So You Want to Be an Author?
Downtown New York. My first book launch. It felt surreal. The waiters sauntered by in suitcoats, carrying hors d’oeuvre trays laden with shrimp and bruschetta. I hadn’t written the book; I was just working as the coordinator between the authors, the publisher, and the PR firm. Now here I was, trying not to fan-girl too much as names I had respected for years walked past in real life. I had to pinch myself.
During the evening, I struck up a conversation with an editor from our publishing house.
“What do you do?” I asked.
“I tell people no,” he quipped.
“No, really,” I pressed, “what’s your role?”
“That’s what I do,” he insisted. “I tell people no. All day, every day.”
Turns out he was vice president over their nonfiction publishing. So essentially, yes, he did tell aspiring authors no. All day. Over and over.
So of course my next question was, “What kind of manuscript earns a yes?”
What he shared with me, I’ve never forgotten. It’s my guiding rule for every book I commit to.
The Essential Three
The editor explained there are three qualities publishers look for in selecting a book:
1) Good writing. When deciding to publish a book, an editor considers the quality of the writing itself. Does it flow? Is it easy to read? Is it based on engaging stories that draw the reader in? A book will only be a best-seller if it is well written and easy to understand.
2) A fresh idea. A book might be flawlessly written, but if the concept is stale, the book won’t sell. For example, if it’s another self-help book, what makes it different from the hundreds of self-help books already out there? The book’s concept must be striking enough to cause customers to pause and investigate the author’s message.
3) Built-in customers. This is commonly referred to as an author’s “platform.” Who are those people ready and waiting to buy the book? An author must have a consistent way to be in front of a lot of people—a large social media following, pastor of a megachurch, a TV or radio personality, a famous speaker, etc. Authors with large followings always sell more books, especially in the nonfiction arena.
Okay, so those are the magic three. Now here’s the good news—every rule has an exception. If you have two out of three, your book still has a fighting chance with a publisher. I heard of a little-known author who wrote such an excellent book that the publisher went to bat for her. He took a risk, he published her book, and she became a four-time New York Times bestselling author.
Other authors have a large following and a great idea for a book, but they aren’t gifted in writing. That’s where a professional writer comes in! Either a publisher will select a writer to help you, or you can hire one personally (such as myself).
Still not sure whether you have what it takes to become a published author? Give me a call, and we can talk! In a world where people hear “no” all day, my job is to help you hear “yes”!