Jennifer Peterson Daly, the "Average Author?"

Since the majority of our visitors here are writers and want-to-be authors, I thought I would interview the “average” published author right here on this Blog to see exactly how the book publishing experience unrolls for the majority of us.

My guest will be Jennifer P. Daly, author of Black Hole: A Novel. Jennifer,
who is affectionately called “Jenna,” published her first book last year. Black Hole: A Novel is a romance fiction book of 400 pages.

Jenna, please don’t take the “average” comment in negative form. None of us here are Rowlings or Kings, although some of our books may qualify. In fact, I’ve heard already from Black Hole readers that they had a hard time “putting your book down.” That’s a big compliment on your writing skills and storytelling. Many wonderful and talented authors have difficulty getting their books picked up by the traditional publishers. Did you attempt to submit your manuscript to any traditional publishing houses? If so, what was your response, if any?

“Not a lick of offense taken. I’m frankly delighted by the feedback I am getting so far and talking to people like you and readers and authors alike is part of the learning curve. I’m happy to say this has been a fantastic experience so far.

When I was writing the book, I originally intended to have one copy self published for myself. I wanted a tangible, bound book that I could hold in my hand and say, “I did this;” perhaps as a small legacy to my two boys? Not sure. After friends read the book chapters in progress, I started getting feedback about how I should do “something more” with it. Intrigued, I started fishing around for publishing houses. I also had a few contacts who had gothic romances published. The negativity I got (“you will never get it read,” “you’ll have to send out 100 manuscripts and it will take years”) astounded me. I am the kind of person that says “don’t tell me it can’t be done.” That was when I just decided to go in the back door and self publish, buy a few copies, and viral market them. I keep thinking it only takes one person, the right person, who knows where this novel fits, to guide it more than I can. I think the fact that I wrote it from June of 2007 to June of 2008 and things in the book actually started happening to me after I wrote it (around Oct of 2008), make it a bit of an enigma.”

It’s common to receive the standard form letter or even no response at all from the big traditional houses. Writers just can’t take offense to that. We need to let those hits bounce off us and make us more aggressive towards our goal. So where did you look for publishing assistance? How was your experience with that?

“I talked to an acquaintance, who as I stated, had gothic novels published. Unfortunately, she was more negative than I anticipated. After that, I started looking around the internet. I chose Createspace.com to self publish because of their marketing connection to Amazon.com and the ability I had to custom design my book cover in Photoshop.”

Can you make any money from the sales of your books this way?

“I think I can. Patience is the quality I most lack in. But I see it as timing. The novel will fall into the right hands when it is supposed to. All I can do is expose it the best way I know how. My corporate background is in marketing so I am trying everything from Twitter to Facebook, to leaving it on planes. I think every Southwest flight attendant from here to San Diego has a copy at this point!"

Overall, are you happy with the outcome of your physical book and your experience with the publisher?

“I designed the cover myself, as I do graphic design full time. I was very pleased with the quality of the bound piece, and have had a ton of compliments over its look. No regrets over my choice. I have them lined up to publish my next two releases.”

So this is actually the first day of your virtual book tour for Black Hole: A Novel. I’m excited to follow your tour and learn more about this book I’ve heard so much about.

Here is a list of Jenna’s tour stops this week:
June 24 – Blogging Authors at http://www.bloggingauthors.com/blogging_authors/2009/6/24/in-her-own-words.html
June 25 – Bookland Heights at http://booklandheights.blogspot.com/2009/06/bookland-heights-proudly-welcomes-jp.html
June 26 – Plot Dog Press at http://plotdog.com/2009/06/25/introducing-jp-daly-and-her-novel-black-hole/
June 27 – Romance at Heart Magazine at http://romanceatheart.com/interview/jpdaly.html
June 28 – Bird Book Dog at http://www.bookbirddog.blogspot.com/

In case viewers are unfamiliar with a virtual tour, Jenna will have a posting each of the next 5 days at the Websites and Blogs listed above. Mark you calendars or stop back here to click on the next stop when that day arrives. I think you’ll all enjoy this tour. Jenna is a talented writer and her book stands alone.

If you would like to see more about Jenna right now, click on her Website at http://www.dalybookstore.com.

Thanks Jenna for sharing your experience with us. We certainly look forward to your next work.

Tips to Query a Publisher

Your first step in querying a publisher should be to order the book Writer's Market. The book is available through Amazon.com for about $20. Writer’s Market includes 4,000 listings for book publishers, consumer magazines, trade journals, and literary agents. Most publishers’ listings in the book will tell you if they accept new authors, with or without agent representation, what types of manuscripts they want, what they pay, their contact information, and where to obtain authors’ submission guidelines for their company. Confirm all information by visiting the publisher’s website if available. Most publishers’ Websites will have authors’ guidelines as well.

Once you have chosen the right publisher and are ready to submit your package, you will need to write the all-important query letter. The query letter must get the attention of the acquisitions editor, or, more likely, an editorial assistant or reader. Many packages are thrown out after the first sentence is read. Your query letter should be a brief one-page tool used to get the editor interested in your book idea. The idea of a query letter is to draw enough interest in your book that the editor will request your entire manuscript be sent. Some editors want to see the entire manuscript on first contact. Check the submission guidelines to determine exactly which method the editor prefers.

Editors change job positions and companies regularly. Don’t assume the listed editor is the current one. Always call the publishing house and ask who the current editor is and then address your letter to that person.

When formatting your query letter:

• Limit it to one page.
• Use single spacing with one-inch margin.
• Use an easy to read typeface such as Times New Roman and a 10- or 12-point type.
• Include your complete contact information including e-mail and phone number.
• Address the letter directly to the acquisitions editor by name.
• Be creative. Get the editor’s attention with a catchy opening line.
• Let the editor know briefly what your book idea is about.
• Include whether or not you have illustrations.
• Inform them of any expertise you have in the subject matter.
• Let them know if you have been previously published.
• Close with a polite offer to send the entire manuscript.
• Thank them for their time and say you look forward to hearing from them soon.

You can locate sample query letters and book proposals in the Writer’s Market book.

When a publisher requests an entire book proposal be sent, your submission should include the following:

• A query letter as described above.
• A chapter summary that gives an idea of your book’s subject and shows in detail how you plan to develop your idea. For fiction books, cover the basic plot.
• An outline of your book’s chapters and what is included in each one.
• Your author biography that includes why you are qualified to write this book as well as any previous writing experience. You can include relevant clubs and organizations you belong to.
• Sample chapters or the entire manuscript. See the publishing house’s specific guidelines to learn how much of the manuscript the editor requests.
• Marketing information. Editors want to who will buy your book and how you plan to reach those people. Be specific.
• Competitive title analysis. Include similar books on your subject and how they differ from yours. Why will your book be better?

Most publishers will let you know through their submission guidelines exactly what they want to see included in your fiction or nonfiction proposal.

To learn more on this topic and the entire process of book writing, publishing, and marketing to help you get your book finished, read A Book Inside, How to Write, Publish, and Sell Your Story, ISBN 9780615199245, available at Amazon.com and wherever books are sold.