Chapter 4: No platform? Then out-research the competition.

How Research Helped My Book

My music book stood out for its research. At the time, church leaders who spoke on controversial music issues based their opinions on personal opinion and personal experiences, while throwing in an off-beat psychological study or two to try to give it some intellectual credibility. This left a niche (see chapter 3) for me to fill.

I proposed taking the arguments pro and con for the church using modern music, subjecting them to rigorous research in the appropriate fields, and reporting my findings in an objective manner. I actually felt that a respected professor of Psychology, another of Church History, and other scholars should collaborate. But fifteen years ago, the intellectuals weren’t taking the issue too seriously. Christian rock was just a bunch of leftover hippies from the Jesus Movement who decided to mix their new-found faith with rock music. If the big intellectual guns bowed out of the fray, I felt somebody needed to dive in.

So I used Georgia State’s Psychology library to go through decades of research on the psychological and physiological impact of music. I used Emory’s excellent religious library to study the history of church music, discovering that most of the hymns we consider traditional today were often taken from tunes already popular in the secular world at that time.

By pulling together the legitimate research that had already been done in various fields, I offered something of value that others didn’t.

Some of you who aren’t research nerds like me, are asking, “Do I really have to do all that mega research for my book?” Not necessarily. Plenty of popular books are based solely upon personal experience. Some don’t have high profiles. But documented research is a great way to make your proposal stand out from the crowd of purely personal experience books.

In fact, many high platform people depend so heavily upon their platforms that they write sloppy work without doing their homework. Some advice by high profile financial writers is hysterical until I realize that someone may actually take their advice and ruin her financial life. Doing some research and documenting your sources can set you apart from many high profilers and position you as the expert on the subject, giving you a wonderful platform from which you can market your book.

I believe that my objective, dogged research is what motivated people in other countries to translate it into their languages. It’s also why about 30 radio stations wanted to interview me in the months following its publication. I didn’t have to call them. They contacted my publicist at Tyndale House. Positioned as an expert, I also took advantage of speaking opportunities in such neat locations as Holland and Moscow.

A Great Model for Self-Help

Want a great model of a successful self-help book? Take a second look at what some refer to as the daddy of all self-help books, How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie. This time around, don’t read it to get help with your relationships. Read it to figure out why it’s one of the all time international best-sellers, having been translated into almost every live, written language. Although first published way back in 1937, this publishing phenomenon is still ranked #125 (the last time I looked) in Amazon sales, almost 70 years after its original publication!

I attended a conference on Web-based social networking a few weeks ago with about 250 techie types in attendance. At one point, the keynote speaker asked how many people had read Carnegie’s book. From my vantage point, it looked like every hand went up. Techies and entrepreneurs. Not Psychology majors and salesmen.

Now doesn’t that strike you as odd? So much Psychological and Sociological study of relationships has been done since the publication of this book. And culture has changed significantly since 1937. Wouldn’t you want to read something more current? What’s the appeal?

First, it’s simply a collection of well-told stories of the relational techniques of great and fascinating people. That makes it imminently understandable and interesting. But secondly, he convinces us in his preface that this is no book of fluff. He did exhaustive research. Allow me to read from Carnegie’s preface, where the master influencer is going to try to influence me to take his book seriously.

“In preparation for this book, I read everything that I could find on the subject – everything from newspaper columns, magazine articles, records of the family courts, the writings of the old philosophers and the new psychologists. In addition, I hired a trained researcher to spend one and a half years in various libraries reading everything I had missed, plowing through erudite tomes on psychology, poring over hundreds of magazine articles, searching through countless biographies, trying to ascertain how the great leaders of all ages had dealt with people. We read their biographies. We read the life stories of all great leaders from Julius Caesar to Thomas Edison. I recall that we read over one hundred biographies of Theodore Roosevelt alone. We were determined to spare no time, no expense, to discover every practical idea that anyone had ever used through the ages for winning friends and influencing people.”

Well, consistent with his title, he just won me and influenced me by that paragraph. But there was more to his research. He interviewed people. He prepared a short talk on people skills and encouraged the attendees to try out the principles and report back, so that his book “grew and developed out of that laboratory, out of the experiences of thousands of adults.”

Now, are there books out there that exhibit no research at all, but simply relate personal experience, that sell well? Yes. But to make your odds better, and to publish a book that might last past the first printing, do some research. To make your odds really great, do fabulous research.

Collecting Research on Your Web Site

Beyond your book, I’d encourage you to start collecting helpful resources on your Web site. I’ll hit it lightly here and come back to it later under building your platform. But since you can’t put everything you researched into your book, why not put the rest on your site?

