If self-publishing elevates your expert status, getting a New York publishing contract makes you an instant guru, right up there with Martha Beck, Tony Robbins, and Wayne Dyer. Every writer dreams of attracting a lucrative contract from a major publishing company. Although not all the preconceptions about this publishing avenue are correct, particularly when you’re writing to grow your business and attract clients, it can mean big, exciting things for you and your mission.
So how do you do it? Is it even possible? Yes, it is. But you have to rise above everyone else and prove you have what it takes to write and sell a profitable book. If you want to improve your chances of winning that big book contract, consider the following secrets to getting editors’ and agents’ attention.
1. Write Your Absolute BEST Book
Although this may seem obvious, you might be surprised at how many writers send off manuscripts that look just like every other self-help or business book. But when agents and editors are swamped with manuscripts, you may only have one shot to make a professional impression. If you want to be taken seriously, then you need to do everything you can to make sure your book is the best it can absolutely be. It must reflect your authentic voice; it must be compelling; and it must capture and hold the reader’s attention.
2. Build a Platform
You can’t come from out of nowhere if you want a publisher to risk thousands of dollars buying your book. You need to establish a record of experience and expertise. For self-help, business, and how-to authors, you must promote yourself and your ideas through speaking engagements, publishing articles, and publicity. Other ways to build a platform include selling 5,000 or more self-published books, building a big list of clients and qualified prospects, and writing a blog that gets thousands of visitors. A platform lets editors and agents know that people like you and you’ll probably be able to sell a lot of books.
3. Make Connections
If you don’t live in the city, then making connections in New York can seem impossible. It’s not; and knowing someone in the business (or with connections in the business) can be the break you need to stand out and sell your book to a major publisher. What can you do to make connections? Attend writing conferences and publishing events; network with other writers; and tell everyone you meet that you’re a writer. You never know when a friend of a friend will work in the publishing world.
Your Path to Commercial Publication
The New York publishing route isn’t advisable for everyone—it depends on your situation, your topic, and your goals. And it takes a lot of work to sell your book to a major publisher. For some, the odds are just too discouraging. But if that’s a goal on your horizon, start looking for opportunities that will help you improve your writing skills, create an outstanding book, build your platform, and establish connections to pave your path to publication. Remember, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to, you just have to be willing to do what it takes. And everyone starts somewhere!
Comments? Questions?
About the Author: Melinda Copp helps aspiring self-help, business, and nonfiction authors write compelling books that they’re proud to share with the world. Get a free copy of her Jumpstart Your Book E-course when you sign up for her weekly e-zine.
