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7/31/2019 How to Write a Book and Get It Published
1/51
HOW TO
WR I T E A
AND G ET IT
by Robert W. Bly
22 East Quackenbush Avenue, 3rd Floor, Dumont, NJ 07628
Phone (201) 385-1220, Fax (201) 385-1138
e-mail: [email protected], web: www.bly.com
Special Report $29.00
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TableofContents
Section1 MaybeYouShouldWriteaBook........................................ 3
Section2 FindingaGoodIdeaforYourBook ................................... 9
Section3 TheBulletproofBookProposal ........................................ 19
Section4 UsingPositioningtoSellYourBook ............................... 29
Section5 WhattoDoWhenYourBookGoesOutofPrint............ 32
Section6 Make$10,000amonthSellingEbooks............................ 43
Section7 Write,Design,andPublishYourOwnEZine............... 46
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Section1
MaybeYouShouldWriteaBook
Nowadays,itseemsasifeverybodyiswritingabookorwantsto.And,
becauseIhavepublishedafewmyself,manypeoplehaveaskedmeforadviceon
howtheycangettheirbookpublished.
Inthisreport,Illtrytoanswersomeofthebasicquestionsandpointto
resourcesthatcanhelpyoubecomehappilypublished.
SubjectMatter
AlotofthepeopleImeetinbusinesswanttowriteabookonsomebusiness
topicusuallyrelatedtotheirjob.
Althoughtherewillalwaysbeamarketforsolidhowtobusinessinformation,
thepublishingindustryworksincycles.Managementbooks,whichwerehotlast
year,havecooledoffconsiderably.Ontheotherhand,thedemandforbookson
directmarketing
(especially
online
marketing)
continues
to
be
strong.
The
best
waytogetafeelforthemarketistogotoabookstoreandbrowse.
Publishers
Askabusinesspersontonamethreepublishers,andchancesaretheyllname
JohnWiley,McGrawHillandPrenticeHall.
Thesegiantsdopublishalotofbusinessbooks,buttherearemanyothersyou
canapproach.OnegoodreferenceisWritersMarket,publishedbyWriters
DigestBooks(Cincinnati,OH).AnotherisLiteraryMarketPlace,knownasLMP,
publishedbyR.R.Bowker(NewYork,NY).
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4
Money
Unlessyourbookbecomesabestseller,youprobablywontmakemuch
moneyfromit.
Advancesforanonfictionbookthesedaysrangefrom$3,000to$15,000,with
$7,000beingatypicalfigure.Halftheadvanceispaiduponsigningthepublishers
contract,withthebalancedueuponacceptanceofyourmanuscript.
Remember,thisisanadvanceagainstroyalties.Soifyougeta$10,000advance,
andyouarepaidaroyaltyof$1perbook,youwontstartreceivingroyalty
paymentsuntilbooknumber10,001issold.
Royalties
range
from
10
percent
to
15
percent
on
hard
covers
and
6
percent
to
8
percentontradepaperbackeditions.Bookssoldthroughmailordertypicallypay
theauthora5percentto6percentroyalty.Mostpublishersbaseroyaltiesonthe
coverpriceofthebook,butafewbaseitonnetrevenuefromthesaleofeach
bookwhateverthatis.
AfriendtoldmethatthelateRosserReeveswasearning$25,000ayearin
royaltiesfromRealityinAdvertising25yearsafterthebooksinitialpublication.
Nice,butdontcountonit.
SellingtheBook
Dontsitdown,writeabook,andthentrytosellittoapublisher.Itworksthat
wayforfiction.Butnonfictionisdifferent.
Innonfiction,authorssubmitbookproposalstopublishinghouses,
andpublishersdecidewhethertheywanttopublishyourbookbasedon
yourproposal.
BookProposals
TheproposalsIsubmittopublishersallcontainthesamebasicinformation:
1. Abriefoverviewofthebasicideabehindthebook.2. Adescriptionoftheformat(length,organization,illustrations).
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3. Achapterbychapteroutlinedescribingthepurposeandcontentsofeachchapter.
4. Detailedtableofcontents.5. Marketingandpromotion,includingananalysisofthemarket
forthebookreasonswhythesepeopleneedthebook,and
suggestionsonhowtopromotethebook(throughpublicity,
advertising,directmarketing).
6. Listofcompetingbookswithadescriptionofeachandexplanationofhowthebookbeingproposedisdifferent
and
better.
7. Authorsbiography.SampleChapters
Ifthisisyourfirstbook,youmaywanttoincludeoneortwosamplechapters
withyourproposalasanexampleofyourwritingstyle.Thesesamplechapters
shouldbeChapter1andwhateverchapteryouthinkisstrongest.
Formoreadviceonhowtowriteabookproposal,readMichaelLarsensbook,
HowtoWriteaBookProposal(WritersDigestBooks).
Agents
Youdonotneedanagenttosellyourbook,butitdoeshelp.
Thelargemainstreampublishersaresooverwhelmedwithsubmissionsthat
manywillreturnunagentedmanuscriptsunopened.Othershaveslushpiles,
andrarelydoesamanuscriptthatstartsintheslushpileendupinthepublished
pile(althoughthereareexceptions).
Smallerpublishersareusuallymorereceptivetounagentedsubmissions.Also,
ifyouhavecontactsataparticularpublishinghouse,youmightbeabletoget
yourmanuscriptreadbyaneditorwithoutanagentsintervention.
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Agentsfeesrangefrom10percentto15percentofthemoney(advancesand
royalties)paidtoyoubyyourpublisher.Mostlegitimateliteraryagentsconsider
postage,telephonecalls,andotherexpensesasoverheadanddonotpassthese
chargesontotheclient.
LengthandTiming
Amediumlengthnonfictionbook,runningaround200printedpages,
containsapproximately80,000words.Thatrepresentsadoublespaced
typewrittenmanuscriptofslightlymorethan300pages.
Ifyourpublisheristypical,yourmanuscriptwillbedueontheeditorsdesk
6
to
9
months
from
the
date
you
sign
your
book
contract.
Once
you
hand
in
the
manuscript,itwilltakeanother4to6monthsbeforethebooksarepublishedand
distributedtobookstores.
Rights
Rightsdealwithhowthemoneyissplitbetweentheauthorandpublisher
whenthebookissoldtoabookclub,madeintoamovie,serializedinForbes,
reprintedasanarticleinthetradepress,madeintoanaudiocassetteprogram,or
soldasapremiumorincentiveitem.Author/publisherpercentagesplitsonthese
itemsgenerallyrangefrom50/50to90/10infavoroftheauthor.
AuthorsCopies
Mostcontractsspecifythattheauthorwillreceive10freecopiesofhisorher
bookandcanbuymorecopiesatadiscountof40to50percentofftheretailprice.
Ifyouareplanningtousecopiesofyourbookasgiveawaystopotentialclients
orasatrainingmanualinyourseminars,trytogetextrafreecopiesanda
slightlybetterdiscount.Thisisespeciallyimportantifyourbookisexpensive
($20ormore).
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Termination
Oneofthemostimportantclausestolookforinthepublisherscontractisthe
terminationclause.Thissimplysaysthatifyourbookgoesoutofprint(meaning
thepublisherisnolongersellingit)orthepublishergoesoutofbusiness,allrights
tothebookrevertbacktoyou,theauthor.
Permission
Nooneseemstobeabletosaywithauthoritywhenitisorisntnecessaryto
getpermissiontoreprintsomeoneelsesworkinyourbook.AndImnotalawyer,
soIcantgiveyouanylegaladviceonthisissue.ButletmetellyouwhatIthink
is
correct.
Iknowforcertainthatyouneedtoobtainpermissiontoreprintlines(evena
singleline)fromanypoemorsong.Youalsoneedpermissiontoreproduce
materialasavisualinyourbookforexample,toreprintadiagram,adrawing,
anad,orasalesletter.
Getpermissionifyourequotingmorethan50wordsfromanarticleormore
than300wordsfromabook.Useastandardpermissionform;askyourpublisher
toprovideone.
HandingIntheManuscript
Makesureyouhaveclean,readablephotocopyofyourmanuscript.Originals
dogetlostinthemail.
Acceptance
Thepublishermayacceptyourbookasisorrequestchanges.Thesechanges
canbeeitherminororsubstantial.Youarecontractuallyboundtomakethe
changesthepublisherrequests.EverybookcontractIhavereadcontainsaclause
whichineffectsays,Submityourbook.Wellreadit.Ifwedontlikeitforany
reason(orfornoreason),wedonthavetopublishitandwedonthavetopay
youradvance.
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Soinasenseyouarereallyatthepublishersmercy.Inreality,though,dont
worry.Thepublisherwantstopublishyourbook(thatswhytheygiveyoua
contract)andwillworkwithyoutogetitintopublishableform.
Thepubdateistheofficialpublicationdateofyourbookthedatewhenthe
booksupposedlywillbeavailableinbookstores.
Dontbedisappointedwhenthisdaycomesandgoeswithoutanyhooplaor
excitementwhatsoever.Thesadfactis,mostpublishersdontputmuch
promotionaleffortbehindmostofthebookstheypublish.Iftheyputoutapress
release,printupsomefliers,andgetthebookinsomebookstores,consider
yourself
fortunate.
