Essential Resources for Finding a Book Publisher

There are tons of resources available for publishing a book. In fact, there are so many, what’s harder than finding resources is limiting them to the best ones. This has been true for at least ten years, and it is a big part of why I wrote my book, Perfect Bound: How to Navigate the Book Publishing Process Like a Pro. Writers are overwhelmed with the possibilities.

In this post, I have highlighted the essential resources you need to get started. If you are new to publishing, these books and websites will keep you focused without the tsunami effect: so much information you drown.

Jane Friedman has some very valuable posts on her website on topics from finding an agent, to preparing a proposal, to marketing. She is an recognized leader in the industry and a star at breaking down complex information into understandable pieces.

My book Perfect Bound offers a concise overview of the publishing process and includes some of the biggest mistakes that new authors make. It’s available through the Montgomery County library.

Another book, The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published, by Eckstut and Sterry, is also very helpful for new authors. It gives a broader view, with less info about how a book actually goes from manuscript to bound book and more about how books are acquired.

There are different kinds of publishers, and how you land them depends on their size. The biggest ones — HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Macmillan, Hachette, Simon and Schuster — and their imprints, will require an agent. Small to mid-size publishers don’t require an agent. 

The most popular sources for finding agents are QueryTracker, Publishers Marketplace, Duotrope, and MS Wishlist.

If you don’t want to work with an agent, you can look at smaller presses. Authors Publish has prepared this list of publishers who don’t require an agent: https://authorspublish.com/the-top-42-publishers-for-new-authors/

Finding a publisher takes a lot of legwork, but it can be very rewarding. And having your book out in the world is an amazing experience. Use these key resources to achieve your dream of publication.

Like this blog? Find more insights and advice in the Updated and Revised Edition of Perfect Bound: How to Navigate the Book Publishing Process Like a Pro, now available on Amazon!

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#1 New Release on Amazon?!

Perfect Bound: Navigate the Book Publishing Process Like a Pro, Revised Edition, released August 26, and on August 29 it was the #1 New Release in writing guides on Amazon!

Amazon even put a banner on the Perfect Bound book profile page, which was great to see:

I won’t tell you how many books I had to sell to reach this milestone. Thirty copies? Three copies? Who’s counting? All I know is, with all the work that goes into making a book, it really is a treat to see the accolades.

Get your very own copy of the Amazon #1 New Release and find out what all the fuss is about. You just might discover it’s worth all hype!

 

 

Like this blog? Find more insights and advice in the Updated and Revised Edition of Perfect Bound: How to Navigate the Book Publishing Process Like a Pro, now available on Amazon!

Revised Edition of Perfect Bound Coming Soon!

I am happy to announce Perfect Bound: Navigate the Book Publishing Process Like a Pro has been updated and revised!  This has been a long time in the making, and I’m thrilled to be able to provide my readers with the most current information possible.

Cover reveal: The revised edition of Perfect Bound

The 2019 edition of this multi-award-winning guide features:

• New exercises for choosing your path to publication
• Condensed and updated guidance on e-book companies
• Updated cost information and new resources to explore
• In-depth discussions of hybrid publishing, Instagram, and barcodes
• A new interview with Janell Robisch, a designer and e-book formatter

And so much more!

Sign up for my newsletter and be the first to know when it publishes!

 

It’s here!

Find more insights and advice in the Updated and Revised Edition of Perfect Bound: How to Navigate the Book Publishing Process Like a Pro, now available on Amazon!

IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards Silver Award Winner!

Perfect Bound: How to Navigate the Book Publishing Process Like a Pro has been named a Silver award winner in the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards!

April 10, 2015, I traveled to Austin, TX, to attend the awards ceremony, and it was a terrific experience. My friend, colleague, and contributor to Perfect Bound, Kathy Clayton, was my guest for the evening.

Katherine Pickett and Kathy Clayton at the IBPA awards ceremony

Our table of ten was filled with finalists and industry notables. Having chosen our table at random, we were thrilled to be seated with three other finalists. Also at the table were Sonia Marsh, who heads the popular Facebook group Gutsy Indie Publishers, and Brian Jud, executive director of the Association of Publishers for Special Sales (APSS; formerly SPAN).

Two of the finalists at the table won Gold Awards. Rita Gardner won for her memoir, The Coconut Latitudes, and Shea Henderson won in the crafts and hobbies category for her book School of Sewing. We all joined the fun.

