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  • How to Find a Literary Agent: A Comprehensive Guide for Aspiring Authors

    How to Find a Literary Agent: A Comprehensive Guide for Aspiring Authors

    You’ve finished that debut manuscript — the one that will help your career as an author take off. 

    But how do you convince a literary agent to represent you?

    As a senior vice president and senior literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency, I’ve had the opportunity to help launch the career of dozens of authors both domestically and abroad. My clients’ books have gone on to become bestsellers, award winners, critically acclaimed, national book club picks and some are published in over 20 languages.

    This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to get a literary agent to represent your work. 

    Why you need a literary agent

    If you want to be traditionally published with representation (someone who can manage the business side of your writing career), you need a literary agent. 

    Agents work on commission — traditionally, 15% — based on selling your finished novel to a publisher, negotiating the agreement, and working hands-on as a project manager to help the process go smoothly. Literary agents also sell other rights on writers’ behalf like audio, film/tv, translation, and merchandising and that commission rate varies agency to agency. 

    If you want to self-publish, publish with a small or regional press, or you’re not sure you’re ready to take this on in a professional capacity then you may not be ready for an agent. Also, if your fiction manuscript is not complete you are not ready. 

    What does working with a literary agent look like?

    Your literary agent will likely have you sign an agent agreement (very few work on a handshake and I wouldn’t recommend that). 

    Some agencies have you sign one per book and some agencies will set theirs up to work with you for the long term. This means if the agent sells your book they will be the “agent on record” and all monies will flow through the agency and to you (less the commission). 

    At our agency, we sign the client up for the long term. This means that you’re easily able to get out of the agreement if it’s no longer a fit (but if we’ve sold a book for you we remain “on record”) however we’re planning on working together over the course of your long career and many books. I prefer this method because if I’m going to invest time in developing a writer’s career I want to be involved in the brand building and long-term outlook, not just a one-off project. I always think of it as a multi-year, multi-project business relationship. It also keeps the writer feeling secure in knowing that they have a champion for the long haul.

    Your literary agent serves as your business representative to help take care of the financial and administrative matters so you can focus on your craft.

    How to know when it’s time to find a literary agent

    When your manuscript is complete, polished, reviewed by a beta reader or critiqued by a writing partner, you are ready to pitch it to a literary agent. 

    We call this “querying.” 

    What you need in your submission package varies from agent to agent and agency to agency, but generally it’s the following:

    • Query letter to submit via email
    • Synopsis (I suggest you prepare both a one-page and a three-page option)
    • Polished manuscript in 12 point, Times New Roman font, double spaced (I suggest two files: one that has three chapters—we call this a “partial”—and one that has the full thing—we call this a “full”)

    If you have these things ready you can start building your submission list.

    How to find a literary agent

    We call this process “querying agents” or “the submission process.” 

    Finding agents is easy to do in the age of the internet, but finding good ones can be more of a challenge (anyone can call themselves an agent, but only those who have a strong track record are doing it well).

    Here are some online, print and in-person resources to find agents of quality:

    Formatting your query letter

    Think of your query letter like a cover letter for a job. Not too personal, not too stiff, but showing the right amount of self-awareness and industry awareness. 

    Here are my query letter (i.e. pitch to agent via email) recommended guidelines:

    • Paragraph One – Introduction: Include the title and category of your work (i.e. fiction or nonfiction and topic), an estimated word count, comparative titles and a brief, general introduction.
    • Paragraph Two – Brief overview: This should read similar to back-cover copy.
    • Paragraph Three – Creator’s bio: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background (awards and affiliations, etc.). Include your website and social media handles.

    Once you’ve written your query letter follow these steps.

