In need...........

Isa_Halley

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Hi Everyone!

I'm in need of some moral support..... I have written a self-development book. This is my thing. I don't write fiction. I'm really into self-help, spiritual, motivation, self-development.

It really flowed. I have started quering agents. It's been a while now..... AND no interest. I'm getting: not right for my list, so sorry, Or it's huge achievement but not for me, Or I everyone wishing me success in finding a good home for the book.

I query agents that show some depth in their profiles and indicate interest in psychology subjects, strong writing, rep non-fiction.

I have changed my query letter a couple of times. It's really polished now. Oh my god......I feel like NO ONE LIKES MY BOOK. I have queried about 25 agents. Or maybe I just haven't connected to this one person.

I don't want to give up. I refuse to give up on this book, but honestly sometimes it's just so very disheartening :(

Maybe it's because it's laced with spirituality and it's very deep....and no one wants to take a risk?

But there's a great need for self-help/ psychology books. I really know my subject. Just don't know if the Universe is testing me, making me stronger, or I got it completely WRONG, and I'm not meant to be a published author. But if so, why did I feel it so strongly all my life? One thing is for sure.... I'm getting no where at the moment because no one is saying yes to it.



Sorry for a moan! and all that, but I think you guys understand this like no one else!!!!

I'm grateful for your thoughts.......
 
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Barbara R.

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Are you getting requests to read and then rejections? If so the problem may be with the writing. If you're not even getting that far, could be the query letter, although you say you've reworked it. With nonfiction, you need more than a query letter, you need a whole proposal. That's a multi-page document that includes a summary; sample chapters; marketing plan; analysis of competing books and how yours would stand out; why you are the appropriate author for this work; and more.

The other problem could be your platform. How would you support your book? What sort of following do you have? Twitter followers? Popular blog? Professional achievements in the field you're writing about?

There's no point in taking rejection personally--in fact, it's destructive to do that. Look at it instead from the agent's POV. She has one job: selling her clients' work. Convince her that your book can find a market with a stunning proposal that includes a marketing plan.

Good luck!
 

Qwest

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Hi Isa, sorry to hear it's feeling so difficult. It is tough out there in the query trenches. I think with the digital age, a lot more people are querying agents, so they're literally swamped with queries - probably drowning in them, so bear that in mind. Queries are a very small part of an agent's work load - their focus has to be on their clients, so that's also a factor.

I think this article is a good one to read for where you are querying, and feeling down: http://tinhouse.com/how-to-stay-sane-while-querying-literary-agents/

I do think Barbara's advice is sound - I know that platform is a huge concern for non-fiction. I don't know much about self-help and how saturated the market is, but I can imagine that it is pretty tough to break in.

Another question, have you had your book beta read by people who read a lot of self help books?

Finally, I don't think 25 agents is a huge amount. These days I'm hearing more and more stories about people who land agents after sending out a couple of hundred queries! It is tough, tough, tough out there. It is ridiculously competitive. I wish you all the best on your journey.
 

Cyia

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No one rejects a book because it's too deep. Assuming the book is as solid as you believe it to be, then they've probably already got something similar, know that the market is tight for books such as the one you've written, or don't think your platform is sufficient to support publication of a non-fiction book. Sadly, with non-fic, you usually need credentials and/or a big following before you get the book deal.
 

Isa_Halley

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The other problem could be your platform. How would you support your book? What sort of following do you have? Twitter followers? Popular blog? Professional achievements in the field you're writing about?

There's no point in taking rejection personally--in fact, it's destructive to do that. Look at it instead from the agent's POV. She has one job: selling her clients' work. Convince her that your book can find a market with a stunning proposal that includes a marketing plan.

Good luck!

Thanks so much Barbara. I am not getting any requests - and it sucks! I know this is NOT a good sign. I don't have a platform yet.... Maybe I really should DO IT. I didn't do it because I simply didn't have the time yet. Life is really really busy all my free time went into the book.

I have a full proposal and I send it to the agents that want it I also paste sample 5 pages to those who only want a query letter.
 

Isa_Halley

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Thank you so much Qwest. Oh the infamous trenches! I know.....sometimes I think I'm just wasting my time because if it was to HAPPEN it would by now. But I give myself a slap for that :)
I will check out the LINK!!! Sounds like something I really need.

Maybe my query sounds like everything that has been done before??? Now I begin to think that it may not do the book justice.

Haven't tried beta readers yet.....

I think it is a bit a GAME OF NUMBERS and yes, 25 may be nothing..... I should make it 100.
 

