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Oceanside, CA - 760-630-2677
Frequently Asked Questions On a fairly regular basis, I get phone calls at my office that begin something like this: "Hi. I was referred to you by so-n-so [someone in the Christian communications field], who thought you might help me. I have just finished a manuscript for a book that God led me to write, and now I could use some guidance on where to go from here." The caller is typically a sincere, genuine Christian with a meaningful message of some sort, and I want to help all I can. I enjoy these conversations, since I find it exciting to hear what messages God is sharing with his human spokespersons! However, I often don't have time to answer everything as I should, or I later realize I left something out of the question/answer session, so I've compiled a list of FAQ's, or Frequently Asked Questions to send along when these calls come in. Hopefully, you will find some of these answers helpful, and begin to figure out "where to go from here." First, I need to recommend three must-have resources that, when you obtain them, will answers more questions than you realized you had! You can obtain all three from CLASServices: 1-800-433-6633 or www.classervices.com. (There are many more resources on the web site that may interest you.) 1. The Complete Guide to Christian Writing and Speaking, edited by Susan Titus Osborn. The title says it all! The contributors to this gem are all "insiders" in the Christian publishing industry, and their advice is invaluable. Everything is in here, from tips to better writing, to the scoop on copyright law, to how to write a book proposal, to negotiating book contracts, and much more. 2. Christian Writers' Market Guide, by Sally E. Stuart. This reference tool is updated yearly and published by Harold Shaw. It features hundreds of book and magazine publishers and the names to contact at each one, including how they like to receive your material. There is an exhaustive list of subjects/topics and which publishers match with each. Also included are all sorts of lists, among them one for Christian Writers' Conferences and Workshops (you'll see below how I feel about these!). You'll also find listings for Area Christian Writers' Clubs, Fellowship Groups, and Critique Groups, Editorial Services, and Christian Literary Agents. Are you convinced you need this book yet? You should be, because you do! 3. Getting Started in Christian Speaking & Writing (Two-cassette tape set) by Marita Littauer and Gayle Roper. This tape package will give you the answers to your questions regarding getting started in speaking and writing. Marita Littauer will guide you on speaking. From her you will gain valuable insights on topics such as knowing if you are ready, setting fees, creating promotional materials, and being represented by CLASS' Speakers Service. CLASS staff member Gayle Roper addresses writing. As the author of 25+ books, she answers many questions common to beginning writers, including how to research your topic, self edit your work, contact publishers, and much more. This two-tape package is a must for everyone interested in getting started in speaking and writing. OK, now for the FAQ's. Q: How do I get my manuscript published? A: To be honest, this question should have been asked, and the answer discovered BEFORE you started writing your manuscript! There are so many different publishers, with so many guidelines, that it is best to start out with a particular publisher in mind, or a few of them you want to target. However, if you didn't do this, all is certainly not lost, but you may have to do a bit of rewriting after you research the publishers and find out their requirements. Get the books mentioned above and do some homework. Q: Would it be worthwhile to go to a writers' conference with my manuscript? A: Emphatically, YES! The faculty at writers' conferences is largely comprised of EDITORS from publishing houses! You will be able to sit down with one or more and pitch your book idea. Research the conference ahead of time, find out which editors are coming, learn about their publishing houses, get Christian Writers' Market Guide and prepare your material according to their guidelines. Editors go to these conferences specifically to discover new authors. They know that the more serious writers will invest their time and money in their writing development, and will show up at a writers' conference. In 2002, CLASServices, Inc. took over the management of the Glorieta Christian Writers Conference. It is held in October near Santa Fe, New Mexico. We'd love to see you there! Q: What about getting a literary agent? A: Literary agents are becoming increasingly influential in the Christian communications industry. If you are a first time author, it's unlikely that an agent will take you on. There are exceptions to this, but don't feel bad if you can't get signed on with one. After you have been published a couple times by representing yourself, there is a higher likelihood of an agent investing his or her effort in you. In Christian Writers' Market Guide there is a good list of agents. Q: When should a writer decide to self-publish his/her book? A: Many writers are very successful through self-publishing. Others are not. Try first to be published by a publishing house that matches who you are and what you are writing about. If that doesn't work out, there are many self-publishing operations that will basically do all that a publishing house does, except you pay for them to do it. Check out several before deciding upon one. Here are three that have a solid reputation in the Christian marketplace:
There are far more self-publishing operations available than I have mentioned. Whomever you investigate, insist on seeing a number of their recent books and get the names and numbers of at least three authors to question about their satisfaction with the operation. One strong recommendation: hire your own editor before you submit the manuscript for processing! For some reason, the self-publishing operations don't always do the best job of editing. Consider hiring The Christian Communicator Manuscript Critique Service. (christiancommunicator.com). Susan Osborn and her team are pros. It's worth the investment. Q: If I do self-publish, how do I get the book distributed? A: That's a very important question! It's amazing how many people don't even consider their book's distribution! The best thing is to have a three-pronged approach. Prong one is to get picked up by one of the major distributors to Christian bookstores. They are:
Prong two is to have a toll-free number where people can call you directly. Some of the self-publishers mentioned above also offer fulfillment services, and will take orders for you (for a fee or percentage, of course). Then there are "fulfillment houses" that will take credit card orders over the phone for you with a live operator 24 hours a day (or nearly), 7 days a week. These are a couple I've known of:
Prong three is via the Internet. You should have your own web site with ordering capability, and you should be listed at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and ChirstianBook.com. I haven't done the research about how to get into these distributors, but it is increasingly important to do so! Online sales is a must. If you have all three of these distribution channels in place, you can say in your marketing and publicity efforts "To purchase this book, either ask your local Christian bookstore to order it, or visit this web site (____________), or call this toll-free number right now!" One other note about long-term distribution. Truly the best ongoing means of selling books is if you are a speaker and can have a book table set up at each speaking engagement. Q: I have done some speaking, and would like to do more. Where do I begin to promote my name on the speaking circuit? A: There really isn't a Christian "speaking circuit" in existence, as you may be imagining it, but there are ways to get connected. The very best way is to get involved with Christian Leaders, Authors & Speakers Services. In a nutshell, CLASS is "the complete service organization for both the aspiring and established Christian author, speaker, and publisher." These are the main things CLASS offers:
Call the CLASServices headquarters (at 1-800-433-6633) and ask for the current CLASS Communiqué, which is the organization's quarterly newsletter and complete book and tape catalog. Take special note of the section "Books and Tapes to Enhance Your Speaking and Writing Skills." Also ask for the CLASSeminar brochure, which will give you all the information on the content of this one-of-a-kind program, as well as the dates and locations of upcoming ones. It travels around the country, so chances are it will be somewhere near you within the next year. CLASS's web site is www.classervices.com. Bookmark it so you can stay up-to-date on all the latest from this uniquely helpful organization! Q: Once my book comes out, whether traditionally or self-published, how do I get the word out to people that it is available? A: If you're going tackle your own promotion, I recommend two good books:
If you decide to hire help with publicizing your book, consider CLASS Promotional Services! Our mission is to provide successful promotional campaigns for Christian communicators. We do that by obtaining targeted exposure via Christian radio and TV talk show interviews on key programs with national and regional audience coverage. Representation by CLASS gives you exposure, visibility, and credibility. (The CLASS web site provides fee information. Also see my article, "What You Need to Know About Your Book's Promotion.") It should be evident that there is no single answer to the question "What do I do with my manuscript now?" You have a number of options to learn about and consider. Again, I suggest you get the resources mentioned at the beginning of this article through CLASServices, and study them well. You will then be on your way to getting published. I hope to hear from you again just before your book hits the market and you are ready to launch the promotional campaign. Kim Garrison is Director of Services of CLASS Promotional Services, LLC, in Oceanside, CA. She can be reached at 760-630-2677, 9 AM - 5 PM Pacific Time, or via e-mail at ClassyKim@cox.net.
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"
CLASS is phenomenal -- the absolute best publicity
firm in America today! I've hired CLASS over and
over for years and I never lose money with them.
They always perform way above my highest
expectations. I wholeheartedly recommend them to
everyone!" "After
completing a national book tour, we told our
publisher that we wanted to continue promoting our
book, but we needed help to find a great publicist.
Our editor checked with others in the business and
came up with three names, all considered to be
terrific. Of the three, we asked CLASS Promotional
Services to represent us and we have been thrilled
with the choice. Kim Garrison has kept us busy with
interviews, and the hosts of the shows she has
arranged for us have been outstanding to work with.
If you're looking for a great publicist, consider
CLASS. We're glad we did!"
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