    1. Personalize each letter based on their guidelines. This can simply include addressing the agent by their full professional name and not “Dear Agent”
    2. Query in large batches to create an opportunity for success (something like 15-20 is a manageable number); ideally you want more than one offer so you can make the best choice for yourself.
    3. Start with your top choices, but remember that agents doing this for 10-20+ years have full lists and less room for new authors so you might want to research junior agents at those agencies too
    4. Keep color-coded or super organized spreadsheets with submission requests and replies
    5. Avoid agents that ask for exclusive submissions for query letters because it can take 3-6 months to hear back from them and that is an extremely slow process for you, the author.
    6. Wait. And wait. There will be lots of time where you won’t hear anything but that doesn’t mean anything. It takes time for an agent to read their slush pile (i.e. where the query letters go) and to get to material. Silence doesn’t necessarily mean a no (unless their guidelines say so). Response rates vary from agency to agency but most agents will respond to queries anywhere from 4 weeks to 6 months. This range is based on a variety of factors: how many queries the agent gets (often it’s 1,000+ a month), how full their list is, what time of year it is, how busy their business is, and whether they’re looking for that particular genre right now.
    7. Only follow up if a) you have an offer of representation and need to let everyone know; or b) you have followed the guidelines on their website and they said to check back then. Tip: If you do need to follow up with an agent always base it off their website’s suggestions. Agents always want to hear if you have an offer so please let them know if someone else offered representation no matter how long they’ve had your query. However, if your ideal scenario comes true, you get an offer from your dream agent and you know you aren’t going to entertain any others you can firmly close the door with the others.

    10 query intros you can use

    1. “You’ve mentioned on your blog/Twitter an interest in XX and so BOOK TITLE HERE might be of special interest to you.”
    2. “After reading (and loving) CLIENT BOOK TITLE HERE, I am submitting BOOK TITLE HERE for your review.”
    3. “I noticed on Manuscript Wishlist you are looking for XX and XX so I’m submitting BOOK TITLE HERE.”
    4. “I am seeking representation for my novel, BOOK TITLE HERE, a work of XX complete at XX-words. For readers of XX and CLIENT BOOK TITLE HERE.”
    5. “I enjoyed your interview with XX and am eager to present to you my query for BOOK TITLE HERE.”
    6. “As per your request on #MSWL, I am hoping you’ll be interested in my book, BOOK TITLE HERE, an …”
    7. “I am excited to offer, for your consideration, BOOK TITLE HERE, one that is HOOK, like your #MSWL requests.”
    8. “I am contacting you about my novel BOOK TITLE HERE because of your wishlist mention of XX and XX.”
    9. .“I noticed your #MSWL tweet requesting XX and I thought my novel BOOK TITLE HERE could be just what you’re looking for.”
    10. “I am seeking representation for my GENRE novel BOOK TITLE HERE complete at XX-words. It is similar in theme to CLIENT BOOK TITLE HERE.”

    Working with your literary agent

    As an agent I am always thinking: “Am I the right person to help you make a living from your writing?” 

    It’s a unique relationship that is partly business (the publishing industry is a multi-billion dollar industry internationally) and partly personal (working directly with emotionally intelligent creators is a highly-personal thing). We don’t know how our working styles will meld, but when we decide to work together (it’s a mutual decision that you should feel really positive about) we go in with honesty and the best hopes: that we sell your book to the right buyer.

    Authors can come to agents for lots of different forms of advice and we don’t always have the answers. We are not all accountants, lawyers and/or MBA graduates. Most of us are English or Comparative Literature graduates, some with a Master’s Degree. Each agent has a different skill set and when you talk to an agent for the first time you want to get to know what they excel at. What you want is an agent that fits your needs, sees your goals as attainable and has a proven track record to succeed in what you’re trying to do with your career. Personally, I have an Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and a Master’s degree in Publishing Studies.

    What does the agent/author relationship include?

    • Honest editorial feedback (if the agent considers themselves an “editorial agent” and this is something you should ask about if you’re interested in having an agent that edits)
    • Career advice
    • Pitch mutually agreed upon projects (we always talk about each project individually)
    • Timely communication
    • Contract negotiation
    • Pitch sub rights (If retained, we pitch TV/film, translation, and audio separately)
    • Royalty statement vetting
    • Timely payments
    • Best interests in mind
    • Business partnership

    What does the agent/author relationship not include? Here are a few things you shouldn’t expect from your literary agent:

    • 24/7 contact; publishing rarely has five alarm emergencies
    •  Editorial advice not guaranteed with all agents
    • Micromanaging, either way
    • Agents loving everything their clients write
    • Agents selling everything you write
    • Agents ‘fixing’ your work or helping you finish

    What a literary agent looks for in an author

    We’re all looking for words that we connect with, that speak to us, and that we think can speak to a larger audience. 

