(How To Be More Media-Savvy: A Chat With Paula Rizzo)

In this episode of “Writer’s Digest Presents,” editor Michael Woodson sits down with author and literary agent Jessica Berg about how to write fiction based on your life, how you can find inspiration everywhere, how to mine your life for story ideas in real time, and more.

About Jessica Berg

Jessica Berg is a literary agent, author, and the founder of Rosecliff Literary, where she champions bold, emotionally resonant fiction with unforgettable characters, strong stakes, and a sense of urgency.

She is especially drawn to literary, upmarket, historical, and supernatural suspense, with a soft spot for haunting atmosphere, richly layered relationships, and characters who carry deep emotional wounds.

A multi-nominated writer with an MFA from Spalding University, Jessica brings a sharp editorial eye and a hands-on, strategic approach to agenting. She is a member of AALA and EFA and provides developmental feedback for Writer’s Digest. Represented by Amy Collins at Talcott Notch, she splits her time between crafting her own stories and guiding her clients through every stage of their publishing careers.

From The Episode

On How Much Fiction to Put Into Our Life On the Page: “I think part of what we do as authors is cathartic. We’re working through our own Big-T Trauma, little-t trauma, to understand why we act the way we do. So, how much do we put in? I think we take the juiciest bits and then we twist them and we fictionalize them and dramatize them so that they feel familiar because they’re lived experiences, but they’re not so thinly veiled that our friends and family will be able to say, ‘Oh actually, I remember it differently.'” – Jessica Berg

On Having Enough Curiosity to Find Story Everywhere: “I was on a girl’s trip with a bunch of author and publishing pals. We’re on the train, and we see one shoe. It’s a group of four women, and we see one shoe, and we all are in publishing and writing in some way, and immediately we start telling a story. ‘Oh well this happened and then this happened,’ right? Because that’s what we do as humans. Now, the person who lost the shoe, they’re probably like, ‘Oh, I lost a shoe.’ It’s not a most significant moment, but to us it was this really fun experience to say, ‘What happened and how did it happen?’ and we were able to construct narrative around it. So, when we look at how our lives might not be ‘dramatic enough’ or full enough or have experiences worth telling, I have to say that’s not true. Because that example reinforced to me the fact that all you need is a little bit of curiosity, and then you can talk about anything.” – Jessica Berg

On A Feeling Being A Truth From Life for Our Fiction: “The concept of something can also be truth from our lives. I was asked to write a story about the coming out experience. I was then interviewed about it, and they asked, ‘Is this true? Did this actually happen?’ And no. Nothing in this story happened, but the feeling that this gives me is true. I decided to run with no event in my life, but the feeling of all of these things—melancholy or nostalgia or something—bring up a truth in me that then was so much easier to fictionalize and put into scenes. I think authors understandably are like, ‘I don’t have a lived experience that I can pull from.’ But how did this thing make you feel? Fictionalize the truth of that feeling.” – Michael Woodson

Listen to “Writing Fiction Based On Your Life” Here

Watch “Writing Fiction Based On Your Life” Here

The post Writing Fiction Based On Your Life: A Chat With Jessica Berg appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(I Got 8 Agent Offers; Then, My Book Died on Sub.)

When I self-published my debut novel, Nightweaver, in 2023, that’s exactly what I did. I never expected that I would get the chance of a lifetime—the chance to publish my book…again.

It all started with an email. If you’ve ever dreamed of publishing, you’ve probably spent hours reading articles warning aspiring authors of the notorious literary agent scam. I certainly had. But I’d decided when I began writing Nightweaver that I wouldn’t query agents, therefore, my inbox was marked safe from scammers (well, of the literary agent variety). 

So, when I received an unsolicited email from a literary agent at United Talent Agency, saying he’d seen an interview I’d done with my local news outlet discussing Nightweaver, I thought I was being scammed. After all, this kind of thing doesn’t happen to people like me; a big-time New York City agent doesn’t reach out to an unknown author from a small town in Texas about a book she thought no one would ever even know existed.

