I’ve often thought the number one reason books got rejected by agents and publishers was that the author was a new, unknown entity and therefore it would be difficult to develop a following. While I still think this is a major hurdle with getting published (let’s face it, publishers will pay big money to publish George W. Bush’s memoir), I’m finding some really good reasons authors get rejected; reasons that are controllable.

Here are five good ones by Kimberly Dawn Wells.

Rejection is a part of getting published, and as a writer you’re bound to run into it eventually. Here are some common reasons why your writing may have been rejected.

1. It was full of errors.
This is the number one problem with writing that is passed in my direction. I’ve even been solicited by publishing houses that had errors in their sales letter. Several errors; obvious errors! You could have written the most magnificent article or developed the most amazing plot, but an editor’s job isn’t to fix your commas and spelling. As soon as they see an unmanageable number of mistakes, they have nothing against tossing your manuscript.

2. You selected the wrong publisher.
Some publishers will accept just about anything, but most have very clear guidelines for what they accept and publish. If you submit your cookbook to a publisher who specifically states they do not accept cookbooks, you can only blame yourself for being rejected. The same goes for fiction and non-fiction, and all the genres between. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m not sure who wrote this article, Why books get rejected, but if you click over to his/her site you will find some great information. As I said in my last post about the fact that even if every book were of best-seller quality, it is not possible for every author to get published. There are not enough publishers to handle all the books and getting the attention of readers for every book is at the present moment impossible.

These two factors have motivated me to try to figure out a different way to publish and promote a book. I like to call this the fourth way to publish and focuses on treating your book like a business. Keep in mind, that if you can demonstrate sales of even a few thousand books, you greatly increase your chance of getting published. This is the fourth way to publish: Self-publish with the goal of selling a few thousand copies and then pitch your book to agents and publishers. In today’s Internet-enabled world, all authors can use this fourth method to publish their book. Authors can take control of their own destiny. It is not easy, but the fourth way to publish allows authors to take control of their business and not be victims to the industry.

While every author will most likely receive rejection letters, here are 16 tips authors can use to give themselves a better chance when pitching their books to agents and publishers.

1. The author fails to read the publisher’s website and submits the wrong genre of book.
2. The author fails to follow the publisher’s submission guidelines.
3. The cover letter is photocopied or generic. Read the rest of this entry »

I found an interview conducted by Sharif Khan on Gather that I thought I’d share. In his article, Mr. Khan interviews David Davidar, Publisher Penguin Canada. I encourage visitors to read the entire article titled, “Penguin Publisher Reveals What it Takes to Get Published.”

Every author I’ve met believes his or her book is a good book. Also, most authors I’ve met who have approached agents or publishers has told me they received nothing but rejection letters. Even if every book written was of best-seller quality, it is impossible for every book to become a best-seller. Mr. Davidar explains why below. I’m a big believer in building a business around your book rather than trying to become a New York Times Best Seller. To publish and promote a book on their own, authors will need to learn how to wear the two hats of writing and promoting. Here’s the section I liked most from Mr. Khan’s article:

Can you tell us about the BUSINESS of publishing? (I think for most people it’s a mystery veiled in secrecy and delusions of grandeur).

There is the myth that if you write a novel you’ll become rich, famous, attractive to women, or whatever the case may be, but I think that’s largely a myth. Very few books break out in a way such as God of Small Things and A Suitable Boy did because its only 1% who get to superstardom because they won a big prize or it’s an amazing book and enough readers caught on to the fact.

But think of the odds…There are about 100,000 books published every year. How on earth are you going to get each of those books to a reader’s attention! Read the rest of this entry »

I woke up this morning with the thought that “Writing is the Essence of Self-Actualization.” If you are familiar with Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs Pyramid, you’ll know that Self-Actualization is on the top of his pyramid. The pryamid begins with biological needs at the bottom, then moves up to safety needs, then up to love/belongingness needs, then up to esteem needs and then finally self-actualization needs.

After I was fully awake, I reviewed his pyramid and I think writing is actually fullfilling both “esteem” needs and “self-actualization” needs. Esteem needs are defined as achievement, status, responsibility, reputation and self-actualization needs are defined as personal growth and fulfillment.

Here’s why I was pondering this concept: according to the American Association of Publishers, 83% of Americans have thought about writing a book and we know that each year millions of people actually do write a book. Despite the large numbers of books being written each year, we also hear reports of fewer and fewer people reading books. We also know that writing a book is easy compared to finding readers to buy books.