    Here are a few specifics that tip me towards something I know I’ll like:

    • Evidence we are dealing with a “career writer”; this is my career and I want to work with writers who take this seriously
    • The query letter and/or first pages suggest a writer can carry off a novel
    • Confidence a writer can handle emotion, pace, and backstory effectively
    • A writer who can develop a plot that doesn’t have implausible points, gaping holes or coincidences
    • Books that connect with people on an emotional level; I want to feel something big (joy, frustration, anger, thrills etc.)
    • Memorable characters that live on long after the book is over
    • High stakes that make the book seem larger than life

    It’s a lot to look for in one query letter and one manuscript, but I’m always searching for this.

    How to actually sign with a literary agent

    Agents will get on the phone with you and it’s often called “The Call” in industry circles.

    It’s your opportunity to interview each other and you should take full advantage.

    Be prepared to answer these questions from your potential literary agent:

    • What are you working on next?
    • How long does it take you to write a draft?
    • Who are some of your favorite authors?
    • What kind of support are you looking for?
    • What has been your path to publishing? Agented before? What did/didn’t you like about that partnership? Published before? What did/didn’t you like about that experience?
    • How do you workshop your work? Critique group? How many drafts did you complete before the one I saw?
    • Where do your ideas come from?
    • What is your day job? And what does your writing schedule look like?
    • What are some of your career goals and expectations?
    • How many other agents are looking at the manuscript?
    • Do my editorial notes match your vision for the book?
    • How do you feel about social media and marketing yourself?

    Ask your potential literary agent these questions:

    • What is your definition of representation? Is it for one book, or the author’s career?
    • If you and the agent agree to work together, what will happen next? What is the expected process? (I go into detail about this in the next section.)
    • Does the agent use a formal author-agent agreement or a hand-shake agreement?
    • What happens if either the agent or the client wants to terminate the partnership?
    • If the agent/client relationship is terminated, what is the policy for any unsold rights in the works the agent has represented?
    • How long has the agent been an agent? How long have they been in publishing, and what other positions have they held? How long has the agency been in business?
    • What are the last few titles the agent has sold? (This should be easily found on the internet, but it’s nice to hear from them in case they don’t update Publisher’s Marketplace or another industry source.)
    • Does the agent belong to any professional or industry organizations? Is the agent listed on Publisher’s Marketplace?
    • Does the agent handle film rights, foreign rights, audio rights? Is there a specialist at their agency who handles these rights?
    • Does the agent prefer phone or email, or are they okay with both?
    • What are the agent and agency’s business hours?
    • Does the agent let you know where and when they submit your work? Does the agent forward rejection letters to the client?
    • What happens when the agent is on vacation?
    • Does the agent consult with the client on all offers from publishers? Does the agent make any decisions on behalf of the client?
    • What is the agent’s percentage?
    • Does the author receive payments directly from the publisher, or do payments go through the agent first?
    • How long after the agent receives advances and royalties will they send them to you?
    • Does the agent charge for mailing? Copies? Any other fees?
    • What publishers does the agent think would be appropriate for your book?
    • How close is your book to being ready for submission? Will there be a lot of editing and rewriting first?
    • Does the agent help with career planning?
    • How does the agent feel about authors switching genres?
    • Will the agent edit and help you revise your work?
    • What if the agent doesn’t like your next book?

    You landed a literary agent! What now?

    Once you sign an agent agreement, the heavy workload begins — again. We usually do a round or two (or three!) of editing with you to polish up the manuscript. We want to make sure that it’s ready to share with our editorial contacts because it’s about our reputation too. 

    Once we have the submission draft ready to go the agents puts together their submission list of editors. We pitch those editors and it goes out into the world again. Agents will focus on the larger publishers first and then work their way down to smaller ones (depending on the project, but this is usually the case). 

    Then the next waiting phase begins. Will someone buy it? We hope so!

    The bottom line

    Finding the right agent is one of the most important things you can do for your writing career. 

    It doesn’t have to be the first one that says yes, or the last one to read it, but the agent that you feel will best represent what you are doing with this book and your career. 

    Remember that it’s a competitive process but there are things you can do to stand out: follow guidelines (actively choosing not to follow guidelines does not get anyone’s attention; there are no gold stars for breaking the rules to look “special”), keep your word count appropriate for your genre, a great title, a strong hook, picking the right agent for your genre/book, sending in an error-free submission, etc.

