Had some good news on my book attempt

I could give you some interesting material if you need another chapter.
For instance just last night we went to a local bar/restaurant up here in the mountains, and yes there was a pool table and some players.
Since I didn't bring a cue to play with, we ate chili burgers and drank whiskey instead, but it could of been a big score.
If you want to use this episode I can add some quippy lines about bar pool, and an actual quote from some joker who inadvertently sat at our table.

Let me know if you need some help
I should be writing this stuff down
 
I have published a few books and have learned a few things that might be useful. First the publisher will usually decide on the title with you. You need many useful suggestions. The publisher will want a title that is short and to the point. It is used to sell the book so the more informative it is the better the title.

You need to think in terms of the purchaser. What will catch his or her eye. You have about 5 - 30 seconds to have the purchaser decide to read your advertising and then buy your book rather than the one sitting right next to it.

I was told many times by publishers, we are selling a book here and you need to be in that mode of thinking. What will your audience be looking for and on what will they be willing to spend their money?

The publisher is going to put advertising dollars into this project and hopes to break even on their costs. How can you help them do that? When you start thinking like that it will help you write and it will help you create advertising copy as well as a title that they can edit. You are the expert so the more you contribute the higher your chances of success.

If you research the internet you will learn that there are many specific words which help to sell a product. It is worth taking the time to learn about these things as it will contribute to your success.
 
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Here is another idea that may be of use now that you have a publisher's interest. Go online to any of several large publishers and down load their "author guidelines" and their "manuscript proposal guidelines." There is a great deal of useful information in these documents that can help you develop your text and your relationship with any publisher.

Publishers and editors have spent a good deal of time creating these documents that can help you understand their needs when trying to market the book. In general, the larger firms create these documents but most any publisher will use most of the ideas presented.

Here are a couple of questions that will get you started.

Exactly who are the readers of this book?

What makes this book unique?

Why should someone want to pay xx dollars to read this book?

These can be difficult questions to answer but the answers will contribute to your success.
 
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JoeW said:
I have published a few books and have learned a few things that might be useful. First the publisher will usually decide on the title with you. You need many useful suggestions. The publisher will want a title that is short and to the point. It is used to sell the book so the more informative it is the better the title.

You need to think in terms of the purchaser. What will catch his or her eye. You have about 5 - 30 seconds to have the purchaser decide to read your advertising and then buy your book rather than the one sitting right next to it.

I was told many times by publishers, we are selling a book here and you need to be in that mode of thinking. What will your audience be looking for and on what will they be willing to spend their money?

The publisher is going to put advertising dollars into this project and hopes to break even on their costs. How can you help them do that? When you start thinking like that it will help you write and it will help you create advertising copy as well as a title that they can edit. You are the expert so the more you contribute the higher your chances of success.

If you research the internet you will learn that there are many specific words which help to sell a product. It is worth taking the time to learn about these things as it will contribute to your success.
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Excellent, excellent advice! Myself having done a little research, I know how important it is to capture the audience's attention within the first 5 to 10 seconds. Otherwise, as you say, they will be moving on to the book sitting next to yours. :wink:

Some publishers suggest waiting to finish writing the book before you choose a title. Sometimes the title will present itself, without you realizing it, in a short phrase that comes up in the book.

Recently, I have been working with professional writers and some well-known journalists, and I have been taking notes and observing from afar their strategies as they are creating their masterpieces.

I also think this pool world is so alien to mainstream folks. Having a copy-editor who is *not* familiar with pool to peruse the first draft would be helpful. That way, if something doesn't make sense, you can edit it, making the necessary corrections, allowing the content to be comprehensive. There's nothing worse than reading a book and not knowing what the heck is going on. :o
 
JAM said:
Congrats! I would think a good title, something short and sweet, would be "Pool Legends." I think you want the word "pool" in your title, as this will help with keyword searches on the Internet. ;)

I was informed that it takes 5 months from beginning to end, once the publishing sequence begins. I'm not sure why 5 months, but that's what they said.

If you get pool tales about pool legends in your book, imagine the book-signing opportunities that could develop. I'd suggest at launch, coming with a limited edition of 100 copies, signed by each of the players mentioned in your book. That right there would recoup your initial investment and then some. :cool:

Remember that correct grammar for something like this is not important. Verbatim is key. You may think about hiring a local court reporter or scopist in your area to proofread the draft. This way, you would be ensured correct punctuation and spelling. That is what separates the lions from the lambs in authoring a book. You want it to be professional in quality, not something slapped together.

In this regard, I know you're English, but it is very important right now to decide how you want your end double quotations. British-educated folks place then inside the end punctuation mark, and American-educated folks have them outside, with a few exceptions. :p

Best of luck, Mark! :clapping::clapping::clapping:
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He could go all "Cormac McCarthy" on his book and use no quotations. I'm most definitely a buyer for T-Wheels book - and also Jen's book (when the masterpiece is complete).
 
I very much agree with JAM, the more content editors you can get the better off you are. Don't be afraid to send a chapter or two to knowledgeable friends for their comments. It is surprising how helpful friends can be when it comes to improving clarity.

A technique I have found to be very useful is to tell my friend that this should be easily understood by anyone with an 8th grade education. Tell me where others will have trouble with my writing.

A friend can tell you where others will have difficulty rather than tell me what they did not understand. It takes time and a thick skin to allow yourself to learn that these criticisms usually improve your writing.
 
Thank you all for you ideas and suggestions and support. Some great things are being brought to my mind.
 
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