So if it is so hard to make a buck as an author, why do so many people write? Maslow’s pyramid gives us the answer. What better way to fulfill your esteem and self-actualization needs than to write a book. Many authors we work with get discouraged at how hard it is to make a living as an author. When I hear this, I think inside how successful the author is to have simply written a book. (I never say this outloud as authors would probably think I’m flattering them) Writing a book is a significant achievement regardless of how many copies an author sells.

Now think about this. If writing a book fills the esteem/self-actualization needs, what needs does selling books fulfill? Well, first of all, selling books fulfills the belongingness/love need. What better way to feel the love than by having people read your book and tell you they loved it? Selling books also fills the safety and biological needs because if you can sell books, you may create a nice income-producing asset that will put food on your table.

To conclude, writing fulfills the two highest needs on the Maslow pyramid while selling books fulfills the three lower needs. If you have written a book, you have accomplished something millions of other people only dream of doing. That is a major achievement.

Author Blasts is the Authors On The Net Podcast. If you are a member of AON and you have a book, we would like to interview you. Simply send us an email at info@authorsonthenet.com. We are also interested in speaking with publishers, distributors, book designers, editors and other people who have a publishing or book promotion message.

In today’s podcast, we speak with Mike Raymond, author of We The People, a Science Fiction Adventure. We The People deals with an act of terrorism so horrific it transcends the human race. In fact, CIA agent Cliff Tanner discovers the act of terrorism is of alien origin. Besides listening to the podcast, you can find out more about Mike’s book at mike-raymond.blogspot.com You can purchase a copy of We The People at stores.lulu.com/wethepeople

Click here to download and listen to the podcast. Listen to Author Blasts show now.

http://authorsonthenet.com/audio/MikeRaymondPodcastfinal.mp3

Note: depending on the speed of your Internet connection, this file may take a few minutes to download. You can also download the interview through itunes. To subscribe to this podcast, go to the itunes store, click on podcasts and search for “Authors On The Net.” Subscribe and you will receive our podcasts directly to your itunes.

1 – Synopsis

Without an obvious target market or news hook, new fiction can get lost in the sea of novels published every year, no matter how well written it may be. Successfully Marketing Your Novel in the 21st Century is a step-by-step guide that’s jam-packed with proven tips and ground-breaking strategies to make your novel a sales success. Mystery and thriller writer Austin S. Camacho offers hundreds of winning tactics that he has personally used to get his six novels onto the shelves of major bookstores and into the hands of thousands of readers. This book will show you how to:

• Overcome the stigma of being POD or self-published.

• Create a basic marketing plan

• Make positive contact with booksellers

• Make your book signing an event

• Handle interviews for newspapers, radio or TV

• Make the best use of web-based marketing tools

Austin S. Camacho wants you to succeed as an author, and he shares everything he has learned in a decade of self-promotion in Successfully Marketing Fiction in the 21st Century.

2 - Interview

Who is Austin Camacho?

Some people think he’s a public affairs specialist for the Defense Department, but inside he’s a philosopher and a teller of morality tales thinly disguised as mysteries or adventure stories. He’s also a husband and father, a flirt and a loudmouth, with a big heart and an even bigger ego. And he’s a hard-working marketing fool who wants every adult alive to read his novels.

You’ve published several fiction novels. Why did you decide to pen a book about marketing?

When I was first published I read a number of excellent volumes on how to market self-published books, but none of them did a good job of addressing my specific needs. The most successful self-published books are nonfiction, but the best advice on marketing nonfiction books won’t help you sell your novel. So I set about culling out what was most useful to me. A lot of trial and error was involved, and more than a few disappointments. This book is the result of the synthesis of knowledge found in those books, my public affairs training, and my ten years of hard won personal experience. Read the rest of this entry »

I found this article surfing around and thought I’d share. It’s a few years old, but very relavent still. What he says at the end is probably the most interesting for authors today.

Ten Rules for Dealing with Wholesalers and Distributors
A Saturday Rant 4-10-2004

First we need to define the difference. While there are some blends,
basically a wholesaler, like Ingram or B&T is an order taking warehouse and
fulfillment operation. They do no sales. They get around 55% discount and
pass 40% to their retail customers. A distributor is a different animal. You
can make the analogy that your distributor takes the place of your in-house
sales operation. Most book distributors require an exclusive right to sell
your product. They have sales reps, catalogs, and their mission is to go out
and hawk your book. They also warehouse your books and fulfill your orders.
Most take around 67% and pass 40% to the stores.

1. Don’t be afraid to negotiate the different discounts. Wholesalers and
distributors can be flexible on their terms. They don’t WANT to be, but if
they want your product line, they will make a few concessions here and
there. The exception is Ingram. It is either their way or the highway.
However with IPG, Midpoint, and others if you speak up you might not leave as
much money on the table as those who don’t.