But there I was, feeling a bit like Cinderella—only instead of a glass slipper, I was holding a black-and-blue book called Nightweaver, its cover adorned with gothic illustrations of dragons and pirate-ships. Still, in all the excitement, I was faced with two words that seemed to loom larger than life: What now?

Click to continue.

Enter my dream publisher, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Nightweaver is a fantasy I like to describe as The Pirates of the Caribbean meets gothic Downton Abbey, but with a dark, magical twist. From the start, the team (dubbed Team Nightweaver, if you happen to take a peek at any given email thread) understood the vision for this story, these characters, and this world. When it came time to reimagine the cover, the team wanted to remain true to the original while giving it the iconic flair LBYR is known for—striking color palettes, breathtaking artwork, and special features that shine. I couldn’t be more thrilled with the result, and there are still days when I see it on my shelf and think, “Is that really my book?”

I’m not sure it will ever feel real, but I know one thing for certain: This time around, I intend to slow down, take a deep breath, and savor every moment of this rare opportunity to relive the release of my debut novel. When the clock strikes 12, I won’t flee the palace, worrying if there was something more I could have done, or if there’s anything I might have done differently. 

I’ll linger a little longer at the party, and I’ll celebrate with the readers who made this dream of mine possible—those who have believed in me and supported me since the indie release of Nightweaver, and those who have joined me along the way; those who have chosen to reenter this tale of pirates and magic, and those who will journey into the world of Nightweaver for the very first time. And if my carriage happens to turn back into a pumpkin…Well, I suppose I’ll just have to hail a cab.

Check out R.M. Gray’s Nightweaver here:

Bookshop | Amazon

(WD uses affiliate links)

The post A Bookish Cinderella Story: Publishing My Debut Novel Twice appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(The One Thing Every Author Needs to Market Their Book.)

It was my YouTube channel which led to an unexpected conversation with my now-editor, Lucy Brem at Pan Macmillan. She was on the hunt for New York vlogs before a trip of her own, and stumbled across videos that I had shared of a recent trip. After watching a little further back, she picked up on subtle mentions of a ‘writing project’ which had been taking up a lot of my free time. That writing project was actually the cozy, comforting, witchy story that I’d spent the last three years on, solely for the purpose of seeing if I could finally cross off my bucket list goal—to write a book, to see a story through to the end.

It’s no exaggeration to say my life has always revolved around books, reading and writing. Looking back, I think all of my career decisions were chosen with the assumption that, no matter where or what, I would end up writing in some capacity. Having been an avid bookworm since I was young, I went on to study English Literature at university. From there, it was freelance journalism for titles like Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, and MTV UK for many years, before my social media and often book-based content eventually took over. Even then, written work has constantly ticked along in the background.

A very early spark of a story idea popped into my head in 2020 while I was on one of the classic, local area walks that were keeping us all vaguely sane during the pandemic. It was the image of a witch, just turning 30, and having to prove to a jury of her coven peers that she was worthy of keeping the magic she had been neglecting. It was very reflective of how I was feeling at the time, having developed a real fear of allowing myself to shine for fear of failing. I kept the whole experience of writing completely private, knowing that any outside pressure or interest would make me overthink it and inevitably stop.

That first email that landed in my inbox from Lucy, asking if she could hear more about what I’d been working on, was the first of many moments that have felt like real-life magic (and a lot of luck) was afoot. The universe was on my side—she had been looking for a cozy, witchy book to take on, and that was exactly what I’d spent years privately writing, with no real intention to actually pursue publishing. We clicked on first meeting, and it was clear to me that she absolutely ‘got’ the heart of the book, which came from such a personal and vulnerable place. Trusting my gut instinct, I signed a two-book deal unagented, confident that I should seize the dream for myself. We have worked closely together throughout the entire editing process. The rights team at Pan Macmillan then took the reins on securing international deals for Rewitched, finding its perfect US home with wonderful editor Anne Sowards at Berkley.

