Advice to an Aspiring Author

A writer who aspires to be an author asked me for some advice some years ago, clearly frustrated by the publishing barriers facing unknowns. She said, “I’ve talked to various people (including an agent) and done some research, and it seems to me that the current advice for aspiring authors is either (1) write a blog, become famous, and then we’ll publish your work (maybe), or (2) already be famous or someone in a high profile job, like megachurch pastor, and then we’ll publish your work (maybe). Not being famous or likely to be, I thought I’d ask you about your editing and/or publishing coach services, and whether you have time open right now.”

Here’s my response (updated and edited):

I’m not going to snow you. The advice you’ve received is pretty accurate–but there are always exceptions. Publishers are risk-averse these days and are looking for people with solid platforms (meaning: many people who know them and are eager to buy their books)–hence the emphasis on blogs and megachurch pastors. Substack is another necessity, I have run into this problem myself, being an independent journalist and writer.

There are two ways to look at this:

1. What is your platform?

I understand you are not famous; most of us aren’t! But are you able to connect with readers (and potential buyers) of your book? Publishers will look at your church, organization, conferences, websites, social media, etc., to determine this. Are you credible on this topic, and on your ability to sell the book? They want to know if they can sell enough copies to make the risk of investing in you and your book worthwhile.

It is very much a bottom-line business, with little wishful thinking allowed. That’s why you’ll see a lot of questionable books and authors get published–because they sell.

2. What is the book?

For nonfiction, is it something new, or a fresh take on a perennial issue? Can you demonstrate this? Is it worthwhile? Professional? Compelling? Comprehensive? Clear? In short, does it sing?

For fiction, is your book interesting, new, or a fresh take on a familiar theme? Does there appear to be a market for it?

Regarding the platform, if yours is weak, you might consider demonstrating to publishers that you can sell the book anyway. To do this, you’d need to consider self-publishing first and then trying to sell it through your channels, including but not limited to book parties. I can evaluate your platform and work with you to build it.

This website, and the books it features, is an example of self-publishing. I take all the risk and spend all the money, but I potentially will reap all the rewards. I'm open to offers from outside publishers, of course, but this is not necessarily the goal.

Regarding the writing, I can evaluate your manuscript, edit it, rewrite it, etc., to bring it up to professional standards. I cannot, however, guarantee that a publisher will take it.

The thing all writers have to think about is whether they write only to get published, or whether they write because they have a purpose and a passion. Getting published is a worthy goal, but it can be a long and hard road, with no guarantees. If you truly believe you have been called you to write, you won’t be able to not write, if you know what I mean! It will cost you a lot of sweat equity and money, and only you can decide if it’s worth it.

I write because I have gifts in that area, love influencing people, enjoy the process of creating characters and worlds, and can make money doing it–although I’m not getting rich (few authors do). In one sense, I write because I can’t not write!

So I hope that gives you some things to think about. Maybe it gave you more than you wanted! In any event, I’m happy to discuss my services if you’re interested in proceeding. Thanks for contacting me.

Best wishes,

Stan