You’ve tried for years to get a book deal and it just isn’t happening. Or maybe you haven’t tried yet, but you’ve heard so many horror stories you’re petrified. Whatever category you fall into, maybe it’s time to consider self-publishing.

According to Writer’s Digest (June 2009), the self-publishing industry is estimated to be growing 30 percent every year. Technological advances have made it easier and more cost-efficient to self-publish. Many successful writers have gone on to achieve major success after self-publishing. Legal thriller writer John Grisham received 45 rejection letters and was told that nobody wanted to read about lawyers, forcing him to self-publish his first book, A Time to Kill.  William P. Young, author of The Shack, wrote the book for his six children without any plans to publish it. After printing 15 copies, his friends encouraged him to solicit a book deal. It was rejected by 26 publishers, so Young decided to self-publish. The Shack went on to become a No. 1 New York Times’ bestseller.
    
If you’re fed up with the rejection and you’re considering self-publishing as a stepping stone to a book deal, here are three things you should keep in mind.

Have You Written a Good Book?

The sad truth is, many writers who can’t get a book deal have poorly written books. By no means am I saying that rejection by an agent or publisher means your book isn’t good. As noted above, good books are rejected all the time. Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind was rejected by 20 publishing houses. Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries series, faced rejection for over three years before finding a publisher. She is now the bestselling author of over 40 books for teens and adults. I could go on an on.

Before you spend your hard-earned money on publishing your book, make sure it’s as good as you think it is. One way to find out is to retain an editor or writing coach who is an expert in story structure. Most writers know how to craft a grammatically correct sentence, but writing a novel that engages readers and keeps them turning the pages is another story. (See my BizyMoms.com article Keep Your Readers Turning the Pages.)

The very first book I wrote wasn’t very good. I, however, didn’t know that. I was so thrilled that I had actually finished a book that I made two dozen copies and passed it out to anyone willing to read it. None of my friends, however, wanted to dash my hopes and dreams by telling me that it sucked. Despite the blasé response, I kept writing and along the way, learned the importance of story structure. It was only after writing Every Reasonable Doubt and having people react to it with excitement that I understood my first book’s weaknesses, which were all linked to poor story structure. By extensively studying the work of other writers, I learned the importance of developing the right pacing, building suspense, and hooking readers at the end of the chapter. Those things were missing from my first effort.

I now extensively test market my books with friends, colleagues and book clubs before they go to press. It’s always enlightening (and sometimes confusing and disheartening) to hear what people think. But whether I receive criticism or praise, the comments are crucial to helping me craft a better book.

The bottom line: if no one is excited about your book in manuscript form, that won’t change after it’s published.
 
Does Your Book Have A Viable Market?

Writing a good book isn’t enough.  Is there a strong market for your novel? Many writers forget that the publishing industry is a business. You won’t get a book deal just because you’ve written a good book. You will get a book deal because you’re written a good book which an editor thinks will sell tons of copies and make her look good because she discovered you.
 
Young, author of The Shack, spent only $300 on advertising his self-published book, which tells the story of a grieving father who meets God in the form of a jolly African-American woman. Word-of-mouth buzz soon helped it land the No. 1 spot on the New York Times’ bestseller’s list. In my opinion, one of the reasons it became a bestseller was because it dealt with a topic that sparks broad interest: religion. (Why the 26 publishers who rejected it didn’t recognize this I’ll never know.)

Zane, the New York Times bestselling author of Addicted, was told that by agents and publishers that African-Americans didn’t read erotica. Zane knew otherwise. She was already making money by printing up her stories on paper and selling them at beauty shops. She self-published her first three books, selling 250,000 copies virtually by word of mouth. She later landed a book deal with Simon and Schuster and now produces a TV show based on her books and also publishes other authors through her publishing company, Stebor Books.  

Are you entering the market with more of the same or will your book bring a fresh new story to readers? If your book has a significant market that the traditional publishing houses simply refuse to recognize, self-publishing may be for you.


Are You Willing To Promote Your Book?

You may have written a great book with a strong market, but if nobody knows it’s out there, you won’t sell many copies. The promotional end is where many writers fail. They simply think that having their book on store shelves means that readers will rush in and buy it. Unfortunately, that’s not the way it works.

Today’s writers have to be willing to put as much effort into promoting their books as writing them.  Some people would even say the marketing end requires more work. Except for the lucky few, gone are the big promotional tours paid for by publishing companies. These days, writers must do more than bookstore signings. To get real traction for their books, writers must also meet with book clubs, do speaking engagements, and create a strong presence on the web. This means having a website, blogging and connecting with readers on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and on and on. A self-published author who’s not willing to make this commitment is wasting her time.
   
Can’t get a book deal? Maybe it’s time to consider your options. If you’re confident that you’ve written a compelling novel that has a broad market and you’re willing to do the legwork necessary to get it to the masses, self-publishing may be for you.


 

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