Tag: insider tips for getting your work published

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Wish List

November 12, 2021– Yesterday, we paused our posts to remember those who gave their lives to protect our freedoms. We will never forget and will always be thankful.

We’re talking about a tip a day for authors to help promote themselves and their books. Today we have a really fun yet very effective tip that we hope you’ll enjoy!

Do you have a book wish list? Not books that you want to read or buy, but a list of the celebrities that you wish were seen with your book or gave a shout-out to your book on their platform? We know the age of the influencer is here, and when we think of the original influencers, Oprah Winfrey comes first to mind. Oprah still has a lot of pull even though her show isn’t on the air anymore. Take, for example, Robert Kiyosaki (author of Rich Dad Poor Dad); originally, he self-published (the now international bestseller) and quietly released around 1,000 copies of his book at his private birthday celebration. His book had slowly climbed to the top of the New York Times Best Seller List by word of mouth, and a little while later, Oprah Winfrey came calling and said she wanted him on her show. Being on the show catapulted Robert to success, and his book ended up selling over 22 million copies in over 100 countries and has been translated into more than 50 languages. That is the power of the Oprah Influence.

Remember when Victoria Beckham was seen stepping out of the airport with 50 Shades of Grey tucked under her arm? Or when Emma Watson of Harry Potter fame hid free books around London as gifts for unsuspecting readers? Have you seen Reese Witherspoon’s book club selection at your local bookstore? You get my point.

Today, I’d like you to make a wishlist of celebrities that you would love to see carrying your book out in public. Dream big! And then take action. The best way to contact the celebrities on your list is by emailing the celebrity representative. Celebrities receive so many messages directly on their social media platforms, especially from fans meaning that your message could easily get lost amongst them. You can usually find contact information on their websites, agent websites, and by doing a Google search.

Best of luck! You never know what can happen and the answer will always be no if you don’t ask.

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We Want Perspective

August 5, 2021– We’re talking about what publishers want this month, and I hope that you’re paying attention if you’re thinking of submitting your work for publication to a traditional House; we’ve got some great tips that can help you!

Today is all about perspective, no-we’re not talking just about narration or point of view in terms of who is speaking in your book, but new, fresh, and exciting takes on stories, ideas, characters, plots, and settings.

When a publisher considers a manuscript for publication, here are three things that excite us:

  1. A new take on an old tale. Have you written a new spin on an old story? Perhaps you’ve unearthed a hundred-year-old European fairytale that resonated with you as a child, and you want to try your hand at switching things up a bit in the story. Picture this- the classic story of Hansel and Gretel but from the house’s perspective, set in modern-day, with a neighbour who could pose as a younger woman who studies the occult and witchcraft. If this story came across my desk, I would certainly entertain the idea of seeing what we could do with it!
  2. Fresh characters. Publishers want to see characters in books that readers will care about. We also want to see characters that are modelled after those in real life. We want differences of abilities, different races and cultures, characters with challenges, and unique beliefs, practices, and physical attributes. This is especially true for children’s books because we want to facilitate inclusion, diversity, and acceptance. Kids can’t be what they can’t see.
  3. A different look. Publishers especially love different illustrative ideas, new art forms for picture books, and innovative uses of space on the page. If you’re an illustrator, this is especially important to set yourself apart from the competition. Think of doing something totally out of the box, as in using scanned images of fabric to create texture and layers, or a style with a paper mache look, or create images that have a ton of depth so that they jump off the page!

The most important thing to remember when submitting your work for consideration is to ensure that your story is strong, the writing is stellar, that you have characters that readers will care about and resonate with, and that you’ve got a fresh take on old problems! All of these things combined make your manuscript practically irresistible to publishers! Check out my number 1 best selling book called Advice from a Publisher (Insider Tips for Getting Your Work Published) here: Advice from a Publisher (Insider Tips for Getting Your Work Published!): Bakker, Lacey L., Goubar, Alex: 9781989506141: Books – Amazon.ca

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Start, Stop, Never Finish

March 8, 2021– We’ve got a great question today that seems to plague a lot of authors! Let’s dive right in:

Q: “I’m a new writer with a ton of ideas and a very active imagination. I have (no exaggeration) hundreds of story starters which help me write a few chapters, but then my writing fizzles out. I can never seem to finish what I start! This includes not only writing, but hobbies, crafts, and classes. Please help!”

A: I hear this a lot, so you are not alone. It’s wonderful that you have so many story starters; sometimes starting a novel is difficult, but it sounds like the ending is the hardest part in your case. Ask yourself the following questions:

  1. Are you writing yourself into a corner? Sometimes what happens is that we write ourselves into a corner. What this means is that we write with no clear direction and we end up hitting a dead end with no where else to go. Outlining can provide you with a specific plan that allows you to know everything you need to know about your story to keep writing.
  2. Are you outlining? Outlining, as mentioned above, allows us to know what happens in our story in regards to characters, character developments, plot, climax, and all of the elements of our book. Without outlining, we don’t have a target. And you can’t hit a target that you can’t see!
  3. Are you setting a specific time to write each day? Sitting down to write every single day is a discipline that takes dedication. Carving out time in your schedule to get the words on the page is the best way to ensure that you finish your work. If you’re having a hard time starting, set a timer to write for ten minutes.
  4. Are you beginning with the end in mind? I’ve never written a book where I didn’t have a clear picture of how it ended. If you don’t write with the end in mind, you’re more likely to get stuck and not finish what you’ve started. Some writers like to have their characters tell them what to write, but I prefer to direct them to where I want them to go.
  5. Are you remembering your past successes? Sometimes we can be discouraged when we write and feel as though we’re getting nowhere. But, take a second when you’re feeling low to remember all of your past successes and everything that you’ve finished! You can do this, you just need to get organized and excited to write!

If you’ve answered these questions and you’re still having trouble with finishing your work, we can help! Send us an email to pandapublishing8@gmail.com for more information and check out my number 1, best selling book here: Advice from a Publisher (Insider Tips for Getting Your Work Published!): Bakker, Lacey L., Goubar, Alex: 9781989506141: Books – Amazon.ca

 

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Advice from a Publisher

December 10, 2020-Today I’ll be dishing out advice! I love getting questions from aspiring writers and here’s a great question from one of our readers. Pick up your copy of Advice from a Publisher (Insider tips for getting your work published) here: https://pandamoniumpublishing.com/product/advice-from-a-publisher-insider-secrets-for-getting-your-work-published/

Q: “Lacey, I’ve written a book about the history of baseball and want to use photographs throughout my book, what do I need to know and is this possible?”
A: Great question! This whole copyrighting issue can get a bit messy at times, so let me explain how it works when wanting to use images that you don’t own. 

  1. Stock Images: You can use stock images that have no attribution required. There are multiple sites online that have stock images that you can use however you’d like. No attribution required means that you don’t have to give credit to the photographer or the owner of the image.
  2. Public Domain: Did you know that all images published before January 1, 1923, in the United States are now public domain? See if the images you’d like to use are in this category, because you may not need permission to use them.
  3. Buy Photos: You can always buy photos from the photographer on sites like istockphoto.com, Shutterstock, and Fotosearch.

For the rest of my answer and more insider tips, check out my book Advice from a Publisher here: https://www.amazon.ca/Advice-Publisher-Insider-Getting-Published/dp/1989506143/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1607423469&sr=8-1