As a book publicist, I have a unique perspective in the publishing process and see the many roles that contribute to the success of a book. Some books are masterpieces ready to be promoted while others have issues that slow down the process and kill a project’s momentum. Because I work so closely with the final product, I have a good understanding of what can make or break a book.
Besides book marketing, one of the most important things you can do as an author is to make sure an editor is a member of your team.
Authors and editors are two very different jobs. Both of these roles are equally important to book creation. However, when an author is their own editor, the lines that distinguish the two jobs can easily get blurred, and the quality of work ultimately suffers. Nothing quite compares to a book that has been properly edited with a fine-tooth comb. A polished manuscript creates potential for a much better book marketing experience overall.
The Editor’s Role on a Book Publishing Team
“Nothing detracts from good writing like bad editing,” says Debra Englander, an experienced non-fiction editor and writer. “Submit your best work. Have it copy-edited and proofread by a professional. Don’t ruin your reputation because of preventable mistakes.” Englander served as editorial director at John Wiley Publishing for nearly 17 years and was on the receiving end of thousands of pitches from agents and authors. She currently works with authors on creating winning book proposals and editing manuscripts.
In an interview with author Jane Thurnell-Read discussing how to get a book published, Englander stressed the importance of the division of labor within a book. An editor provides the objectivity that one lacks when reviewing their own work. Their job isn’t to change the meaning of a book, but rather to make it better. Englander said authors can’t always tell what a scene is lacking, or if it’s clear enough to someone who’s unfamiliar with the subject matter. After all, perception is just as important as intention in the world of book publishing.
Ensure Your Book is Publisher-Ready
An editor can clean up the original content and make awkward sentence structure and grammatical errors much less likely. These details can throw off the flow of a book and create obstacles for the reader’s comprehension. Those types of unfavorable features will likely be noticed early on in a publishing attempt and could very well result in rejection.
With over 25 years of editorial experience, Tiffany Yates Martin understands how to make the publishing process better for everyone involved. “Reputable, competent editors will save authors immense amounts of time and agony in deepening, developing, and polishing their stories, and can often give authors a leg up in attracting the attention of agents and editors, and make their stories more salable.”
Her extensive work with publishing houses such as New York Times and Writer’s Digest, has left her with the belief that editing is the most important part of the writing process. “Editing and revision are the real work of writing—and often where the story is fully found and developed and the magic happens…Because most authors were never taught this fact—nor how to edit and revise—many get disheartened when their first draft isn’t publisher-ready, or when the revision process may be more demanding or difficult than they expected. That’s not a reflection of your talent or skill but a completely normal part of the process for nearly all authors, at all levels of experience and skill,” explains Martin.
Before your book is introduced to a publisher, it needs to go through a rigorous editing process. Although being your own editor may sound enticing, no author is above hiring an editor. As Tiffany Yates Martin says, “Even editors need editors.”
Good Editing Leads to Successful Book Marketing
Aspiring authors sometimes fear that an editor will make their work less authentic, but I’ve found the opposite to be true. Hiring an editor is like hiring a personal trainer; it’s still you just faster, tighter and trimmer. The work can still get done without one, but it’s a much more tedious process. Because of its time-consuming nature, refined writing needs multiple sets of eyes to ensure that everything on paper is intentional.
There is no shame in working with multiple people to ensure the highest quality of work. In fact, it’s highly encouraged. Publisher’s Weekly points out that grammatical errors are far too common to cut out entirely, but an effort to minimize them must be made. “The writer’s primary task is to create work that is as compelling and error-free as possible. A great book cover, a marketing plan, and a cool author website are all important,” they say, “but if an author hasn’t spent the time and money for a solid editing job, it’s all just wasted effort.” Good book marketing and publicity can only do so much; the true quality of the book is essential to its success.
The Bottom Line: Authors, give yourself the best shot at success; hire an editor. Together, you can create the absolute best version of your work.
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else?
Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!
If you’ve written a book and are ready to publish it, you may be wondering what to do next. Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve compiled this handy author’s checklist to help you navigate through the publishing phase and beyond. By following it, you can set your book up for unparalleled success.
Choose the Right Title
There’s no denying your title can make or break the success of your book. It’s what will attract readers and get your book noticed. If you’re unsure of how to name your book, I encourage you to check out my award-winning bestselling book, “Book Title Generator: A Proven System in Naming Your Book.” I implore you to consider all options in the quest for the perfect book title. From using numbers, alliteration, idioms, and keyword research, Book Title Generator covers them all.
It’s packed with solid tips and tricks that will help you craft the best title for your book.
