(This article first appeared in Fab Freelance Writing Ezine.)
With some 150,000 books published each year, bookselling is competitive. But let’s think about what happens before a book gets onto the bookstore shelves, because getting your book onto those bookstore shelves is a cut-throat process.
In this article, we’ll discuss writing and selling an ebook version of a book to make the process less harrowing than it can be.
You’re Writing A Book – Now What?
If you’re writing a book, the publication process starts when you get a contract from a publisher. This usually happens via your literary agent, so you need to get an agent. However, since most publishers now use agents to winnow their slush pile, getting an agent is hard: every writer wants a literary agentÉ but not just any agent.
Professional writers know that while getting an agent is hard, getting a GOOD agent is next to impossible without a track record. You need a good agent because an incompetent agent can crush your writing career before it starts. Like most authors, I’ve had several literary agents in my career and learned the difference between good and bad agents the hard way.
So how do you get a good agent who’ll sell your book proposal to a publishing house and get you on those bookstore shelves?
I recommend that in addition to writing a proposal (three chapters and an outline) for your book, you also create an ebook version of your book, and start selling your ebook online.
The benefits of creating an ebook and selling it while youÕre looking for a publisher are:
* You build an audience for your published book. Remember those 150,000 books in English which are published each year? You make your book more saleable on every level if you have an audience, and your ebook gets you that audience. Many writers like Seth Godin have given away ebook copies of their book just to build an audience. Giving away an ebook doesnÕt damage sales of a print book, it enhances sales;
* You can attract the attention of agents and publishers. If you have the ability and skill to publish an ebook and sell it online, you signal to others in the publishing trade that you’re a professional and that you know what publishing is about Ð sales;
* You make some money. The book publishing process takes forever. Usually at least two years from idea to bookstore shelves. With your ebook making sales, not only do you have some money coming in, you’ll learn a lot from the people who buy your ebook, so you can make your book better and more saleable. An ebook lets you conduct free market research;
* Market research. A worst-case scenario would be that no one is interested in your ebook. If no one buys your ebook, there’s no chance you’ll get an agent or publisher for a print version. So you’ve just saved yourself a lot of time and energy.
Are There Any Dangers To Selling An Ebook First?
Some writers worry that when they’re selling an ebook, it may put publishers off in some way.
I can’t see any signs of that happening. Publishers are eager to do research on a concept BEFORE they invest any money. When you self-publish an ebook, you’re doing the research for them. You’re giving them numbers of sales, and publishers love numbers. When your acquiring editor walks into a meeting and pitches your book to the rest of the publishing house, having numbers of ebook sales is a huge plus.
There’s also “blooks” Ð books which started out life as a blog Ð the happy conversion of blogs into books shows that publishers are happy to publish material which started out in electronic format. Again, it’s a situation of numbers. If a blog gets thousands of readers, those readers are an indication of an audience for a book.
When Should You Start Selling Your Ebook?
I suggest creating a ebook version of your book at around the time you start shopping around your proposal. You’ve already written three chapters and an outline. Just finish the book, and format it as a PDF, and sell it online. If you’re really keen, you can also offer a self-published print version, via one of the many Print On Demand (POD) venues online.
I wish you much success with your book. Writing a book is an adventure. You can make it successful and fun when you sell an ebook version, and can use the ebook to propel yourself onto the bookstore shelves.
Learn more about writing ebooks with “Write and Sell an eBook: Every Writer’s Quick-Action Guide To Writing Ebooks”.
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