Got a Great Book Idea You Just Can’t Get Started on? This Could be the Jump Start you’ve Been Needing!

Yes, You CAN Publish a Self Help Book That Is Read by Thousands … But ONLY If You Know How to Play the Game Right.

From the Desk of
Suzanne Falter-Barns,
Essex, NY, on Lake Champlain

Dear Coach, Speaker, Infopreneur or Author-to-be:

Did you know that every day another handful of self-help books get sold in the hallowed halls of major publishing?

And … at the same time, another hundred or so get soundly rejected?

The fact is that big agents, editors and publishers badly need your expertise and insights. Without great content, they’re out of business. BUT … they are also creatures of habit who are not used to thinking outside the box.

So when you approach them, you have to follow very specific rules of engagement – not to do so simply shoots your good book idea in the foot.

The following information is for anyone who is nursing along the idea of a self help book, but

1. You have no idea where to begin the process of selling that idea
   
   
2. You have no idea what’s needed to attract a New York literary agent
   
   
3. You’ve started a book or possibly a book proposal … and there it sits in your desk, unfinished

Lesson Number One: Don’t Write Your Book Yet!

Stop writing your manuscript right now! Trust me on this … it’s not where you start.

Since time began, non-fiction … and self help … has been sold with a well-done, professional proposal, a sample chapter or two and an outline of content. To submit anything more than that indicates you are a rank amateur.

Instead, your non-fiction book idea needs to be built around a well-thought book proposal. It should cover everything from the content of the book to how it would be sold … to what your platform is. (I’ll tell you more on this in a moment.)

Why Editors are Harder Than Ever to Impress These Days

The publishing industry took a serious hit around September 11th, and it hasn’t been the same since. People simply read less. The Internet, television, online gaming, mp3 players and the technical revolution have changed book readership forever … and so book sales are down.

And that makes it harder than ever to sell your book idea to a major publisher.

But there is still hope!

Publishing fiction, self-help in particular, with a major publisher is actually more doable than you think. But you have to know how to approach it correctly. They’re actually more eager than ever for the books that will truly strike a national nerve and sell big.

Why Self Publishing is Not the Easy Solution You May Think It is

So you may be reading this saying … yeah, well shouldn’t I just self-publish then?

Well, you could, but to start there is a mistake.

First of all, let’s acknowledge the dirty little secret about self-publishing that few people recognize going in. That process is ALL about marketing; you have to be even better at marketing with a self-published title than you do with a major book deal.

Otherwise, you get stuck with a garage full of books, or fees down the drain to a print-on-demand publisher.

A major publishing deal, on the other hand, is the fastest, easiest way to get known for what you do on the book front. Their distribution can’t be beat. If you self publish you may sell 500 or, if you’re lucky, a few thousand copies. But with a big publisher, you’re looking at anywhere from 20,000 to several hundred thousand readers.

I’ve done it, and I’ve seen my clients do it in spades. Some even have book publishers and agents call them cold – and they’ve some done very sweet deals!

But to make that happen, you have to understand the publishing game. And you have to set about creating a book proposal AND an online presence that really builds credibility and trumpets your expertise.

An on-line … what?

That would be the ‘platform’ part of this piece … and here’s where the industry secret part of this equation comes in.

In addition to a kick-ass book proposal, you also need a blog or possibly a conventional website that really spells out who you are, your impact, and your expertise.

And no, the site you may have put up three or four years ago that’s just sitting there probably won’t do it for you … or it would have already. Right?

I Want to Teach You the Insider Secrets on Getting Published Now

The truth is that books are hard to sell these days because most writers don’t know how to approach publishers. They assume that it only takes a good idea, and perhaps a few sample chapters to get a publishing deal.

Publishers are looking for authors who have a great book idea AND understand book marketing. They want you to come in with promotion and merchandising strategies; to have a clearly defined market for your ideas, and know exactly where to find your readers.

