By Gail Griffin

Writing a book requires creativity and craft. But for writers who aspire to get their work published, it also requires business savvy. Editorial consultant Marcela Landres guided more than a dozen NYWICI members through publishing-industry basics at the Feb. 18 salon titled “I Have a Book Idea. Now What? An Editor’s Guide to Getting Started.”

Marcela, author of the e-book “How Editors Think: The Real Reason They Rejected You” and a former editor at Simon & Schuster, started by going around the table and asking each member to talk about her book idea(s). The range of ideas was astounding – everything from fantasy to historical fiction, family memoirs to cookbooks, motivational books to medical self-help.

While upbeat and encouraging, Marcela was also blunt about the realities of getting published. If you’re interested in writing a book, the first thing you should ask yourself is: Why are you writing it? If just for yourself, then you don’t need to worry about the economics of the publishing business. If you want to get published, however, you need to educate yourself as much as possible about the business.

One of the most common newbie mistakes, Marcela said, is to ignore the cold, hard realities of that business. Books are the product. Agents sell; editors buy. The writer’s job is to deliver a “market-ready product” to the agent. It’s not the agent’s job to edit your work or educate you on the basics of the business.

“Premature pitching” is another common mistake, Marcela said. If you meet an agent or editor, don’t pull her aside and tell her your great book idea unless you have a manuscript and a proposal finished. The best thing that can happen? She likes the idea and asks for your proposal. Don’t waste the opportunity by not being ready.

Marcela then presented her three-step plan to getting your book ready:

• Shop. Do your homework and check out the competition for your book. Check out big-box bookstores such as Barnes & Noble, independent bookstores and online bookstores such as Amazon.com. Go to places that aren’t bookstores but sell books, such as Costco. If you’re writing a cookbook, for example, visit Williams-Sonoma. Don’t assume your book would be prominently featured in the store. Picture it on the shelves, spine out, tucked in among similar books. How can you set it apart?
• Study. Take a serious writing class, either in person or online. A one-day or weekend course just doesn’t cut it. Develop a way to get consistent, constructive criticism about your work, either by joining or starting a writing critique group.
• Juggle. If you’re serious about getting your book published, writing can’t be a hobby or something you dabble with. It is work, and it needs to be treated as such. As women, we’re all juggling a lot of balls in the air every day, and deciding every day which ones can drop that day, then the next. To finish a book, don’t assume you can just add one more ball to the juggle. Decide what can drop so you can make writing a priority. Carve out space and time to truly focus on writing.

So, when you’re done shopping, studying and juggling, what comes next? Visit Marcela’s web site for the basics of constructing a solid book proposal and other helpful info.

Location:

Kellen Company