    Agents are looking for the best of the best. But it’s also only one opinion. When I pass on a project I often think it wasn’t right for me but that doesn’t mean someone else won’t feel differently.  Agents are looking for projects that can stand out in a wave of entertainment options. Agents are looking for books that they know they can sell. 

    My relationships with my clients are all really special ones. I love seeing their dreams come true and coaching them through the tough times as well. Having an objective expert on your writing team is crucial to succeeding in this industry and I hope everyone finds the best fit for their personal style.

    Photo via fizkes / Shutterstock 

      TWL. CTA. Book Outline Template
    • From Self-Publishing to Blogging: 7 Solid Ways to Make Money Writing

      From Self-Publishing to Blogging: 7 Solid Ways to Make Money Writing

      Jane Friedman is a writing and publishing guru.

      Yes, the guru moniker is used with too much abandon these days, but Friedman’s laudable credentials, practical books and excellent website have earned her the title in my book.

      If you get nothing else from this article other than an introduction to Jane Friedman and her work, I’ve done my job.

      That said, the inspiration for this article stems from Friedman’s most recent release, The Business of Being a Writer, a fantastic primer for any writer looking to take their writing from a personal hobby to a possible business.

      Or maybe you’d just like to earn coffee money. That’s OK too.

      In the book, Friedman presents dozens of options for your consideration as you look at what you write and how you could turn that into some form of income.

      Your art and your commerce can, in fact, commingle.

      Writer, beware

      Before we dive into the major areas of making money from your writing, I have to relay one hard truth. Friedman brings it up, and my professional experience has borne it out.

      As she writes, “Very few people can make a living solely by writing and publishing books.”

      Now, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t write and sell your books. It means that “this one pursuit should not constitute one’s entire business model.”

      And this is why you should make yourself aware of the many different ways we as writers in the 21st century can turn a buck from turning out words.

      Write your books. Sell hundreds — millions — of copies. But don’t begin your career by banking your future on that collective dream of every first-time author.

      If you want a career in writing, think wide and think long.

      As Friedman encourages us, “It remains possible to make a decent living from writing if you’re willing to pay attention to how the business works, devise a business model tailored to your goals, and adapt as needed.”

      Think wide about your writing

      If you’re at least a year or two into taking your writing seriously, you likely have a type of writing you enjoy. Maybe it’s short stories, or poetry, or freelance writing, or fiction.

      Whatever puts fire to the kindling of your writing life, keep doing that.

      By all means, leverage your writing strengths and experience. Don’t negate your gift in the pursuit of income.

      But.

      If you want to create and maintain a financial foundation for your future as a writer, you will need to think wide. In other words, you need to think beyond what you currently do as a writer. You need to continue honing your craft, but you should open your mind to the possibilities of peripheral writing and writing-related work.

      Ask yourself, “What other writing work could I do that both encourages me to write and provides compensation?”

      If nothing immediately springs to mind, let’s consider seven ways you can monetize your writing, using Business as our guide.

      Note: Business goes into further detail about each of these paths, and Friedman’s website has even more information. I’ve also listed useful articles and books to help you get started along any of these pathways.

      1. Traditional publishing

      For many authors, traditional publishing is the pinnacle achievement, the bucket-list Mt. Everest they need to climb.

      But, as Friedman writes, “Most authors will earn little, or at least nothing close to a living wage, from their books…Industry insiders estimate that 70 percent of authors do not earn out their advance.”

      Maybe don’t try to climb this mountain first.

      But if you must:

      2. Self-publishing

      Rupi Kaur. Andy Weir. E. L. James.

      You may know these names because they have all enjoyed wild success as a result of their self-published books.

      But they are the exceptions, not the rules.

      The brutal numbers of self-publishing report the real story:

      Again, write your books. Publish them yourself through Amazon self-publishing. Work on your platform and your marketing.

      Whatever you do, don’t believe the lie that anyone will “just find” your self-published book once it’s released. You cannot “just write” your book and “just hope” it will do well.

      You must apprentice yourself to the craft of writing first, to the means of self-publishing second, and to the necessity of platform and marketing third.

      Even then, you might just recoup your investment — which is a great start to your business of being a writer.

      To enjoy a sustainable living through self-publishing, you’ll need strategy and purpose, and, honestly, a good amount of luck.

      Do self-publish. Don’t only self-publish.