They want a WHOLE LOT MORE than just a book. They even want you to know your competition cold …. and that’s just for starters.

So ask yourself … do you know your project well enough, and how to market it, to create a sellable proposal right now?

Take this Quick Quiz... Do You Know Enough Yet to Create a Sellable Book Proposal? Name Email We'll also send you, with our compliments, Suzanne's bi-monthly ezine, Expert Status. You'll get lots of practical insider tips for building platform now! (value $97) We'll never sell, rent, trade, or share your e-mail with anyone!

“Thanks for helping me personally break into the publishing world!” “After doing the Self Help Author’s Crash Course, I pitched my book to an Executive Editor of a publishing house on an airplane. He told me that he wished all of his authors understood the publishing world the way I seemed to. I really credit your course, Suzanne, for giving me the ‘insider perspective’ .” Persephone Zill, www.persephonezill.com

 

Want the Inside Scoop on Selling Your Book Idea? Here’s Everything You Need …

My goal is to teach you all the inside information you need to impress agents and editors – so your proposal stands out from the other thirty sitting on their desk. That’s what my Platform Publishing Bundle is all about.

It tells you virtually EVERYTHING you need to know to get not only your proposal together, but the basics of your platform as well.

The first piece is my Self Help Author’s Crash Course. In this box you’ll find a product I designed to give you an unfair advantage over the competition.

The Self Help Author’s Crash Course gives you a complete support system to lock onto a great self help book idea, and craft a professional, publisher-ready book proposal that really gets attention.

It helps to have 12 high-energy CD’s of my recorded classes packed with information and inspiration that you can follow along, week by week, or listen to all at once.

And it helps to have step-by-step exercises all packed into a fat, handy Field Guide.

It also helps to have an e-group of fellow authors-to-be you can share resources with, who are all on the same track as you!

I created this home study course to give you the intense shot of inspiration and information you need to make your book into a reality. I provide laser-like information, much needed support, and trade secrets to help you unleash your truth, and share it with the world.

This is a jam packed program that cuts out the fat, and allows you to kick in and get the job done.

But Wait … There’s More – And This is Actually the Most Critical Piece

I’ll never forget when one of my students came back from attending her first BookExpo (the industry’s biggest trade show.) ‘Suzanne, you were right!” she exclaimed. “Everywhere I went, agents, editors, salespeople … they are all talking about ‘author platform’.”

Your ‘platform’ is your reach in the world – how well you are known by people in your market, and by the media.

It’s the final, most critical piece to selling your book – for you must convince your agent, editor and publisher that you are coming in with more than a great proposal … you need platform, too!

To get platform you have to have more than a book in hand. That book needs to be part of a brand that establishes you as an expert. That’s where the blue ocean strategy, market research, optimized keyphrases, blog, ezine (electronic newsletter), headshots and more come in.

Your brand needs to be not only compelling to readers, but to the media as well. And your online presence needs to be set up so you can capture reader email addresses and build an impressive list for your publisher. And it must to be optimized with all the tools you need to blast your blog all over the world.

Without Platform – and a Branded Blog – You and Your Book Simply Don’t Stand a Chance

By the way, did you know that 79% of the major media find all their story ideas, interview subjects and experts from blogs … not conventional websites? Source: Columbia School of Journalism

It needs to be clear that you are already well-known in your field -- that there are already people out there who will buy your book. And trust me here … if you follow the right steps and set up a truly platform friendly blog … and promote it … they will come!

So when you proposal sits on an important desk the editor or agent can flip through it and see that you come to them with a tight idea, awesome marketing ideas, and … glory be … platform!

Then when they have to sell your proposal internally to those who write the checks, they can say that golden phrase: ‘Wait til you see this author’s platform!”

A lack of author platform is the deal-breaker on many, many otherwise interesting proposals out there.

And that, friends, is what makes your book pitch truly irresistible to publishers. Which, thanks to the power of the Web, is infinitely possible for you to create.

