| You have an idea for a book and are ready to go in | | | | great places to go for comparisons of books and |
| search of the publisher to commission it. The first | | | | reader star ratings. |
| error first time authors make is to believe the idea | | | | When you understand what they want you can now |
| they have come up with instantly appear brilliant to | | | | consider your book and see how closely it fits. |
| potential publishers. If you are famous or just lucky | | | | Remember a book proposal is not the book. It is a |
| enough to stumble on what they want you have a | | | | proposal to attract the attention of your publisher to |
| chance. For a moment you have to put your idea to | | | | your idea. What better way than to write it in words |
| one side while you spend time understanding what | | | | that just drop in to place with exactly what they are |
| your publisher is looking for. | | | | looking for. If your book has more than a 50% fit |
| When you meet you and your publisher are seeking | | | | with their market then you are in good shape. You |
| different goals. You want your book publishing in the | | | | can now adapt your proposal to be a 100% by |
| form in which you have created it and they want to | | | | shining a spotlight on the aspects of your book that |
| publish a best seller or at least a book that makes a | | | | fit them like a glove. Excite and engage them in what |
| profit for them. They are busy and inundated with | | | | they want and all of a sudden you will find yourself in |
| proposals flowing in every day and from all corners | | | | a conversation with them. You will now get helpful |
| of the world. Everyone is pressing them for their | | | | advice about how your book can be shaped to win in |
| work to be considered and they have little time to | | | | their markets. |
| take something that is not in their niche and turn it in | | | | The alternative is to self publish. In the USA over |
| to something they want. You are going to have to | | | | two thirds of new books are now self published. This |
| do that. | | | | works for some people but is a lot more hit and miss. |
| You need to do work up front to be able to tell | | | | If you can engage a publisher they know how to sell |
| them precisely where you fit in their sales list, what | | | | books so you will get much more helpful advice. Self |
| their readers are going to get out of it and what you | | | | publishing is popular because printers will print anything |
| are going to do to help sell the book. Look at the list | | | | if you are willing to pay them. |
| of books they currently sell and read the synopsis | | | | Good luck. |
| and what the critics say. Amazon and Google are | | | | |