Do you want to be a published author of a self-help book? Then my first word of advice is—Don’t waste your time writing a manuscript! No matter what anyone else has told you, or how much effort and time you’ve put into it—don’t write another word.
Common sense tells you that you can’t sell a product (your book) to a publisher without having that product in hand. If you want to sell home-canned pickles or used cars, yes, you must have your product in sellable shape. In fact, if you want to sell a work of fiction or other forms of nonfiction, you must have a completed manuscript before an acquisitions editor will give you the time of day. People buying pickles, used cars, romance novels or memoirs want to check out the product before they’ll agree to buy.
Now Hear This! The self-help book publishing industry isn’t like any other kind of business!
I’ve authored, co-authored and ghost written over 20 self-help books and I have never written the manuscript before I landed a contract and cashed the advance check. Never.
How can this be true of self-help book publishing and not the others? Here are 4 reasons not to waste your time writing a manuscript:
1. Self-help book acquisitions editors do not want to see your completed manuscript.
They want to see your proposal and a writing sample. This might seem odd, but it’s true because…
2. These editors want to be a part of the creative process.
Since they are at the front of the market trends and know what’s selling, and what’s not, they want to share that knowledge with you while you’re writing the final manuscript. Their input is invaluable. You might be an expert in your topic area, but you’re not a publishing professional. Trust what they say—they know what will work and what will fizzle. Their interest in you isn’t because of your manuscript, it’s because…
3. They believe you have the potential to produce a successful self-help book, which may or may not be the book you propose.
Publishers are looking for first-time authors—fresh new talent that can write a series of bestselling self-help books. Let’s say that you spend six months to several years writing your manuscript. What if they love you and your idea, but want to focus the book in another, more competitive direction? In fact…
4. Submitting a completed manuscript may actually hurt your chances of getting a contract because it shows that you are an amateur.
Wait! Didn’t I just say that publishers were looking for first-time authors? Oh, yes. They are. It’s okay to be a first-time author—as long as you don’t act like an amateur. Publishers don’t have time to teach you what you should already know about the publishing industry. If they get the idea that you require a lot of hand-holding and instruction, they may pass on you for other first-time authors who have done their homework. Your job is to convince them that you’re worth the investment of their time and the thousands and thousands of dollars their company will invest in you to get your book edited, produced and sold.
So, stop writing your manuscript—and use that time to learn all you can about the self-help book publishing industry. One of the first things you’ll discover is that publishers want a proposal, which is more like a sales pitch than anything else. What’s in a proposal? Well, finding that out is your homework assignment for today.