Many
books
dont
even
make
it
into
the
stores
these
days!
DoItYourself
Asanauthor,youhavetobecomethepromoterofyourbook.
Whatcanyoudo?Sendsalesflierstoprospects.Giveawaycopiesasgiftsto
yourclients.Sendreviewcopiestobusinessjournalsthatcoveryourindustry.
Establishspeakingengagementsandtalkaboutyourbookatmeetingsand
conversations.Sendpressreleasestoyourhometownpaperandgetthemtodoa
storyonyou.Ifyourbookisaboutadvertisingormarketing,sendittoandIll
reviewit(maybe).
Gotolocalbookstoresandmakesureyourbookisplacedprominentlyinthe
businesssection,withthefrontcoverfacingout.Correspondwithpeoplewho
writetotellyouyourbookwashelpful.Behappythatyouareapublishedauthor,
andthatyouradviseishelpingsomeoneouttheredohisorherjobbetterand
moreprofitably.
Andofcourse,dontforgettodedicateyourbooktoyourmother.
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Section2
FindingaGoodIdeaforYourBook
Thejourneyofathousandmanuscriptspages(oreven150)beginswitha
singleidea.Hereshowtofindone.
Manypeoplewhoattendmybookpublishingseminarsalreadyhaveabook
ideainmind.Others,however,haveastrongdesiretowriteabook,butarestuck
oncomingupwithasuitabletopic.Ifyoufallintothiscategory,hereareten
sourcesofideasforbooksyoumaywanttowrite:
1. JOBEXPERIENCEAnobviousbutoftenoverlookedsourceofbookideasisyourjob.Thousands
ofexcellentbookshavebeenwrittenbyauthorsaboutaskill,expertiseorcareer
experiencegainedonthejob.
ThisishowIcametowritemyfirstbook,TechnicalWriting:Structure,Standards
andStyle(McGrawHill).Myfirstjobaftergraduatingcollegewasasatechnical
writerforWestinghouseElectricCorp.inBaltimore.Afterseveralmonthswriting
technicalmaterials,Ibegantofeeltheneedforawritingguidetoassisttechnical
writerswithmattersofstyle,usage,punctuationandgrammar(forexample,does
onewrite1/4or0.25oronefourthintechnicaldocuments?).Beingbookminded,I
wenttothebookstoresandfoundnothingappropriate.
Myideawastocompileastyleguidefortechnicalwritersmodeledafterthe
bestsellinggeneralwritingstyleguide,TheElementsofStyle,byStrunkandWhite.
Iwroteacontentoutlineandbookproposal,andbegantopursueagentsand
publishers.Iwasextremelylucky:ThefirstagentwhosawTechnicalWriting
agreedtorepresentthebook,andwithinthreeweeks,hesoldittothefirst
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publishertolookatit,McGrawHill.Theadvancewas$8,500notbadforafirst
timeauthorin1981forashort(100page)book.
NoteverybookIvewrittensincehassoldsoquicklyandeasily.But
subsequently,Ihavewrittenanumberofbooksbasedonskillsandexperiences
gainedinvariouscareersandjobs.
Doyouholdahighlydesirablepositionorworkinaglamorousindustry?
Thenyoucanwriteabooktellingothershowtogetintoyourlineofwork.
Haveyoudevelopedspecificandvaluableskillssuchascomputerskills
selling,marketing,finance,negotiatingorprogrammingskillsthatothersneed
to
master?
Theres
a
need
for
a
book
telling
them
how
to
do
it.
2. TEACHACOURSETherearemanyopportunitiesforyoutodesignandteachcoursestoother
peopleatwork,atadulteducationeveningclassesatthelocalhighschoolor
college,acommunitycolleges,atassociationmeetingsandevenonthe
universitylevel.
Ifyougettheopportunitytoteachacourse,keepinmindthatthetopicand
contentoutlineyoudevelopforthecoursemayhaveappealtoapublisherasthe
outlineforapotentialbookonthesamesubject.
In1981,aprivateseminarcompanyofferinglowcostpublicseminarsinNew
YorkCityaskedmetodoaneveningprogramonmarketingandpromotionfor
smallbusiness.ThepaywaslousybutIaccepted.Ayearorsolater,Itoolthe
coursetitleandoutline,turneditintoabookproposal,andsoldmysecondbook,
HowtoPromoteYourOwnBusiness,toNewAmericanLibrary.
Ifyouwanttowritenonfictionbookstherearetwoadvantagestoteachinga
classorseminar.First,indevelopingandteachingthecourseyouwill
simultaneouslybedoingmostofthelegworknecessarytoproduceabookonthe
subject.Therefore,onceyouvegiventhecourse,transformingitintoabookisa
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relativelyquickandeasynextstep(oratleastquickerandeasierthandoing,book
fromscratch).
Second,teachingthecoursepositionsyouasanexpertinthesubjectmaking
youmoreattractivetobookpublishers.Theyfigurethatanyonewhocangivea
courseonthetopicmusthaveasubstantialamountofinformationandexpertise
toshare.Ifyoutaughtthecourseataprestigious,wellknowninstitution,that
furtherboostsyourcredibility
3. TAKINGCOURSESTakingcoursescanalsogiveyoufreshinfusionofideasandinformationthat
can
become
the
basis
for
a
book.
ThesameprivateseminarcompanyIwasteachingsmallbusinesspromotion
seminarsforofferedanumberofcoursesindifferentcareerareas,whichasan
instructor,Icouldtakeforfree.Aftertakingseveral,Icameupwiththeideaof
doingacareerbookonhowtobreakintosomeofthemoreexciting,glamorous
industriesandprofessions,suchasmusic,film,advertising,travelandtelevision.
Thebook,CreativeCareers:RealJobsinGlamourFields,waspublishedbyJohnWiley
&Sons.
Warning:Whenyoutakethecourse,dontstealorplagiarizetheinstructors
seminar,reprintingitwordforwordasyourbook.Consideritastartingpointand
supplementitwithadditionalresearchfrommanyothersources(bookarticles,
interviews,otherseminars,etc.)
Iftheinstructordoeshavegoodinformationyouwanttoreprint(suchas
listsofcontactsandresources),gethispermissioninwriting.Youcanalsoask
theinstructorifheorshewillagreetobeinterviewedbyyouforinclusionin
thebook.
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4. WRITEABOUTYOURLIFEEXPERIENCESItisinthetotalityofexperiencereckonedwith,filedandforgotten,thateach
manistrulydifferentfromallothersintheworld,writesRayBradburyinZenin
theArtofWriting.Everypersoneverylife,isunique,andthisiswhysaythat
everyonehasatleastonebookinsidethem:Whathashappenedtoyouhasnot
happenedtootherpeople,andyourexperienceswillmakeforabookthatiseither
instructive,entertaining,movingoranycombinationofthese.
Thisappliestoeveryone.Forexample,ifyouhavechosentoremainsingleyou
canwriteLivingAloneandLovingItorasimilarbookonthejoysofbeingsingle.If
you
are
married
with
children,
you
have
unique
experiences
as
a
parent,
and
can
shareyourknowledgeandexperienceswithothersinanentertainingor
informativebook.Ifyouaremarriedbuthavebeenunabletohavechildren,you
havecredibilitytowriteabookoninfertility.Ifyouandyourspousehavenothad
childrenbychoice,youcanwriteabookonChoosingtoLiveChildFree.Ifyouhave
onlyonechild,youcanwriteRaisingtheSingleChild.Ifyoureasingleparent,you
canwriteStraightTalkandAdviceforSingleParents.
In1982,theNewYorkCityengineeringfirmemployingmetoldmeIwould
havetorelocate.MyfiancedidnotwanttoleaveManhattan,soIresignedand
startedanewcareerasaselfemployedindustrialwriter,producingbrochures
anddatasheetsforchemicalcompaniesandindustrialequipmentmanufacturers.
Thetransitionfromemployeetofreelancerwasaneducationalexperience,one
Iknewmanyotherswouldgothrough(orwouldhopeto,someday).Thisbecame
thetopicofmybook,OutonYourOwn:FromCorporatetoSelfEmployment,also
publishedbyWiley.
5. WRITEABOUTAPROCESSORTASKYOUKNOWHOWTODOThroughwork,leisureorlifeexperience,weallhavedonethingsthatmany
otherpeoplehavenotdone,andthereforeknowagooddealmoreaboutthese
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thingsthantheydo.Theinexperiencedwouldliketolearnfromyourexperiences
andavoidyourmistakes,andabookistheidealvehicleforthis.
Forinstance,afterresigningfromtheengineeringfirmandbecomingaself
employedindustrialwriterin1982,Iwasforcedtolearnhowtosucceedinthe
commercialwritingfieldonmyown;therewasnobooktoguideme.Imade
manyexpensivemistakesandlearnedfromexperience.
Tohelpotherwritersspeedthelearningcurveandavoidthesemistakes,I
wroteSecretsofaFreelanceWriter,publishedbyHenryHolt&Co.Thebookis
abouttheprocessofrunningafreelancewritingbusiness,coveringeverything
from
getting
started
and
finding
clients
to
setting
fees
and
negotiating
contracts.
