer Basye Sander, best-selling non-fiction author and literary consultant. And now, their book is even more packed with the latest information about the business of publishing and the practical advice any writer will need to achieve the all-important goal of "getting published. "

Author Biography

Sheree Bykofsky, the founder and owner of the Sheree Bykofsky Literary Agency, has written and represented hundreds of successful titles over her long publishing career. She regularly teaches university courses on publishing and speaks at writers-' conferences across the country.
Jennifer Basye Sander has been an author and book packager for nearly 20 years. Her career has spanned all aspects of the business, from retail sales and book acquisition to editorial and publicity. She and her husband founded the Big City Books Group, which develops book projects and has over 40 successful books in print.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Great Expectations: In Which You Begin to Write	1	(64)
1 So Why Write?	3	(12)
What's Your Reason?	4	(4)
I'm Compelled to Write	4	(1)
I Want the Personal Satisfaction of Being Published	5	(1)
I'd Like to Advance My Cause	5	(1)
I Want to Share My Knowledge	5	(1)
I Hope to Further My Career	5	(1)
I'd Like to Achieve Fame	6	(1)
I'd Like to Earn a Fortune	7	(1)
All of the Above	7	(1)
Do People Still Buy Books?	8	(2)
Mergers and Chains	8	(1)
Online Book Sales	9	(1)
Leaner and Meaner	10	(1)
Open for Business	10	(2)
Product Is King	10	(1)
Many Happy Returns—Not!	11	(1)
Research, Research, Research!	11	(1)
But I Don't Live in New York!	12	(1)
Think of Yourself as a Contestant	12	(1)
100,000 Chances to Win!	13	(1)
Writers Wanted!	13	(2)
2 Write What?	15	(14)
What the World Doesn't Need	16	(1)
But Enough About You	16	(1)
And the Categories Are	17	(1)
Fiction	17	(1)
Nonfiction	18	(1)
Fiction Categories	18	(3)
Mainstream Fiction	18	(1)
Westerns	18	(1)
Romances	18	(1)
Chick Lit	19	(1)
Erotica/Adult Books	19	(1)
Mysteries	19	(1)
Science Fiction	19	(1)
Fantasies	20	(1)
Thrillers	20	(1)
Religious Fiction	20	(1)
Horror Books	20	(1)
Young Adult Books	20	(1)
Children's Fiction	21	(1)
Graphic Novels/Manga	21	(1)
Nonfiction Categories	21	(5)
Biographies	22	(1)
Travel Books	22	(1)
Self-Help Books	22	(1)
Computer Books	23	(1)
Cookbooks	23	(1)
Health Books	23	(1)
Business Books	23	(1)
Humor Books	23	(1)
Children's Books	24	(1)
Political Controversy/Current Events	24	(1)
History	24	(1)
Inspirational Books	24	(1)
True Crime Books	24	(1)
Poetry and Belles-Lettres 25
Science	25	(1)
Puzzle Books	25	(1)
Life in the Fast Lane	26	(1)
Poker and Gaming	26	(1)
Chick Lit	26	(1)
From Category to Specific Topic	27	(2)
3 If You Need an Idea, Stalk the Best-Seller List	29	(12)
The High-Concept Approach	30	(1)
Find a Need and Fill It	31	(2)
Finding the Success Factor	31	(1)
Wide Appeal = Good Sales	32	(1)
Audience Appeal	33	(1)
Look Around You	33	(1)
What's Making the News?	33	(1)
Try, Try Again	34	(1)
What's That You Said?	34	(1)
Let the Shows Show You	35	(1)
I'm Not Hanging Out, I'm Working,	36	(1)
Learn to Work the Bookstore Shelves	36	(1)
What Isn't Selling?	36	(1)
I'm Not Surfing the Net, I'm Working	37	(1)
Sniffing Out Gaps and Niches	37	(1)
Backlist Books: Sure and Steady	38	(1)
Now You Know the Game	38	(3)
4 Super-Stealth Market Research Techniques	41	(14)
Is It a Book?	41	(1)
Meet Your Customer	42	(1)
Sizing Up the Competition	43	(3)