Rita Gardner wins Gold

Perfect Bound took Silver in the reference category. Although it would have been nice to win the Gold, the book has done well. Over the past two days both the print edition and the ebook have landed on Amazon bestseller lists, and for several hours yesterday the print edition was on two bestseller lists concurrently.

Perfect Bound hit two bestseller lists April 14, 2015

The ebook hit the bestseller list April 15, 2015

It is constant conversation among writers as to whether these awards competitions are a good investment. Some can be quite expensive. The strategy at Hop On was to choose two awards where we valued the opinion of the awarding body and where we thought our book would fit — and possibly win.  For us, it has been a terrific experience and a whole lot of fun. Besides being recognized by an industry-leading organization, we are also reaching more readers, and that is what the publishing adventure is all about!

 

Like this blog? Find more insights and advice in Perfect Bound: How to Navigate the Book Publishing Process Like a Pro, available through Hop On Publishing, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Left Bank Books, and other fine retailers

Take Your Picture with This Guy and Win a Free Book!

John G. at the SCWC #SCWriters

 

Attendees of the Southern California Writer’s Conference have the chance to win a free copy of Perfect Bound: How to Navigate the Book Publishing Process Like a Pro!

What  to do: Take a picture of yourself with this guy ^^ and tweet it at @KPickett_Editor.

What you’ll get: The first 5 people to tweet their picture will receive a free copy of Perfect Bound shipped to their house! Everyone else gets 20% off when purchased from Hop On Publishing!

“All the resources and professional insights needed to take your book from ‘written’ to ‘published.’” —Midwest Book Review

Learn more about Perfect Bound, including reviews, a sample chapter, and author resources, at HopOnPublishing.com.

Happy Hunting!

30-Review Challenge

Help us reach 30 Amazon reviews by March 1 MARCH 6!

So, you’ve read Perfect Bound: How to Navigate the Book Publishing Process Like a Pro. Now you have the chance to tell the world what you really think about it. And if you do it by March 1, you can save 10% on any future editing service from me.

Follow this link to review Perfect Bound on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Bound-Navigate-Publishing-Process/dp/0991499115/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410108724&sr=8-1&keywords=perfect+bound

Here’s the deal. I want to help authors all across the country who need to better understand what it takes to publish a quality and highly marketable book. The problem is, to reach the most people, we need lots of great reviews on Amazon.

Why? Because many book marketing sites and local book festivals and national and international writing conferences decide whom to feature based in part on the number and quality of book reviews on Amazon. That means, to take advantage of these opportunities, we need your reviews!

 As of February 4, Perfect Bound has 10 reviews on Amazon. But I think we can do better. I think we can make it to 30, and I think we can do it before March 1.Will you help us?Remember, all you have to do is write and publish your honest review on Amazon.com before March 1. You will automatically receive 10% off your next editing service from me.

If you don’t have Perfect Bound yet, you can get the e-book for just $2.99 anywhere you buy books.  Buy your copy now!

Thank you for all of your support!

Katherine

P.S. Have feedback you don’t want to post in public? Send your comments directly to me. I want to hear from you!

Perfect Bound for $0.99? It Must Be Christmas!

For the next 12 days, you can get Perfect Bound: How to Navigate the Book Publishing Process Like a Pro for 99 cents! From now until January 2, e-books are just 99 cents through our website.

At that price you could buy a copy for everyone on your shopping list and keep another for yourself. But here’s a secret: You don’t have to do that. Perfect Bound is shareable!

Although many e-books are DRM protected, we at Hop On think that’s silly. You can share a print book, so why not an e-book? That’s why we chose not to protect Perfect Bound. So share and share alike! Now isn’t that the spirit of the holidays?

Sale ends January 2 and it’s only good through our website, so don’t delay. Get your e-book for 99 cents today!

Happy holidays to you and yours!

Book-Publishing Talk and Signing This Saturday!

Marylanders, take note: If you missed my book launch event earlier this month, you have another chance! And this time, there’s a freebie involved.

This Saturday, September 27, I will be at Novel Books (23330 Frederick Road, Clarksburg, MD 20871)  speaking about Perfect Bound: How to Navigate the Book Publishing Process Like a Pro and the state of book publishing today.

Stop by and you could win a seat at my November workshop for you or a friend. The event starts at 10 a.m. All are welcome. I hope to see you there!

