The truth about agents, rejection, and platforms

A quick note about agents, rejection, and platforms:

Being rejected based on your platform (or lack thereof) does not mean that the literary agent thinks your career path isn’t impressive, that you’re not greatly respected in your field, that you’ve accomplished nothing, or that you do not have anything substantive to say. They likely don’t even think you are lacking in talent, that you should keep your day job, or that there is no hope for you and your book in the wide world of publishing.

The reason that agents care so much about platform is because the editors at publishing companies do. And editors equate platform with potential book sales. This makes sense, of course – if you have X number of fans who are already interacting with your content, then you will likely have X number of fans who will actually purchase your book. And as the publishing house is making an investment in you with the advance they pay, they want to feel comfortable they will make their money back (and more). Agents and editors need to know what IS happening and what HAS happened, not what COULD happen. Even authors choosing to self-publish need to have a platform and to build awareness of their “brand”: fans = money, and if you don’t have the fans, I wouldn’t quit your day job.

It may seem outrageous that someone who has worked in a field for 30 years may not be considered a platform all-star. It may not be “right,” it may not be convenient, but that’s the world we live in and write in. If you’d like to continue to “fight the man,” go ahead. But a change of perspective may be more helpful (and fruitful!). 

The good news is, just because your platform may be in its beginning stages, or it may need a little work, does not mean it will always be that way. Platform is something that people need to constantly be working on – even Oprah is consistently finding new ways to reach out to her fans.

It’s important to remember that not all platforms are the same; it all depends on where your audience is. Some folks build their followings on Twitter or on Instagram, others through speaking engagements or a podcast. Find out where your ideal readers are going and interact with them there. You are aware already that knowing your audience makes you a better writer – after all, it’s all about them, not you – and this thought applies to building a platform, too. Do your research, try, and then try again. And yes, this can be time-consuming (I wish I could say to tweet twenty times a day and publishing success will be yours). 

It’s important to think outside the box when you’re doing this. What are your personal strengths? Look at your competition, or at peers in your field for whom you have great respect. What are they doing that seems to be working? How can you put your own spin on it and make those ideas work for you, too? If you can’t make the process fun, think of it as an inevitable, like doing your taxes, waiting in line at the DMV, or paying off your student loans.

If you’re at the beginning, don’t be discouraged. Writing a whole book seemed pretty impossible at one point, right? Nothing will happen overnight. Platform is about the long term, not the short term, even if you want to just write this one book and then wipe your hands clean of this crazy industry. Slowly but surely, you will start growing your tribe. And the people that are excited for this book will be excited for your next one, and the one after that. 

Introducing the Author’s Roadmap, a boutique service offered to authors who are ready, really ready, to realize their long-held dreams of being published.

First we’ll begin with a 60-minute call in which we’ll get to know one another. You tell me about you and your book and what your big, audacious dreams are for getting it published (and even after that). You ask me whatever questions you have and together we identify which roadblocks are keeping you from getting to your last stop.

After we meet, you’ll send me your manuscript and I’ll dive deep within it, identifying which aspects will be most attractive to publishers, literary agents, and readers – and which might need a little work (and then I’ll tell you how to fix them).

Finally, I’ll give you the steps you will need to take to get your book published, and beloved by readers everywhere. Looking for a literary agent? I’ll tell you how to get there. Self-publishing? I’ll get you there, too.

It can be hard to know which way to go, and the options can feel overwhelming.

I’m here to get you where you need to be: published.

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Writing a Self-Help Book 101

Do you want to help people change and improve their lives? Do you want to make a difference? I’ll bet you’re considering writing a self-help book.

I don’t blame you. It’s a beautiful thing to want to help, and there will always be a market out there for self-help – people will always want (and need) to get better, and they will always be in search of new, fresh voices to help guide them in their quests for self-improvement.

The bad news? This is also a very crowded field – according to the NPD Group, in 2019 alone, 85,253 new self-help titles were published, and 18.6 million books were sold. That’s a lot of helping!

So, what you can you do to stand out from the pack? You should always be working on your author platform, for one. Then, you need to make sure that your book is the best it can possibly be.

Before you get started, be careful about the following things:

• Choose your topic wisely – as mentioned above, self-help is a crowded marketplace, and you want your book to stand out. You also want to make sure that this is a topic you know enough about to position yourself as an expert, and that you care enough about the topic to write the book, market it, etc.