Title	43	(1)
Author	44	(1)
Publisher	44	(1)
Price	44	(1)
Publication Copyright Date	45	(1)
Staying in the Know	45	(1)
Catalogs for the Asking	46	(1)
How to Reach 'Em	46	(1)
Go Over Them with a Fine-Toothed Comb	47	(1)
Free Stuff on the Counter, Too!	47	(1)
What Are the Clubs Selling?	48	(1)
Cracking the Code	48	(1)
Pick a Bookseller's Brain	49	(1)
Surfing for Info	50	(2)
The New York Times Extended Best-Seller List	50	(1)
Amazon.com	50	(1)
Barnes & Noble	51	(1)
Publishers Marketplace	51	(1)
BookScan	51	(1)
More Assigned Reading	52	(1)
But I Want to Write a Novel!	52	(1)
Minimize Your Rejection Rate	53	(2)
5 What's hot, What's Not	55	(10)
What's In, What's Out, by Category	56	(1)
Fiction	56	(1)
Love Is a Many-Published Thing	57	(2)
Love Writing About Love?	59	(1)
Beyond Hot Romance	59	(1)
Thrill 'Em, Grill 'Em, and Kill 'Em	59	(1)
Nouveau Niche	60	(1)
What's Cookin' with Cookbooks?	61	(1)
The Publishing House at Pooh Corner	61	(2)
Picture This	62	(1)
No Kidding About Kids' Fiction	62	(1)
Just the Facts, Ma'am	62	(1)
Market Savvy for Success	63	(1)
The Early Bird	63	(2)
Part 2: Gone with the Wind: Submitting to Publishers	65	(52)
6 Submit What?	61	(18)
Simply Submit	67	(1)
A Day in the Life of Book Publishing	68	(2)
Quantum Query	69	(1)
But Before We Begin	69	(1)
Top Ten Mistakes New Writers Make	70	(4)
Letters That Contain a Misspelled Name	71	(1)
Package or Letter Arrives Postage Due	71	(1)
Author Uses Outdated Equipment	71	(1)
Letters That Don't Quickly Come to the Point	71	(1)
Proposals That Criticize Other Books	72	(1)
Letters That Are Too Flip or Amusing	72	(1)
Queries That Mention Your Fan Club	72	(1)
Proposals That Smell Like Cigarette Smoke	73	(1)
Letters That Mention a Minimum Advance	73	(1)
Proposals That Are Buried in Shredded Paper	73	(1)
Warning, Warning	74	(1)
Forward and Other Foibles	74	(1)
A Great Example of a Bad Query	75	(2)
Look Like a Pro on the Page	77	(1)
Now Where Should I Send It?	77	(2)
7 Query Letters That Sell Nonfiction	79	(14)
Query? What's That You Say?	80	(2)
About the Author, Take One	80	(1)
About the Author, Take Two	81	(1)
About the Book, Take One	81	(1)
About the Book, Take Two	82	(1)
Writer, Edit Thyself	82	(1)
What Not to Say	83	(1)
Hook 'Em Early	83	(2)
Another Approach	85	(1)
Write a Good One and Then Let It Be	86	(1)
Online Etiquette	87	(1)
SASEs and Other Ways to Hear Back	87	(1)
But They Asked for It!	88	(1)
Voicemail	88	(1)
The Rules	89	(1)
A Few Words on Rejection	89	(4)
8 Bulletproof Nonfiction Book Proposals	93	(12)
The Art of Proposal Writing	93	(2)
You Mean I Don't Have to Write the Book First?	94	(1)
But When Should I Start the Proposal?	94	(1)
Building a Book Proposal	95	(1)
Your Cover Page	95	(1)
The Pitch	96	(1)
What a Great Idea!	96	(1)
Off to Market	96	(1)
Compete with the Best	97	(1)
La Publicité	97	(2)
Publicity Opportunities	98	(1)
Is It Especially Timely?	98	(1)
Bulk Sales?	99	(1)
A Stamp of Approval	99	(1)
Let's Hear About You!	99	(1)
Do You Need a Partner?	100	(1)
Detailed Table of Contents	100	(1)
Sample Chapters	100	(2)
Write What They'd Enjoy Reading	101	(1)
Send an Upbeat Message	101	(1)
The Kitchen Sink	102	(1)
Newspaper and Magazine Articles	102	(1)
Video Clips	103	(1)
Proposing Your Self-Published Book	103	(1)
Time to Get Writing!	104	(1)
9 Fun with Fiction	105	(12)
So I Have to Write the Whole Book First?	106	(1)
Want Support? Mingle with Other Writers	106	(1)
