The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published: How to Write It, Sell It, and Market It . . . Successfully »

Arielle Eckstut is a literary agent living in New York City and San Francisco.

The best, most comprehensive book for writers is now completely revised and updated to address ongoing changes in publishing. Published in 2005 as Putting Your Passion Into Print, this is the book that’s been praised by both industry professionals (“Refreshingly honest, knowledgeable and detailed. . . . An invaluable resource”—Jamie Raab, publisher, Grand Central Publishing) and bestselling authors (“A must-have for every aspiring writer.”—Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner). With its extensive coverage of e-books, self-publishing, and online marketing, The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published is more vital than ever for anyone who wants to mine that great idea and turn it into a successfully published book.

Written by experts with thirteen books between them as well as many years’ experience as a literary agent (Eckstut) and a book doctor (Sterry), this nuts-and-bolts guide demystifies every step of the publishing process: how to come up with a blockbuster title, create a selling proposal, find the right agent, understand a book contract, develop marketing and publicity savvy, and, if necessary, self-publish. There’s new information on how to build up a following (and even publish a book) online; the importance of a search-engine-friendly title; producing a video book trailer; and e-book pricing and royalties. Includes interviews with hundreds of publishing insiders and authors, including Seth Godin, Neil Gaiman, Amy Bloom, Margaret Atwood, Larry Kirshbaum, Leonard Lopate, plus agents, editors, and booksellers; sidebars featuring real-life publishing success stories; sample proposals, query letters, and a feature-rich website and community for authors.

Introduction xv

Part I Setting Up Shop

Chapter 1 Writing The Right Idea 3

The Economics of Publishing 3

Judging Your Idea 6

Writers in Search of Ideas 18

What's Next? 19

Chapter 2 A World Wide Wonderland 20

The New Platform 21

Social Networking for Luddites 24

The Four-Step e-Program 30

The Apple of Your Eye 60

Chapter 3 The Perfect Package 61

Selecting Your Dream Team 61

Models for Success 62

Getting Titular: Titles and Subtitles 64

Perfecting Your Pitch 66

The Facts About the Fiction Proposal 71

The Nonfiction Proposal 72

The Value of Good Readers 97

Picking Partners: "Help, I Need Somebody!" 99

Prepare Your Package for Liftoff 103

Chapter 4 Locating, Luring and Landing the Right Agent 104

Do You Really Have to Have an Agent? 105

Locating an Agent 107

Luring the Agent 113

Landing the Big Kahuna 123

John Hancocking: Signing an Agency Contract 127

What's Next? 129

Chapter 5 Demystifying Submission 130

Agent Relations: Snarling Snafus and Scary Silences 130

Sending Your Brave Little Book Out into the World 137

The Agony and Ecstasy of "Interest" 139

Sending Your Book Directly to Publishers 146

Going Direct to Your Readers 153

And in Conclusion … 154

Chapter 6 Rejection Section 155

Rejection Rules 156

To Learn or Not to Learn 158

Taking Action 164

Part II Taking Care of Business

Chapter 7 Let's Make A Deal! 167

The Selling of Your Book 167

Sifting Wheat from Chaff: The Right Publisher for You 170

Finding a Cowriter or Dumping the One You Have 176

Negotiating Nuggets for Agentless Authors 177

Get It in Writing: The Deal Memo 179

Chapter 8 Contract Facts 181

An Askance Glance at Your Advance 181

The Reality of the Royalty 185

Delivery: The First Step Toward Blissful Acceptance 190

Copyright or Copywrong? 194

The Many Faces of Subsidiary Rights 194

Warranties and Indemnities: Publishers Covering Their Asse(t)s 198

Author Copies: "You Mean I Have to Buy My Own Books?" 199

Covering Your Cover 199

Options for Your Option 200

The Rules of Accounting 201

Sign Here, Please … 201

Someone Has to Write the Thing 202

Chapter 9 Write Away! 203

Getting Your Ducks in a Row so You Can Get Quacking 203

Getting Started 216

More Readers 220

More on Outside Help 224

Don't Let Running Out of Time Drive You Out of Your Mind 225

Postpartum Depression 226

One Last Thing Before You Turn It In 226

Chapter 10 Working With Your Publisher 227

Editor 101 229

The Mother of All Meetings: The Launching of Your Book 244

Preparing Your Book for Cataloging 249

The Six Month Meeting 262

The Sales Conference 265

Making a Stink: When to Get Mad and When to Shut Up 267

Enjoying the Ride 268

Chapter 11 Publish Thyself 269

Why Do You Want to Publish Your Book on Your Own? 270

The Costs and Components of Self-Publishing 282

Self-Publishing Roulette 287

Publicity and Marketing 296

Selling Your Book 298

Live, Learn and Prosper 306

Part III Getting the Word Out

Chapter 12 Prepub Publicity And Marketing 309

Putting Yourself in Expert Hands 310

Selling Yourself: An Overview 319

To Tour or Not to Tour 346

Preparing for Your First Interview 358

Building Buzz 362

Chapter 13 Launching Your Book and Keeping It Alive 363

Your Pub Date 364

Giving Away Books (Yes, That's Right, Giving Them Away) 365

Connecting with Your Readers 367

Bookstore Love 369

Making an Eventful Event 373

A Tour of Your Book Tour 385

Back to Pitching and Hooking 395

Book Club Heaven 399

Awards As Buzz 400

Keeping Your Book Ball Rolling 400

The Golden Rules Are … 403

Chapter 14 The Fine Art of Selling 404

"How Many Copies Did You Say?" 405

Back to the Bookstore 407

Selling Books in Unexpected Places 413

Sales on the Web 414

Lovely, Luscious Libraries 417

Back to School 417

Rotten Returns 418

The Last Word on Royalties 418

Keep the Sales Train Rolling 421

Chapter 15 Okay, What's Next? 422

Don't Make the Same Mistake Twice 423

Look at the Numbers 424

Have the Next Idea Ready 425

When to Send 427

Th-Th-Th-That's All, Folks! 427

Appendices 429

Appendix I Great Books on Writing 431

Appendix II Resources 433

Appendix III Selected Publishers 439

Appendix IV Standard Permission Form 448

Appendix V Our Proposal for This Book 449

Acknowledgments 465

Index 469

About The Authors 481