6. WRITINGABOUTYOURHOBBYHobbiesthatfascinateyounodoubtfascinatealotofotherpeople.Asa
hobbyist,youhavemuchmoreknowledgethanajournalistorotheroutsiderwho
wouldhavetoresearchthefieldfromscratch.Whynotturnyourhobbyinto
profitcenterbywritingabookaboutit?
Oneofmyhobbiesiscollectingcomicbooks.IloveSuperman,Batman
Wolverine,andtheotherDCandMarvelsuperheroes.
WhenIgraduatedcollegein1979,Iburnedwiththedesiretowriteabookand
getitpublished.Istartedtwobookprojects.OnewasaHarlequinromancenovel,
whichIstartednotbecauseIenjoyHarlequinromancenovelsIvenevereven
readonebutbecauseIfigureditwouldbeeasytodo.Iwaswrong.Iwrote
40pagesoftheworstHarlequinromancenovelofalltimebeforeabandoning
theproject.
Butwritingthosepagestaughtmeanimportantlesson:Dontselectatopic
orformforyourbookjustbecauseyouthinkitiscommerciallyviableandwill
makeyoualotofmoney.Ifyoudo,yourlackofenthusiasmwillshowthrough
inyourwriting.
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Ontheotherhand,ifyouarepassionateaboutyourtopic,yourenthusiasm
willshowthroughinyourwriting.Thebookwillbeeasierandmorefuntowrite,
andthefinalproductwillbemuchbetterinquality.
ThesecondbookprojectIstartedworkingonwasatriviabookoncomicbook
superheroes,writteninquizform.Forexample:Whatarethesixtypesof
kryptonite?(Green,red,blue,white,gold,jewel.)WhatwasSpiderMansmajorin
college?(Physics.)
Iwroteashortmanuscriptand,havingnocontactsinpublishing,and
noknowledgeofthepublishingbusiness,sentittoeditorsatvariouspaperback
publishers
with
a
cover
letter.
It
was
rejected
by
all.
I
gave
up
and
put
it
in
adrawer.
Yearslater,whenIwascleaningoutsomefiles,Icameacrossthemanuscript.
Iwasgoingtothrowitout,butinsteadmailedittomyliteraryagentwithanote
saying,Doyouthinkyoucandoanythingwiththis?
Sixweekslater,shecalledandsaidshedsoldthebook.Iwasspeechless,The
book,ComicBookHeroes:1,101TriviaQuestionsAboutAmericasFavoriteSuperheroes
FromtheAtomtotheXMen,waspublishedbyCitadelPress.
ThesecondlessonIlearnedfromthis,experiencewas:Abookideathatdoesnt
sellnowmightselllater.Ifyougetrejectedbypublishers,dontthrowawayor
forgetaboutthebookproposal.Fileitandmakeanotetotakeanotherlookalitin
sixortwelvemonths.Sometimeyouhavesuccessonthesecondorthirdtry
becausethetimingisright.Othertimes,youseetheideafromafreshperspective,
rewriteit,andmakethesalewiththerevisedbookproposal.Whenaskedto
addressthegraduatingclassatOxford,WinstonChurchill,agreatwriter,stood
up,saidonlyNevergiveup,andsatbackdown.Thesethreewordsaregood
adviceforauthorswhowanttosellbookproposalstopublishers.
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Eventually,athirdlessonrevealeditself:Everybookpublishedgivesyou
credentialthatcanleadtomorebookcontractsinthesamefield.
Ienjoyedwritingthecomicbooktriviabook.Afteritcameout,Ithoughabout
doingtriviabooksonothertopicsinasimilarformat.
IwasalwaysabigStarTrekfan.ThisresultedintwobookswithHarper
Collins:TheUltimateUnauthorizedStarTrekQuizBookandWhyYouShouldNever
BeamDowninaRedShirt.Aspublishersbegantoseemeasawriterofpopular
culturetrivia,Ireceivedseveralmorecontractsalongthisline,includingWhats
YourFrasierI.Q.?,aquizbookontheTVshowFrasier.
Books
about
hobbies
can
be
how
to,
money
making,
reference,
specialized
or
generalinformation.Ifyouhaveaninterestintropicalfish,forexample,youcould
writeHowtoKeepTropicalFish(howto),HowtoBreedTropicalFishforFunandProfit
(moneymaking),AnIllustratedGuidetoAquariumFish(reference),Careand
BreedingofFancyGuppies(specialized)orYourFirstFishTank(general).
Noticethatthefirstsixmethodsonthislistinvolveyou,theauthor,having
somespecialinsight,experienceorinformationonthetopicofyourbook.Author
andpublisherDanPoyntersays:Writeaboutsomethinginwhichyouarea
participant.Theworldneedsmorebookswrittenbywriterswhoarealsoexperts,
notwriterswhoarejournalists.
Concentrateontheareathatinterestsyou,andifyourenotanexpert
now,youmaybecomeone,writesTomPeelerinTheWriter.Andevenif
theareaofintereststillrequiresconsultationwithrecognizedprofessionals,
specializationwillallowyoutodevelopregularsourcesandwillgiveyou
credibilitywiththem.
OneofGaryLarsonsFarSidecartoonsshowsanauthorautographinghis
bookatabooksigning.Thecaptionreads,Afterbeingfrozeninicefor10,000
years,Thagpromoteshisautobiography.Thetitleofthebook:ItWasVeryCold
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andICouldntMove.Obviously,nopublisherexpectsyoutohave10,000yearsof
experienceinyoursubjectmatter.Butwritingaboutsomethingyouknow,have
experiencedorhaveachievedisoneroutetocomingupwithabookideaa
publisherwillbuyfromyou.
7. COLLECTANDCOMPILETIDBITSOFSCATTEREDINFORMATIONAreyouinterestedinaspecificfieldofknowledgeorstudy?Andareyouthe
typewhoclipsarticlesandcollectstidbitsofinformationonyourtopic?Ifso,you
canconvertthispassionforinformationbycompilingyourcollectedknowledge
intobookform.
For
a
while,
I
became
fascinated
with
all
the
toll
free
consumer
helplines
and
hotlinesIsawadvertised,givingfreeinformationoneverythingfromAIDS
preventiontogardeningtipstostockmarketquotes.Ibecameanobsessive
collectorofthesenumbers,clippingarticlesandwritingdown800numbersI
heardonradioandsawonTV.Finally,Icompiledthemintoabook,Information
HotlineU.S.A.,publishedbyNewAmericanLibrary.
Similarly,afriendofmine,DonHauptman,isobsessedbylanguageingeneral
andwordplayinparticular.Donisacollectorofinformation,andbegan
collectingacronyms(suchasDNA,LSD,scuba,laser).Whenhiscollectiongot
largeenough,heturneditintoabookonacronyms,Acronymania,published
byDell.
8. FINDANDFILLANEEDORGAPINTHEREADERSKNOWLEDGEAnexcellentwayoffindingmarketableideasistotalkwithpeopleandfind
outwhattheywantandneedtoknow,thenwriteabooktosatisfythat
informationneed.
Forexample,anattorneywithgoodnegotiatingskillsheardmanyclients
tellinghimthattheytoowishedtheyhadgoodnegotiatingskillsandwouldlike
helpbecomingbetternegotiators.Theattorneybecameamillionairebywriting
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andsellingbooks,audioandvideotapeprograms,seminarsandtrainingsessions
innegotiatingskills.
Workingasabusinessconsultant,Isawthereweredozensofbooksonsales,
butalmostnothingonhowtogenerateleadsforsalespeople.IproposedTheLead
GenerationHandbook,whichsoldtoAmacom,thepublishingdivisionofthe
AmericanManagementAssociation.
AndwhenwemovedoutofNewYorkCityandboughtahomeinthesuburbs,
weknewnothingaboutplumbing,electricity,gardening,cars,aluminumsiding,
roofing,orthedozensofotherthingseveryhomeownereventuallybecomes
familiar
with.
I
thought,
Why
not
do
a
book
that
will
be
an
instruction
manual
for
firsttimehomeowners?
IwroteaproposalforabooktitledTheHomeownersSurvivalGuide.Noone
wasinterested,andIputtheproposalawayinafileandforgotaboutit.Several
yearslater,amajorpublisheroneforwhomIvenowwrittenseveralbookscame
outwithsuchabookwiththeexactsametitle.Anotherlessonlearned:Pay
attentiontoyourowngutfeelings.HadIkepttryingwiththisbook,asIadvise
youtodo,itmightverywellhavesoldwithinayearorso.ButIgaveuponit,and
nowanotherauthorsnameisonthecover.
9. TAKEANEXISTINGTOPICANDTARGETITTOASPECIFICAUDIENCE
Acommonsituationistheauthorwhowantstowriteabookonaspecifictopic
butfindsthefieldovercrowded.
This
happens
to
all
of
us:
You
get
an
idea
for
a
book,
get
excited
about
it.
But
thenyouvisitthebookstoreandfindtwoshelvesfullofbooksonthesametopic,
booksthatseemverymuchlikeyours.Youbecomediscouragedbythe
competition,giveupanddroptheidea.Dont!Youcanstillwritethatbook.You
justneedafreshslant,angleorhook.
