Your Starting Point
By Jerry D. Simmons | August 2nd, 2006 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)
One of the most asked questions from writers about getting a manuscript published or marketing and selling a book is–where do I start? The answers depend on where you are with your writing and are different for each level.
If you are a beginning writer and just starting to write, my suggestion is that you begin visiting an independent bookstore (if possible) if not then a chain bookstore, and become a regular visitor. Observe what is going on in the marketplace and particularly with your category of writing. In addition, read the competition in your genre, get to know the work of not only the best selling authors but the backlist ones as well. These would be the books by authors you might never have heard of but who have multiple copies of several titles on store shelves.
If you have a book published and are looking for help marketing and selling, you must know what you want to do with your book. Be realistic, not every book is destined for Oprah regardless of who is telling you that. Selling books is difficult, so you need to know who would want to read your book? Who is your audience? How would you reach them? Where would they go to find out about and buy books? You need to give these questions serious consideration and try your best to come up with some specific answers.
If you are under contract and on a schedule to deliver manuscripts on a regular basis, you face an entirely different starting point. My first question to you would be: Do you have relationships with anyone inside your publisher besides your editor? If not, then that is your starting point, developing in-house relationships. If you have some relationships then you need to know the questions to ask and the responses you should expect. This is critical if you are a published author under contract to deliver more books.
As I’ve said many times, it’s easy to get published but difficult to sell books. Be smart and seek out as much information as possible so you can make informed decisions about your book and career.
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