Get a Compelling Book Cover
The truth is readers and media members will judge a book by its cover. That’s why it’s important to ensure your cover is professional and ideal for your target audience. Fortunately, there are plenty of incredible book cover designers on websites like Book Covers for All and Killer Covers. It’s a good idea to visit some bookstores to get some inspiration for your cover. Also, don’t forget to check out my article on the “46 Book Cover Designers to Create Your Best-Selling Cover.”
Ask for Feedback
As a writer, it’s easy to spend hours upon hours trying to perfect your writing. While your opinion of your book matters, the feedback of others can be invaluable. Ask friends, family, acquaintances, and those in the industry to give your book a fresh set of eyes. Not only are they likely to help you catch typo and grammar issues, but they might also give you some ideas on how to tighten up and improve your book. In the end, trust book professionals when it comes to the make-or-break decisions.
Hire an Editor
By hiring an editor, you can receive professional feedback on your book. Before you commit to one, however, make sure you check out their portfolio and references. Not all editors are created equal, and you want to ensure the one you choose has the skills and experience to set your book up for success. Take a look at my article on “How Editing, Copyediting, and Proofreading Make Your Book Shine.”
Figure Out Your Target Audience
Target audience refers to the people who will buy and read your book. Think about your genre and theme to determine who they might be. Make sure the Amazon categories you select are relevant and focused about the topic and genre and not general in nature. Once you nail down your audience, you’ll find it easier to promote and market your book.
Design a Book Marketing Strategy
Before you publish your book, think about book marketing. Will you create a standalone website for it? Do you have plans to promote it via Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets? Or will you host book signings and mail review copies of your book to members of the media and potential reviewers? When it comes to book marketing success, having a plan that you execute well is just as important as the creativity that went into writing your book.
Consider a Literary Agent
There are many benefits of working with a literary agent. Depending on the agent you choose, they can pitch your book to their known publishing contacts and give you a competitive edge. Many publishers will only work with agents because they ‘vet’ the books and ‘weed out’ the books that are not a good fit for their publishing house. To find the right agent check out my article about “How to Sign a Top Literary Agent” on my blog Book-Publicist.com.
Decide Whether to Use a Distributor
A distributor delivers books to retailers. Since most libraries and bookstores won’t usually accept sales pitches and books from self-published authors, a distributor may be worth exploring. By working with one, you can bridge the gap between you and large audiences.
Figure Out When to Publish
Contrary to popular belief, the holiday season isn’t the best time to publish your book. If possible, publish your book at any other time. January, February, and March are ideal because the weather is usually colder, and people are stuck inside with more time to read. If you are deciding to publish in December or January, choose January because you’ll have a new copyright date. If you publish in December, it’ll look one year old in January even though it’s only been out one month.
The Bottom Line: Remember, pilots use checklists before each flight and authors need a checklist before they hit “publish!”
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else?
Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!
As a book publicist, I talk to authors and clients on a daily basis. Many have one goal in common: To become a New York Times bestselling author. One way to do it is to get reviewed by the New York Times Book Review. This is no surprise as the New York Times Book Review is one of the most prominent book review publications out there. It’s a weekly paper magazine that comes with the Sunday New York Times, which has a circulation of 1.5 million. A one-fifth page ad in the Book Review will cost a whopping $8,830 for small presses. You can expect to dish out even more if you’re a major publisher. For more information click here.
If your book gets reviewed by the New York Times Book Review, you’re almost guaranteed an increase in sales and publicity. So, how does the New York Times Book Review select books to review? Good question! Pamela Paul, who’s been the New York Times Book Review editor since 2013 sat down with FOX 5 NY to shed some light on this very common question. Check out the terrific story here.
“We love the publishing industry, and we support what they do, but really we are here for readers.” Pamela Paul, Editor, NY Times Book Review
She explained that the New York Times receives hundreds of books that would like to get reviewed each day. Believe it or not, all the books, except for self-published books, receive some kind of look by a staff of critics and freelance reviewers. The type of look each book gets, however, varies. While one book’s look lasts a few seconds, another book gets read cover to cover.
“Only 1% of all the books we receive make the cut. We’re always on the lookout for new and interesting voices. Since we view books as a form of art, we strive to recognize innovation and diversity,” Paul explains.
Paul was asked whether critics ever get tired of looking at books. “The kind of people that work at the Book Review are always excited to check out a book. They really love books and are doing exactly what they want to be doing,” she says.