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Oneoftheeasiestandmostsuccessfulmethodstofindingthisfreshslantisto
targetyourbooktowardaspecificaudiencewithinthemarket.Forexample,a
womanseminarleadertoldmeshewantedtowriteabookonpresentationskills,
butwasafraidtotrybecausesomanybooksalreadyexist.Shementionedatone
pointthatshetrainedmainlywomen.Iaskedherifwomenmakingpresentations
inthebusinessworldfaceadifferentsetofchallengesthanmendo.Ofcourse,
shereplied.
Then,Isuggested,thetitleofyourbookshouldbePresentationSkills
forWomen.
In
the
same
way,
I
wanted
to
write
a
book
on
selling,
but
found
the
market
overcrowded.Sincemyexperienceisinsellingservicesvs.products,Ioffered
HoltabookonSellingYourServices.
10.WRITEWHATINTERESTSYOU
Inadditiontofindingoutwhatinterestsotherpeople,anexcellentsourceof
ideasiswhatinterestsyou.Youareacurious,intelligent,creativehumanbeing,
constantlythinkingandwonderingabouttheworldaroundyou.Chancesare
whatinterestsyouwillinterestmanyotherpeople,too.
ImabigStephenKingfan,asaremanyothers.HavingwrittentheTVand
comicbookquizbooks,InaturallythoughtofdoingaquizbookonStephenKing.
MyagentpromptlysoldittoKensingtonBooks,apaperbackpublisherinNew
YorkCity.
Irecommendyoukeepanotebook,filefolderorcomputerfilelabeledbook
ideas,andwheneveranideaforabookcomestomind,writeitdownandsaveit.
Dontworrywhetherthebookwilleventuallyinterestapublisher.Creatingideas
andanalyzing/assessingideasaretwoseparateactivities,andshouldnotoverlap.
Dontholdyourcreativityback;lettheideasflowandquicklygetthemalldown
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onpaper.Lateryoucandecidewhichwontworkandwhichmeritfurthereffort.
Butfirst,youmusthavetheidea.
Section3
TheBulletproofBookProposal
Publishersaskfivekeyquestionsabouteveryprojecttheyconsider.Heres
howtomakesureyourproposalgivesalltheanswers.
Youhaveagreatideaforanonfictionbook.Yourspousethinksitsagreat
idea.Yourparentsthinkitsagreatidea.Evenyourneighborwhohatestoread
thinksitsagreatidea.
Butwillapublisherthinkitsagreatideaenoughtopayyouanadvance,
commissionyoutowriteit,andpublishandsellit?
Thatwilldependlargelyonyourbookproposal.Hereswhereyou
demonstratepersuasivelythatyourideahasmerit.Ofcourse,evenasolididea
andagreatbookproposalcantguaranteesuccess,buttheysurelycantiptheodds
inyourfavor.Butifeithertheideaortheproposalisweak,yourchancesofasale
areslimtonone.
Itsnosecretwhatbookeditorslookforwhenreviewingbookideasand
proposals.Youllimproveyourchancesofwinningapublisherscontractby
testing
your
book
proposal
against
the
five
key
questions
editors
ask.
Lets
look
at
thosequestionsandthebestwaystoanswerthem.
1.Istherealargeenoughaudienceinterestedinthistopictojustify
publishingthebook?
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ThemajorNewYorkpublishinghousesarentinterestedinhighlyspecialized
bookswrittenforsmall,narrowinterestaudiences.Ifyouwanttowritethe
definitiveworkonLAN/WANinternetworking,forexample,seekoutapublisher
oftechnicalbooks.
Bigpublishersareprimarilyinterestedinbookstorebooksthatis,books
thatappealtoageneralaudienceoratleasttoalargesegmentofthegeneral
population.Examplesofsuchaudiencesincludeparents,smallbusinessowners,
corporateexecutives,fitnessenthusiasts,moviebuffs,usersofpersonal
computers,teenagers,andotherlargeaffinitygroups.
A
book
aimed
at
a
major
publisher
must
appeal
to
an
audience
of
hundreds
of
thousandsofpeople,ifnotmillions.Tosellyourideatotheeditor,youmust
demonstratethatsuchanaudienceexists.InourproposalforHowtoPromoteYour
OwnBusiness(acceptedandpublishedbyNewAmericanLibrary),GaryBlakeand
Icitedstatisticsshowingtherearemorethan10millionsmallbusinessesintheUS
and250,000newbusinessesstartedeachyear.
OneexcellentsourceofmarketdataisStandardRateandDataService(SRDS),a
booklistingUSmagazinesthatacceptadvertisingandtheircirculations.SRDSis
availableatyourlocallibraryorfromthepublisher(tel.847/3755000).Ifyoure
proposingabookonfreelancewriting,forexample,youcouldlookupwriters
magazinesandfindthatthetwolargestpublicationsinthefieldhaveacombined
circulationofmorethan300,000;thisisthepotentialmarketforyourbook.
Butonlyasmallpercentageoftheintendedaudiencewillactuallybuyyour
book.Andamajorpublisherhopestosellatleast5,000copiesofyourbook.Soif
yourewritingabookthatappealsonlytothe44,171branchmanagersworkingat
banksnationwide(say,HowtoManageYourBranchMoreEfficiently),and2%canbe
persuadedtobuythebook,youvesoldonly883copiesnotnearlyenoughto
maketheprojectworthwhileforeitheryouorapublisher.
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2.Isthisabookoramagazinearticle?
Attheonsetofthe1991recession,IcameupwithanideaforabookIthought
wouldbeastrongsellerRecessionProofBusinessStrategies:WinningMethodstoSell
AnyProductorServiceinaDownEconomy.Itwastimely.
Ithadstrongmediaappeal.Anditcontainedvitalinformationreaders
desperatelyneeded.
But,asmyagentpointedout,thereweretwoproblemswiththebook.First,its
timelynature.Fromconceptiontobookstore,itcantake18monthstotwoyearsto
writeandpublishabook.IftherecessionwasoverbythetimeRecessionProof
Business
Strategies
came
out,
the
book
would
bomb.
Second,myagentwasconcernedthattherewasntenoughmaterialtofilla
book.Andhewasright.
Theaveragenonfictionbookisabout200pagesintypeset,publishedform,
withapproximately400wordsapage.Thats80,000words;about320double
spacedtypewrittenmanuscriptpages.Yourbookmightbelongerorshorter,
rangingfrom35,000words(aslim,100pagevolume)to200,000wordsormore.
Troublewas,whenIfinishedwritingeverythingIknewaboutrecessionproof
businessstrategies,Ihad5,000wordstooshortforabook,toolongfor
anarticle.Thesolution?IselfpublishedRecessionProofBusinessStrategiesasa
$7bookletandsoldseveralthousandcopies.Soabookletnotabookwasthe
rightvehicleforthismaterial.
Manybookideasseemstronginitially,butwiltundercloseexamination.
Forexample,a(tome)wonderfulbooktitlepoppedintomyheadawhileback:
HowtoSurviveaMidlifeCrisisatAnyAge.Mycoauthorloveditandwantedtodo
thebook.Butwhenwesatdown,wecouldntthinkofanythingtoputinit!We
soonabandonedtheidea.
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Howdoyouknowwhetheryourideaisabook,articleorbookletand
howdoyouconvinceapublisherthatyourconceptisabigone?Hereare
someguidelines:
First,seeifthereareotherbooksonthetopic.Theexistenceofafewsimilar
titlesindicatesthatthisideaisbigenoughtodeserveabook,sinceother
publishersboughtandpublishedbooklengthmanuscriptsonthetopic.
Second,gotothelibraryandseewhatelseiswrittenonthetopic.Ifyoufeel
overwhelmedbyallthemagazinearticles,newspaperstories,booklets,
pamphlets,surveys,reportsandstatisticsonyourtopic,thatsagoodindication
the
topic
is
meaty
enough
to
justify
a
full
length
book.
Forexample,Iheardapublicserviceannouncementdescribingatollfree
numberyoucouldcalltogetsafetyinformationaboutanycaryouwerethinking
ofbuying.Ithought,Thereseemstobealotofthesefreeconsumerhotlines;why
notorganizethemintoareferencebook?
Iresearchedthesubjectanddiscoveredtherewereindeedhundredsofsuch
hotlines.NewAmericanlibraryboughtthebookandpublisheditasInformation
HotlineUSA.IfIduncoveredonlyafewsuchhotlines,NewAmericanLibrary
wouldhaverejectedmyproposal.
Thethirdsteptoconvincingapublisherthatyourtopicisbroadenoughto
warrantabookistoorganizeyourinformationintochapters.Thinkabouthow
youwouldlogicallyexplainyourtopicorpresentyourinformation,andorganize
itintomajorcategories.Thesewillbecomechapterheadings.
Afulllengthnonfictionbooktypicallyhas815chapters.Ifyouroutlinehas
fewer,thepublishermaythinktheresnotenoughinformationtofillabookon
yourtopic.Shootforanoutlinewithatleast10chapters.
