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I was talking to my agent the other day, and she told me about a new first-book client she represented. The client had written a book about her experiences in getting kicked out of the house at the age of 15. She was a sophomore in high school who suddenly found herself out on her own.
Although it's a chilling tale, it has a happy ending. Not only did the girl manage to find an apartment in which to live, a part-time job, and enough money to keep food on the table, she also finished high school ahead of time and with honors. She found a boyfriend and a full-time job. She bought a car. |
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And then she became wealthy, retired at the ripe old age of 38, and decided to share with others how she did it.
The woman's book is really well written (with the help of an award-winning ghostwriter), and the first pitch her agent sent out got a warm reception and a personal telephone conference with a conventional publisher. He was very interested in her, in her book, and in her platform, which looked really strong.
Twenty minutes after talking with the author and her agent, the publisher turned the project down. Why?
Her platform wasn't strong enough. Oh, sure, she's a marketing genius. She has credentials from here to Fort Knox. She's smart as a whip. But she hasn't lived her platform. And that, according to the publisher, makes it weak.
Now, I'm no judge of great platforms, but I saw this gal's, and I was impressed. I also felt that every single venue she had listed as a means of selling books was easily achievable. The fact that she hadn't yet gotten a government commitment for an order and hadn't yet set up a course in her local extended education school and hadn't yet written her senators and congressional representatives to back her plan shouldn't have mattered. It was clear from her outline that she could do all that easily.
But in the end, it didn't matter. The publisher didn't care. He was looking for what Obama would call a "shovel-ready" platform, one that was solidly in place and ready to shift into action.
All of which goes to show you a couple of things. First, publishers can't always see the forest through the trees. Second, if you hope to sell your next book before you die, start securing a solid platform from which to aid in marketing.
What's that, you say? You're a writer, not a salesman?
If that's true, then you're not a writer, either. Or, at least, you're not likely to become a published writer. But with a little bit of work, a whole lot of brainstorming, and a little bit more work, you can make the leap from unpublished writer to best selling author. Trust me. I know.
Until then...
Smoke if you got 'em.
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