And Then I Have to Write the Whole Book Again?	107	(1)
The Never-Ending Story	108	(2)
Forget Dickens!	108	(1)
Read, Read, Read	109	(1)
Writing Is Rewriting	109	(1)
Take It to the Next Level	109	(1)
Ready, Set, Query	110	(1)
Introducing the Mighty You	111	(2)
First Paragraph: What Kind of Book You've Written	111	(1)
Second Paragraph: What Your Book Is About	111	(1)
Third Paragraph: Why Only You Could Write This	112	(1)
Fourth Paragraph: Other Impressive Stuff	112	(1)
Fifth Paragraph: How to Reach You	112	(1)
How Hard Can That Be?	113	(1)
An Invitation for a Proposal!	113	(1)
Summarize, Please	114	(5)
Hook 'Em Again?	114	(1)
Sample Synopses	114	(1)
Exclusivity	115	(2)
Part 3: Romancing the Stone: Getting a Book Contract	117	(78)
10 What's an Agent for, Anyway?	119	(10)
Friends in High Places	120	(1)
When Agents and Editors "Do Lunch"	120	(1)
A Hope and a Prayer	121	(1)
"Is That the Best You Can Do?"	122	(1)
Profit or Loss?	122	(1)
Any Other Takers?	122	(1)
Money, Money, Money	123	(1)
Megamarkets	124	(1)
Advances for Fiction	124	(1)
Double Indemnity	124	(1)
Rely on Your Agent	124	(1)
Let's Do Another One, Just Like the Other One	125	(1)
After the Deal Is Done	125	(2)
Good Cop/Bad Cop	126	(1)
Substance in Subrights	126	(1)
Should You Get an Agent?	127	(2)
11 Finding and Working With an Agent	129	(12)
Members of the Club	129	(1)
Just How Much Is This Gonna Cost?	130	(2)
Reading Fees? No	130	(1)
They're Agents, Not Readers	131	(1)
Where to Find Help	131	(1)
Screening Agents	132	(1)
Where to Look for Agents	132	(3)
Look in a Book	133	(1)
Face to Face	133	(1)
Making the Most of Writer's Conferences	134	(1)
"I'd Like to Thank My Agent"	135	(1)
Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo	135	(1)
Exclusive Territory	136	(1)
The Good Agent	136	(1)
Are You Really Ready?	137	(1)
Fiction	137	(1)
Nonfiction	138	(1)
Try, Try Again	138	(1)
Big Name, Superb Credentials	138	(1)
Shopping Yourself	139	(1)
Return to Sender	139	(1)
Hold My Calls, Please	139	(1)
You Hooked One!	140	(1)
Another Darn SASE?	140	(1)
12 What You (an Expect from an Agent	141	(12)
A Day in the Life of an Agent	142	(1)
99 Percent Ready	143	(1)
"I Really Like It, but"	144	(1)
Be Open to Changes	144	(1)
Love at First Sight	145	(1)
Call Other Authors	145	(1)
Great Expectations	145	(1)
The Agent/Author Agreement	146	(1)
Read the Fine Print	146	(1)
"Hello, It's Your Author!"	147	(1)
What's Going On?	147	(1)
Ante Up	148	(1)
The Rejection Blues	148	(1)
Going Once, Going Twice...Sold!	149	(1)
"How Much Can I Expect?"	149	(1)
Nibbles	150	(1)
Reeling 'Em In	150	(1)
Breaking Up	150	(3)
13 Submitting Directly to Editors	153	(8)
The Ivy Leagues	154	(2)
Curriculum Vitae	154	(1)
Readers and Referees	155	(1)
Read More About It	155	(1)
Small Can Be Good	156	(3)
The Name Game	157	(1)
Query an Editor	157	(1)
Negotiating on Your Own	158	(1)
An Agent, at This Point?	158	(1)
The Hunt Is On	159	(1)
Tight Niches	159	(1)
Once Upon a Time	159	(2)
Poetry	161	(1)
To Self-Publish or Not to Self-Publish?	161	(2)
Do You Have What It Takes?	162	(1)
Speaking of Speaking	162	(1)
Proof Positive	163	(1)
Oh, Don't Be Vain!	163	(1)
The Electronic Edge	164	(1)
You're on Your Own	164
14 Behind Closed Doors	161	(16)
Hurry Up and Wait	167	(1)
"Sorry, Not Right for Our Needs at This Time"	168	(1)
Consider This	169	(1)
Committee Decisions	170	(1)
How's It Gonna Sell?	171	(1)
The Meeting Begins	172	(1)
Batter Up!	172	(1)
Next Up!	173	(1)
