Customer Reviews

From Book Idea to Bestseller: What You Absolutely, Positively Must Know to Make Your Book a Success (Prima Writing Guides)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have already sold two nonfiction books on my own without an agent. Reading this book was a real eye-opener. I found out that I did not know the first thing about how to write a nonfiction business proposal. My first thought was to wonder how much money it had cost me not to have read this book sooner. Well, better late than never.

Book publishing is still somewhat of a mystery to me. Reading this book dispelled more of that mystery than two years of working with outstanding publishers has. The authors are not only knowledgeable, they are very generous in the way they share their experience. By having an often-published author/agent and two other well-published authors collaborating, you have a lot of potential knowledge to pick up. I suspect it would be hard to get any more knowledge from an entire writing career than you obtain by reading this book. What a geat deal!

These are good writers, too. The organization of the book is simple and effective. The prose is brief and clear.

But what I liked best was the warmth and supportiveness that the authors expressed. These people genuinely want you to get published and have a writing career (if that's what you decide you want).

Get this book, read it immediately, and then start applying it as soon as possible!

Every aspiring non-fiction author should read and re-read this book.

If the all authors that send me manuscripts and proposals would follow the guidelines in this book, I'd have a lot more contracts, referrals and encouraging letters to write, and far fewer rejection form letters.

This most thorough and easy to read book has proven itself to me. I had the idea of what a proposal should look like, but Snell let me grasp exactly what the publishers want to see. It didn't bog me down with useless information. I really appreciated it's get to the point format.

The sample proposals and clear guidelines in this book allowed me to get published--two books this year. I am grateful to Mr. Snell and the Bakers for their sound, real-world advice. They demystified the book sale process. Without them I would have stayed a wanna-be instead of an author.

I actually heard about this book as a result of sending a query to Michael Snell. He sent my "proposal" back with a nice note and a recommendation to get this book. It wasn't available in any of the bookstores in my area without use of special order, so I was a skeptic at first.

I obtained a copy of this book and eagerly flipped through the pages. Not only did I learn that I hadn't the slightest idea about what I was getting myself into, but I also learned that I had a lot of work ahead of me if I wanted to be a success.

I've been recommending this book as a jumping off point for other authors I know looking for agents and publications. This book, of course, doesn't guarantee you'll be a success in your venture . . . but it does a wonderful job showing you what steps to take.

Will I get published as a result of this book? Only time will tell, but I remain optomistic now that I've got the right tools.

Here is a very thorough guide on how to get that first book published.Insider information from an agent and two authors. Worth a look. -Linda Fry Kenzle, author of ten books

I've been doing PR for books for 25 years and I learned a "bunch" from this book. Lively writing- lots of good advice. You should read other books on the subject .. (How to Get Publicity by Bill Parkhurst is a good one) but you will get a lot out of this book! Rick Frishman Pres. Planned TV Arts (NYC) Co-author GUERRILLA PUBLICITY & GUERRILLA MARKETING FOR WRITERS

From Book Idea to Bestseller is true to its name. I wrote my own book, Making your Record: Courtroom Guidebook for Attorneys and Law Students on sale now on Amazon.com, following the guidelines of this book and managed to get it published without the assistance of an agent. I wholeheartedly believe only because I followed the sound advice given by the authors based on the step by step, chapter by chapter principles, explained in a simple and coherent fashion, I obtained my goal. Mr. Snell and the Bakers come across as down-to-earth people. Their writing style is one in which the reader feels as if they have a personal relationship with the authors, wherein one can vent their frustrations and read an excerpt telling one to be patient...this process takes time. The authors were and are my mentors in the publishing business. Through their words and examples, they display their credibility, expertise, and experience in teaching one how to open and get through the mysterious locked doors of the publishing houses. Having reached my own goal of getting my first book published, I recommend this book highly to anyone who would like to enter the writing business either as a hobby or a profession.

Leticia Araujo Perez, author

A helpful book for first-time writers. Gives the basics, but not the best book currently out on the subject.