Onindexcards,organizeallyourresearchmaterialbychapter.Thenaddthe
mostimportantorinterestingitemsasbulletpointsinyourchapteroutlineto
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createacompletetableofcontentsforyourproposedbook.Hereshowmyco
authorandIdescribedChapter15inourproposalforHowtoPromoteYour
OwnBusiness:
Chapter15:OnWiththeShowTradeShowsandDisplays
Whydopeopleattendtradeshows? Howtoselecttheshowsatwhichyouwillexhibit Creatingeffectivetradeshowdisplays Fivethingsyoucandotoattractmoreprospectstoyourexhibit:
demonstrations,productsamples,freegifts,contestsandentertainment
Other
uses
for
your
display
materials:
retail
point
of
purchase,
malls,
lobbydisplays
Thistypeofdetailedtableofcontentsprovestothepublisherthatyourtopicis
appropriateforabook,notjustamagazinearticle.
3.Whatsdifferentorbetteraboutyourbook?
Thefirstpageortwoofyourbookproposalmustcontainanoverviewofyour
idea.Thisdescribeswhatthebookisaboutwhoifswrittenforandwhats
init.
Youroverviewmustalsotelltheeditorwhyandhowyourbookisunique,
different,orbetterthanotherbooksalreadypublishedonthistopic.Andyou
mustdothiswithinthefirsttwoparagraphs(ifyoudont,theeditorprobably
wontreadfurther).
Thehooktheanglethatmakes yourbookdifferentcantakemanyforms:It
mightbeaslanttowardadifferentaudience,abetterwayoforganizingthe
material,orinclusionoftopicsnotcoveredinotherbooks.Thekeyistomakeyour
bookseembothdifferentandbetter.
Forinstance,iftheotherbooksarentillustrated,saythatyourbookwillbe
andexplainwhythatsimportant.Iftheotherbooksarelengthy,promisetowrite
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amoreconcisebook.Iftheotherbooksareincomplete,describethetopicsthey
omitandtellhowyoullcovertheminyourbook.
WhenplanningHowtoPromoteYourOwnBusiness,mycoauthorandIhoped
towriteabookonadvertisingthatwouldappealtosmallbusinessownersrather
thanadvertisingagencies,PRfirmsandotheradvertisingprofessionals.Weused
thisasourhook;ourproposalbegan:
HowtoPromoteYourOwnBusinessisnotabookfortheprofessionalpublicist,
promoteroradvertisingprofessional.Rather,itisapracticalworkingpromotion
guideforthe10.8millionAmericanswhoowntheirownbusinesses,andthe
250,000
entrepreneurs
who
start
new
businesses
each
year.
Wewroteapreviousbook,TechnicalWriting.Structure,StandardsandStyle,
becausewebelievedtheexistingtechnicalwritingbooksweretoolengthyand
dulltobesuitableasreferencesforworkingtechnicalwriters.Wewantedtocreate
ahandbookfortechnicalwritersthatemulatedtheconcise,tothepointstyleand
formatofTheElementsofStyle,WilliamStrunkandE.B.Whitespopularstyle
guideforgeneralwriters.
OurproposalcalledourbooktheStrunkandWhiteoftechnicalwriting,
whichinstantlycommunicatedthekeyappealoftheconcept.Ouragentsoldthe
bookwithinthreeweekstothefirstpublisherwholookedatit.Interestingly,
McGrawHillalsousedthephrasetheStrunkandWhiteoftechnicalwritingin
publicityandpromotionalmaterialsdescribingthebook.
Anothersectionofyourproposalthatpositionsyourbookinrelationtoothers
onthesamesubjectistheCompetitionsection.Hereyoulistand
describecompetingbooks;eachlistingshouldemphasizehowyourbookis
bothdifferentandbetter.HereisanexamplefromourHowtoPromoteYour
OwnBusinessproposal:
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Market
Telltheeditorwhowillbuyyourbook,howmanyofthesepeopleexist,and
whytheyneeditorwillwanttoreadit.Usestatisticstodramatizethesizeofthe
market.Forexample,ifyourbookisaboutinfertility,mentionthatoneinsix
couplesintheUnitedStatesisinfertile.
Promotion
IsyourbookanaturalfortalkradioorOprah(berealistic)?Canitbepromoted
throughseminarsorspeechestoassociationsandclubs?Givethepublishersome
ofyourideasonhowthebookcanbemarketed.(Note:Phrasetheseas
suggestions,
not
demands.
The
publisher
will
be
interested
in
your
ideas
but
probablywontusemostofthem.)
Competition
Listbooksthatcomparewithyours.Includethetitle,author,publisher,yearof
publication,numberofpages,price,andformat(hardcover,tradepaperbackor
massmarketpaperback).Describeeachbookbriefly,pointingoutweaknessesand
areasinwhichyourbookisdifferentandsuperior.
AuthorsBio
Abriefbiographylistingyourwritingcredentials(booksandarticles
published),qualificationstowriteaboutthebookstopic(forinstance,forabook
onpopularpsychology,ithelpsifyoureatherapist),andyourmediaexperience
(previousappearancesonTVandradio).
TableofContents/Outline
Achapterbychapteroutlineshowingthecontentsofyourproposedbook.
Manyeditorstellmethatadetailed,wellthoughtouttableofcontentsina
proposalhelpsswaytheminfavorofabook.
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Section4
UsingPositioningtoSellYourBook
Youcaneasilyadaptpositioning,anadvertisingsalestechniquethatwill
makesubmissionsstandoutontheeditorsdeskandintheeditorsmind.
WhenIworkedasatechnicalwriteanindustrialequipmentmanufacturerI
decidedtowriteabookoftipsandacforfellowtechnicalwriters.Suchabook
hadntbeendonebefore.
OrsoIthought.VisitstobookstoresandalookatBooksinPrintrevealednearly
ahundredbookshadalreadybeenpublishedonthisratherspecializedsubject.
HowcouldIcompete?
WhenIreadafewofthetechnicalwritingbooks,Iwasstruckbyhowdull,
lengthyandpedantictheywere.Engineersandmanagersdontwanta400page
treatiseongrammarandsyntax,Iexplainedtoawriterfriendoverlunch.What
theyneedandwhatIdliketowriteisabrief,easytoreadstyleguide,a
handbooktheycankeepontheirdesksandrefertowhenaquestioncomesup.
SomethingliketheStrunkandWhiteoftechnicalwriting.
AssoonasIsaidittheStrunkandWhiteoftechnicalwritingwebothknewId
foundtheslantthatwouldsetmybookapartfromthecompetitionandsellittoa
publisher.Technicalwritingisunfamiliarterritorytomosttradebookeditors;by
comparingmyideastotheimmenselypopularElementsofStyle,Imadethegistof
my
concept
immediately
clear.
MycoauthorandIwrotea22pageproposalandtwosamplechapters.We
handedthispackagetoouragent;withinthreeweekshesoldthebookto
McGrawHillmyfirstsaleanywhere.Thebook,titledTechnicalWriting:
Structure,Standards,andStyle,waspublishedinhardcoverandtradepaperback
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towriteabookoncomputersforsmallbusinesses,Ipositionedmyconceptas
managementorientedratherthanhardwareoriented.Ibegantheproposal:
ThephilosophybehindHOWTOBUYTHERIGHTCOMPUTERFORYOUR
SMALLBUSINESSispracticalandstraightforward.Itisthis:Thepurchaseofa
smallbusinesscomputerisabusinessdecisionsimilartothedecisiontorentoffice
space,leaseacopier,installanewphonesystem,orbuydictatingmachinesforthesales
force.Thedecisionmakingprocessforallofthesesituationsisthesame.Onlythespecific
factsaredifferent.
Somanyhowtobuyasmallbusinesscomputerbookswereonthemarket
that
an
even
sharper
position
was
needed
to
sell
the
idea.
Eventually,
the
publisherboughttheproposalontheconditionthatIaimthebookatonespecific
industry.Ichoseapersonalfavoriteadvertisingandmybook,ThePersonal
ComputerinAdvertising,waspublishedbyBanburyBooks.
Sometimes,positioningcanmakethecompetitionworkforyouratherthan
againstyou.WhenwriterFrankEvanswroteaproposalforanencyclopediaof
computertechnology,hepositionedtheconceptascomplementingratherthan
competingwithexistingtitlesinthefield:
ComputersAThroughZ:AnEncyclopediaofDataProcessingrelatestothetwo
majorcomputerdictionaries,InternationalComputerDictionary(Sybex,1981)and
ThePenguinDictionaryofComputers(PenguinBooks,1970),justastheBritannica
relatestoWebsters:itexpandsuponthem.Itisfarmorefocusedthansuchscience
encyclopediasasTheMcGrawHillEncyclopediaofScienceandTechnology(McGraw
Hill,1971)inthatitprovidescompletecoverageofonespecializedareaof
technologyelectronicdataprocessing.
Topositionyourbook,clearlyidentifytheintendedaudience,showhowthe
bookdiffersfromorcomplementsanyrelatedbooks,anddrawananalogy
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betweentheproposedbookandsomethingthatwillformafamiliar,favorable
imageintheeditorsmind.
Andkeepthepositionstatementshort.Someoneoncesaidthateverygood
ideacanbewrittenonthebackofabusinesscard.Bycomingupwithasingle,
pithysentencetosummarizeandslantyourbookidea,youbreakthroughthe
clutterandquicklycommunicateyourconcepttoeditors.Asaresult,youmay
findyourselfinafinepositiontobein:thatofapublishedauthor.
