I have a great idea for a self-help book. Any suggestions how to get it published once it is completed?

Answer 1

Hi, Dan.

Congratulations on your great idea.

There are a number of questions you must first answer before the advice anyone gives you about publishing your book can actually be of value to you. They include some of the following:

> What is the subject of your self-help book?

> Who is the book's target market?

> What are your credentials for writing such a book?

> How much, if any, research have you done on this subject — particularly to see what other books have already been written on this subject and/or to this market?

The fist rule of marketing anything — including BOOKS — is to make sure you have a market for your product before you create the product...not the other way around.

You wil probably want to do some pretty thorough research to see what else is out there that's even a little like yours. This is not to defeat or discourage you, but to let you know how to talk with the publishing industry. For example, this process will enable you to language a comment like, "It's a little like Dr. Phil's most recent book, but with less yelling, and targeted specifically to husbands of women who've had miscarriages," so that you can give them a better idea of exactly what you have in mind.

> Do you have any agent contacts in mind already?

> Have you put your proposal together yet?

> If it seems like it will take some time to find an agent and/or publisher, is self-publishing a consideration?

> Do you have a graphic designer who is handling the cover and interior layout?

> If you had to describe your budget for this project, would you say it is:

* Whatever it takes to get the job done properly
* Flexible, within reason
* Very limited
* I have no budget for this project

You probably will want to head to Amazon.com or your local bookstoe and invest in a book called The Writers Market. It's a big book (maybe 3 inches thick) that costs about $30 — or you can get the one that comes with a CD-ROM for about $50. What it contains are the best known agents, publishers, and outlets for all genres of writing in the country...as well as a few international sources.

The good news is that the self-help market is one of the biggest there is, and non-fiction is fairly easy for new authors to break into, even with a traditional publisher (as opposed to self-publishing).

The honest truth is that this could be a full-time job for you, depending on how serious you are about it. One cardinal mistake new authors make is not realizing that a book is a BUSINESS unto itself, and you need to think of it as one. To do it properly, you'll need the same kinds of tools you would to get a business started: a timeline, a budget, a marketing plan, and a well-thought-through execution strategy.

This is a project that, if done properly, is going to take a big investment of time, money, and energy, particularly if you go the self-publishing route (even as an e-book, which is NOT the best recommendation for a self-help book). If you're not under a tight external deadline and have the personal capacity for or access to some of the design components (editing, layout, cover, pagination), you may be able to somewhat contain the cost.

Whatever you do — DO NOT overlook the need for a good editor. Quality editing — or the lack thereof — has the ability to seal your book's fate, for good or ill.

Begin by identifying the market your book will reach (be as specific as you can, making sure, however, that you have a large enough viable market that both needs your book and is willing to pay for the information it contains), and then start looking at agents and/or publishers who work with material for people in that group. An agent is the middleman, who negotiates between you and the publishing company. The publisher is the company who puts up the cash to build the books, market them, and distribute them. They pay the agent, who then pays you.

A publisher generally will only work with you if they think your concept is a SURE thing. Sometimes, an agent can convince them of that better than an author can on his/her own. Certain publishers refuse to work with unagented authors...Writers Market will identify those publishers for you.

Other things to consider:

Good art is a MUST ... as I'm sure you know.

Lastly, if you do opt to pursue a traditional publisher, you will, at some point, need a PROPOSAL for the project, in order to be taken seriously. This contains a lot of the pieces described earlier. Don't discount the idea if you're sold on self-publishing, as it also can serve as your business plan, in that you will need most of these components in order to create a thorough busines plan:

* Cover page
* Title page
* BRIEF synopsis
* Table of contents (for the pieces of the proposal)
* Three- to five-page pitch for your project. This answers the questions of WHO it's targeted to, WHAT ELSE out there is similar, WHY will people buy it, your MARKETING ideas, etc.
* Author bio (one to two pages)
* A sample chapter or two from your book

You can create this proposal yourself, or hire someone to do it for you. Please know this is a labor-intensive effort, and the fee you will incur is about $5,000. Do not step into this half-heartedly. Please also understand that this proposal piece is the single make-it-or-break-it hurdle over which most would-be authors cannot/do not jump and land successfully.

You would not BELIEVE the things people think are OK to include in their proposals, or the lame packaging they use for them, not realizing that these publishers are being pitched all day, every day. If your proposal does not stand out from the rest, at the very least in its professionalism, you can rest assured that you have wasted your time and money, and you will not find a publisher.

OK — that's a thorough answer that should get your wheels turning.

Be well. Please let me know how you progress.

Best regards —

Laura

IMakeWordsEasy

Answer 2

Self Help books and other non fiction books are usually sold to the publishers before completion. Instead of submitting to the publishers, which normally takes over 6 months to even respond to you, send the proposal to agents who would market your books to publishers. Buy "Publishing for Idiots" and read it. It will give you basic and essential information. It's worth your money.

Answer 3

Kensington Publishing Corp.
850 Third Avenue
New York, New York 10022
1-877-422-3665

Answer 4

You can publish it yourself as an ebook first. Put 1 copy on ebay and amazon. Then sell it through clickbank. If you need to learn more about writing and publishing ebooks, I found this great site that has some information on the subject.

Answer 5

I suggest making a copy of it and sending it to a publisher. Naturally the publisher you choose is entirely up to you.

Answer 6

Isnt that a bit ironic?

Maybe as you have no contacts, try an agent rather than publishers direct? Look for agents who specialise - here in UK we have the writers and artis yearbook that lists them all, sure you will have something similar.