The Wrap-Up: Launching Perfect Bound

THANK YOU to everyone who made the launch of Perfect Bound: How to Navigate the Book Publishing Process Like a Pro such a success!  Although not everything went according to plan, we had little to complain about.

The big bang we were hoping to make on September 1 was more like the sound of a pop gun, but we made up for it on the 2nd. The publication of two meaty articles (on the websites Live Write Thrive and Publishing Perspectives) garnered us some much-appreciated attention, and at 11:30 on Wednesday night, we discovered we had hit the Amazon bestseller list for Editing Reference!

Speaking at Kensington Row Bookshop, Sept 5, 2014

Two other articles that were expected to publish by then had not yet surfaced, and it turned out there was some miscommunication. The Writer Beware article published Friday instead of Tuesday, and the excerpt on Jane Friedman’s blog pubbed the following Monday instead of Wednesday, but publish they did, and we again saw immediate returns. For those writers who have been following along, blog tours really are worth the effort.

Another highlight came Wednesday when veteran editor Katharine O’Moore-Klopf, who has much more experience than I, contacted me about the book. After reading the sample chapter available on the Hop On website, she bought the book and wrote an impromptu blog post recommending Perfect Bound as a continuing-ed book for editors. We were thrilled!

The launch parties at Kensington Row Bookshop in Kensington, Maryland, and Left Bank Books in St. Louis, Missouri, were great fun and also well worth the investment. On both nights we surpassed our modest sales goals and, more important, were able to celebrate with friends, colleagues, and newcomers alike. I was even able to meet my designer, Sue Hartman, for the first time. We had worked together off and on for 15 years and never met until now!

Speaking at Left Bank Books, Sept 11, 2014

Those who attended can attest that my daughter stole the show. She was a trooper, staying up well past her bedtime to help her parents celebrate and enjoy the moment. I loved getting to share the night with her.

There is much more to come from Hop On Publishing. A webinar is scheduled for next week, another talk and signing on the 27th at Novel Books, and a trip to Rehoboth Beach for a workshop October 4. This week we are catching our breath and soaking in what we have achieved.

To everyone who attended the events, bought the book, listened to our stories, let us stay at their home, held the baby, chased the baby, or otherwise sent good vibes our way,

THANK YOU!

Launch Day Is Here! — Updated

Nothing goes as planned. Find out what changed and get the live links to all the happenings from last week and this one.

We Made It!

Today is the official launch of Perfect Bound: How to Navigate the Book Publishing Process Like a Pro and we couldn’t be more excited! To celebrate, we have a blog tour and special events scheduled all week and throughout the month of September. Here’s a roundup:

Monday (9/1): “Easy Tips to Help You Save Money on That Necessary Edit,” guest blog post hosted by Susanne Lakin at Live Write Thrive

Tuesday (9/2): “5 Steps to Increasing Your Book’s Marketability with Research,” article published by Publishing Perspectives (Tuesday’s Featured Article)

Thursday (9/4): “How to Be a Good Client,” article published by Walrus Publishing

Friday (9/5): “Author-Editor Workability: The Crucial Element for a Successful Editing Experience,” guest post on Writer Beware

Friday Night: Launch Party at Kensington Row Bookshop, 3786 Howard Ave., Kensington, MD 20895, 6 to 9 p.m. Come out for a night of food, fun, and books! All are welcome.

Monday (9/8): Excerpt from Chapter 3 of Perfect Bound, “Looking at the Big Picture: Manuscript Development,” published by Jane Friedman

Excerpt from Chapter 2 of Perfect Bound, “To Sign or Not to Sign with an Agent,” published by Vonnie Winslow Crist.

Thursday (9/11): We travel to St. Louis for the Midwest book launch at Left Bank Books, 399 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108, 7 to 10 p.m. Again, all are welcome.

At the end of the month, Saturday, September 27, I will be having a book signing at Novel Books in Clarksburg, MD. Attendees can enter to win 25% off my next workshop.

This has been an amazing journey. We at Hop On send a heartfelt “Thank You!” to everyone who has helped us, especially the publishing professionals and authors who were interviewed for the book, as well as our family, friends, and colleagues. The book wouldn’t be what it is without you!

Get your copy of Perfect Bound through any of these booksellers:

Hop On Publishing, a division of POP Editorial Services

Amazon.com

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Left Bank Books

Also available through iBooks, Gardners, Novel Books, and other sites around the web!