      Starting points:

      3. Freelance writing

      Heed Friedman’s warning when it comes to freelance writing: “It now takes considerable experience and expertise to land paying work at a traditional print publication, and I don’t recommend it as a first line of attack. New writers will do better to look to online-only publication.”

      However, pitching articles to websites is an excellent way to bolster both your experience and your expertise. In time, you might also augment your income.

      To wit: I first pitched The Write Life in late 2014 for the article that eventually became About to Respond to a Negative Review of Your Book? Read This First. I pitched my next article a few months later. I pitched a column three years later. Now readers contact me about editing because they’ve seen these articles.

      In other words, freelance writing has cross-promotional benefits to all of your other writing.

      And just think about when someone googles you: if you’ve written for dozens of known websites, you just might own the front page for your name — a definite boon for any author.

      Start here:

      4. Blogging

      Friedman writes, “It may take a very long time before you see a direct connection between your blogging and your monthly or annual income.”

      If you’re not consistently and strategically producing quality content, your blogging may not be earning the results you’re hoping for, whether that’s newsletter signups, page views, or affiliate income.

      But, if you think long and ensure there’s a method to your online madness, your blog can become a significant contributor to your bottom line.

      It’s worked for Jane Friedman, as it has for many other known entities you likely follow. After you’re introduced to their work in some way and you see how consistently they produce worthwhile content, you involuntarily begin to expect their regular content.

      In other words, you become a fan.

      And in the writing world, you need fans.

      Start here:

      5. Editing and related writing services

      As a freelance editor, I wanted to place this choice first — but I know that editors are wired differently.

      If you find yourself more engaged in your critique group when discussing what works and what doesn’t about someone else’s story, you might be a developmental editor in waiting.

      If you have a negative physical reaction to an improper your instead of you’re, you might be a copy editor.

      If you’re good at pretending to write in someone else’s voice, you might be a ghostwriter.

      All of these writing-related services are valuable and needed today, but — as seems to be the case with every point on this list — establishing yourself in any of these areas requires patience, education, and, yes, learning how to sell yourself.

      For what it’s worth, a majority of my income as a freelancer has stemmed from copyediting, developmental editing, and ghostwriting.

      Start here:

      6. Teaching

      If you have a few years of experience and the capability to form coherent sentences out loud and in public, your knowledge and insight can help other writers.

      As an introvert, I challenged myself in 2017 to increase my freelance profile by seeking speaking engagements and teaching opportunities. It was one of the best things I did for my job that year.

      Disclosure: my speaking engagements and teaching opportunities did not directly lead to increased income. But the relationships I formed with other area writers were worth far more than income. Plus, they can now refer me to people in their circles, and I can refer them.

      When you overcome your fears, you might be amazed at what kinds of doors open to you, either in the immediate future or years down the road.

      For what it’s worth: speaking and teaching seldom pay well — or at all. This is one area where I would encourage you to pursue them for the benefit of exposure.

      However, in time, as you accrue experience as a speaker or teacher, you will be able to ask for payment. Or you can channel your newfound confidence into an online class or podcast.

      Start here:

      7. Publishing career

      If you really want to go all-in and you live in or near a town or city with a publisher, literary agency, or other writing-related business, apply for a job there.

      What better way to understand the business than to be in the business.

      Jessica Strawser, the erstwhile editorial director of Writer’s Digest, comes to mind. After leaving her full-time post with the magazine after a decade, she released her first novel to critical acclaim. She’s since released two more.

      Which makes me think she probably learned a thing or two during her tenure with the magazine.

      That magazine, by the way, once employed another writer who’s now making her living from everything we’ve just discussed.

      Jane Friedman was once the publisher and editorial director of Writer’s Digest.

      I’d say she’s learned a thing or two as well — and we are all the beneficiaries.  

      This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you’re supporting The Write Life — and we thank you for that!

      Photo via GaudiLab / Shutterstock
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    • Considering Self-Publishing? You Might Want to Do This First

      Considering Self-Publishing? You Might Want to Do This First

      Chuck is giving a lucky reader a copy of his new book, Guide to Literary Agents 2016. He’ll pick one commenter on this post at random after two weeks.

      You must live within the U.S. or Canada to receive a print book. Otherwise, he can send a PDF ebook to the winner. Update: Congratulations to Tim P.!