You just need to be steered in the right direction.

Hot Tip: The Real Money Won’t Come From Your Book … It Will Come From Your Platform

Here’s a juicy extra: Creating an airtight platform can also help you make more of a living from your book. These days an awful lot of book deals come in at the $15k-20K range.

That would be the advance you get against publishing. Which, hopefully (but not always), you get to keep if the book doesn’t sell.

That’s chump change for your hard-won year of blood, sweat and toil writing the book, right? But there is a wonderful way around that.

When you create your online platform, you are essentially setting up an online business around your book. You might add simple free tools, like an ezine or bonus. Or you might sell a smaller item like a companion workbook or a simply audio CD.
 

For me, the real money has been creating a branded workshop to go with my book, and then licensing it out to lots of folks who want to lead it. (That would be my Joy Facilitator’s Training.) That program alone has provided me with enough income to live comfortably for the last three years – AFTER MY BOOK WENT OUT OF PRINT.

So, yeah, platform works … on a whole lot of levels!

In fact, I have roughly three times more traffic now than I did when my books were in print. (And back in those days, sales were great because my book served as a ‘calling card’ for my site.)

Frankly, I just can’t say enough about how effective your branded site/blog can be in setting up your on-going business as more than just an author.

Learn More About Platform in a Box

But don’t listen to me... Here’s what some of my students have to say:

“The Self Help Author's Crash Course was invaluable... it exceeded my expectations.” “I was incredibly naive about doing a book. I worried about many of the wrong things and didn't consider a whole range of issues that I needed to. The Self Help Author’s Crash Course was invaluable in its details.” - Beth Cole, www.beth-cole.com

 

In this twelve lesson "crash course" you'll learn everything you need to know to craft a sellable self-help book concept.

(Of course, we make no guarantees that your work will definitely sell; no reputable book coaching program would. But we will do our best to support you to make your book concept as sharp and appealing as it can be.)

In this program, you will:

	Polish (or uncover) the self-help book concept that you, and you alone, can write
	Complete a professional-quality self-help book proposal that is ready to be shown to agents and publishers
	Learn your best 'writer's hours' ' and set up a schedule that makes time for your writing
	Begin the process of writing chapters from your heart
	Develop your own unique voice as a writer and gain confidence in your ability to write a book
	Get in touch with the spiritual necessity of your book
	Create compelling exercises for readers
	Learn why you need an agent and how to find the right one
	Learn trade secrets on how to market and sell self-help books without a PhD or other academic credentials
	Learn basics on how to build your platform as a self-help expert that will help you get published
	Discover the key components that all successful self-help books share
	Find sources for stories, and other important research resources
	Learn more about how the publishing business works, and where you fit into it
	Uncover valuable resources and information for self-publishing and e-book publishing, too

The12-lesson course comes in a jam-packed folio of 12 CD’s which you listen to anytime – while driving, relaxing, walking (in an MP3 player.)

In addition, you’ll get an abundant Field Guide of additional tools, resources and reading, plus complete class outlines and homework assignments.

It’s a handy workbook that can serve as a valuable reference tool for years.

AND you get a wonderful, interactive online discussion group of fellow Self Help Author's To Be who are all doing this work at the same time! We'll send you instructions for joining the group in our welcome email to you.

I tested this course live over two years, leading it for more than 100 writers. And I found some something surprising:

Once writers got in touch with what this book proposal thing is REALLY all about, a full 68% changed their book concept substantially from the beginning of the course to the end.

Why? As they dug into the material, and learned just what publishers need from them, many writers chose to refine their concepts and alter them.

Then many went on to complete their platform as well … and get that up and running – and building a list for them – BEFORE they ever finished the proposal.

Why It Really is Now or Never if You Want a Book Deal

Do keep in mind, however, that by the time your proposal reaches the desk of a New York Literary Agents, it’s too late to refine and rethink your concept.

