Is a traditional publisher going to be excited by your book if you’ve already self-published it, or will it put them off? I wish there was a straightforward answer to this question, but it really depends on several factors: what the book is about who it is written for how you (as the self-published author) [...]
One other main design element, apart from the book jacket design, is the way that the text is laid out on the printed page. You might not believe it, but even a fiction paperback book has a page design that has been carefully planned. It is tempting to assume that the text is simply dropped [...]
If you are at the stage where you are approaching traditional publishers with your book idea, then you’ll know how important your proposal is. The strength of the proposal that you submit will determine whether your book is signed up, or cast aside. It’s worth doing a little research to see whether the publisher you [...]
Last month I spoke about self-publishing at Nick Williams’ event ‘How To Be An Author Entrepreneur’. The event was timely, because I was able to deliver copies of Nick’s new book ‘How To Be Inspired’ at the same time. Nick’s reaction to his book took me completely by surprise. He was amazed when I told [...]
Get Published Audio Here are the 11 questions that publishers ask reviewers to answer when they read your proposal For several years now, I have worked for two traditional publishers as a reviewer of proposals and manuscripts that prospective authors have sent them. One of the publishers, Hodder & Stoughton, provides me with a list [...]
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Once your book is typeset, proof-read, corrected and signed off, it is time to get it printed. In practical terms, it’s a good idea to shop around for some print quotes from the moment you see the first typeset draft of your book – that’s the first time you’ll know how many pages your finished [...]
I am asked to review at least four book proposals every week. Usually as a favour, often with an e-mail or note attached saying something like “I know you are busy but could you just take a quick look at this and let me know what you think”. The one thing I find, above all [...]
So how long should your book be? It’s a fair question, but one that is almost impossible to answer. As an expert in your field, a book of fewer than 96 pages is unlikely to enhance your credibility much. I often see business owners promote their ‘brand new paperback book’ which they sometimes even offer [...]
However good a writer you think you are, your manuscript will need to be edited professionally. I’m not just talking about checking for spelling mistakes, and correcting the odd typo. In my mind, the most common mistake I see made by people who write and publish their own book is that they overlook the editorial [...]
What is an ISBN? ISBN stands for ‘International Standard Book Number’. It is really nothing more than a product code, albeit a very important one that is recognised throughout the retail trade, as well as by libraries and publishers worldwide. Publishers, booksellers and libraries use ISBNs for ordering, listing and stock control purposes. It enables [...]
To some, this may sound like a daft question! However I find that the people I advise have a range of motives for writing their book and getting it published. The most effective way to get a book published often depends entirely on the motive for writing it in the first place. So let’s start [...]