I found it easy to get permission from the great authorities in my fields to use their articles on my sites. Thus, on my ministry site, I’ve got over 150 articles by top youth workers. By collecting articles, your site becomes sort of a trade association for your subject. Search engines love that wealth of excellent content and will direct people to your site. On money management, I’m writing book summaries on the books I’ve read. This is very different from Amazon book reviews. I actually summarize their financial advice. Let’s say you want to compare Dave Ramsey’s financial advice with that of Clark Howard or Warren Buffett. You can go to my site and see.

How does putting that information on my site help a publisher take my book seriously? Because about 1000 people visit my sites each day. My book will be advertised on the sites. If publishers see that you’ve collected research on your site that thousands of people draw from, they’ll start thinking, “This guy’s got a platform. If we publish his book, I can keep my job and my children can eat.”

Research and Novels

Does research enhance the quality and respectability of novels as well? I think a large part of the DaVinci Code’s popularity was that author Dan Brown claimed up front that it was all based on solid research. Thus, in reader’s minds, it could have actually happened.

I would hear people quoting the DaVinci Code, a novel, as fact and I thought it was some kind of confusion of genres, sort of like saying that Bart Simpson is a great actor. But when I saw in his preface that he claimed it was all based on fact, I understood how he pulled people in.

(Now, when you look at his sources, you find that they’re actually laughable. The sources he describes on his site read like a who’s who of quacks and revisionist historians. At least one of his sources was used at Berkeley as an example of hokey research. He quotes “ancient societies” which were actually formed in the 1900’s on the basis of revisionist history.)

But my point is that even his claim to have done solid research made his novel more compelling.

Add Some Original Research

Now maybe you’re not as obsessive a researcher as Carnegie. It doesn’t have to be that extensive. Let’s say that, in writing a book about how to manage your money, you get input from several large Senior Adults ministries at area churches. Nobody asks those folks for their wisdom and they’d love to give you some. So you stand at the front of a class and say, “Could you tell me one thing you’re glad you did with your finances and one thing you regret.” Or, “Tell the younger generation what you wish you’d known in your youth about personal finance.”

Now you can put a couple of sentences in your preface that give your book added authority. “In preparation for this book, I got input from over 100 senior adults, representing well over 7000 years of personal experience.” And it may have taken you only a few weekends of getting input. Since it’s fresh research, you can write an article, “Personal Finance: The View from the Far Side of Life,” and a big magazine just migh pick it up. Why? Because you’re offering the results of fresh research that they won’t get from Warren Buffett or Dave Ramsey.

I don’t remember if it was an acquisitions editor or just an informed book buyer who said, “The first place I look in a book is the acknowledgements page.” Why? Because that’s where you’re likely to find if this author’s just writing off the top of her head or if she’s indebted to a host of others she’s learned from.

Benefits of Great Research

• You appeal to a wider range of people.
• Big-time reviewers may take you seriously.
• Libraries will take notice.
• Schools may use you.
• You can publish your research in multiple ways: Web content, articles, etc.
• You become a respected authority (think: “platform”).
  

So that acquisitions editor has five proposals for books on personal finance, all of which seem equally compelling and well-written. But only one is documented with top authorities or includes original research. Which does he choose? It’s a no brainer.

Input: Respond below with your ideas or questions.

Chapter 3: No platform? Then find a niche.

And don’t just find it; prove to publishers that it’s a legitimate niche. Why? Because if your manuscript is no different than 100 other books in its field, buyers will consistently choose the big name authors over the no name authors.

Rich Dad Poor Dad was published and became a best-seller. I doubt he had a platform before the book was published. But it stood out because of its unique angle on finances.

Imagine that you’re down and out financially. You have $20 left to your name and you’re browsing at the personal finances section of Barnes and Noble to find a book to help you put your finances in order. You see Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover and think: “I’ve seen him on the radio and on billboards. He must be good.” You see a book about Warren Buffett’s financial secrets. “Best investor ever,” you think. Then you see a book by Steve Miller. You think, “Didn’t he sing ‘Fly Like an Eagle?’ Why is he writing about finances?”

Placed among a crowd of high platform authors, I’ve got to convince publishers and readers that my book’s different. Here’s what I’m telling publishers up front in my query:

The Breakfast Club (An Amazon "Essential Video") meets The Wealthy Barber (two million books sold) as MONEY: HOW TO MAKE IT, SAVE IT, INVEST IT AND ENJOY IT! teaches personal money management in a story form that captivates both young and old. It seeks to answer the financial cry of our times, especially targeting those who are just starting out in finances (18 to 25-year-olds) and those who are already reaping the results of unwise and detrimental financial decisions (26 to 39-year-olds).
Okay, so this book is a story targeting young adults. That sets it apart from 95% of the financial books. Then I explain other distinctives:

• Well researched and documented, giving it the ring of authority  Multi-Cultural (Afro-American, Hispanic, Oriental, Caucasian)
• Multi-Generational, including characters from eighteen to eighty
• Defies stereotypes of various cultures and sub-cultures
• Story form grabs and holds the reader's attention
• Likeable characters
• Neither talks down to students nor ridicules teachers
• Encourages learning from one another and reliable sources
• Includes building knowledge, life skills and character, so that schools and social organizations should find it useful
• Encourages giving, not just getting
• Empowers the learning disabled
• Includes reviews, thought questions and assignments
• Practical
• Realistic
• Broad use of real life stories
  

I want publishers and readers to say, “I get it! This draws from the great financial minds, but puts it in a story form so that I can read and understand it. Now that’s different!”

