Dear Author,
Because the self-pub market has become so saturated (especially in fiction), I strongly advise my clients to explore the publisher/agent route to get fighting chance, at least for one of their titles. While self-publishing may ultimately be the path to see your work published, there are some risks in jumping down the self-pub path too soon.
For this reason, I recommend you tap into the AuthorDock Pitch Room to support you in queries and pitches to agents and publishers via a medium that the majority of writers and authors are still unaware of.
Many agents and editors admit that a large percentage of their clients were found through online writing contests, rather than through the regular slush pile. And getting an agent or a publishing contract isn’t the only benefit of participating in online writing events. Even those who don’t “win” the contests will walk away with valuable writing and marketing expertise, as well as insight into the writing community.
Building an online platform is another wonderful side-benefit of participating in online writing contests and Twitter pitch parties. Having an online presence is now an integral part of being a writer. Most agents and editors will stalk you on the internet before making an offer, and it can’t hurt to have the beginnings of a platform even before you’re published. Everyone who participates in these events will walk away with more Twitter followers than they started out with.
Elizabeth Roderick is an online contest and pitch-party veteran. She received dozens of requests for her manuscripts and more than one publishing offer as a result. She now serves as a judge and/or mentor in several contests, and will offer her expertise on how you can get the most out of the contests you enter.
As a member of the AuthorDock collaborative, you will learn when and how to enter many of these contests, what to expect, where to find more information, and how to increase your chances of "winning." You will walk away feeling comfortable diving into the online writing community, even if you didn’t have a Twitter account when you start.
Elizabeth is utilizing the AuthorDock platform to assist you with submissions to various pitch parties, contests, and competitions (you will learn how these all work) in this new era of submissions and author vetting.
The main requirement is that you have an unpublished fiction or creative non-fiction manuscript. If you have only published a Kindle version, then you can unpublish it when you are ready to submit. If your book is already released in print and has an ISBN, it won't be eligible.
Elizabeth will help you hone your query so it is more likely to get clicks. She'll instruct you on how to pitch (and monitor) via twitter which is where most of the action happens.
The fee is $20/month, and she will be actively working with you to pitch to agents and publishers (and she’s the best because she’s successfully done it). We are asking for a minimum commitment of 6 months to give the process enough time since contests are occur throughout the year and prep for each is key. After you signup you'll receive a primer from Elizabeth to get you off to a good start. I recommend you enroll at least 30 days prior to when you plan to start submitting.
Your efforts will be tied to deadlines for submissions throughout the year (which makes AuthorDock the perfect tool to facilitate it).
Collaborative AuthorDock rooms provide a tool to implement the successful strategies working for other authors. The team structure of the room will motivate you to act by putting you in an environment with authors seeking a similar goal. Seeing what others are doing (as they are doing it) is one of the keys to success.
Feel free to email or call me as well with any questions.
Thanks,
Brian
805-323-6706