While trying to get my book published through traditional routes, I developed a relationship with an agent. She liked the book but she wasn’t willing to take me on as a client. I asked why. She told me that my platform wasn’t big enough.
(I was pretty psyched that she was returning my emails at this point because her correspondence was more that I had received from any of the others in the publishing industry outside of form rejection letters)
I asked what an author platform was.
“Become an expert,” she said, “Get published in newspapers and magazines, create a blog following, and do some speaking engagements.”
After her response, I pushed my luck with one last question and asked, “If I do all of these things, would you consider me as a client?”
“You bet,” was her answer.
I took this little bit of encouragement and decided that I could wait no longer for my message to get out there. I decided to create a publishing company and self-publish the book. Throughout the process, however, I took the agent’s advice. I wrote. I connected on the Internet. I booked speaking gigs. I became an expert. As my book came into being, I did one more thing, I stayed in touch with the agent.
When my book cover was done, I sent her an email with the cover attached, “What do you think?” I asked.
When my title was decided upon, I sent another email, “How do you like the title?”
When my book was completed, I sent her a copy of the book.
Finally, after I sent her an email showing my Amazon sales ranking, she finally said the words I had longed to hear, “Are you looking for representation to have this booked picked up by a publisher?”
The rest is history. I’ve been with Verna Dreisbach with Dreisbach Literary Management ever since. Six months into our relationship and Ms. Dreisbach and I were signing a bona fide publishing contract with AMACOM books!
My book, It Gets Easier! and Other Lies We Tell New Mothers, will be released by AMACOM in June 2009.
After I had signed with her agency, I asked Verna why she had finally decided to take me on as a client.
“You did everything I asked you to do,” she said. “You would be surprised how rarely that happens with authors.”
This sounds like something I’ve read before by a famous book marketing guru. What’s that guy’s name?
-- Besides being the author of It Gets Easier ... and Other Lies We Tell New Mothers, Claudine Wolk is also the website owner of http://www.Help4NewMoms.com and a blogger at http://help4newmoms.blogspot.com.