Section5
WhattoDoWhenYourBookGoesOutofPrint
Practicaltipsforkeepingyourbookavailable,evenafterthepublishertakesit
outofprint,evenifthepublishergoesbankrupt.
WhenDodd,MeadpublishedmySecretsofaFreelanceWriterinJuly1988,I
didntexpect
the
company
to
go
out
of
business
four
months
later.
(After
all,
it
hadbeeninbusinessfor150years.)Peoplebegancomplainingtomethatthey
couldntgetthebookinbookstores,andbookstorescouldntgetitfromthe
publisher.Finally,IreceivedaletterfromDodd,Meadtellingmeitwashaving
lossesandcashflowdeficitsandlookingtosellitsassets.Inotherwords,itwas
goingbust.
ButevenmoreshockingwastherequestthatIbuybackrightstomyown
bookfor$2,500!
Naturally,Ihadassumedtherightsrevertedtome.Afterall,itwasinmy
contract.ButDodd,Meadfeltdifferently.Howweeventuallysettledthedeal
andhowyoucanprotectyourselfwhenyourbookgoesoutofprint(meaning,itis
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nolongeravailabletothepublic)oryourpublishergoesoutofbusinessisthe
subjectofthisarticle.
Abookrepresentsagreatinvestmentoftime,effortandenergy
aninvestmentrarelycoveredbyyouradvancealone.Unfortunately,most
booksgooutofprinttooquicklytopaysubstantialroyalties.
Buthavingthebookgooutofprintdoesnotputanendtoitsvalue.The
physicalinventorytheremainingunsoldbooksthemselveshavevaluetothe
author,bothasaproductthatcanbemarketedandsoldonitsown,andasa
promotionaltool(forconsultants,doctors,psychologists,speakers,expertsin
various
subjects,
and
others
with
professional
practices
in
the
fields
their
bookscover).
Evenmoreimportantaretherightstoreprintandrepublishthework.Evenif
youneversellthebooktoanewpublisher,youstillwanttobeabletousethe
materialaschaptersinotherbooks,asarticles,lectures,speeches,cassette
programs,perhapseveninselfpublishedmaterial.Ifyoudonthavefullandclear
ownershipoftheserights,yourmaterialmayremainunreadandunusedforever.
BEFOREYOUSIGNONTHEDOTTEDLINE
Tomakesureyouretaintherightstoyourbookafteritgoesoutofprint:
Makesurethepublishercopyrightsthebookinyourname,andnotinitsown.Althoughcopyrightingthebookintheauthorsname
isstandardpractice,numeroussmallerpublishers(andafewlarger
ones)willmakethemselvesthecopyrightholderunlessyou
insistotherwise.
Includeacontractclausethatstatesthatrightsreverttoyouwhenthebookgoesoutofprint.In1982,forexample,Ipublisheda
dictionaryofcomputerwordswithasmallpress.Whenthepress
wentoutofbusiness,IcheckedmycontractandfoundthatIhad
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neglectedtoinsistonaclausedealingwithrightsreversion(often
calledtheterminationclauseinastandardpublisherscontract).
Nowthebooksareoutofprint,theformerownerofthepublishing
housewontreturnmyphonecalls,andmyrightstoreusethe
materialareprobablylostforever.
Makesurethecontractdefinesoutofprintsobothyouandthepublisherknowwhenyoucanrequestreassignmentofrights.One
publisherscontractsaysthebookisoutofprintwhensubsequent
tooneyearfrompublicationdate,noearningshavebeenpayableto
the
author
during
two
consecutive
accounting
periods
(12
months).
Afterthat,thepublishermustrepublish,reselloractivelymarketthe
bookwithinsixmonths,orrightsreverttotheauthor.
Becarefuloftrickyclauses.Anotherpublisherscontractsaysthatrightsdont
reverttotheauthoruntiltheworkisoutofprint inallformsofmedia. This
meansthatifthebookgoesoutofprint,yetthepublishercontinuestosella
cassetteversion,avideotape,orevenasmallpamphletbasedonthebook,Icant
offerthebookitselftoanotherpublisher.
Makesurethecontractspecifieswhathappenstotheremaininginventoryofbooksandtheoriginalcamerareadycopywhenthe
bookgoesoutofprint.InmycontractswithDodd,Mead,this
clausereads: TheAuthorshallhavetherighttopurchasefromthe
Publisherallcopiesremainingatcostofmanufacture,andtheplates
andengravings(ifinexistence)atonehalftheircosttothe
Publisher,includingcomposition.
Gettingthecopiesisimportantifyouintendtosellthem,usethemas
promotionalgiveaways,orsimplywantthemasmementos.Gettingtheplatesis
evenmoreimportant,becauseanewpublishercanreprintyourbookdirectly
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fromtheexistingplatesorfilms,savingenormousamountsoftimeandmoney.
Andthis,frankly,isasellingpointwhenmarketingthebooktoanewpublisher.
Chooseareputablepublisherwithagoodtrackrecord.This,Iadmit,canbedifficult.Forinstance,intheearly1980s,Ipublished
sixbookswithBanburyBooks,asmall,entrepreneurialpublishing
firmthatwasasuccessfulpioneerincomputerbooks.Whenthe
computerbookmarketwentsoft,Banburywentoutofbusiness,and
mysixbookswentoutofprint.
Ivowedtostickwithmajorpublishers.Then,afterpublishingtwobookswith
Dodd,
Meada
firm
that
had
been
in
business
since
1839it
folded
in
1989,
and
twomorebookswereoutofprint.
Meanwhile,myfriendRogerParkerhascompletedsomesuccessfuland
lucrativebooksforasmallpublisherIhadneverheardofVentana.Rogers
bookscontinuetoselllikegangbusters,andbothheandVentanaaremakingalot
moremoneyinpublishingthanIamrightnow.
Still,alarge,establishedpublisherlikeRandomHouseorSimon&Schusteris
probablylesslikelytodisappearthanasmallpresswithonlyacoupleoftitlesin
itscatalog.
WHENTHEBOOKISPUBLISHED
Thebestwaytoprotectyourselffromyourbookgoingoutofprint
istohelpthepublishersellitsothatthereisaconstantdemandforit.
Somesuggestions:
Whenfillingouttheauthorsquestionnaire,givethepublishercompleteinformation:onthebook,itssellingpoints,andany
resourcesormediaoutletsforpromotion.Thestaffatthepublishing
housegetsitsinformationfromyourcompletedauthors
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questionnaire,notthebookitself(whichtheydonthavetimeto
read).Sodonttakethisdocumentlightly.
Ifyouredetailedinyouranswers,theauthorsquestionnaireformwontgive
yousufficientroomforyourreplies.Itypethequestionsandanswersonmyword
processor,whichgivesmemoreroomandallowsmetoinsertentiresectionsof
mybookproposalintotheappropriatesectionsofthequestionnaire.Thisgives
thepublishersstaffthesamepowerfulmaterialthatsoldmyeditoronthebookin
thefirstplace.
Volunteertowritepromotionalcopyforthepublisher.Writeyourown
catalog
blurb
and
press
release,
and
give
it
to
your
editor
and
publicist.Usuallytheywillbeonlytoohappytousewhatyou
supplyandhaveyoudothework.
Cooperatewiththepublicityandmarketingdepartments.Thesedays,themostcommoncomplaintamongauthorsisthatpublishers
dontdoenoughtopromotebooks.Sowhenthepublisherdoesget
youaspeakingengagementorbookyouonatalkradioshow,dont
bedifficult.Andleteveryoneknowyouareeagerandavailableto
domoreofthesame.Gettingpublicityforanauthormakesthe
publicistlookgood,soshewillworkwithyouifyouencourageit
andifyourbookispromotable.
Conductyourownmarketingcampaign.Politelyfindoutwhatthepublisherintendstodoandwhatitwontdo.Then,consider
takingupsomeoftheslackyourself.Ifyouhavewrittenabookon
management,forexample,andhavesomecontactsatmajor
corporations,seeifyoucansellthebookinvolumeasatrainingtool
orpremium.Giveseminarsorlecturesatwhichthebookcanbesold
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toattendees.Thiswontmovelargequantities,butitwillhelp
spreadthewordaboutyourbook.
Keepatleastadozencopiesonhand.Ifthebooksuddenlygoesoutofprint,andyoucantbuytheremainders,youllneedthesecopies
tosendtoprospectivenewpublishers.And,onceyoufindanew
publisher,hisproductiondepartmentwillprobablyneedtwoor
threecleancopiesofthebooktoprintfrom,assumingyoucantget
theplatesorfilms.
Keepupwiththepublishingindustry.SubscribetoPublishersWeekly
and
Writers
Digest.
If
you
read
or
hear
rumors
that
your
publisherisinfinancialtroubleorisatargetforacquisition,callyour
editorandbuyatleastahundredcopiesofyourbook(atyour
authorsdiscount,ofcourse).Onceapublishinghousesmoney
problemsarebadenoughtobecomepublicrumor,financial
collapsewhichcanresultininaccessibilityoftheirinventorycan
happenfasterthanyouthink.
Anotherwarningsignthatyourpublisherishavingfinancialdifficultiesislate
royaltypaymentsandstatements.