All NY Times book reviews are fact-checked for accuracy. Paul states that fact-checking is very important for them because while you can disagree with a book review, you shouldn’t distrust it. Once the reviews are fact-checked, copy editors write headlines, credits, and more before the review goes to press.
You can see that the New York Times Book Review is run by people who love books and why they take extra care to make sure what they recommend is worthy of their audience’s time. That’s why a mention in the NY Times Book Review is so powerful.
From the NY Times Website:
During the Covid-19 pandemic, The New York Times Book Review is operating remotely and will accept physical submissions by request only. If you wish to submit a book for review consideration, please email a PDF of the galley at least three months prior to scheduled publication to [email protected]. Include the publication date and any related press materials, along with links to NetGalley or Edelweiss if applicable. Due to the volume of books we receive, we cannot respond to individual requests about our plans for coverage. Thank you.
When things return to normal, if you would like to have your book considered for review, please send it to:
Editor
The New York Times Book Review
620 Eighth Avenue,
New York, NY 10018 [email protected]
If you are sending a children’s book, please send it to the attention of the Children’s Book Editor.
The Bottom Line: While earning a spot on the New York Times Book Review is no easy feat, it’s not impossible. As long as your book has a unique twist, is well crafted, has an important message, or a new voice that must be heard, it stands a chance and is certainly worth sending in.
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else?
Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!
Getting a rejection letter hurt. I know because I deal with authors all the time, and I have seen first-hand how it can take its toll on the confidence and motivation of an author.
The harsh truth is most writers will face some form of rejection throughout their writing career, and even some of the greatest writers of our time had to deal with rejection letters.
A list of well-known authors who were rejected by publishers
I have put together a list of well-known authors who were rejected by publishers but went on to become immensely successful. Some of the names on this list may really surprise you.
1. J. K. Rowling:
A few years ago, J.K. Rowling posted rejection letters on Twitter that she received for her first novel, ‘The Cuckoo’s Calling’, a book written under her pseudonym, Robert Galbraith. “I wasn’t going to give up until every single publisher turned me down, but I often feared that would happen,” says Rowling. The book was eventually published and the author then went on to write ‘Harry Potterand the Philosopher’s Stone’, which was also initially rejected, this time by 12 publishers. When the book was finally published, however, it sold more than 120 million copies. The famous Harry Potter series has now sold more than 500 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling series of all time!
2. Stephen King:
Stephen King was told: “We are not interested in science fiction which deals with negative utopias. They do not sell.” for his book debut novel ‘Carrie’, which was rejected by 30 publishers. Later in his career, these rejections would inspire him to write some of his best-selling works. In his book ‘On Writing’, Stephen King says he pinned every single rejection letter he had received to his wall with a nail, “By the time I was fourteen, the nail in my wall would no longer support the weight of the rejection slips impaled upon it. I replaced the nail with a spike and went on writing.” Today, the best-selling author has published 63 books and sold more than 350 million copies.
3. Vladimir Nabokov:
Over a five-year period, forty editors declined the offer to publish ‘Lolita’. In his book ‘The Making of a Bestseller’, Arthur T Vanderbilt mentions that one publisher said to Vladimir: “I recommend that it be buried under a stone for a thousand years.” Yet when the book was eventually published it became a literary sensation.
4. Jack Canfield:
Canfield’s book, “Chicken Soup for the Soul” got rejected by 144 publishers! The book went on to become a bestseller. As of date, the series has sold more than 500 million books. Canfield said: “If we had given up after 100 publishers, I likely would not be where I am now. I encourage you to reject rejection. If someone says no, just say NEXT!”.
5. Dr Seuss:
For his first story, ‘And to think I saw it on Mulberry street’, Dr Seuss was rejected by 27 publishers. “Too different from other juveniles on the market to warrant its selling”, one letter said. Luckily, the author did not give up and continued to write. Today, his books have made over 300 million sales, and the author is considered one of the best-selling fiction authors of all time.
It is easy for writers to wallow in self-doubt and pity after receiving rejection letters from publishers or agents. That fear can be powerful, and it can deter writers from doing what they love. Sometimes, it can even be the reason they give up on their writing dreams altogether. I hope this list can help inspire you to keep writing and not give up.
It’s also easy to forget that writing a book is an incredible accomplishment, and the undertaking itself deserves great commendation. Receiving rejection letters doesn’t mean your book has failed or that it won’t succeed. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to improve the chances of your book becoming successful. If you have finished writing your book, make sure it’s properly edited and proofread before sending it out to publishers. Editing, copyediting, and proofreading can truly make your book shine.