      There are different ways to get your work published, but the biggest two options in today’s marketplace are still the following:

      Traditional publishing: You sell your work to a publishing house, like Simon & Schuster or HarperCollins. The publisher typically pays you money up front in the deal, then distributes the book in print and e-book forms.

      Self-publishing: This method allows you to publish your work independently, without anyone judging your work. You’re in charge of everything. A common website people do this is through Amazon’s CreateSpace.

      I could talk about all the nitty-gritty elements to both publishing options — the pros and cons, the ins and outs — but that would take you hours to read. So instead, I’ll just focus this post on one simple question: If you’re unsure what path to take concerning these two major publishing options, what should you do?

      [twl_reusable_block post_id=41455]

      Which publishing method should you try first?

      If you are truly on the fence concerning which path to take, you should always try traditional publishing first — period.

      I’ll tell you why.

      It’s because if you send your work out to agents first but hit walls, you can always self-publish it afterward with nothing lost. Easy peasy. But if you self-publish it first and then seek an agent for it later, you’re setting up a very difficult task.

      Let’s say you have a novel. You send it to an agent who is open to submissions. When the agent reviews your query and first pages, they are asking themselves the following: “Can this person write well? Is this an interesting story? Can I sell this?”

      An agent will take a long critical look at your writing, and it’s not easy finding a rep who loves your voice and your book.

      When an agent reviews a self-published book, it gets more complicated. They’re asking themselves the following: “Can this person write well? Is this an interesting story? Can I sell this? And why does this book deserve a second life via traditional publishing?”

      That final question is a damn hard one to answer well. And that’s why self-publishing your novel out of the gate can be a risky decision.

      Perhaps you self-published a novel before querying any agents. My guess is that there is a 90-95 percent chance it will not sell well enough to attract agents and publishers (5,000 total units sold in six months, for example, would not impress an agent).

      Statistically speaking, most self-published books don’t achieve these kind of numbers. So now you have a problem. You got a self-pubbed book that’s not selling. What do you do? You may say, “I’ll try to find an agent for it.” Your reasoning is Well, I tried it myself and it’s not taking off. I need an agent and a publisher to help me get this baby off the ground.

      Put yourself in an agent’s shoes when they receive the pitch for your book: “Hi, I self-published a book. It went nowhere. Would you like to rep it?”

      It doesn’t even matter much what’s in between the covers of your book. You’re admitting that it was released and found no audience. That means either the book may not be written well, you have no ability to promote it, there is no market for the book, or a combination of these factors.

      Don’t rush into self-publishing

      I’m not knocking self-publishing. If you think it’s the path for you, then power to you. Enjoy the high profit margins and try to corral some serious money.

      And note that results may vary book to book. If you self-publish a novel, you can always query agents, with no strings attached, for your next book, as long as the new title is independent from your first self published book.

      The main takeaway here is this: If you self-publish your book, you make it twice as difficult to pitch it to an agent afterward.

      I’ve written about how agents look for four things when you query them for a self-published book: sales, accolades and awards, blurbs or endorsements, and media attention.

      If you cannot provide something notable in some or all of these areas, then an agent has no incentive to consider your book, because they cannot sell it to a publisher. The book has no velocity behind it.

      So if you’re not sure if you should query agents or self-publish the book, I say send out the agent queries first. If you don’t get an agent offer you like, you can always self-publish later and nothing misses a beat.

      Are you working on a book? Do you plan to self-publish, or go the traditional route?

    • How One Writer Used Crowdfunding to Raise $12,775 in 30 Days

      How One Writer Used Crowdfunding to Raise $12,775 in 30 Days

      Jon Yongfook didn’t even intend to write a book at first. But the growth-hacking expert and software entrepreneur decided to give it a shot when Guy Vincent, founder of crowdfunding platform Publishizer, dropped him a note and suggested he throw his hat in the game.

      “I was in a sassy mood,” writes Yongfook on his website, “so I replied ‘ok.’” And then he raised $12,775 in 30 days.

      While crowdfunding has long been a popular way for musicians, inventors and artists to raise money and develop interest in their work, it’s becoming a more common option for authors as well.

      Crowdfunding a book basically involves taking pre-orders. If there’s enough interest to hit a preset funding goal, the author will write and publish the book. This fundraising method offers several benefits for authors, depending on which site you choose, such as a guaranteed payout if you meet your minimum fundraising goal, and no obligation to write a book if you don’t find enough of a market.

