How to Land Your First Book Deal

This will not be an easy task and definitely not something for the impatient. It will help if you're lucky or should you find yourself in the right place at the right time. Knowing the right people will also help. For the rest of you, there are some specific steps you can take to increase your chances of landing your first book deal.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Time
• Thick skin
• Patience
• Perseverance

1. Offer a quality product. To say the competition is stiff in the publishing world is to say winter is cold. You're tome, no matter what the subject, better be your absolute best effort.
2. Craft your query letter. This is your first impression and it should represent your craft in the same fashion as your first page. Write it. Rewrite it. Let a friend read it, listen to their comments, and then write it again.
3. Research. Before contacting perspective agents and publishers, consult their web pages. These people have specific wants and needs. Don't send a book on gardening to an agent who specifically represents literary fiction.
4. Be courteous. Agents and publishers receive hundreds and thousands of correspondences each month. If they think you have what it takes, they will let you know. Give them ample time to respond to your query.
5. No matter your text, make sure you come off as an expert in your field. If you are writing a book on snorkeling than present the best book you can on snorkeling and if it's a book on herbs you better know your mint from your parsley.

Tips & Warnings

• Rejection looms ahead! Rejection is a part of writing. Perseverance is the only way writing ever gets done.

Who Can Help:

• Earn an Associate's, Bachelor's or Master's Degree from the University of Phoenix
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