PenPoints newsletter
PenPoints newsletter
Becoming a publishing-savvy author
By Mary Ellen Kearns
On Saturday, September 15, at the fall breakfast meeting, publisher Sharon Woodhouse told a group of IWPA members how to pitch themselves as, and how to become, publishing savvy authors.
Sharon Woodhouse |
She seasoned her talk with examples of her 14 years of running Lake Claremont Press.
Woodhouse describes herself as a publisher who has taken inappropriate risks, made dumb mistakes, and emptied her bank accounts several times under the influence of her publishing activities and quipped, “I fear it will be awhile before I’m able to give it up.”
Beyond surviving, LCP has been successful in visibility and exposure. One of its specialties is non-stop promotion of their titles throughout their shelf life in as many local, national and specialty media outlets as possible. The biggest triumphs outside of Chicago have been CNN, BBC, The New York Times, The Wall St. Journal, National Geographic Channel, History Channel, A&E and NPR; the local favorite is Chicago Tonight. LCP has been successful in the comparative numbers game. Of more than 87,000 publishers in the U.S., 9,600, or only 11 percent, are bigger than LCP in terms of revenue. All LCP books have sold more than 1,000 copies; all books in recent history sold over 3,000 copies, and most will have sold more than 5,000 copies by the time their shelf life is over. |
Woodhouse stated that the publishing world is not about big bucks, but knowing, despite these numbers, that society continues producing books to advance knowledge, share ideas, entertain, inspire and challenge because of their own intrinsic value. A measure of success Woodhouse is most proud of is how she sees LCP books make cultural or economic contributions and the personal impact on individual readers.
Here are some of the lessons she learned at the helm of LCP:
• Publishing is not idealism versus materialism, but idealism and materialism.
• Invest in and follow your passions
• Cultivate your specialty.
• You are only responsible for yourself and your happiness.
• Authors and publishers have different interests and succeed when each pursues those separately or separately, but together. Similarly, authors and writers have different interests.
• Don’t let yourself get distracted by the details.
• It’s okay to ask for what you want.
• Everyone’s time is precious.
These are points on her Publishers Checklist:
• Publisher’s perspective
• General publishing knowledge
• Knowledge of specific publisher
• The book
• The author
• Sales and marketing
Woodhouse ended with quick pitch reminders:
• Find out the name of the right person to send your query. Don’t address them generically.
• Find out how this person/company wants to be approached with submissions. Check their Website. Call and request submission guidelines.
• Make sure your submission is appropriate for the company you’re querying.
• Keep in mind the restrictions the publisher lets you know about in advance, the publishing process from the publisher’s perspective; give them your best, savviest shot, knowing that you are essentially competing against hundreds or thousands of others for a coveted spot. Use your passion and imagination to catch their attention, pique their interest, impress them, and persuade them.
• Use every aspect of your initial contact(s) with a publisher to show your professionalism, attention to detail, work ethic.
• If your book is rejected and you receive criticism, see what you can learn from the experience. Take steps to use that knowledge to your benefit.
• Don’t give up. Periodically review your proposal with fresh eyes, upgrade it as necessary, get advice from others with knowledge of the process, and keep sending it out.
For LCP's publishing philosophy and more, visit www.lakeclaremont.com.
Mary Ellen Kearns has a theatre background, enjoys scriptwriting and is researching a novel on her Irish ancestry. mek5683@rcn.com
IN THIS ISSUE:
FOUNDED IN 1885
November, 2007 PenPoints Page 1
Good Journalism Still Matters Page 2
Publishing-savvy Author Page 3
IWPA Makes Its Mark Page 4
Bringing Illinois Authors Together Page 6
IWPA Programs/Members News Page 8