The answer will be a yes … or a no. So that’s why book concept development has to happen sooner, rather than later.

So that means you MUST get your proposal right from the get-go. You simply don’t have a choice.

Who Should Take this Course:

	Any kind of writer, from total beginner to seasoned pro … even those who don't consider themselves writers at all
	Anyone with a self-help book concept they know they want to share
	Coaches and other leaders and teachers who need more ways to get their words out
	Professional speakers seeking expanded credibility, better back of the room sales, and new product lines
	Corporate consultants and seminar leaders wishing to expand their markets, and leave clients with powerful, tangible tools
	Therapists and those in the helping professions who wish to connect with a wider audience

Who Should NOT Take this Course:

	Anyone who wants to write and publish material not specifically self-help in nature (i.e. fiction, mystery, historic, biography, children's books, etc.)
	Anyone not seriously committed to developing their self help book ideas
	Anyone who’d rather sit back and ‘think about’ their book some more. (Yep you may not be ready yet. Or are you just procrastinating?)

Who Am I … and Why Should I Know Anything About This?

OK, so I am an author.

I wrote the creativity classics How Much Joy Can You Stand? and Living Your Joy, and published them both with the world’s biggest publisher (Random House.)

Important Caveat: The promise of The Self Help Author’s Crash Course is to help you craft a publisher-ready book proposal. This means you'll have homework assignments to do between listening to the classes. These include Fast Trackers Homework, for those who want to make their proposal happen now, plus a weekly Good Writing Habit and a great Daily Practice to get into. We cannot promise you'll receive the full benefit of this course unless homework assignments are completed.

Still Not Convinced?

And just in case you're still waffling about this because you'd like to hear a lesson, well... have a free sample. Click here to download a free audio (MP3) sample of the Self Help Author’s Crash Course . (You’ll want to have a high speed Internet connection for this.)

Get Your Book Launched for Less Than the Cost of a Weekend Away

By now you must be thinking this is going to cost vast sums of cash … but it doesn’t. My commitment here is to making sure you get your book out, so I’m pricing this as affordably as I can.

Forget the fact that I get thousands of dollars for my private consulting.

Forget the fact that I’m one of the few experts out there who can actually steer you right on building the basics of an effective platform AND publishing your self help book … so the media calls you.

Forget the fact that people pay close to 2K for a chance to hang with me at my Taos Writer’s Spa and talk writing.

I will happily pass The Self Help Author’s Crash Course along to you for only $347. About the same as a weekend away in a decent hotel (not including meals). Isn’t your book idea worth it?

Only for the Super Serious: Add Critical Platform

If you decide to REALLY get serious about getting published, you’ll need platform, too, right? So that’s why I make my Platform in a Box Home Study Course available in a special bundled price to all Self Help Authors Crash Course purchasers.

Buy the Program and I’ll Thank You With some Insider Tips on Agents

Still not convinced? How about a little free insider advice?

I wrote up a nifty report called “Ten Mistakes First Time Authors Make When Approaching Agents”. Yep, there’s a right way … and a wrong way … to do this.

This information is based not only on my interviews with New York literary agents, but my own years beating the pavement trying to get these folks to listen. But now, three books and four agent contracts later, I know the deal. And I’d like to share it with you.

Are you ready to stop thinking about publishing self-help, and actually sit down and make it happen?

Are you ready to put your own personal wisdom into words, and share it with the world?

Are you ready to think big and work on attracting a New York literary agent and a major publisher?

We hope the answer is yes. You, alone, have the potential to change the course of your work and the lives of others. I’d love to help you spread your message far and wide.

Here’s to your book! May it go big!

Suzanne Falter-Barns
www.getknownnow.com

P.S. Whether you sign up or not, you might want to receive Suzanne’s free, bi-weekly e-zine, Expert Status. Sign up and you’ll get our valuable free report, ‘25 Top Self Help Literary Agents’.