Peeking Behind the Curtain: How to Impress a Publisher’s Pub Board
Jerry Jenkins shares his best advice with David Loy (and you) on how to impress a publisher’s pub board. He’ll discuss:
- Why having your own platform is essential to impressing a publisher
- Researching your market
- How to craft a standout proposal
- And more
Jerry will also answer the following questions:
(25:22) Where does the agent fit into the pub board?
(28:25) What’s the difference between a query letter and a book proposal? Do you send the query letter first?
(32:30) In the comparative analysis, is there a way to find information on publication numbers for comparable books?
(35:01) I wish I was old enough to have published a book thirty years ago before social media. I feel alone in despising social media but I know I need a platform. I get discouraged when I hear about horribly written books with flat stories that get published because of thousands of followers. Jerry, what are your thoughts?
(39:40) I’ve studied so much on building a platform, and I’ve made some effort but with little to no success. For example, I have a beautiful author website, but only a handful of people have visited it. My author’s Facebook page has three followers. I know who my potential audience is, but I need help reaching them. So, is it okay to find someone to help with platform building? Like a virtual assistant who is experienced in platform building for authors? Can you recommend a place to find this type of help?
(44:14) When it comes to platform building, would you recommend creating a platform only for your writing? Or have one platform that has following in multiple areas?
(47:32) Do you think the publishers would like the idea of a 180,000-word Young Adult fantasy — split into part one and part two, 90k words each? Do you think this would be a good ell, for what would otherwise be a difficult word count?
(49:15) How do I determine my genre? I’m writing a blend of Jurassic Park, science fiction, and inspirational.
(51:05) I believe our heart should be to serve others as we build our platform. Minister to people, build relationships and your platform will grow with people willing to invest in you as you have in them.
(53:23) Do you have any tips on creative angles for selling?
(58:10) I got an offer from an acquisitions editor, but then the house put on a contract freeze because they were putting in a pub board and acquisitions editors could no longer acquire. I was able to redo the original proposal and improved it greatly, but the freeze has been off now for three months. The editor wasn’t even sure I would get notice of a decision! Any suggestions on what to do? I am seeking an agent.