Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Shawn Lamb on January 23, 2012 at 5:18am

Sound like you're putting the cart before the horse since your manuscript isn't complete. You can start promoting it yourself on blogs, forums, etc.., but when involving professionals it's good to have a complete project to offer. Upon what are they going to base the synopsis if the manuscript is still in the edit phase? The story can change.

Research publicity and marketing firm who offer such services for future use, but don't employ anyone until your manuscript is complete.

Permalink Reply by Sally Panayiotou on January 23, 2012 at 5:46am

Hi Shawn. Thanks very much for commenting - sorry, I wasn't clear in my original post that this is thinking ahead to when it's complete so I have a plan in mind. I complete agree that it isn't ready for this now.

Useful to know that there are marketing and publicity firms who can take this on though, I'll look into that.

Thank you!

Permalink Reply by Shawn Lamb on January 23, 2012 at 5:54am

You're welcome. It is good to plan ahead. :)

Permalink Reply by Judith Marshall on January 23, 2012 at 10:07am

Of course, you can find someone to write your synopsis and/or cover letter.  There are more people making money off of writers than writers making money (that's my motto.)  The key is you'll pay a fortune for this service, mainly because to do a good job, the person will have to read your manuscript.  I strongly recommend that you do these two things yourself, with the help and guidance of those of us who have done it and professional resources. It will be a great learning experience.  I know it was for me.  You also may come up with your "elevator speech," which you'll need for pitching your book. You can google "how to write and synopsis" and "how to write a query letter" and get lots of good tips. Once your manuscript is complete, give it a try before opting for outsourcing.

Judith Marshall

Author of "Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever," optioned for the big screen.

Permalink Reply by Sally Panayiotou on January 23, 2012 at 1:56pm

Hi Judith, ha-ha, that is soooo true - "There are more people making money off writers than writers making money."

This is really good advice and that comment certainly makes me stop and think - stop being so naive; stop being so lazy and just sit down and put some work into it (this is me telling myself this, rather than taking that from you as your comment was really supportive!).

Thank you so much!

Permalink Reply by Judith Marshall on January 23, 2012 at 2:02pm

Don't be too hard on yourself.  We all hate having to write a synopsis and a query letter.

Permalink Reply by dianejwright on January 23, 2012 at 11:58am

Sally, don't be afraid. You're writing A BOOK! You CAN write a query. Yes, you can hire someone but I believe that your query will work best when it reeks of you, inside and out. A good writer will be able to mimic your tone, sure, but still...

I'm betting that if you set aside two hours to read up on queries as well as to read several successful sample queries from your genre in order to internalize the rhythm, you'll be just fine. Take a deep breath and start here: Back to Basics: The Query Letter & Outlines, Treatments, & Pitches.

After you've taken a stab at it, show it to a trusted writer friend along with a couple of sample queries you liked. Use their feedback the send it off! Why not? Good luck to you. You can do this. And good for you for wanting to do it well right from the start. You're already stepping ahead of the pack.

djw

Permalink Reply by Sally Panayiotou on January 23, 2012 at 2:00pm

Aw, thank you, Diane for your kind words. You're absolutely right. Ridiculously, if someone came to me with their book I'd probably relish having a bash at writing their pitch material, so it's daft that I see it as such a chore when it comes to doing my own! 

Thank you for the support. 

Permalink Reply by dianejwright on January 23, 2012 at 3:35pm

Not daft, just unfamiliar. After all, if we all wanted to sell books, we'd be agents, wouldn't we? But we are who we are and can do quite a lot to help those who are agents find our work, understand it readily, and make their jobs just that much easier. At least, that's how I look at it. Be gentle with yourself. We're all right here with you.

djw