It happened again at a writers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 conference this weekend. A hopeful author sat on the edge of his seat, notebook open and pen poised in eager anticipation of my wise counsel. Upon receiving it, however, he slammed the book closed, tossed the pen on the table in front of him and slumped back in his chair.<\/p>\n
What was the advice that this man so readily discarded? <\/p>\n
He asked me how to find a publisher for his memoir which would also feature recipes. I told him about Writer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Market <\/em>and how to use the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Book Publishers Subject Index.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d And I also suggested that he locate books in bookstores and at Amazon.com similar to his and see who published these books. I said that he might be able to interest one of those publishers in his project.<\/p>\n That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s when he slammed his notebook closed. He said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153There are no books like mine.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n Well guess what? I did a brief Amazon.com search this morning and discovered dozens of memoirs with recipes. I learned that Scribner published one of them\u00e2\u20ac\u201dRandom House produced another. <\/p>\n Many first-time authors have trouble using this method to locate an appropriate publisher or agent. They also have a problem finding books to use in their market analysis section of their book proposal. Why? Because they believe their book is unique\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthere are no other books like theirs.<\/p>\n If this is true, they may be pitching a book that no one wants. Maybe there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a reason why there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s nothing out there like it. But in most cases, there are plenty of similar books. The author simply doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t understand the similar book concept. Let me explain:<\/p>\n Certainly there are no books exactly like yours. No one else tells the story of your childhood, your fight with cancer or your trips around the world. But there are other life stories, other survival stories and other travel memoirs.<\/p>\n You may not find any books focusing on the dental features of tarantulas and other large spiders. But there are books on insects, on tarantulas, on treating insect bites and so forth. These are the books you need to be looking at in your search for an appropriate publisher.<\/p>\n Maybe your book features whipped cream snacks. But you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to look for another book exactly like this in order to locate a publisher for your book. A publisher of books on appetizers, holiday meals, fruit pies, stews and\/or diabetic desserts might also be interested in publishing your book on whipped cream snacks.<\/p>\n If a publisher does well with a similar book, he may be interested in another good book along the same lines\u00e2\u20ac\u201don the same topic, within the same genre.<\/p>\n Authors, when you attend conferences and approach experts, do so with an open mind. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be too quick to discount what a professional offers. It could just be your ticket to publishing success.<\/p>\n You have just 4 more days to order your copy of the revised second edition book, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book\u00e2\u20ac\u009d http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/rightway.html<\/a> Order the book and the workbook together and save nearly $8.00 through September 20, 2007 only. Questions? Contact me at plfry620@yahoo.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It happened again at a writers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 conference this weekend. A hopeful author sat on the edge of his seat, notebook open and pen poised in eager anticipation of my wise counsel. Upon receiving it, however, he slammed the book closed, tossed the pen on the table in front of him and slumped back in his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tListen to what they have to say.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tConsider their advice.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tAsk questions to make sure you understand the concept.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a2\tIf it isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t expensive or too time-consuming to do so, give it a try.<\/p>\n