Think of your current project. Yes, it’s unique. Otherwise you wouldn’t be writing it. But how will you convince the publisher that it offers something of value that’s very different from the high profile Donald Trumps of your topic or genre?

Input: Post your ideas or questions on "niche" below.

Chapter 2: No Platform? Then put the right spin on your vocation and experience.

Who wants to read a book by the minister of youth at Flat Creek Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Georgia? Nobody. So I pitched myself as “serving on the ministerial staff of a large, metro Atlanta church.” Are both accurate and truthful? I felt they were. In a way, the “real” title is misleading, conjuring up visions of college students planning activities for teens to keep them off the streets. Yet, most of the fellow youth-ministers I hung out with had Masters degrees, with professional training in fields like Psychology and Education. I felt very comfortable describing my position in different terms.

By putting the appropriate spin on my vocation and experience, I’ve helped publishers to overcome a huge hurdle to publication.

Let’s say you’re a checkout lady at Wal-Mart and you’re writing a book on finances. How do you spin your work and experience as a platform? (How about, “I work with financial services in a Fortune 500 company.”) If you’ve trained other cashiers, you’re additionally a “trainer at a Fortune 500 company,” or “team leader.”

Let’s say you’re writing on real estate and you’re a realtor. Are you a member of some associations that you could work through? Have you taught a seminar? Put those ideas in your file and figure out creative ways to spin them.

Now think about your current writing project. What vocations and experiences do you have that can be spun in a direction that readers and publishers will respect?

Input: Give me additional ideas or ask questions by responding to this blog.

Chapter 1: No Platform? Then start thinking like a publisher

Authors tend to think that publishers are simply looking for great writing on an interesting subject. But if we’re to sell our ideas to publishers, we must learn to think like a publisher.

Here’s how the acquisitions editor, who currently has your query letter and proposal sitting in a huge pile next to his desk, may be thinking:

"I love great writing, but my children are hungry. Convince me that your book will sell and make us a profit."

Sure, they love great books. But more than that, they love great books that sell. To publishers, strong platforms mean strong potential sales.

So you’re an acquisitions editor with 10 manuscripts on your desk, all of them about personal finance. Why risk publishing the unknown financial writer when they could take the guy who teaches successful financial seminars from coast to coast? So when you’re sending a proposal, do more than point out your unique angle and convince them that you can write; convince them that you can sell the book.

And by the way…start working on solutions now! Don’t wait until you’re trying to pitch it to publishers. If you’re on the first chapter of your first book, set up a file on your computer or in hard copy and label it “Marketing and Platform.” As you get ideas, put them there and calendar when to implement them. Much of what I say is much easier to do when you’re still researching your book.

So the first, and I think most important point, is to begin thinking like a publisher. Following are some things I’ve done as a result.

Getting Published Without a Platform

Introduction: The Need

(Since I'll be sharing this information at the Georgia Writers Association on Saturday, I decided to blog it in order to get feedback and give the attendees a place to get whatever information they missed. I'll present it point by point in separate blogs, calling them chapters. So here goes the introduction!)

The first three agents I pitched my current book to turned me down flat, saying, “Publishers of financial books usually want only people with strong platforms, like a radio show.”

Recently, on a professional publisher's discussion group, someone asked,

"Which part of a formal book proposal do you feel is the absolute "clincher" to make the sale to a major book publisher?"

A literary agent responded, "For non-fiction, it's the marketing section. This is assuming that the author is a legitimate expert, the subject is newsworthy and unique, and the writing is well-crafted. The compelling description of a national platform from which an author can promote the book is hands down the (dare I say?) obsession of the major trade publishers."

You’ll also see it on publisher’s sites. Example: Rick Frishman, the book-marketing guru who wrote Book Marketing 101 and publishes a popular newsletter, was just hired by Morgan James to be their publisher. In his blog announcing the event, he states: “We focus primarily on publishing non-fiction books and are looking for authors with a ‘platform’ (isn’t everyone!).”

Now I don’t know about you, but the “duh” part of that statement, “isn’t everyone!”, complete with exclamation point, is pretty discouraging. Here’s a New York City book-marketing expert who seems to understand publishing and publicity as well as anyone, saying that he’s looking for authors with platforms. What if we don’t have one? It appears that he’s not looking for us.