It wasn’t until Pan Macmillan went public with my publishing announcement that I had a separate conversation with my now-agent, Maddy Belton at Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency. Maddy reached out to me after spotting the news of my two-book deal online to see if I was interested in further guidance and support. It was another fortuitous connection. MMA had been the agency that I had quietly thought to myself would be on the ‘dream list,’ if I ever found the courage to query Rewitched one day. Signing with them has proved invaluable. Maddy has helped me to understand the workings of a notoriously unique and secretive industry, and to plan much more effectively for the future of my writing. Maddy will also now be an additionally helpful pair of eyes in the editing process for my second book, which is something that I didn’t have the first time around.

Once the publishing deal was in place, having an audience certainly helped with the tricky prospect of marketing a debut novel. My followers and I often share the same interests, taste, insecurities, and sense of humor, so it makes sense that a book I had written largely for myself, a story that I had needed to hear, would resonate with them too. As an autumn-obsessed, nostalgic, and self-reflective gang, many of them were excited about the story specifically, rather than just the fact that I had written a book. But the flip side of a so-called ‘ready-made’ audience is that it’s only going to work if the endeavor is a genuine one. An audience that is so familiar with you can easily spot a disingenuous project—and they will let you know about it if they do. It carries an overwhelming risk of public failure, which is often more than enough to discourage a dream.

A platform on social media can only provide a temporary boost to an author, maybe a springboard for pre-orders for example. But the book itself must still do the heavy lifting if the aim is to reach out any further into the book world than a limited following number. If achieving any kind of longevity or reputation as a ‘real’ author is the goal, the book and the writing must ultimately be good enough to stand by itself. Luck has certainly been on my side during the publishing process for Rewitched, but spending more than 12 years building a following doesn’t feel like much of an effective, magical ‘shortcut’ to anything.

Social media is a powerful tool, one that is scary to a lot of (usually introverted) writers. But my own experience is hopefully a positive and optimistic reminder that you never do know who’s watching, and my favorite mindset to try and return to—what’s the best that could happen?

Check out Lucy Jane Wood’s Rewitched here:

Bookshop | Amazon

(WD uses affiliate links)

The post My Unconventional (and Suitably Spooky) Publishing Story appeared first on Writer's Digest.

What made you want to be an agent? And what was your journey in becoming an agent?

I don’t think my story is too dissimilar to most of my colleagues in the industry. I grew up reading books and always valued the power of stories. I was young when I realized that the characters and magical places I loved were the product of a single person’s mind. That was such a profound realization, and one that encouraged me to pursue a career in publishing. After my relevant university studies in the field, I built my way up the industry ladder until joining the amazing team at Pérez Literary & Entertainment.

What was the first thing you sold, and what is the most recent thing you’ve sold?

My first deal was for Tales of a Monstrous Heart, which is a gothic romantasy trilogy being published by Gollancz in late August this year. My most recent deal was for a magical dark academia duology. The deal hasn’t been announced yet, but keep your eyes on The Bookseller and Publishers Marketplace, because it’s coming soon!

What are you looking for right now from writers that you’re not getting?

I’m really looking to sign contemporary romances projects right now. I love love, so I’m hoping to see more manuscripts that explore the complexity of relationships and the different types of relationship dynamics that exist. That sounds heavy, but I love to laugh, so I’m also keen on projects with levity alongside a layered relationship.

It’s inevitable that when a genre is doing well, we tend to see a lot of the same format. With any query, I like to see familiar tropes and concepts, but with a unique hook or twist on what’s popular. I need to see something that would make a project stand out from competitors in an editor’s inbox.

What excites you most about publishing right now?

Just how many more people are reading these days. The BookTok boom has a lot to do with that. The publishing industry needs readers, so the more the merrier!

What can writers do to improve their chances of a good first impression?