Once your book has finished the editing stage, the next step is to market it appropriately. This stage can prove pivotal for success. Check out my article on how you can generate buzz around your book to help your book get the attention it deserves. Another important element of book marketing that is overlooked at times is the author website. I have previously compiled a list of top author websites which you can use as inspiration to design your own.
The Bottom Line: Receiving a rejection letter shouldn’t be the reason you give up on your writing dreams. Be inspired by the successful authors above who used rejection as fuel to keep going.
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else?
Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!
Most authors hope that one day their book will be adapted into a movie or a series on Netflix or HBO. I’ve never met an author who could not envision their book on the big screen. As a book publicist, I’ve worked with authors whose book was optioned by Hollywood after we obtained a higher profile with publicity or when they won an award. The question is how does an author go about intentionally getting that movie deal?
Interview with two screenplay writers, Oliver Tuthill and Tara Walker
There are numerous paths authors can take to get their book adapted into a movie. I recently spoke with two screenplay writers, Oliver Tuthill and Tara Walker, and they offered terrific advice for authors interested in pursuing this path.
Scott Lorenz: Can you give me examples of books that were adapted into screenplays and made it onto the movie screen?
Oliver Tuthill and Tara Walker: Robert Bloch wrote a novel in 1960 called Psycho and Alfred Hitchcock had it adapted into a screenplay. It became the most famous movie of Hitchcock’s career. Louisa May Alcott’s novel, Little Women, has been made into feature films on three different occasions. Most recently, in 2019, Greta Gerwig adapted it into a screenplay, and the popular film created a resurgence of interest in the story.
Another well-known adaptation of a novel was Dan Brown’s DaVinci Code written for the screen by Akiva Goldsman which did 760 million at the box office worldwide. George R.R. Martin’s novels, Game ofThrones, became one of the biggest television series hits ever, when adapted for television. One of the most popular novelists alive is Stephen King, and screenplay writer Frank Darabont adapted King’s novella into the Shawshank Redemption, which was a monumental success. These are just some of the examples of writers who have been very successful, and this is a difficult endeavor.
Scott Lorenz: What kind of strategy can a book author use to have a book adapted into a screenplay?
Oliver Tuthill and Tara Walker: There is a method that every writer can follow that can allow for the opportunity for your book to be turned into a screenplay, then a film.
First, you do need to have a finished book, and assuming you do, your next step would be to find a professional screenplay writer with whom you could work to adapt your novel into script form. Professional screenplay writers are highly skilled professionals, who have spent many years, if not decades, honing their craft. Once you find a screenplay writer to work with you, the author must realize that a screenplay is going to be approximately 90 to 100 minutes in length, so it is impossible to cover every dramatic event in your book. The screenplay writer will work with you to include the highlights of your book to make it accessible as a cinematic experience, to be viewed within an hour and a half to two hours.
Scott Lorenz: Let’s just say that you have hired a screenplay writer to adapt your book into a screenplay. Now what?
Oliver Tuthill and Tara Walker: If you’re lucky, you might have hired a screenplay writer who also works within the industry as a film producer. In this case, the producer can represent your screenplay and try to find a production company who would be interested in producing it. Most successful screenplay writers are represented by a literary agent in Hollywood, with whom they can submit the screenplay. Then, their agent will submit the screenplays to production companies who are constantly looking for new screenplays to produce into feature films.
Most producers looking for new screenplays are much more likely to produce scripts that have been adapted from a book. Another option furthering your screenplay toward being produced, would be to enter it into film festival competitions. A producer could see it in this venue and might like it enough to option the screenplay from the author. An example of this was when writer Evan Daugherty submitted his script, Snow White & the Huntsman, to the Script Pipeline script competition. His script won the competition, and as a result, he sold Snow White & the Huntsman to Universal for $3.25 million.
It was one of the biggest studio spec sales of all time, and its success turned Evan into one of the most sought-after writers in Hollywood. The film was also very successful and has grossed $450 million worldwide.
Scott Lorenz: Can my book authors expect to get paid over 3 million dollars when selling their screenplays to movie studios?
Oliver Tuthill and Tara Walker: It is possible, but you would need a very good sales agent to help you close the deal. Also, a bidding war between film companies would be an ideal situation for the writer to make more money. As an example, Joe Eszterhas, who wrote Basic Instinct, sold his spec script for 3 million to Carolco Pictures. A spec script is a screenplay that an author writes without receiving payment upfront. Bill Marsilii and Terry Rossio were paid 5 million for their script, Deja Vu, which was also a spec script.
Scott Lorenz: This sounds exciting! How can people get in touch with you if they want help adapting their books into screenplays?
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else?
Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!