Yet, that statement at least explains my experience with one literary agent. After explaining that I was a published author, owned some busy Web sites and had other great ideas for marketing, she shot back, “Oh, that’s nothing like people who speak to thousands of people every week.” I think she sized me up pretty quickly as a small time loser, summarily brushed me off and wouldn’t even chat on the walk to the conference dinner.

If we fail to address the platform issue, it’s easy to get the picture that publishers and agents have put out neon signs in their windows that state: “Unless you regularly speak to thousands of people on the radio or in seminars, have a column in a major newspaper, run a wildly successful business or are a celebrity, please choose another vocation.”

So what ever happened to people who aren’t big public figures but simply aspire to write great books? What if you’ve got a book in you that’s just dying to get out, but you have no platform? Is it possible to beat the system and get published?

Well, I can tell you that I got my first book published by a respected traditional publisher (Tyndale House Publishers, who have published many best-sellers) with a nice advance. Yet, at the time of publication, my wonderful platform involved serving as, get this, “Minister of Youth at Flat Creek Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Georgia.” Is anyone reading this on a lower platform than that? Every part of that title reeks of bad platform. Actually, worse than no platform; I was standing in a hole. “Baptist.” “Flat Creek.” “Minister of youth.” Now that might be a decent platform if I was writing a book for a Baptist denomination about youth ministry. But I wasn’t. I wrote a book on music that delved into the history of music criticism, cross-cultural studies, psychological studies, etc. Why would anyone care what I thought about the subject?

Yet, the book went through several printings in English, is still in print after fifteen years, and was subsequently published in Dutch, German, Romanian, Russian and Spanish. Not bad for the youth minister at Flat Creek Baptist.

For my present book on personal finances, I acquired an agent last summer. Morgan James Publishing (where the publisher is looking for authors with platforms – “like everyone else!”), offered me a contract last month. I’m currently trying to decide whether or not to accept it.

So what’s my platform for writing on personal finance? I’m not a financial counselor. I’ve never formally studied economics or finances. I’m definitely not a celebrity, unless you’ve confused me with The Steve Miller Band. I primarily write materials for my two Web sites and care for my elderly parents and 102-year-old grandmother, seldom venturing past my mailbox. How was I able to acquire both an agent and an offer from a publisher? Perhaps my experiences in publishing can give you some encouragement and practical ideas for getting your own work published.

The good news is that many books are getting published by people with little or no platform. Just sift through the covers of books at your local bookstore.

I’ll give you some ideas in upcoming blogs. I’m dying to hear your ideas as well. If you have other ideas or questions, please respond to the appropriate post.

Georgia Writers Association and Crowdvine

In preparation for the Georgia Writers Association's Spring conference, Spring Fest, we've set up a social networking site with Crowdvine. This extraordinary, free tool, facilitates connections, introductions and networking before the conference ever starts, allowing conversations to continue long afterwards. It doesn't take a techie to set it up or use it. What a boon to writers! I'm already connecting with the editors, publicists and fellow-writers whom I need to know. Another good company offering the same service is Ning. Consider using these powerful tools to connect with fellow-writers.

SoCon08 - Social Networking Conference

As writers, we've just got to take advantage of all the free buzz we can generate through such avenues as blogs, linkedin, facebook, etc. SoCon 08 gathered social networking gurus to share ideas and make connections. What a huge success! I left with several ideas I can implement immediately and many I can implement over the next year. You can see from the photo that people were constantly sponging information and networking. Nobody sat and passively listened.

One organization (black arts festival in Atlanta) has about 3000 people connected to their myspace page, allowing volunteers to get the word out quickly and effectively to friends and friends of friends. A commercial rocket developer from California told how people from every level of his organization (welders, etc.) can help him leverage their contacts and relationships to find skilled help, etc. A quilting enthusiast shared how she took her site from losing to making money.

I (finally!) "get" the way blogs are being used to get out ideas, drive traffic, establish credibility, etc. Here's a helpful web page showing how far and wide your blog travels, minutes after it's published.

Sherry Heyl, one of the conference organizers and CEO of a social networking agency, wrote a recent blog on how she advised her brother to use Web-based social networking tools to help him in his construction business. For me, this article gave a much needed summary of "What are the basic tools and how can I use them?" Here's her blog. The title of this entry is James A Lee Builders - A Case Study.

As a follow-up, I'm reading The New Rules of Marketing & PR, by David Meerman Scott (2007). Highly recommended for beginning and intermediate learners in this field. Lots of great examples of how businesses, not-for-profits, and other organizations are using social media to great advantage.

Suggestion: I heard this at the conference and had it reinforced by the book - get started by participating in the blogs and forums of others. By answering people's questions in your area of expertise, you learn how it works, what's appropriate and inappropriate, etc.