A query letter is a first impression, which is why it’s crucial to get it right. Adopt the appropriate tone for your letter, know your manuscript well enough to pitch it correctly, know the right comp titles to use, and lastly, be kind to the agent reading your letter.

What’s the number one mistake you see in queries?

When a manuscript isn’t edited properly. I know that it’s exciting to send out your query, but it’s better to take your time and make sure your pages are as strong as possible than it is to rush and submit a weak draft. You only get one shot with an agent!

What’s your best piece of advice for writers?

Find your voice, and then value it. Oh, and edit!

The post Agent Advice: Nina Leon of Pérez Literary & Entertainment appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(I Got 8 Agent Offers; Then, My Book Died on Sub.)

There is a sassy three-year-old who is an essential part of my publication story. Her name is Charlotte. When I started putting shape to the novel, I thought she was too little to ride the bus by herself to the preschool that was about seven miles away. Her backpack was bigger than she was. I just could not do it. Her big brother and sister were in school, and I was freelancing at the time, so I took Char to school myself. Rather than drive all the way home and back, I watched her march into the building, still miffed that she wasn’t on the bus, and I hid in the back booth of a nearby little café, where I was a regular twice a week for that full year.

Looking back, I don’t think this book of mine would have been born at all if I hadn’t allowed myself to camp out in that booth. So many tasks could have easily filled that time instead: laundry, dishes, and sweeping up tumbleweeds of hair from our sweet Golden Retriever named Frank. When you are mother to three young children, carving out time to do something lofty and dreamy like work on a book seems frivolous, self-indulgent, and well, lofty and dreamy. I’m still glad I did it.

Eighteen years later, that three-year-old has graduated from college and traveled the world all by herself. And her mama’s book is finally getting published.

It’s important to point out that it did not take me all that time to write the book. The first draft was ready in about 18 months. I was fortunate to be working with a professional editor. He encouraged me, but also helped me unload some bad habits. We started pitching to agents. It’s a grueling process that humbles you. A thick stack of rejection letters is tucked somewhere deep in the bowels of my basement that proves just how subjective and capricious the whole thing can be.

One agent requested that I send in the full manuscript. Writers know this is a coveted request to receive. Shaking, I sent it off with my fingers crossed. Several weeks later, she called, wanting me to dive back in and make some changes. My skin had thickened up enough to know that this was just part of the process. I didn’t think this would be a problem, until she described what she had in mind. I would need something sharper than a red pencil. Surgical gloves and a scalpel would be required to remove a primary character and plot line. This was no cosmetic surgery; it was essentially a soul transplant. I told her I would think about it, knowing that I would do no such thing. It was part pride, part conviction that I knew my characters, my story, better than she did. I cried all weekend and put God Bless the Child in a drawer for a while.

Life kept getting in the way. We moved. I started working full-time. There was illness and loss. Dinners needed to be made, towels folded, and birthdays celebrated. We weathered storms as our three kids grew up and we all learned together that life isn’t fair or particularly orderly. We’ve lost parents, changed jobs, and navigated our son’s serious mental illness. During this patch of life, finding a booth to hide with my paper and sharp pencils felt impossible. There was more than laundry and dog hair at stake. It’s just what you do when you love deeply.

As our children have grown into incredible adult versions of themselves, the nest has emptied, but not all the way. We’re still needed. We work full-time. There are meals to be prepared, weeds to be pulled, mail to be opened, and loved ones to be loved. It finally dawned on me that waiting around for giant pockets of free time to float downstream to find me was not a solid strategy.

I decided it was high time I reclaimed space and time for joy, and writing is my idea of a good time. It felt like a relief, like running into an old friend. On a whim, I reached back out to my editor to see if he’d give my new short stories a read. He was glad to hear from me and happy to read my new work. He also nudged me to pull God Bless the Child out of the vault. I’d been avoiding this but opened a bottle of wine and started reading. We agreed it still had legs. He thought together with the new stories, we had the makings of a solid three-book series.

