You have an idea. A great idea. Now what? Whether you dream of having your name on the cover of a successful book (and 81% of Americans believe they have a book in them), or you’re a seasoned yet frustrated veteran of the publishing jungle, this nuts-and-bolts guide demystifies every aspect of the publishing process.
Husband-and-wife team Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry, who developed the enormously popular Putting Your Passion into Print seminar at Stanford University, are known to their students as “the Click and Clack of publishing.” Whether the thought is large (how does one deal with rejection) or small (why is it that a “special pen” works such magic), they cover all the bases. How to:
- Choose a top-of-the-heap idea;Come up with a blockbuster title;
- Craft an attention-getting pitch;
- Create a selling proposal;
- Find the right agent, publisher and editor;
- Understand a book contract and royalty statements;
- Enhance presentation skills;
- Develop sales, marketing, and publicity savvy;
- and, if necessary, self-publish (as did Irma Rombauer for The Joy of Cooking and James Redfield for The Celestine Prophesy).
No matter if you’re a literary fiction writer, a romance novelist, an academic looking to reach a popular audience, or a memoirist wanting to publish your life story,
Putting Your Passion to Printshares a wealth of experience and insight from people who’ve been there and done that. Includes interviews with hundreds of publishing insiders—agents, editors, authors, and booksellers; side boxes featuring real-life publishing success stories; sample proposals, query letters, a resource guide, and more.
Arielle Eckstut is the author of 8 books including The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published. She is co-founder of The Book Doctors with her husband David Henry Sterry, a company dedicated to helping writers successfully publish their books. She is also co-founder of the iconic company, LittleMissMatched, which has become a national brand with stores all over the United States including Disneyland, Disney World, and Fifth Avenue in New York City. She lives in Montclair, New Jersey.
David Henry Sterryis the author of Chicken: Self-Portrait of a Young Man for Rent and Satchel Sez: The Wit, Wisdom, and World of Leroy Satchel Paige. He is also an award-winning actor, media coach, book doctor, poet, playwright, and activist for at-risk youth. They are married, and live in San Rafael, California.