• Be specific when choosing your topic. A subject like “how to be a good mom” is too broad; “how to be a compassionate and effective parent to your adolescent daughter” is more specific.

• Know your audience. What are they looking for? What is their biggest pain point?

• Be aware of comparative titles. What books like yours have been super successful? What do they do well? What does your book offer that is better or different? This knowledge will help when pitching and marketing your book, and it will also help you analyze what kinds of books readers need, the best approach to take, etc.

• Choose a title AND a subtitle – the title can be catchy, and the subtitle can explain that the book is about (e.g., Fat Schmat: The Sassy Girl’s Guide to Weight Loss, Manage Sideways: The New Manager’s Guide to Change)

As you’re writing be cognizant about word count. Most self-help books are 40,000-60,000 words, and you definitely want to err on the side of brevity. Not only do most readers want to receive their answers/instructions/guides as quickly as possible, the higher the page count, the more expensive the book will be to publish. (Therefore, fewer books will be sold, which makes the prospective book less attractive to agents, editors, and readers.)

Possibly the most important tip I have for you? OUTLINE. Outline the heck out of your book. You need a map to guide you during the writing process, and to stay focused.

Structure is always important, and when you are starting out, it’s important to stick to the traditional structure as closely as possible. Here’s a good sample structure to follow:

Most books have about 12 chapters (with each chapter is usually about 5,000 words long, including 2,000 words in stories/anecdotes/case studies). Each summary should be 1-3 paragraphs, and should give an indication as to what information will be covered in each chapter and how (client success stories, quizzes/assessments, etc.).

Your book should be laid out in a clear, logical manner. Here is a general structure:

• Chapter 1 – The overview/introduction – this is where you identify/explain the problem/pain. You will likely share your story here, or another particularly powerful one – you want to connect and empathize with the reader.

• Chapter 2 – Here you help the reader identify him or herself as a person desperately needing the information you’re about to offer. You want to introduce your “solution,” and explain why it is effective (i.e., how the reader’s life will benefit).

• Chapters 3-11 – Give the reader the steps they need to follow; expound your ideas of how to solve the problem. Each chapter should build upon the one that precedes it.

• Chapter 12 – I call this the “go forth and conquer” chapter. Here you sum up what the reader will have learned, tie everything together, and end things on a powerful note. Empower the reader to take the necessary steps to change/improve their life. The reader should leave the book feeling like they too can achieve the results you presented in Chapter 1 and 2 sums up book, inspires reader to go out and change their life.

When you’re looking at the chapters themselves, you can consider following this general structure:

• Start with a quote that can set the tone for the pages that follow.

• Identify your goal for the chapter (what do you want the reader to learn?).

• Share a story or two that they can relate to/connect with.

• Make clear why they need the information you’re sharing.

• Tell them what to do next.

• Give a brief summary (this can be done in a short paragraph, or this can be down in a bulleted list of key takeaways, for example).

• Give them an action step (e.g., worksheet to fill out).

As you’re writing:

• Don’t take too much on – don’t try to do all the things. There can always be other books, and you want to make sure you don’t overwhelm the reader with information – make this as easy for them as possible.

• As Denise Duffield-Thomas says, be comfortable being a contributor, not a guru. While you should be an expert in what you are saying, you don’t have to be the expert to end all experts. People want to hear what YOU have to say.

• Do your research. Whether it’s interviewing experts, reading studies, or compiling statistics, you need to have relevant and factual information to back up your statements and claims.

• Give the reader something to do. You want the reader to have as many opportunities as possible to interact with your material. Stories allow them to interact emotionally, but activities (quizzes, worksheets, fill in the blanks) give them the option to review and apply the information they’ve just read.

After you’ve written your first draft:

• Edit (obviously). Go back to your outline and make sure you have followed it as closely as possible. As yourself if you’ve shared enough stories, given the reader enough ways to connect with the information, etc.

• Consider hiring an editor. I don’t mean this in a self-serving way, but it helps to have a person in your corner that has experience editing your type of book.

• Get an amazing book cover designed for you – people really do judge a book by it’s cover.

• Get endorsements – these make a huge difference when they’re splashed on the book’s cover!

• If you’re planning to traditionally publish, write your book proposal (this is what agents and editors will want to see before the manuscript itself).

• Keep working on your platform!

Need a little inspiration? Reedsy put together a great list of some of the best self-help books of all time: https://reedsy.com/discovery/blog/best-self-help-books

I can’t wait for your book to change readers’ lives. See you on bookshelves soon!

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