We got to work tweaking the novel and crafting a proposal for an agent he thought would be interested in the project. She took me on, and before we knew it, I had a contract for the series from a traditional publisher. The first people I called were my husband and three children. There has been whooping and hollering and shared joy from these people, my people. I love them for knowing this piece of me that needs sunlight and watering.

One book published is a win; a three-book series feels like a great big piece of cake waiting to be devoured. It has been worth the wait. In that waiting, time has not stood still and neither have I. I’ve been stretched and seasoned, pushed and pulled, roughed up a bit, and softened, too. The writer left standing is neither withered nor diminished. She is nimble and grateful, and capable of knowing that so many true things can happen in a minute, an hour, 18 years, a lifetime.

There are beginnings and ends, and sometimes, if we’re open to it, there are sweet spaces waiting in the shadows to be noticed and claimed.

Check out Anne Shaw Heinrich’s God Bless the Child here:

Bookshop | Amazon

(WD uses affiliate links)

The post The Book That Took 18 Years to Find a Home appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In this live webinar, taught by a literary agent, you will learn everything you need to know about literary agents, including whether working with one is right for you. After a brief introduction on what a literary agent is and does, the workshop will cover resources for finding a literary agent and how to find the one right for you and your work, as well as submission do’s and don’ts and the most important things to consider when submitting to a literary agent. This workshop will be interactive with plenty of time for questions and answers.

Click to continue.

If you want more online education, see the full list of WDU courses here.

Enter the Poetry Awards!

ENTER NOW! Writer’s Digest’s only competition exclusively for poetry, the Annual Poetry Awards, is now accepting entries. Winners are awarded cash and prizes. Deadline: 10/02/23.

Click to continue.

Watch more than 350 expert writing tutorials!

With a growing catalog of instructional writing videos available instantly, we have writing instruction on everything from improving your craft to getting published and finding an audience. New videos are added every month!

Subscribe now for instant access.

Catch Up on “Writer’s Digest Presents” Before the Next Episode!

In the seventh episode of season two of the “Writer’s Digest Presents” podcast, content editor Michael Woodson sits down with author and instructor Jane Friedman to discuss her recent experience with fraudulent books being published under her name that she didn’t write.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter!

Subscribe to Writer’s Digest emails and get free writing tips, publishing insights, and expert writing advice delivered straight to your email inbox.

Click here to subscribe.

The post How to Find a Literary Agent appeared first on Writer's Digest.

Writing agents is one way to get their attention, but if you ever have the opportunity to talk to a literary agent in person, you must be prepared to pitch your idea in 30 seconds or fewer (this is called an “Elevator Pitch”). And we’re here to help you do that.

In this FREE online download, Your 30-Second Pitch, you’ll get tips and advice on how to cultivate a tight, well-rehearsed pitch so you never waste an opportunity again. Whether you’re pitching to New York or London literary agents, children’s or Christian literary agents, top ranking or new literary agents, or any kind of literary agent, crafting just a few key sentences and committing them to memory is exactly the way to give yourself the best chance at finding a literary agent. Get this free download to learn how to craft your 30-second pitch.

Enter your email to join the Writer’s Digest newsletter and get your free download!

Sneak Peek: The 4 Components That Hook Literary Agents

One of the focuses in this free download addresses the most important components to any good (successful) sound-byte pitch. Here’s a sneak peek at what all goes in to the best type of Elevator Pitch:

1. Tell the literary agent who you are.

State your name and job title, or the title of the position you’re seeking. “Hi, my name is Miranda Mechanic, and I’m a licensed automotive mechanic who writes how-to articles for women who don’t want their cars to get the best of them.”

2. Literary agents want to know what you want.

Don’t beat around the bush. State what you’re after. “I’m interested in placing some of my articles with your magazine, Auto Care for Everybody.”