WHENYOURBOOKGOESOUTOFPRINT
Soonerorlater,despiteyourbestefforts,yourbookwillgooutofprint.Either
thepublisherwillnotifyyou,orroyaltystatementswillindicatethatthebookisnt
beingsoldanymore.Ifyouveprotectedyourselfbyincludingthecontractclauses
Isuggested,youreingoodshape.
Notsurewhatyourcontractssay?Gotoyourfilesandcheckallcontractsfor
yourexistingbooks.Theresagoodchanceyourcontractscontaintheseclauses.If
youdonthaveaclauserevertingtherightsofyouroutofprintbooktoyou,the
goingwillbetougher,butnotimpossible.Somepublishersespeciallyfinancially
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soundoneswillbereasonableandgiveyoutherights.Othersusuallysmall
onesgoingoutofbusinessmaynotrespondtoyourrequestatall.
Hereswhattodo:
Sendalettertothepublisherrequestingthatallrightsreverttoyou.Ifyourcontractcontainsareversionclause,sayso.
Considerbuyingtheremaininginventoryofbooksandtheprintingplatesorfilms,butatareasonableprice.Includeasentence
inyourletterthatindicatesyourinterestwithoutmakingyouseem
tooeager.Forexample:Ifyouareinterestedinsellingthe
remaining
inventory
and
the
plates,
I
may
be
a
customer.
Ifalliswell,thepublishershouldrespondbyofferingyoutheremaining
inventoryatareasonableprice(welldiscusspricinglater).Youshouldgetthe
books,thefilmsorplates(ifavailable),andaletterstatingthatallrightshave
officiallyrevertedtoyou.
WHENTHEPUBLISHERGOESOUTOFBUSINESS
Afarmoreseriousproblemariseswhenthebookgoesoutofprintbecausethe
publisherisgoingoutofbusiness.Youmightthinkthat,becausethebookisoutof
print,tirerightsautomaticallyreverttoyou.Butbeware.Thereappearstobea
generalmisconceptioninthepublishingindustrythatifapublisherfailstoremit
royaltiesorbecomesthesubjectofeithervoluntaryorinvoluntarycourt
supervisedliquidationproceedings,authors contractualrightsreverttothe
authors,statedDodd,Meadinalettertomeconcerningmybooks.Webelieve
thattherightsundertheauthors contractsdonotreverttohim.Infact,insuch
recentproceedingsastheSteinandDaybankruptcycase,authors contractswere
soldtothehighestbidder.Therefore,youshouldnotrelyonanyautomaticright
ofreversion.
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notinexpensive.Igotaquotationfromafulfillmenthouse,whichwouldnot
onlystorethebooksbutalsohandleincomingmailordersandshipbooksto
customersforme.Storagealoneforthe2,000bookswasintherangeof
$55$100permonthwhichwouldquicklyeatintomyprofits.Istoredthe
booksinmybasement.
Sellingtheinventoryisachallenge.But,beingawriter,youmaybeabletofind
creativeandprofitablewaystodoit.Manyauthorsselltheirbooksbymail.
Thesellingmethodyouusedeterminesthemaximumyoucanaffordtopay
foryouroutofprintbooks.Ifyousellthematseminars,forexample,where
selling
costs
are
low,
you
can
pay
up
to
50%
of
the
retail
price
and
still
make
a
handsomeprofitbecauseyouronlyadvertisingcostisholdingupacopyofthe
bookfromthepodium.
But,ifyouwanttosellthebookthroughmailorderadvertising,youneeda
higherprofitmargintocoverthecostofadvertising(classifiedisbest),mailing
salesliterature,andshippingbookstocustomers.Themostyoucanaffordtopay
is25%oftheretailprice,andyoureallyshouldbelookingtopay1020%ofretail
orless.
Formosttradepaperbacks,thiscomesto$1$3percopy.Whensellingthe
booksmailorder,add$2totheretailpriceforshippingandhandling.Thishelps
relievesomeoftheburdenofyourhighsellingcosts.
KEEPINGTHEBOOKINPRINT
Assumingyouaresuccessfulatsellingyourbooks,theinventorywillsoonbe
gone.Thenwhat?
Iftherightsbelongtoyou,youhavetwochoices.Youcansellthebookto
anotherpublisher.Or,youcanpublishityourself.
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Theauthorwhowantstoselfpublishhisoutofprintbookhasabigadvantage
overotherselfpublishers:Namely,thebookhasalreadybeendesignedandset
intotypeeliminatingthousandsofdollarsintypesettingandcompositioncosts.
Ideally,yourprintershouldprintfromthepublishersoriginalplatesorfilms.
Butinmostinstancestheprintercanproduceanacceptablefinishedproductusing
existingcopiesofthepublishedbookashiscamerareadyartwork.Forthis,he
willneedtwocleancopiesingoodcondition.
Howmanycopiesshouldyouprint?MostselfpublishingexpertsItalkedto
recommendedafirstprintrunof3,000copies.Printingfewercopiesdrivesupthe
cost
per
copy,
while
printing
more
could
leave
you
with
a
warehouse
full
of
books
ifitdoesntsell.
Fora128pagetradepaperback,trimsize51/2x81/2inches,abook
productionhousequotedmeapriceof$6,488.09for3,000copies,or$2.16per
book.Icouldprobablyhavegottenalowerpricegoingdirectlytoaprinterand
handlingtheproductiondetailsmyself.Besuretogotoaprinterspecializing
inbooks.
Selfpublishingoffersyoutheadvantageofcontrolcontroloverjacketdesign,
pricing,marketinganddistribution.Youmightwanttogetintothe
booksellingbusinessthisway.Ididnt.AndwherewouldIstore3,000books?
Soinstead,IchosetoreselltherightstothepublisherwheremyDodd,Mead
editornowworked.
Willyoubeabletoresellyourbooktoanotherpublisher?Itmaybedifficult.
Publishersaremoreinterestedinsomethingnewthansomethingold.Unlessyour
bookwasabigseller,mosteditorswontgetexcitedaboutit.Butifyouquery
publishers,youmayfindonelookingtofillaslotinitscatalogwithabookjust
likeyours.Ormaybeaneditorwhopraisedthebookinthepastwouldbehappy
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toacquireitnow.Ifyouroriginaleditorhasmovedtoanotherpublishinghouse,
heorshewouldbeyourbestbetforaresale.
Whatkindofadvancecanyouexpect?Probably50%orlessoftheadvanceyou
wouldgetforthebookifitwerenew.Ontheotherhand,itseasymoney;unless
yourbookmustberevisedandupdated,theresalmostnoworkinvolvedforyou.
Iftheresonepieceofadvicetofollowaboveallelse,itsactquickly.Those
authorswhotakeimmediateactionandpersistuntilthedealismadesufferleast
andprofitmostwhentheirbooksgooutofprint.
Section6
Make$10,000aMonthSellingEbooks
BeforetheInternet,therewasanicheinmailordermarketingthatinvolved
sellingbooksonhowtogetrichinmailorder,theaudienceprimarilycomposedof
businessopportunityseekers.
NowtheInternethascreatedanequivalentmarketofpeoplewhowanttoget
richontheInternet,andanequivalentniche:sellingebooksonhowtomake
moneywritingandsellingebooks.
MostoftheseebooksarespecificallyonhowtomakemoneyontheInternet,
anddealwithvariousaspectsofsellinginformationonline.Afewareonmore
generalmarketing
and
selling
topics.
Hardly
any
deal
with
subjects
outside
of
businessandbusinessopportunities.
Thebusinessmodelworksasfollows:Youwriteanebookonatopicof
interesttoyourpotentialbuyers(Internetmillionairewannabes)andformatitas
adownloadablePDFfile.
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Themodelforthisgenreofhowtogetrichonlinebysellingebookson
howtowriteandsellebooksiseBookSecretsExposed
(www.ebooksecretsexposed.com)byJimEdwardsandDavidGarfinkel.
Edwardsmakesahandsomelivingwritingandsellingebooks;hehas
sold5,000copiesofvariousebooktitlesrangingfrom$29to$49overthelast
12months.Keepinmindthatthemanufacturingandshippingcostsfor
ebooksiszero,whichiswhatmakesthemsuchanattractive,profitable
informationproduct.
Ihavetwoebooksthateachgenerate$10,000to$12,000grosseachper
month,
says
Edwards.
Another
does
$3,000
per
month
in
sales,
and
two
others
generate$1,200permontheach.Oneebooksold$43,000in30days.
Whattopicsworksbest?Topicsthataddressanurgentneedthattheprospect
isawareof,andthatyoucanmarkettopreformedInternetgroupsofprospects,
saysGarfinkle.Thesegroupsareusuallycomposedofezinesubscribersarean
affinitygroupsthatspendsalotoftimeonasingleWebsiteordiscussiongroups
thatallowsproductionpromotion. Hesaysthatebooksonmarketingandbig
ticketconsumeritemtopics(e.g.,howtonegotiatethebestpriceforacar,orhow
tobuyorsellyourhouse)workwell.
Andwhatwontsellintheebookmarketplace?Informative,evenvaluable
topicsaroundwhichthereisnopressingneedmostofthetime,
saysGarrfinkle.
