Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5414 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-24
• Binding: Paperback
• 214 pages

Synopsis
There are plenty of books on how to write, but few until now on how to get your book published. This book, written by a publisher, also draws on her research and interviews with fellow publishers and with agents. It details every stage in the process, from writing a proposal, through finding an editor and hooking a publisher. It even covers self-publishing, understanding contracts and increasing your sales. It covers various genres including fiction, non-fiction, children's books and poetry. Rachael Stock has worked in publishing for 15 years, getting her first commissioning job at the very early age of 24. She has worked for three major publishing houses, and has commissioned books in health, lifestyle, popular psychology, personal development, sport, business and careers. Her biggest success is 'Rules of Work" the behavioural guide to success - an international best-seller published by Prentice Hall Business (part of Pearson). She's equally proud however of another Pearson publication - the charity book "Get Ahead, Give A Damn" - that raised GBP 30,000 to help those without a home or a job get back into work.

Though she is now gamekeeper and poacher, Rachael previously resisted the urge to write a book, always suspecting it was easier to scribble all over other people's. She now knows it is. Contents of the book are: how books are commissioned - an insider's guide to the process of publishing; how publishers and authors make money - an insider's guide to the financial side of publishing; choosing the right publisher for you - how to find the most appropriate company to approach; agents - how to decide if you need one, finding a good one and the real truth about publishers and agents; writing a winning proposal - how to write what they want to read; sending it in and following it up - how to make your submission, guard your idea and chase it up; negotiating a contract - how to get a handle on the basics and get a good deal; working with your publisher - how to make sure it all goes smoothly after the contract is done; dealing with rejection - how to learn from the knock backs; and self publishing - how to publish your own book (with or without help).

Customer Reviews

Fantastic. I submitted my first book to an agent the day after reading this.
I am so pleased I bought this book. I have become a little tired of the "this is the way you must write" and 'don't bother because you won't get it published anyway" books. I had written a children's book (the first in a series) and simply did not know how to reach the publishers or agents. I now have a copy of the Children's Writers and Artists Yearbook, a good letter, a synopsis and a properly formatted three chapter introduction and I am underway at last. Time will tell if anyone likes it, but them I would never know if it just sat on my computer would I?

Going against the grain a bit
This review is not going to win me any plaudits, as I am going against the grain of successive 5 star reviews. But from my point of view these are simply not deserved. Much of what is written here (albeit in an interesting and informative way) has been written before, and the only useful thing I discovered was the format for a good cover letter.
She seems to have filled it with quotes, and witty little anecdotes, which serve merely as filler, and don't add anything to the subject matter. Sure, it is readable, but what information is contained is really quite minimal considering she is an 'insider'.
Considering the information I have gleaned so far on this matter has been acquired as I have worked my way through the process, there is remarkably little that this book offers and I, a novice, don't already know.

I wish I had read this book before I tried to get a book deal
This truly is an insiders guide. It took me two years to get a book contract but with the information contained within this great book it would have been a much easier process. Anyone with aspirations to become a published author should start with a copy of this on their bookshelf. Buy it, read it and then get your own book published. Simple.

Martin Bamford - author of The Money Tree