3. Show the literary agents why you’re the best choice.

List any degrees, writing credentials, training or experience that relate to what you’re seeking. “I’ve been taking mechanical things apart since before I could walk, and I’m the owner-operator of my own body shop.”Be sure the qualifications match your stated goal. Saying you want to write an article on mechanics and then listing your degrees in early Russian literature won’t help. If you’re unable to come up with any related experience, name qualities or skills you possess, such as attention to detail, passion for the subject and so on.The key is to be brief and memorable. You’re looking for that special something that separates you from the crowd.

4. Give literary agents a call to action.

You can do a great job selling yourself, but if you don’t follow through by asking for what you want, you’ve wasted your time. Take a deep breath and go for it. “I’d like to show you copies of my articles, including ‘How to Change a Tire When It’s Twenty Below Zero’ and ‘How to Add Oil When You’re Wearing a Power Suit.’ ” The call to action is what leads to further interaction. Don’t neglect this most important step.

Ready to Learn How to Make a Pitch to a Literary Agent?

Download your copy of this free guide to learn how to craft the perfect 30-second pitch today.

Enter your email to join the Writer’s Digest newsletter and get your free download!

The post How to Impress Literary Agents with Your 30-Second Pitch appeared first on Writer's Digest.

What is going to be the next big trend in fiction?

Signed,

Pencil Poised

Dear Poised,

I am so glad you asked. I have been absolutely dying to tell someone. The next big trend is going to be … Amish steampunk crossover YA told in second person.

Right? I know! How did we not all see that one coming? It is so obvious!

OK, fine, that most likely is not the next trend, but it could be. Trends, generally speaking, are usually ignited in two specific beats on a publishing timeline: When a novel is shopped and at point of publication. The books we sell to publishers today in most cases will not see the shelves until fall 2022, so the themes, tropes, and trends you are seeing today were mostly put into motion up to two years ago when a title was initially shopped to the marketplace.

When a superbly conceived novel is sent out for consideration and creates enough enthusiasm for an auction, there can only be one winning editor. The underbidding imprints will then have a whetted appetite for something similar, and may reach out and say “Hey, I just lost an auction for an amaaaaaaazing Amish steampunk crossover YA, do you have anything similar?” And that is how you may get a bloat of steampunk YA in a future publishing season. (I have recently become obsessed with the names of groupings of animals. Like a bloat of hippopotami—could I be any more delighted with that?—and I am trying to pepper them into everyday usage. Just let me.)

(Funny You Should Ask: Why did my literary agent stop submitting my manuscript?)

When a novel is published to fanfare and the ensuing word of mouth builds enthusiasm, booksellers will be more inclined to be looking for “the same but different” from publishers in order to keep readers returning to their registers. Like when Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl published and we soon saw a smack of domestic thrillers riding that wave. (Guess what that one is … jellyfish! A smack of jellyfish! I am barking with glee.)

However, let me be clear. I know I have said this before, but it is worth saying many times because I believe the real question being asked of me here is: What should I be writing in order to get that book deal? You should be writing a novel that pays attention to craft, technique, and detail. You should be writing a novel with fully realized characters, accessible yet nuanced imagery, and a storyline that promises the reader a journey both into the world and themselves. You should be writing the novel that your muse says is worth the time and effort and makes you sweat to make every word count. That’s the parliament you want to be counted among. (OWLS! *cackles with glee*)

Dear FYSA,

Let’s be honest. All books are the same. The only difference is in how much marketing and publicity they receive. How do you get a publisher to spend some real money on a book?

Signed,

In the Know

Dear In the Know,

I think you used the wrong homophone in your signature, because I feel like it’s more like, In the NO! Gosh mister, whoever put the beetles in your cornflakes this morning really accomplished their goal—you are gettin’ up swingin’ today, and how! (I don’t know if I used “and how” correctly but try saying that sentence out loud like a newsboy in the 1800s and you’ll find it immensely satisfying.)

I would like to start by asking that we set down the idea that “all books are the same.” That doesn’t serve anyone as an author or a reader—and I feel that you and I could find so many titles that defy that sentence.