Let's Pretend	173	(1)
Second Chances?	174	(1)
They Like Me! They Really Do!	174	(3)
Money, Money, Money, Money	175	(1)
The Numbers Game	175	(1)
Other Considerations in the Offer	175	(2)
15 The Party of the First Part	177	(18)
Whereas and Therefore	178	(1)
The Work	179	(1)
Copyright	179	(1)
Tentatively Titled	179	(1)
The Advance	180	(1)
Grant of Rights	180	(1)
Royalties	181	(1)
Delivery of Manuscript and Corrections	182	(1)
Other Deliverables	183	(1)
Options	183	(1)
Author's Representations, Warranties, and Indemnity	183	(1)
Obligations of the Publisher	184	(1)
Accounting	184	(1)
Overstock, Out of Print, or Reversion of Rights	184	(1)
Assignment	185	(1)
Bankruptcy	185	(1)
Agency Clause	185	(1)
Electronic Rights	186	(1)
So Is Anything Negotiable?	187	(4)
Who Pays for the Index?	188	(1)
Who Pays for Illustrations, Photographs, and Other Such Things?	188	(1)
The Sales Territory	188	(1)
Splits and Serials	189	(1)
Commercial and Dramatic Rights	189	(1)
Free Author's Copies	189	(1)
The Delivery Date	190	(1)
Expense Budgets	190	(1)
High-Discount/Reduced Royalty Clauses	190	(1)
Joint Accounting	191	(1)
Options Clauses	191	(1)
Electronic Rights	191	(1)
Reversion of Rights	192	(3)
Part 4: War and Peace: Working with a Publisher	195	(96)
16 I Signed a Contract—Now What?	191	(18)
Deadlines Loom	198	(2)
Ready, Set...	199	(1)
More Time, Please?	199	(1)
Where's My Advance?	200	(1)
The Sizzle for Your Steak	201	(1)
Bend Over Backward	201	(1)
Will You Say "I Love It"?	202	(1)
You're Excited; They're Excited	202	(1)
But I Haven't Heard from My Editor in Months!	202	(1)
What's Going on with My Book?	203	(3)
What's in a Name?	204	(1)
Catalog Copy	204	(1)
Judging a Book by Its Cover	205	(1)
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly	205	(1)
The Clock's Ticking	206	(3)
17 Saying Good-Bye to Your Baby	209	(12)
Go with the Guidelines	209	(3)
The Best Software	212	(1)
Proper Formatting	212	(3)
Why So Many Copies?	215	(1)
Garbage In, Garbage Out	215	(1)
File Management Matters	216	(1)
What About the Pictures?	216	(1)
Permissions	217	(2)
Plagiarism	218	(1)
Show Them the Money	219	(1)
"I'd Like to Thank My First-Grade Teacher..."	219	(1)
Bye-Bye, Book!	220	(1)
18 Welcome to the Nome Team!	221	(12)
Production in a Nutshell	222	(1)
Join the Team	222	(1)
The Acquisitions Editor	222	(2)
But I Thought You Liked It!	223	(1)
Especially for Fiction	223	(1)
The Developmental Editor	224	(1)
The Production or Project Editor	224	(1)
The Copy Editor	224	(1)
The Art Director	225	(1)
Interior Design	225	(1)
Cover Design	226	(1)
The Copywriter	226	(1)
The Proofreader	226	(1)
Indexer	227	(1)
The Manufacturing Manager	227	(1)
Over to You Now	227	(2)
Responding to Your Editor's Comments	227	(1)
Especially for Fiction	228	(1)
What's Best for the Book	228	(1)
Copy Editing Changes and Queries	229	(1)
More Deadlines to Meet	230	(3)
Page Proofs	230	(1)
Stop the Presses!	230	(3)
19 Proper Care and Feeding of Your Editor	233	(10)
Make a Friend for Life	233	(1)
Your Book's Best Advocate—and Yours, Too'	234	(1)
Editor for a Day	235	(4)
8 A.M.	235	(1)
9 A.M.	236	(1)
10 A.M.	236	(1)
Noon	237	(1)
1:30 P.M.	237	(1)
5 P.M.	238	(1)
6 P.M.	238	(1)
11:30 P.M.	238	(1)
Why Doesn't My Editor Ever Call Me?	239	(1)
When to Confess You're in Trouble	240	(1)
Play Nice	240	(3)
20 So How Does My Book Get into the Stores?	243	(12)
A Short Course in the Sales Process	244	(2)
The Dynamic Duo: Catalogs and Sales Reps	244	(1)