2. Keep after your distributor to find “new” ways to sell your product. The
sales staff of most distributors are hard working, but are lacking in much
imagination. This is because they have a zillion books to hawk and it is
hard to have good ideas on how to hawk all of them. Fax or e-mail your
distributor contact every two weeks with an “idea” that their sales staff
can take to the field. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m listening to Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. His book is generating some ideas I plan to blog about for authors in the next week or so. The first idea is the idea that authors need to become best sellers in addition to being best writers.

Many authors will think to themselves and say to those around them they want to become a New York Times best selling author or they have written a “best seller.” The twist Mr. Kiyosaki puts on this concept is that the author him/herself needs to develop strong marketing and selling skills to make his/her book sell well - become a best seller. Read the rest of this entry »

I received the following press release in my email and thought I’d post it here. If anyone else has a press release, send it to info@authorsonthenet.com and I’ll be sure to post it on our blog.

A Supernatural/Horror

“I,AM”

Mankind knows that God is all-powerful, but there IN THE MIDST OF GOOD, THERE IS EVIL and IN THE MIDST OF EVIL…
THERE IS…….. “I, AM”

“I,AM”
BY DEON C. SANDERS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 08, 2008

CHICAGO, IL.–SUPERNATURAL/HORROR AUTHOR, DEON C. SANDERS is proud to announce the E-book release of his second Supernatural/Horror novel titled “I,AM,” ISBN: 1-55404-315-8 taking a different direction from his first print supernatural/horror novel titled “Miss Mary Weather: A Southern Nightmare ISBN: 1-58851-837-X.”

Short Synopsis of “I,AM”
We all know how the story begins: God is completing Heaven and Earth. Heaven was full of splendor… and the Angels were filled with laughter. Except for Lucifer, the most exquisite Angel in heaven and the most jealous of God. Lucifer’s jealousy of God ignites a war between God’s Army and Lucifer’s followers. As the war ends, God and his army conquer Lucifer, banishing him from heaven. With God’s own two hands, he throws Lucifer out of Heaven to rule in hell for all eternity. However, Lucifer did not gather his jealousy of God and the thought of War by himself. Lucifer was tempted, and manipulated into thinking he could defeat God, by an unknown evil, just as powerful as God. Its name was “No Name,” it was neither good nor evil, and it was neither merciful nor malicious. It’s “I,AM”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
As a sophomore horror author in the publishing world, Deon C. Sanders (Deno Sandz), a black father of six working in the educational field, is on his way to writing numerous best-selling supernatural/horror novels, inspiring poems, short stories, and feature film screenplays. However, his passion is supernatural/horror writing.

Deon C. Sanders (pen: Deno Sandz)
ISBN: 1-55404-315-8
Genre: Supernatural/Horror - Suspense/Thriller
eBook Length: 76 Pages
Published: January 2006
Imprint: Double Dragon Publishing
P.O. Box 54016, 1-5762 Hwy 7 East,
Markham, Ontario, L3P 7Y4 Canada

AVAILABLE AT:
http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/single.asp?ISBN=1-55404-315-8
http://www.amazon.com
http://www.ereader.com/product/detail/21130?book=I,_Am
REVIEWS
http://ghostwriterreviews.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2_316

BOOK VIDEO
http://www.trailerspy.com/movie-trailers/view/547/iam-1/

RADIO INTERVIEW
http://www.globaltalkradio.com/profiles/denosandz.htm

Media/Press/Raves/Interviews
Contact: Publicist, Tray Taylor

Author Blasts is the Authors On The Net Podcast. If you are a member of AON and you have a book, we would like to interview you. Simply send us an email at info@authorsonthenet.com. We are also interested in speaking with publishers, distributors, book designers, editors and other people who have a publishing or book promotion message.

In today’s podcast, we speak with Termina Ashton, author of Medwin’s Room, a fantasy novel filled with Pickwicks, Snotlings and Coblies. In addition to learning about her book, we also get a glimpse into how her book was discovered by a movie producer and other tips on how to use the Internet to promote a book. Termina has a great website promoting her book at www.medwinsroom.com and I encourage authors to visit her site to see how Termina took a concrete slab in her house and turned it into an incredible story and other products.

Click here to download and listen to the podcast. Listen to Author Blasts show now.

http://authorsonthenet.com/audio/TerminaAshtonPodcast.mp3

Note: depending on the speed of your Internet connection, this file may take a few minutes to download. You can also download the interview through itunes. To subscribe to this podcast, go to the itunes store, click on podcasts and search for “Authors On The Net.” Subscribe and you will receive our podcasts directly to your itunes.