So! Let me say—there are certain books tapped by the publisher to get the lion’s share of a marketing budget, and some that aren’t. That will be determined most often initially by the P&L generated by the publisher at point of offer. The P&L (profit and loss) will use a variety of data points to predict how the book might perform in the marketplace versus how much it will cost in labor and production and therefore give a ballpark for the advance. The marketing budget will be included in that labor and production portion. (The dollar amount for a budget is not usually shared at point of offer, or even ever, with the author and her agent, but an overview of intent will be.) This amount will certainly inflate if there were multiple competitors bidding at point of sale, and that is one way an agent can “get” publishers to spend more—having a spectacular novel that was in high demand to begin with.

(Funny You Should Ask: How to Support Your More Successful Writer Friend When You’re Feeling Jealous)

BUT! I have seen, many times, books organically explode on the scene with word of mouth in-house, in early reviews, and from social media tastemakers, and that is nothing about the publisher spending money, but a clear mandate by the readers that what they have read is, ahem, original and exciting. To feel more invested in what this can look like, start paying attention to what makes you finally decide to buy a book—start to read like a consumer as well as a reader and an author—and starting turning your “no” into a “know.”

Ask Funny You Should Ask! Submit your questions on the writing life, publishing, or anything in between to wdsubmissions@aimmedia.com with “Funny You Should Ask” in the subject line. Select questions (which may be edited for space or clarity) will be answered in future columns, and may appear on WritersDigest.com and in other WD publications.

Click to continue.

The post Funny You Should Ask: What Is Going to Be the Next Big Trend in Fiction? appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(20 literary agents actively seeking writers and their writing.)

I found a terrific agent in Mel Parker of Mel Parker Books, LLC, with whom I embarked on my relationship with Oceanview Publishing. Oceanview has released two subsequent books—Off the Grid and Fire and Vengeance—and has agreed to publish the fourth volume in the series in 2022. Oceanview will also reissue an updated version of Death of a Messenger early in 2021.

IndieBound | Amazon

(Writer’s Digest uses affiliate links.)

Many agents and blog writers will tell you of the many difficulties in transitioning from self-publishing to a traditional publisher. They are right, but it is possible. I’ve found that there are four major requirements for successfully making the transition.

Make it Marketable

First, your self-published book needs to be more than just an engaging manuscript. The book has to be marketable, meaning that there is an audience for it. A good editor also adds value. Some authors resist editing, but I’ve always found it enormously helpful to get a second or third perspective on my work. 

Careful proofreading is also essential, as is the proper formatting of the overall book, chapter headings, and the pages. You also need an eye-catching cover and jacket, with blurbs from recognizable authors, if possible.

Give it Distribution

Second, if you are planning more than an e-book, you need a distribution arrangement. That typically means a wholesale book distributor, who can get your work into book stores and deal with returns if the books don’t sell. 

(18 ideas for a successful book launch.)

Unless your distributor is printing on demand, they will also stock inventory. Your distributor may set up arrangements with the major online sellers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indies, etc. Otherwise, that responsibility will fall to you.

IndieBound | Amazon

Create a Marketing Plan

Third, you need a marketing plan that should include social media, an active writer’s website, and frequently updated Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram sites. Since reviews are critical, it will also help to develop relationships with Goodreads, Bookbub, BookTrib, and similar connections (such as book blogs, webcasts, newspapers, and other outlets). 

You can also hire a publicist. There are dozens of them. I’ve tried several and with one outstanding exception—FSB Associates, LLC—never found one that did much for sales.

Roll Up Your Sleeves

Fourth, if you have to promote the book yourself, you will need to devote yourself to selling the book through social media, visiting book stores, speaking at book clubs, writing blog posts, and hawking your book to friends, neighbors, and strangers, who can review your book on Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, BookTrib, and other similar sites. Some companies will review books for a fee, but they are expensive, and you never know what you’ll get.