Are You Free on Tuesday?	244	(1)
Let Me Show You	245	(1)
The Numbers Game	246	(1)
Just-in-Time Inventory	246	(1)
Comparative Sales Can Make or Break You	246	(1)
Prepping the Rep	247	(1)
Death of a Sales Conference	247	(2)
How They've Changed!	248	(1)
Do Authors Go?	248	(1)
Getting Reps Revved Up	249	(1)
Dumps and Other Promotional Ideas	249	(1)
Charging for Store Exposure	249	(1)
It Can't Hurt to Ask	250	(1)
Printing and Shipping Your Baby (and Warehousing the Rest)	250	(1)
Book Shows	251	(4)
Do Authors Go?	252	(3)
21 Maximum Publicity for Maximum Sales	255	(14)
Publicity: Now and Then	256	(1)
Just What Is Publicity, Anyway?	257	(1)
What the Publicity Department Can Do	258	(1)
Novel Approaches	258	(1)
The Publicity Department's Full Plate	259	(1)
Chicken Soup for Everyone!	260	(1)
Ask the Experts	260	(1)
The Secret Formula	260	(1)
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publicity	261	(2)
Press Release Basics	261	(1)
Useful Contacts, Bookstores, Newspapers, and Magazines	262	(1)
Promotional Items	262	(1)
"And Our Next Guest Is	263	(2)
Radio Sells	263	(1)
Selling Yourself to Radio	264	(1)
Which Stations, Which Shows?	264	(1)
Smiling and Dialing	265	(1)
Get Them to Come to You	265	(2)
A Cross-Country Whirlwind Radio Tour	266	(1)
Should You Be Media-Trained?	266	(1)
Three Key Points	267	(1)
Touring the Libraries	267	(1)
Reality Check	267	(1)
Publicity Pays Off	268	(1)
22 Television and Online Publicity	269	(12)
Bright Lights, Big City	269	(1)
Gonna Make You a Star!	270	(2)
Getting on Regional Shows	272	(1)
Satellite Television Tours	272	(1)
Oprah and Friends	273	(1)
Am I the Main Attraction?	273	(1)
Will It Sell Books?	274	(1)
Hands Off (for Now)	274	(1)
Outwitting Producers	274	(1)
Persistence Pays Off	275	(1)
Do the Producer's Work for Him	275	(1)
About That Plaid Jacket	275	(2)
Dress for (TTY) Success	276	(1)
Different Looks for Different Books	276	(1)
What Really Works Online?	277	(4)
Should I Create a Website?	277	(1)
Read All About Me!	278	(1)
Online Coaching	279	(1)
Future Shock	279	(2)
23 Real-Life Publicity and Marketing Ideas	281	(10)
Creating Media Events	282	(3)
The Timely Event	282	(1)
A Visually Interesting Event	283	(1)
A Controversial Event	284	(1)
A Humorous Event	284	(1)
What Good Did That Do?	285	(1)
The Christmas Cash Box	285	(1)
Effective Bookstore Events	286	(2)
An Event Is Better Than a Signing	287	(1)
Don't Rely on the Bookstore for Publicity	287	(1)
Ask for a Display	287	(1)
Can You Really Afford a Best-Seller?	288	(3)
Part 5: My Brilliant Career: Continuing Your Career as an Author	291	(14)
24 After the Party Is Over	293	(12)
Sold Once...and Then Again	294	(2)
Your Book's Inventory: It's Gotta Move	295	(1)
Extending Shelf Life	296	(1)
Returns to Sender	296	(1)
End of the Line	296	(1)
Coming Out Again?	297	(1)
A Rose by Any Other Name	297	(3)
Revised and Expanded!	298	(1)
Renamed and Repackaged	298	(1)
Sell a Small Booklet?	299	(1)
Taking It to the Superhighway	299	(1)
Seriesand Sequels	300	(1)
Evaluating Your Success	300	(2)
Show Me the Money	300	(1)
Personal Best	301	(1)
But Really, Show Me the Money!	302	(1)
But This Book Was Perfect	302	(2)
Work on My Writing?	303	(1)
What Book Will Large Numbers of People Buy?	303	(1)
Moving On to the Next Phase	304
Appendixes
A Glossary	305	(10)
B Great Books for Writers	315	(4)
C More Good Resources	319	(4)
D Sample Proposal: The Gross News	323	(6)
Index	329