Write That Book Already!: The Tough Love You Need To Get Published Now Read Free Page A

with and on, the word can remain preserved for a very long time, and although a piece of writing can be interpreted in different ways, the text itself does not change—unless, of course, it is revised.
    Writing is one of the most important, useful, and most rewarding of human endeavors. But you need to be disciplined and keep at it. Over time, you will be surprised by how much you accomplish.
    BOTTOM LINE
    You must sit down and write. Not talk about writing, but actual pen-to-paper or fingers-to-keyboard writing. Books are crafted one good sentence at a time. No matter what happens, if you persist, you won’t be sorry. Human beings have been telling stories and discovering more about life and the world and passing it along via the written word for centuries. You are part of that tradition. Be humble, but also be proud.

CHAPTER TWO
YOU HAVE A
GREAT IDEA.
SO WHAT?
     
Okay, so maybe you are the world’s authority on the art of making butter sculptures of dead presidents’ heads, but if you want to sell a book on the subject you’ll have to do more than know your stuff. You’ll need to make the idea sound sexy, or cool, or hot, or timely, or cute, or something that instantly makes it clear to people why the world needs your book.
When it comes down to it, you, the author, are trying to talk total strangers into investing their time, effort, and money in you and your idea. You need to sell yourself to the agents of the world so they in turn can sell you to the acquiring editors, who will sell to the publishers, whose marketing team will sell to the sales force, who will sell to the book buyers of stores and other retailers, who will sell to their staff, who will sell to the public. There are other models but th INSTRUCTIONS: SUBMISSION e point is that (in case we aren’t making ourselves clear) you’ll need to sell yourself and your idea again and again throughout the process.
    MINING FOR GOLD
    Along the way everything will get refined, and in the process your book may even morph into something else. Your title may change (actually, this is likely to happen), a subtitle may get added, and the manuscript will need revision—perhaps even a major overhaul. The one-liner “elevator pitch” that you came up with to describe the book may become an altogether different one-liner. The changes will keep coming.
    This may be disconcerting, but we suggest that you approach all the roughhouse this way: instead of thinking, “I am the author, and this is my book—what do these people know?” try to think, “This is exciting—people are interested enough in me and my book to invest their time and energy into making it more salable.” This doesn’t mean you can’t fight for what you believe in, especially if it comes down to the integrity of your book or your own core beliefs. But stay loose and open—some of the ideas that are suggested to you may be improvements.
A TRUE-LIFE EXAMPLE TO ILLUSTRATE OUR POINT
    For example (just to pull an example out of the air), let’s say you’ve come up with an idea for a combination inspiration/humor book that teaches the reader how to become more playful in life via learning to play the harmonica. It’s a unique idea, but when you describe it to publishing professionals the first comparison title that seems to come to mind is Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and despite the fact that neither you nor anyone else you’ve talked to about your idea has ever actually read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, it is a well-known, strong-selling book with a recognizable title that pairs an odd combination of concepts. In other words, your book is a little weird, but so is Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance , and it sold a ton of copies, so maybe yours will too!
    Your book, How to Play, is sold to a small publisher of elegant design books and earthy humor books, and you are introduced to your editor via e-mail. The editor likes the humor aspects of your book, and asks