How to Make the Transition

In short, although some publishers want to see a strong track record before taking on a self-published author, if you believe you have a book that’s really special, and you can convince a traditional publisher that you have both the ability to write a marketable book and sell it, you can make the transition to traditional publishing. 

On the other hand, if you have a runaway success with your self-published book, you should think about continuing to do what has worked for you. You may not need to share your earnings with a traditional publisher.

(5 Truths About Starting Your Own Self-Publishing Imprint.)

But if you’ve had a modicum of success and want to move up to the next level, you will probably need to write a new book and find an agent. That’s the path that worked for me. I wound up at dinner with Mel Parker, who agreed to read my first self-published book and then my new manuscript, Off the Grid. He became my agent.

IndieBound | Amazon

I’ve often said that success requires 70% hard work and 30% luck. I was lucky to connect with Mel, who is everything you could want in an agent. He’s knowledgeable, well-connected in the publishing world, a great adviser, and a terrific editor. Mel found a fine publisher for me in Oceanview. He also negotiated a fair contract—one where I was able to keep the film, television, and foreign rights while granting US print and audiobook rights to the publisher.

Why Use a Traditional Publisher?

Working with a publisher opens a whole new world. A publisher does many things that the DIY author must do for him or herself. These include proofreading, layout, cover and jacket design, printing, distribution (including returns), creating e-book and audiobook editions, and some marketing. A publisher may also introduce you to other authors who can review and endorse your work.

That said, in today’s book market, a large portion of the promotion effort still rests with the author. You are still responsible for most of the social media resources, book talks, interviews, and other marketing techniques necessary to generate sales.

Those sales from your first traditionally published book generally determine whether the publisher will offer you a contract for future books. And thus, the cycle toward success starts anew. Once you’ve made the transition to traditional publishing, you’ll still need to produce another quality manuscript, have excellent distribution and a good marketing plan, and a lot of personal energy to devote to selling your books.

*****

You don’t have to spend crazy sums of money to get crazy good results. Even on a shoestring budget, you can take your book sales to a higher level. Learn how in “Sell Books on a Shoestring Budget.”

Click to continue.

The post 4 Tips for Transitioning From Self-Publishing to Traditional Publishing: How I Found Writing Success After a DIY Start appeared first on Writer's Digest.

Currently Seeking

Middle Grade and Young Adult

I am interested in all genres of MG and YA fiction, with particular emphasis on adventure, psychological thrillers, suspense, mystery, paranormal, urban fantasy, horror, speculative, and romance. I enjoy magic, magical realism, unusual settings, pirates, dark elements, gothic tone, secrets or secretive characters, treasure hunts, and unreliable narrators. Also, if you can take a story or intellectual property (in TV or books) that is popular with the adult crowd and give me its MG or YA version, then I will give it a look because I believe these types of stories may have strong potential for the market. Stories told by #ownvoices, and stories with diverse characters of all kinds, including neuro-diverse and LGBTQIA+ are all welcomed. I am also open to coming-of-age stories set in college that walk the line between upper YA and NA. While I do like contemporary tales, I may not be the best fit for ‘issue’ books where the central conflict revolves primarily around rape/rape-culture, drugs, or illness. I will also consider some select nonfiction projects in MG and YA, particularly if they involve pop-culture or current events.

Adult 

I am interested in all genres of Romance, except inspirational, historical, and erotic. I am also open to women’s fiction, mystery, thriller, and suspense.

For more, follow me on Twitter @MarloBerliner.

How to Submit

Please submit your query and first 20 pages of your finished and polished manuscript via my Query Manager: http://QueryMe.Online/marloberliner

You will receive an automatic response from Query Manager which lets you know your submission is in my inbox, and you can track your query’s progress. I’ll respond within 6 weeks, but only to projects that interest me.

Please Note: I only accept Query Manager submissions; any queries sent by e-mail or regular mail will not be considered.

*****

Click to continue.

The post New Literary Agent Alert: Marlo Berliner of The Jennifer de Chiara Literary Agency appeared first on Writer's Digest.