And yes, only a remarkable book will do.
I do not agree with anyone who thinks the quality of a book no longer matters. I think quality matters more than ever.
Word of mouth has never been so powerful in making or breaking book sales. So you’d better write a damn darn good book. Because you are not just flinging a book out there into the marketplace like a Frisbee and hoping that readers will jump up out of the crowd and grab it.
No.
You are going to be the public face of your book. The mouthpiece for your book. The representation of your book. And nobody wants to represent a poorly written book.
Am I right?
So you will be ready. You will write a really remarkable book. Because you spent all that time ramping up for it (see step one). Right?
And step three will go so more smoothly if you write a remarkable book.
I’ll leave you with this quote from Get Known (below). Come back tomorrow for step three.
Let’s get this part over with: The reality is, most books fail. What I mean by fail is not that they don’t sell thousands of copies, but that they don’t sell even one thousand copies. Agents and editors want authors to have a strong platform because authors with platforms sell books. The bigger the reach of an author’s platform, the more books they are likely to sell. It’s that simple. ~ From Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow An Author Platform (Writer’s Digest Books)
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I agree totally! After reading and digesting “Get Known” (which was a fantastic resource, BTW) I had some photos taken and did some free gigs and started working on my platform, but then I got stuck…If I was writing about earthenware pizza ovens, I could cultivate a relationship with pizza oven makers, sellers, cooks etc. But I'm writing FICTION, and the basis of my relationship with my readers is my STORY. So I sat down and wrote and wrote…
My tip was this: I picked an arbitrary number of $100,000 as an advance for my manuscript. How much is that per page? Divide by 300 pages, and you get $333 dollars.
Was my writing worth $333 dollars a page? Well, actually it wasn't. It was worth around $50. So I sharpened up my… er… keyboard and wrote like fury, to the theme of $333 a page.
I'm happy to say my next draft was SIGNIFICANTLY better than the one before, so the trick worked really really well!
Hope it works for someone else too.
I love that ending quote! Simple logic.
A very helpful tip, Jotham. Wow. Such a great way to aim for the highest quality possible.
I confess, Lydia. I'm rereading my own book because I speak so much and write so much I was having trouble remembering what was in the book and what I said later. So prepare for more quotes. (P.S. I was surprised that I thought the book was pretty good and quite helpful.)
Hi Christina,
After rekindling my passion for writing (after 8 kids and homeschooling the last 3), and taking an online “Writing for Children” course, I was overwhelmed to say the least with the wealth of links to resources. It slowed me down because I didn't know where to start. Somehow, I locked into you and am currently reading your book “Get Known Before the Book Deal”. So, I am following your lead and learning all I can.
I am excited to one day see the fulfillment of my current dream…to complete 2 picture books.
Thank-you for your help!
Kathy
Most writers and artists seem to shy away from taking numbers and figures, so Jotham, I admire your thinking in terms of value 'per page.' Placing value either seems to raise the stakes or lower one's (perception of their) worth, depending on the amount. What I like is that you chose a number suited to you, and not someone else's standard.
Christina, I've come back to the post several times in the last couple days, so thank you for bringing up a subject that is imperative.
Welcome! 🙂
Thanks for coming by and chiming in, Kathleen. Glad to be helpful. 🙂