      If you’re considering crowdfunding your next book, studying Yongfook’s campaign for Growth Hacking Handbook could help you achieve similar success. Here’s his best advice for aspiring crowdfunders.

      Build your audience first

      Yongfook’s buyers didn’t appear out of thin air; he already had a network in place, including his Twitter and Facebook followers as well as a mailing list.

      “I think anyone launching a crowdfunding campaign needs to have some assets or network built in,” he said. “It’s almost impossible to do it without it.” Before you decide to create a crowdfunding campaign around your brilliant idea for a novel, make sure you’ve put some work into building an author platform.

      “My advice would be to keep blogging about the subject you want to write a book about, build that community, build that mailing list and use it when it’s time to crowdfund that pet project!”

      Spread the word

      Since Yongfook’s foray into publishing was unexpected, starting with the note he received from Vincent, he didn’t have a lot of time to plan a marketing strategy. He did find and pitch some of his media contacts, but he found most were not interested in covering his crowdfunded book launch.

      Instead, he focused on social media and guest posts. He used his personal social media accounts, including Facebook (and a promoted post) and Twitter, and sought out retweets from influencers. He wrote a guest post for The Next Web and volunteered for an “Ask Me Anything” with Tech In Asia.

      Be ready to work hard

      “During the campaign, it was almost like a full-time job keeping up the momentum and the marketing activities,” Yongfook said. He didn’t anticipate marketing would require quite so much footwork.

      “I guess I did naively think it would be a ‘set and forget affair’ though,” Yongfook said. “Like I would just click ‘upload’, sit back and enjoy a whiskey, and then a few weeks later, I’d have the funding for my book. In reality, it was a day-to-day hustle and the campaign needed constant maintenance to keep the momentum going.”

      However, he was always confident he would reach his goal, and he believes that self-assurance is key to a successful campaign. “I was quite confident,” he said. “I think as long as you are very determined and have a good idea for a book that the market (and more importantly, the network around you) wants, then you’ll meet your goals.”

      Stay positive

      We asked him what he found to be the most challenging part of the campaign. “The most difficult is the ‘dip’ or the ‘lull,’” he said. “Statistically, most of your crowdfunding activity is going to come at the start and the end of the campaign. Between those two points, the backings can trickle in quite slowly and it can be hard to keep motivated.”

      “There was a point in the middle of my campaign where I was quite shocked as it looked like it might not make it, and my confidence went down. You have to power on through that — there will be more activity towards the end.”

      Consider the lasting impact

      “[Crowdfunding] is just a win-win situation all round,” Yongfook said. “The backers get a book they are interested in, I get to write a book with no huge undertaking of risk.”

      When the campaign finished and Yongfook was still receiving emails from people who wanted to buy the book, he created an email list to notify them when it launched.

      “After I launched the book and sent the copies to the original backers, I then emailed that mailing list that the book had launched, and instantly had another $2k in book sales (in one day!). So I guess my point is, the positive effects of a successful crowdfunding campaign go far beyond just the campaign itself!”

      How to launch your own crowdfunding campaign

      While Kickstarter is likely the most popular crowdfunding platform, a few sites specifically focus on writers and their needs. Here are a few of the options to consider:

      Publishizer

      This is the platform Yongfook used for his campaign. To begin, simply submit a 1,000-word proposal for approval, then choose your campaign’s length (one to 45 days) and funding goal.

      If your campaign is successful, Publishizer collects a 5 percent fee on pre-orders, plus 2.9 percent and $0.30 per transaction for Stripe. You retain all rights to your book.

      Pubslush

      Pubslush’s mission is “to give authors the opportunity to get out of the slush pile.” They do this by helping authors create crowdfunding and pre-order campaigns for their books, 30 to 60 days before their release dates.

      The site charges a 4 percent commission and third-party processing fees after the campaign concludes. You keep all rights to your work.

      Unbound

      Unbound works similarly to the other sites, though they focus on U.K.-based authors. Authors do the bulk of their fundraising until they hit the 70 percent mark, and then Unbound jumps in with marketing and promotion assistance to help them reach their target.

      However, Unbound does take 50 percent of profits (after costs) and keeps the rights to your book. For more details, check out the site’s FAQ.

      Have you crowdfunded a book? Would you consider it? We’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!