Writers often spend years perfecting their first novel—then hit a dead end when it comes to getting it published. Learning to market your novel will make it stand out from the thousands of other books clamoring for the attention of an ever shrinking number of publishers.
In this book, Elizabeth Lyon offers the wisdom of more than twenty years of experience as an author, book editor, writing instructor, and marketing consultant. Step-by-step, she details what editors want, what questions to ask them, and how to develop a marketing strategy. You will learn:
· How to categorize your novel, and the sixteen ways of describing it
· Nine ways of selling your novel
· Descriptions of the jobs of literary agent, editor, and writer
· Examples of actual story synopses, and successful query letters—in all the genres
· How to prepare sample chapters
· Thirty questions a writer needs to ask a prospective agent
Chapter One: How Novels Get Sold
Eight Ways to Sell Your Novel
The Ninth Way
The Challenge of Sales
Breakthrough: "Investing in People" by Rainer Rey, author of a medical thriller
Chapter Two: Beginning Your Marketing Tool Kit
Overview of Publishers
Product Lines
The Jobs of Literary Agent, Editor, and Writer
Coping with Trends
Money Matters
A Foot in the Door: "Getting an Agent; Firing an Agent" by Charles H. Snellings, author of horror novels
Chapter Three: Ready to Market?
First - Finish
Diagnostic Checklists
Writer's Critique Groups
Professional Editors
Categorize Your Novel
Sixteen Ways to Describe Your Novel
Tempting Titles
Breakthrough: "Long Deserved; Long Overdue" by Paul Cody, author of literary novels
Chapter Four: Dissecting the Synopsis
Content
A Model Synopsis
Style
A Foot in the Door: "Learning Through Critique" by James D. Axtell, author of off-beat mainstream
Chapter Five: Studying the Synopsis
Nine Synopsis Applications
Medical Thriller by Rainer Rey
Historical Mainstream by Patricia Jean Hyatt
Horror by Charles H. Snellings
Generation-X (off-beat mainstream) by James D. Axtell
A Foot in the Door: "Running the Writer's Iditarod" by Patricia Jean Hyatt
Chapter Six: Dissecting the Query
Queries Defined
Lead
Model Query Letter
Body
Closing
Style
Types and Uses
A Foot in the Door: "Overcoming Marketing Block" by Patsy Hand, author of mystery, suspense, and mainstream novels
Chapter Seven: Successful Queries
Literary - Contemporary
Literary - Generation X, Magical Realism
Mainstream - Historical & Biographical
Mainstream - Historical
Mainstream - Historical Epic
Mainstream - Contemporary Christian
Mainstream - Contemporary, Adventure
Mainstream - Contemporary, Gay/Bisexual
Mystery
Suspense
Speculative Fiction
Fantasy
Romance - Regency
Romance - Western Historical
Children's 9-12
Breakthrough: "Don't Tell Me What I Can't Do." by D. Marion Wilkinson
Chapter Eight: The Sample Chapter Tells All
Which Sample Chapters?
First Chapters - Expectations
First Pages - Expectations
To Prologue or Not to Prologue
Mechanics of Format and Submission
Breakthrough: "Every Minute Counts" by Marne Davis Kellogg
Chapter Nine: Researching Publishers and Agents
Setting Up Your Own File
Publishers' Specifications
Directories
Trade Journals
Classification of Literary Agents
Databases, Acknowledgments, and Word-of-Mouth Opinions
Breakthrough: "Bring the Body and the Mind Will Follow" by Martha Lawrence
Chapter Ten: Systematic Marketing
Your Marketing Target
Executing Your Plan
Taking Stock
Breakthrough: "The Power of Persistence" by Micah Perks
Chapter Eleven: Goodbye Rejection: Hello Re-direction
The Re-direction Process Defined
Consciousness Raising 101
Dreamcrushers
Four Types of Rejection Letters
Personal Re-direction
Breakthrough: "The Ideal Writer-Agent Partnership" by Melissa Jensen, author of Regency Romances
Chapter Twelve: Choosing the Right Agent for You
30 Questions to Ask the Agent You May Hire
Red Flags in the Author-Agent Relationship
Breakthrough: "Writing from Soul" by Gregg Kleiner, author of a literary novel
Chapter Thirteen: The First Sale and Beyond
Negotiating Your Own Book Contract
Agent or Lawyer for Hire
Agent-represented Negotiations
Shaping Your Career
Second-book Queries
Managing Success
Appendices: Sample Author/Agent Contract; Resource Directory
Index
About the Author
Writers often spend years perfecting their first novel—then hit a dead end when it comes to getting it published. Learning to market your novel will make it stand out from the thousands of other books clamoring for the attention of an ever shrinking number of publishers.
