Customer Reviews

Getting Your Book Published For Dummies

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Earlier this year I had a book fall in my lap. A publishing company had an idea for a book, and I just happened to be the expert in the book's topic. I had a journalism background, so the publisher offered me the job. We set up a meeting to talk about the specifics of my duties and my contract a few days later.

I ran out and sifted throught the limited section of books on publishing at my local bookstore. I chose this book and began to read through the chapters. Although the organization of the book is pretty good and there is some good information (probably more suited for the publishing market a few years ago), some really bad advice nearly cost me the job.

The standard royalty rates weren't really put into context (for example, my specific situation was hard to apply to the text). I felt like all of the information was too general, and because of that, I looked like an idiot in front of my editor, marketing coordinator and the VP of acquisitions.

I got a lot out of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Published, The Self-Publishing Manual and a few other books. For the money, I got very little out of this title.

Too general to be useful. Too trite to be tolerated. I read the whole thing in about an hour, and realized it was geared mostly to non-fiction writers, held dubious advice about calling editors directly (against a mountain of evidence to the contrary about how much editors do not want to receive phone calls), and was really only a superficial glossing over the topic. The 'Sell-Your-Novel Toolkit' by Elizabeth Lyon seems more helpful.

This book was a disappointment. The reviews below pretty much reflect my problems with the book. Another problem I had concerned promotion. The authors assume that every aspiring author already has extensive media contacts. The sample proposal they give is from 2 college professors who have already published 2 books and have been featured on national TV and raidio. Now come on, most people who buy this book have not been on national TV and have no idea where to begin a promotional campaign. That's why they buy this book in the first place! Instead of telling us how to establish media contacts to use in the proposal, the authors simply tell us to use all our media contacts in the proposal. If I already had media contacts I wouldn't have needed the book.

In sum, if you havn't already published a few books and havn't been on national TV, this book will leave you with many lingering questions.

Getting Your Book Published for Dummies is a wonderful resource for anyone wants step-by-step information on how to get their book published. I loved everything about this book, from the down-to-earth and upbeat style, to the specific information about contracts and finding an agent, reading these chapters made me feel like a career as a professional writer is possible.

I loved the info on the various publishing houses that provides web site addresses and contact names. I also loved the section that tells you what happens during an auction and how the book interprets the publishing industry lingo so the common person may understand. And I appreciated how you're advised not to 'jump' at any offer, but to be a professional and evaluate the terms before giving your approval.

Each piece of advice presented in this book is critical and helpful and I feel much more informed and prepared. The money and time spent in reading Getting Your Book Published is more than worth it and this book is highly recommended.

Alas! The estimable Stephanie Dray has written most the review of this book that I wanted to write. As does Ms. Dray, I feel that some of the content is trite.

Otherwise: One really good thing this book has going for it was far too brief. That is the initial "Getting Started" section. The authors provided much good info therein, but there is a lot more to be said about evaluating and developing ideas, as well as on the subject of how things work (and don't work) in the world of freelancing. (New writers--and that is the category into which most of the buyers of this book fall--need more direction in those areas.)

The title makes me wonder what the marketing and editorial people weren't thinking when they agreed on it. The publisher deals exclusively with nonfiction books, and I think this led to editorial and marketing thinking in terms of nonfiction books only--not taking into account the fact that novels are books, too! Thus it may be that the title misled novelists into thinking the book was for them.

On the paw, "Getting Your Nonfiction Book Published for Dummies" would have been a bit unweildy. But the cover copy or a subtitle would have sufficed to alert the reader. (Details, details ...)

I applaud the line's parent, IDG, for moving into the writing how-to field. But they could have done better.

Not only does this book give writers valuable resources to get their manuscript out there, it explains the publishing process! This book doesn't do the work for you of course, but it does set you on the right path to getting the job done! There is a lot of information in this book that the Writers Market Guide or any writer's workshop does not provide. For those who are serious about getting their work published, this book must be permanently placed on your desk!

Claims to give you an example of a complete synopsis suitable to send out to an editor and then gives you a blurb for the back of the book.
Suggest cold calling editors which would only make them hate you and think you are a...dummie
Gives publishers' general details of the sort you could look up in the phone book which would be no use to you whatever since you would need to know individual editors names, what they are interested in publishing etc... Most of the publishing houses listed require agents but there are pleanty of publishers who do consider unagented writers who are not listed in this book. I really wish I had bought a different book as this was a complete waste of money.
I am lucky I know enough about writing and publishing to know what a terrible inaccurate picture this book gives.

For the total novice who has very limited experience in writing and publishing, this book will be treasure trove, especially if that novice is planning to write a non-fiction book. For everyone else, this book has lesser value. I found it offered very little for writers of fiction. The information offered was also rather basic; for a person with a moderate amount of writing experience, the book offered little in the way of insightful information. The "for Dummies" part of the title definitely applies in this case.

I've been trying to sell my manuscripts for years... I followed all the rules and ended up with nothing but a stack of rejection notices. I bought "Get Your Book Published for Dummies" and followed just one of the author's suggestions. Within weeks I had heard from a publisher and my book has already been published. If you have yet to sell your first manuscript, I suggest that you purchase this book and follow the author's recommendations. I did... and it worked for me.

The major virtue of this book is its compendium approach to the problem its title states. For those who know absolutely nothing about getting published, it is a helpful manual. The major flaw of the book is that its content boils down to a Catch-22---i.e., to be published you must have X. But X cannot be gained without Y and to do Y, you must have X.

I don't know whether the author's ideas have been repeated by the many who write on the same subject or whether the information in the book is so generalized that everyone in the industry knows it. In any case, the book brings together in one volume most of the things a writer trying to get published should know. And it does suggest the cause of the difficulty of getting published. That in itself is worth the price of the book.

However, the book is lightweight. One continues to wonder how to get published without having to do the kind of social commingling the author, and so many others, recommends.

The book was published in 2000. It has not to my knowledge been updated. So, some of the information is out of date. As the author notes: "editors move around a lot."