of course, everyone wants to be published but the odds are against you. why? money!

How to get by when the odds are against you?

Furthermore, it isn’t solely a matter of getting through, but knowing how to get by: 1. When the odds are against you, don’t go against it. Fighting the current will not help you stay afloat; you can even drown in your situation.

Is it bad to have an idea for a book?

Well…sometimes their book idea is really bad, yes, but just as often the idea is pretty brilliant. And sometimes an idea many people think is really stupid turns out to be brilliant to a lot of other people (e.g. 50 Shades of Grey sold 100 million copies and I thought it was unreadable). It’s not about the idea for the book.

What are the odds of a book being rejected?

As instructive as all this is, the odds of any author making it big remain very long, rejected or not. Nielson Bookscan reported in 2004 that of 1.2 million books tracked, only 25,000 -- barely more than 2 percent -- sold more than 5,000 copies.

Should published authors encourage people to write?

There’s an unwritten rule that published authors are supposed to encourage everyone who dreams of it to finally go for it and write that book! Except that’s just not true. Many of the people who want to write a book …should not. Why not? Is their idea that bad?

How to get by when the odds are against you?

When the odds are against you, don’t go against it. Fighting the current will not help you stay afloat; you can even drown in your situation.

Is not having things go our way inevitable?

Not having things go our way is not just inevitable – it’s necessary. If it isn’t for these circumstances that push us out of our comfort zones, how then could we discover each of our fullest potentials? Furthermore, it isn’t solely a matter of getting through, but knowing how to get by:

What happens when a writer does the work that will get her manuscript into the winner's circle?

But if a writer does the work that will get her manuscript into the winner's circle, she creates the circumstances in which that moment can happen, so that the odds become meaningless and the writer connects to an editor.

Why do manuscripts get acquired?

Many manuscripts do get acquired in other ways, of course--because they fit a very particular need, or because they are good work from someone an editor wants to keep publishing, but for first-time writers or writers struggling to get published, I just want to make the point that the odds don't have to matter.

Do writers need to pay attention to the odds of getting published?

There are circumstances in which a writer may need to pay attention to the odds of getting published . I can think of at least two. A writer who needs to earn a living from their writing, and needs to earn it as soon as possible, will want to look into work-for-hire, working for packagers, nonfiction, and other areas where the field is both less crowded and governed more by procedures and guidelines than by flashes of inspiration.

Is waiting for the economy to improve worth it?

Waiting for the economy to improve also isn't worth it. It won't improve the odds that much, and once it does improve the writer will still have to make the connection to an editor. I really don't see an alternative to working hard on the writing, making a manuscript the best it can be, and getting it out into the world.

Can a writer publish a book?

Or for a writer who wants to publish a particular manuscript, perhaps a family history, a memoir, or the only novel she wants to write, then building a career as a writer doesn't matter. In that case, a writer shouldn't waste her time or energy on getting published the traditional way. Writers with that focus should instead get their manuscript out into the world themselves: by self-publishing, in other words. By working with the right companies, one can produce an attractive book at a reasonable cost, in quantities from 10 to 10,000.

Is there always a market for awesome?

There's Always a Market for Awesome: An agent makes the same point in a different way.

Do odds matter in a manuscript?

No, and this is why the odds truly don't matter. Any editor can tell stories about times when they opened a submission and read a manuscript that they just couldn't put down and knew right away that they had to acquire. This may have been a manuscript that had been seen by dozens of editors, or they may have been the first one. That didn't matter.

What is the problem with being a bestselling author?

The problem comes with the thinking that being a bestselling author is the measure of your book’s contribution to the world.

Why does no one care about their writing?

But the reason no one cared about their writing was because they were just chasing my success, instead of saying the unique thing they had to say and focusing on the unique impact of their unique.

What type of book has a name already?

This type of “book” has a name already: a diary.

How to build a consultancy and sell that knowledge?

For example, if you have some skill or knowledge that is very valuable to people, the best way to build a consultancy and sell that knowledge is by writing a book that shows what you know. This establishes you as an authority and gives you credibility to sell your services (and charge a premium), as well as giving you a consistent pipeline of people looking for the exact type of skill and experience you offer.

What is a book business card?

You can think of the book as a business card, or general marketing material. The fact is, books not only possess a credibility that very few marketing materials do, they are a great way to differentiate yourself in crowded fields, and a great way to find people who have the exact problems that you can solve, and connect with them.

Is there a famous author?

Yes, yes, there are famous authors. But far fewer than you think.

Does a book make you famous?

Everyone wants to be famous, and some people think a book will make them famous. I’ve already explained why rich won’t happen (except indirectly), and the worse news is that a book is even less likely to make you famous than rich.

When weighing up whether to take an action that could leave us vulnerable to failing or some other form or loss?

When weighing up whether to take an action that could leave us vulnerable to failing or some other form or loss (of reputation, money, social standing, pride etc), we have an innate tendency to misjudge four core elements in assess ing risk .

Who emboldens people to live & lead more bravely?

Margie Warrell emboldens people to live & lead more bravely.

Why did Lynn Kraus decline the senior leadership position?

Each time she had turned it down, it was because she didn’t think she had the ability to succeed in the position. Looking back now, with the benefit of having been in the role for several years, Lynn realized that she’d been gravely underestimating herself. Fortunately for her, those who saw her potential didn’t give up on her easily. Still, how often do we fail to judge our own capacity for risks – like taking on a bigger role or pursuing a lofty goal – accurately? In my experience, it’s far too often.

Is the status quo scary?

The status quo, while not particularly fulfilling, can seem like an easier, softer, less scary, option. Indeed, advances in brain imaging technology can now verify that we human beings are wired to be risk averse.

What makes a successful author?

Most successful authors have some combination of talent, persistence, and luck. The persistence stories are always encouraging. And daunting.

How many books has Judy Blume sold?

Judy Blume, who has sold 80 million books, got nothing but rejections for two straight years.

How many rejections did Steve Berry get?

Steve Berry, 10 million books, collected 85 rejections over 12 years before breaking through. Rex Pickett’s Sideways was rejected 16 times and received an advance of $5,000 before being picked up for a film.

How many books have been published in the United States in 2011?

Advertisement. Pollsters report more than 80 percent of Americans would like to be an author, and in 2011 statisticians counted 329,259 books published in the United States, and 2.2 million books published in the world.

How many copies of a book sell in 2006?

In 2006, Publisher's Weekly said the average book sells less than 500 copies.

How much did James Patterson make in 2012?

03/04/2013 01:26 pm ET Updated May 04, 2013. Thriller author James Patterson made $94 million in 2012, according to Forbes. He’s one of 145,900 American “writers and authors” counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a quarter of them part-time, two-thirds of them self-employed, and with median earnings of $55,420.