When you approach an editor with a great article idea, is your anxiety level off the charts? When you send your manuscript to a publisher, are you filled with fear and apprehension? Will you grovel in hopes of hearing the “Yes†response? In other words, do you come across as sounding desperate when you present your work for publication?
And what about those of you with books to promote? How do you approach reviewers, booksellers and consumers? Does the desperation you feel come out in your spiel?
Promoting a book amidst the hundreds of thousands of others is tough. Getting an article or a book manuscript accepted is really difficult in today’s publishing climate. But you’re not going to make it any easier—in fact, it becomes much less likely that your project will be picked—if you come across as desperate.
Who would you rather to work with, someone who says, “Please, please publish my book. I’ve worked so hard. It really is good—my friends say so and my mother loves it. I really, really must get this published. If you don’t give me a contract, my life might as well be over.†Yikes!
If you think this is a far-fetched example, you’re wrong. Some hopeful authors are so anxious to get that publishing contract that they will cajole, plead and even threaten in anticipation of landing one.
I’ve watched authors practically beg people to buy their books and then become almost despondent when they didn’t. At a book festival or book singing, for example, this attitude can kill any potential for sales. Approach a potential customer with a down-trodden attitude and they won’t feel much like buying any book from you.
What does a disappointed writer/author do? Pretend, if you have to. So, book sales are slow, don’t make it the potential customer’s problem. Approach each new customer with the same sense of excitement and pride you felt in your book the first time you saw it—the first time you sold a copy. Forget about your sales figures. If you maintain a positive, confident stance with your customers, booksellers and reviewers, your bottom line will take care of itself.
The same holds true for hopeful authors. Approach publishers with an air of professionalism. Ooze with confidence about your project. But you can do this only if you are confident that you have a viable product. The only way you can be sure is to write a business plan (book proposal) for your book before you make the rounds with it. Make sure you are writing the right book for the right audience and then make a solid case for it BEFORE you start showing it around (and before you self-publish it).
Use The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book and The Author’s Workbook to walk you through the process of writing a book proposal. http://www.matilijapress.com/ Sign up for my online book proposal course at http://www.matilijapress.com/course_bookproposal.htm
If you are a freelance writer who is trying to land assignments or just sell an article or story, likewise, approach editors with confidence in your idea, your writing abilities, your timeliness, etc. And take “no†for an answer, if this is the answer you get, and move on. Rejection does not mean you don’t have a good idea or a well-written piece. It could mean one or more of many things. For example,
• The magazine has covered this subject recently.
• They have a piece like this in the works.
• Your story idea conflicts with an advertiser’s message.
• There were other articles on this subject submitted—yours didn’t make the cut.
• The topic is outside their realm of interest.
• The slant is not right for this magazine.
• Your piece is too biased.
• Your story is outside the realm of what they accept.
• The editor doesn’t like your stationery.
Fellow freelance writers, rejection happens—and it happens a LOT. Do what those of us who eventually succeed do, get up, dust yourself off, reevaluate your piece, thoroughly research other potential homes for this piece and, if needed, refine your approach (remember, come across as confident and professional). If you need help launching or building a freelance article-writing business, consider taking my online course, Writing for Magazines. Sign up at http://www.matilijapress.com/course_magarticles.htm and purchase my book, A Writer’s Guide to Magazine Articles. http://www.matilijapress.com