Excellent review ... now what?

georgeknoechel · Apr 17, 2011

I wrote a manuscript about 10 years ago. Bob Hostetler (award-winning writer, editor) noted the following regarding the content, "One of the better manuscripts I have reviewed."

I went about submitting it to all of the major Christian publishing companies and got very good responses but most wanted to know who I was and what built in audience I had. They were all about the bottom line, money. As a result, my naivete dissipated and hopelessness took over.

I have since edited and revised some of the content (I believe for the better). I am now a blogger with an audience and active in the pro life community.

Is it time to give it a whirl again? What say you?

CACTUSWENDY · Apr 17, 2011

You have nothing to lose. Why not submit it?

Best wishes.

georgeknoechel · Apr 17, 2011

CACTUSWENDY said:
You have nothing to lose. Why not submit it?

Best wishes.

I hear ya. I guess the only thing to lose is time, not much of that these days.

Calla Lily · Apr 17, 2011

It's always about the bottom line.

Publishers have to pay the rent and put food on the table same as writers. They'll buy what they think will make them a profit.

Good luck getting on the Query-go-round again!

georgeknoechel · Apr 17, 2011

callalily61 said:
It's always about the bottom line. Publishers have to pay the rent and put food on the table same as writers. They'll buy what they think will make them a profit.

Good luck getting on the Query-go-round again!

Yep, a necessary evil, so to speak. BTW what company published your book (the one in your sig file)?

Calla Lily · Apr 17, 2011

http://www.midnightinkbooks.com They're mainstream, not CBA.

Mad Habber · Apr 18, 2011

georgeknoechel said:
I hear ya. I guess the only thing to lose is time, not much of that these days.

You're looking at it all wrong. You've probably already spent a lot of time on writing/editing/re-editing/re-editing (well if you are anything like me). So if you don't try and re-submit then you lost time anyway.

georgeknoechel · Apr 18, 2011

Mad Habber said:
You're looking at it all wrong. You've probably already spent a lot of time on writing/editing/re-editing/re-editing (well if you are anything like me). So if you don't try and re-submit then you lost time anyway.

Point well taken.

Deb Kinnard · Apr 18, 2011

George, may your work find favor! This can be a long, painful slog. But as several of us can attest, holding that first book in your hands: priceless.

georgeknoechel · Apr 18, 2011

Deb Kinnard said:
George, may your work find favor! This can be a long, painful slog. But as several of us can attest, holding that first book in your hands: priceless.

Wow, what a feeling! Thanks for the encouragement.

bowiefan1970 · Apr 18, 2011

Why don't you self-publish? A comment like that on your cover could sell a lot of books. You may have to ask permission to quote him. I don't know about that.

Calla Lily · Apr 19, 2011

bowiefan1970 said:
Why don't you self-publish? A comment like that on your cover could sell a lot of books. You may have to ask permission to quote him. I don't know about that.

Does geroge have a platform to self-pub (more than a blog, unless his blog has thousands of followers who RT and link back to his posts on an almost-daily basis? Does he have a speaking platform where he could sell books from the back of the room after a speech? Is he well-known on the speaking circuit? (All of this assumes the book is NF.) Does he have a tight, edited, polished book? Does he have a story that will grab readers who happen to see it on Am@zon or the N00k lists? Does he have marketing savvy and publicity connections to get it in the face of the reading public? (All of this assumes the book is fiction.)

I'm fairly well read, but I've never heard of Hostetler. Book blurbs may sell a few copies, but it's the back cover book teaser that sells more. I got a great review from PW, and my pub's cover design dept. put a quote from that review on my cover. But the total strangers who've bought my book (and commented through my website) have said they bought it because they were interested in the plot and characters.

If a self-pubber has a platform and/or a well-known name to start with, that's a huge step in the right direction. For an unknown like me, self-pubbing would've been the kiss of death.

I'm practical. Evil, perhaps, but practical.

georgeknoechel · Apr 19, 2011

callalily61 said:
I'm fairly well read, but I've never heard of Hostetler.

Millions of copies, editor, etc.. :

http://web.me.com/bobhoss/Bob_Hostetler/Books.html

georgeknoechel · Apr 19, 2011

callalily61 said:
Does geroge have a platform to self-pub (more than a blog, unless his blog has thousands of followers who RT and link back to his posts on an almost-daily basis? Does he have a speaking platform where he could sell books from the back of the room after a speech? Is he well-known on the speaking circuit? (All of this assumes the book is NF.) Does he have a tight, edited, polished book? Does he have a story that will grab readers who happen to see it on Am@zon or the N00k lists? Does he have marketing savvy and publicity connections to get it in the face of the reading public? (All of this assumes the book is fiction.)

You are totally correct. I am working on branding my name. The blog platform and ministry is a (not "the") vehicle by which this may be accomplished. We will see.

I do quite a bit of public speaking but right now I would not go the self-pub route.

georgeknoechel · Apr 19, 2011

callalily61 said:
Does he have marketing savvy and publicity connections to get it in the face of the reading public? (All of this assumes the book is fiction.)

Non Fiction.

Calla Lily · Apr 19, 2011

george: I clicked the link and none of those books ring a bell.

Don't know the Josh guy he writes about/with either. Trust me when I say that I keep up as best I can with things--which sort of proves my point and yours. People who know Hostetler would possibly check out your book if he blurbed it. But people who don't would likely pass by it, unless your topic is something they're interested in.

If I may ask, what is the book about? What's its target audience?

georgeknoechel · Apr 19, 2011

callalily61 said:
If I may ask, what is the book about? What's its target audience?

It is called, "If One Should Fall Behind."

It is a look into the Lord's strong arm of grace as it reaches out to the rebel, the runner and the resigned. The book is broken into these 3 parts. It includes fictional stories, anecdotes, light biblical exegesis, etc...

The target audience is those who feel far from God, struggling with sin, etc.. .

Calla Lily · Apr 19, 2011

Alas, I know nothing about NF or how to write NF proposals. I do see that a large chunk of the Christian market is geared toward NF, so you've got a decent field of agents and a few pubs that take unagented subs.

georgeknoechel · Apr 19, 2011

callalily61 said:
... so you've got a decent field of agents and a few pubs that take unagented subs.

Any idea where to find the list of agents/pubs?

PS: Thanks for your very helpful feedback

Gravity · Apr 19, 2011

Christian Writers Market Guide 2011, edited by Sally Stuart. Any large bookstore should have it in their reference section. Hope that helps!

Excellent review ... now what?

georgeknoechel

CACTUSWENDY

An old, sappy, and happy one.

georgeknoechel

Calla Lily

On hiatus

georgeknoechel

Calla Lily

On hiatus

Mad Habber

georgeknoechel

Deb Kinnard

georgeknoechel

bowiefan1970

Calla Lily

On hiatus

georgeknoechel

georgeknoechel

georgeknoechel

Calla Lily

On hiatus

georgeknoechel

Calla Lily

On hiatus

georgeknoechel

Gravity

Seen 'em come, seen 'em go