In this book, Elizabeth Lyon offers the wisdom of more than twenty years of experience as an author, book editor, writing instructor, and marketing consultant. Step-by-step, she details what editors want, what questions to ask them, and how to develop a marketing strategy. You will learn:
· How to categorize your novel, and the sixteen ways of describing it
· Nine ways of selling your novel
· Descriptions of the jobs of literary agent, editor, and writer
· Examples of actual story synopses, and successful query letters—in all the genres
· How to prepare sample chapters
· Thirty questions a writer needs to ask a prospective agent
Chapter One: How Novels Get Sold
Eight Ways to Sell Your Novel
The Ninth Way
The Challenge of Sales
Breakthrough: "Investing in People" by Rainer Rey, author of a medical thriller
Chapter Two: Beginning Your Marketing Tool Kit
Overview of Publishers
Product Lines
The Jobs of Literary Agent, Editor, and Writer
Coping with Trends
Money Matters
A Foot in the Door: "Getting an Agent; Firing an Agent" by Charles H. Snellings, author of horror novels
Chapter Three: Ready to Market?
First - Finish
Diagnostic Checklists
Writer's Critique Groups
Professional Editors
Categorize Your Novel
Sixteen Ways to Describe Your Novel
Tempting Titles
Breakthrough: "Long Deserved; Long Overdue" by Paul Cody, author of literary novels
Chapter Four: Dissecting the Synopsis
Content
A Model Synopsis
Style
A Foot in the Door: "Learning Through Critique" by James D. Axtell, author of off-beat mainstream
Chapter Five: Studying the Synopsis
Nine Synopsis Applications
Medical Thriller by Rainer Rey
Historical Mainstream by Patricia Jean Hyatt
Horror by Charles H. Snellings
Generation-X (off-beat mainstream) by James D. Axtell
A Foot in the Door: "Running the Writer's Iditarod" by Patricia Jean Hyatt
Chapter Six: Dissecting the Query
Queries Defined
Lead
Model Query Letter
Body
Closing
Style
Types and Uses
A Foot in the Door: "Overcoming Marketing Block" by Patsy Hand, author of mystery, suspense, and mainstream novels
Chapter Seven: Successful Queries
Literary - Contemporary
Literary - Generation X, Magical Realism
Mainstream - Historical & Biographical
Mainstream - Historical
Mainstream - Historical Epic
Mainstream - Contemporary Christian
Mainstream - Contemporary, Adventure
Mainstream - Contemporary, Gay/Bisexual
Mystery
Suspense
Speculative Fiction
Fantasy
Romance - Regency
Romance - Western Historical
Children's 9-12
Breakthrough: "Don't Tell Me What I Can't Do." by D. Marion Wilkinson
Chapter Eight: The Sample Chapter Tells All
Which Sample Chapters?
First Chapters - Expectations
First Pages - Expectations
To Prologue or Not to Prologue
Mechanics of Format and Submission
Breakthrough: "Every Minute Counts" by Marne Davis Kellogg
Chapter Nine: Researching Publishers and Agents
Setting Up Your Own File
Publishers' Specifications
Directories
Trade Journals
Classification of Literary Agents
Databases, Acknowledgments, and Word-of-Mouth Opinions
Breakthrough: "Bring the Body and the Mind Will Follow" by Martha Lawrence
Chapter Ten: Systematic Marketing
Your Marketing Target
Executing Your Plan
Taking Stock
Breakthrough: "The Power of Persistence" by Micah Perks
Chapter Eleven: Goodbye Rejection: Hello Re-direction
The Re-direction Process Defined
Consciousness Raising 101
Dreamcrushers
Four Types of Rejection Letters
Personal Re-direction
Breakthrough: "The Ideal Writer-Agent Partnership" by Melissa Jensen, author of Regency Romances
Chapter Twelve: Choosing the Right Agent for You
30 Questions to Ask the Agent You May Hire
Red Flags in the Author-Agent Relationship
Breakthrough: "Writing from Soul" by Gregg Kleiner, author of a literary novel
Chapter Thirteen: The First Sale and Beyond
Negotiating Your Own Book Contract
Agent or Lawyer for Hire
Agent-represented Negotiations
Shaping Your Career
Second-book Queries
Managing Success
Appendices: Sample Author/Agent Contract; Resource Directory
Index
About the Author
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