Herecentlyadvisedanotheronlinemarketernottogoforwardwithaplanned
ebookforjuniorexecutivesonhowtoselltheirideastoothers.Thereason?He
couldntfindaninterestedcommunityontheWebofjuniormanagersthathave
spentmoneyoncareerimprovingtopics.Also,exceptinraresituations,
mostjuniormanagersdontfeelurgencyaboutsellingtheirideastoothers,
Davidnotes.
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Awordofcautiontothebuyer:Someebooksarequicklycompiled,shoddily
researched,recycledtrash,andaripoffoftheir$19or$29sellingprice.Reason:
Thebarrierstoentryinebookmarketingaresolow,anyonecandoit.Andsothe
marketisfloodedwiththinPDFdocumentswrittenbyamateurshopingtomakea
quickbook.
Yourbestbetifyouwanttobuyandreadmarketingebooks:Buyfromthe
provenauthorsmentionedinthisarticleJimEdwards,DavidGarfinkel,Fred
Gleek,JoeVitaleaswellasotherknownexpertsinentrepreneurialonline
marketingincludingTerryDean,CoreyRudel,JeffreyLant,andJimStraw.
Section7
Write,Design,andPublishYourOwnFreeEzine
Mymonthlyezine,TheDirectResponseLetter(gotowww.bly.comto
subscribeorviewbackissues),isnotthemostsuccessfulorwidelyreadezineon
theplanet.Farfromit.
Butmarketingresultsandcommentsfromsubscriberstellmemysimple
formulaforcreatingtheezinewhich,includingcopyandlayout,takesmejust
anhourortwoperissuetocompletefromstarttofinishworks.
Inthisarticle,Iwanttosharetheformulawithyou,soyoucanproducean
effective
e
zine
of
your
own,
sitting
at
your
computer,
without
hiring
a
writer
or
designer,injustasinglemorningorafternoon.
IfyouwanttomarketyourproductorserviceovertheInternet,Istronglyurge
youtodistributeyourownezinefreetoyourcustomersandprospects.Thereare
severalreasonsfordoingso.
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First,theezineallowsyoutokeepintouchwithyourbestcustomersindeed,
withallyourcustomersatvirtuallynocost.Becauseitselectronic,theresno
printingorpostageexpense.
Second,byofferingpotentialcustomersafreesubscriptiontoyourezine,you
cancapturetheiremailaddressandaddthemtoyouronlinedatabase.Youcan
thenmarkettotheseprospects,alsoatnocost.
Whetheryouaregeneratingleadsordirectsales,therearetwowaystosell
yourproductsandservicestoyourezinesubscribers.Oneistoplacesmallonline
adsintheregularissuesofyourezine.Theseadsareusuallyahundredwordsor
so
in
length,
and
include
a
link
to
a
page
on
your
site
where
the
subscriber
can
readaboutandordertheproduct.
Or,youcansendstandaloneemailmessagestoyoursubscribers,again
promotingaspecificproductandwithalinktoyoursite.
Whenyouaredealingwithafreeezine(asopposedtoanonlinenewsletter
whichthereaderpaysfor),peoplespendjustalittletimereadingitbeforethey
deleteitwithaclickofthemouse.
Iamconvincedthatmostsubscribersdonotprintouttheezine,takeithome,
andcurlupwithitonthecouchlatertoread.Therefore,Iuseaquickreading
formatdesignedtoallowthesubscribertoreadmyezineonlinerightwhenhe
opensit.
Inthisformula,myezinealwayshasbetween5and7shortarticles.Theyare
usuallyjustafewparagraphseach.
Everyarticlecanbereadinlessthanaminute,soitnevertakesmorethan
7minutestoreadthewholeissue,thoughIdoubtmostpeopledo.Youcansee
themostrecentissueatwww.bly.comtogetafeelforthelengthandcontentof
thesearticles.
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Iadviseagainsthavingjustaheadlineandaonelinedescriptionofthearticle,
withalinktothefulltextofthearticle.Allthisclickingforcesyoursubscribersto
doalotofworktoreadyourarticles,andthatsnotwhattheywant.
IdonotuseHTML;myezineistextonly.Thiswayitiseasyandinexpensive
toproduce.
Idontmakeaproductionoutofit;itsjuststraighttype.Manyreadershave
toldmetheylikeitthisway,andthattheydontlikeHTMLezines,
whichlook(a)morepromotionalandlessinformationaland(b)seemtohave
moretoread.
When
preparing
your
text
e
zine
for
distribution,
type
your
copy,
in
a
single
column,inTimesRomanoranothereasytoreadtypeface.
Thecolumnwidthshouldbe60characters,soyoucansetyourmarginsat20
and80.However,tomakesurethelinescomeoutevenly,youmustputahard
carriagereturnbyhittingreturnattheendofeachline.
Thereareavarietyofservicesandsoftwareprogramsfordistributingyoure
zineaswellasyouremailmarketingmessagestoyouronlinedatabase.Iuseand
recommendwww.globaltrafficpros.com.
Myfrequencyismonthly,thoughoccasionallyIdoasecondissueifthereis
majornewsthatmonth.
Iamafreelancecopywriter.Letmeshowyouspecificallyhowhavingan
ezinehelpsbringinbusinessforme.
Irecentlygaveaspeechonsoftwaredirectmarketing.Itwasrecorded,
soIhadaudiocassettecopiesmade.Inmyezine,Iofferedthecassettefreeto
anysubscribersinvolvedinsoftwaremarketingpotentialclientsformy
copywritingservices.
Within24hoursafterIdistributedtheezine,wereceivedover200inquiries
frommarketingmanagersatsoftwarecompaniesrequestingthe
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tape,manyofwhomneededcopywrittenfordirectmailandemailtopromote
theirsoftware.
Bycomparison,mostcopywriterstellmethatwhentheysendpostaldirect
mailtoalistofprospects,theyaveragea2%response.Atthatrate,theywould
havetosendout10,000piecesofmailtogeneratethe200leadsIgotinanhour
forfree.
Thatswhatanezinecandoforyou.Onceyoubuildyoursubscriberlist,you
haveanincrediblypowerfulmarketingtoolandthemostvaluableassetyour
businesscanown:adatabaseofbuyerswithemailaddressesandpermissionto
to
them
at
any
time.
Abouttheauthor:
BOBBLYisanindependentcopywriterandconsultantwithmore
than20yearsofexperienceinbusinesstobusiness,hightech,industrial,and
directmarketing.
Bobhaswrittencopyforover100clientsincludingNetworkSolutions,
ITTFluidTechnology,MedicalEconomics,Intuit,Business&LegalReports,and
BrooklynUnionGas.AwardsincludeaGoldEchofromtheDirectMarketing
Association,anIMMYfromtheInformationIndustryAssociation,twoSouthstar
Awards,anAmericanCorporateIdentityAwardofExcellence,andtheStandard
ofExcellenceawardfromtheWebMarketingAssociation.
Heistheauthorofmorethan50booksincludingTheCompleteIdiotsGuideto
DirectMarketing(AlphaBooks)andTheCopywritersHandbook(HenryHolt&Co.).
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HisarticleshaveappearedinnumerouspublicationssuchasDMNews,Writers
Digest,AmtrakExpress,Cosmopolitan,InsideDirectMail,andBits&Pieces
forSalespeople.
Bobhaspresentedmarketing,sales,andwritingseminarsforsuchgroupsas
theU.S.Army,IndependentLaboratoryDistributorsAssociation,American
InstituteofChemicalEngineers,andtheAmericanMarketingAssociation.
HealsotaughtbusinesstobusinesscopywritingandtechnicalwritingatNew
YorkUniversity.
Bobwritessalesletters,directmailpackages,ads,emailmarketingcampaigns,
brochures,
articles,
press
releases,
white
papers,
Web
sites,
newsletters,
scripts,
andothermarketingmaterialsclientsneedtoselltheirproductsandservicesto
businesses.Healsoconsultswithclientsonmarketingstrategy,mailorderselling,
andleadgenerationprograms.
Priortobecominganindependentcopywriterandconsultant,Bobwas
advertisingmanagerforKochEngineering,amanufacturerofprocessequipment.
HehasalsoworkedasamarketingcommunicationswriterforWestinghouse
Defense.BobBlyholdsaB.S.inchemicalengineeringfromtheUniversityof
RochesterandhasbeentrainedasaCertifiedNovellAdministrator(CNA).
HeisamemberoftheAmericanInstituteofChemicalEngineersandtheBusiness
MarketingAssociation.
BobhasappearedasaguestondozensofTVandradioshowsincluding
MoneyTalk1350,TheAdvertisingShow,BernardMeltzer,BillBresnan,CNBC,
WinninginBusiness,TheSmallBusinessAdvocateandCBSHardCopy.Hehas
beenfeaturedinmajormediarangingfromtheLATimesandNationsBusinessto
theNewYorkPostandtheNationalEnquirer.
ForaFREECopywritingInformationKit,orafree,noobligationcostestimate
oncopywritingforyournextproject,contact:
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BobBly,Copywriter
22EastQuackenbushAvenue,3rdFloor,Dumont,NJ07628
Phone(201)3851220,Fax(201)3851138
Email:[email protected]
Web:www.bly.com