Isa_Halley

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No one rejects a book because it's too deep. Assuming the book is as solid as you believe it to be, then they've probably already got something similar, know that the market is tight for books such as the one you've written, or don't think your platform is sufficient to support publication of a non-fiction book. Sadly, with non-fic, you usually need credentials and/or a big following before you get the book deal.

Thanks so much Cyia! Maybe this is the case.... I'm not a PHD! :(
 

Isa_Halley

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MAYBE.... I really need to write another query letter and focus SHARP on how my book is different from what's available on the market right now! Because it is different. I have read a lot of self-help/ self-development books.
 

cornflake

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Do you have expertise? You mentioned spirituality and psychology. If you're delving into the latter realm, usually agents will look for credentials.
 

Isa_Halley

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Do you have expertise? You mentioned spirituality and psychology. If you're delving into the latter realm, usually agents will look for credentials.

I have expertise. Real life experience.
 

Isa_Halley

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Jen Sincero ' You're a Badass' - does not have a PHD and also has ONLY real life experience, also Eckart Tolle 'The Power of Now'
 

Toothpaste

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Sincero offers advice on how to get rich because she went from rags to riches and coaches others now to supposedly similar success (hmm . . . maybe I need to give her a call ;) ). Tolle was a councillor and teacher and offers his lessons in book form. You haven't said much about your real life experience, just that you have it. Do you have comparable experiences to those? Do you have any credentials you can list in a bio that would demonstrate to an agent, publisher and reader that you have expertise in this area? That the help your offering has demonstrably worked for more than just you? I think, yes, explaining what makes your work particularly unique is an excellent idea, but also make sure you make it clear why you out of everyone are the right person to offer advice and why you know this advice works.

Platform with non-fiction matters sometimes even more than the writing itself :) .
 
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cornflake

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I have expertise. Real life experience.

Jen Sincero ' You're a Badass' - does not have a PHD and also has ONLY real life experience, also Eckart Tolle 'The Power of Now'

Ok, but you said your book involves psychology. That's different than making money. The Power of Now thing hit because of Oprah..
 

Qwest

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One more thing, have you thought of workshopping your query in SYW? I've seen amazing results come from that. You could also paste your first 5 pages and get feedback. I do think a beta read is a good idea too. Maybe see if you can find someone who might fit (reads lots of self help) in the beta reading section?
 

cool pop

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You need a platform for nonfiction, period. Publishers aren't interested in nonfiction unless you have a proven platform. Also, are you saying you don't have a degree in the field you are writing in? I'm almost certain that if you write a book on psychology publishers and agents are gonna expect you to be a psychologist or have some professional standing in the field. In nonfiction your platform, popularity and experience are a huge factor.

An author friend of mine has an aunt who wrote a self-help book. She is a counselor and life coach and her book is a self-help book based off her expertise as a life coach. She has been shopping it around for years and has a good social media presence and has done seminars all over the country and even TV and radio in her city to build her platform. She has met A LOT of people and contacts who have written references for her, some notable people in her field. She has glowing credentials and pounds the pavement doing publicity to build her brand and though publishers and agents have been impressed by her efforts it still hasn't gotten her published.

Nonfiction is tough to break into unless you're a celebrity or have publishing contacts. If not, then you gotta be on your A game to get an agent to even look at your proposal. You gotta come to them with a plan as well as to how you're gonna sell your work. They wanna see if you have an audience as well as if you hold the necessary credentials.

Do you know who your book has to compete with? Dr. Phil. :( A NYT bestselling author and celebrity guru known all over the world and Oprah's buddy. That's the caliber you have to compete with in self-help psychology books. You have GOT to have your ducks in order before even thinking of approaching an agent or publisher.

Think of your biography. What are they going to put under your picture to woo readers to read your work? If you don't have any REAL (not real life) experience, who is gonna buy your work? Readers want self-help books from experts and people they feel know what they are talking about. This is why credentials and expertise is very important. With nonfiction, there is a level of trust you must obtain from readers for them to want your work. You need a brand before you publish.

Also, you said there is a need for self-help and psychology books? :Shrug: Do you know how many self-help and psychology books are on the market? Tons. You also have to show how your work will be different from all the others out there and especially Dr. Phil's books.

BTW, not trying to be critical of you or your efforts. I hope you can find an agent and pub for your book because you seem very passionate but the truth is, you will need to do more than just writing a nonfiction book to lure agents and publishers unless you plan to self-publish.
 
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Do you have expertise? You mentioned spirituality and psychology. If you're delving into the latter realm, usually agents will look for credentials.

I have expertise. Real life experience.

Jen Sincero ' You're a Badass' - does not have a PHD and also has ONLY real life experience, also Eckart Tolle 'The Power of Now'

If you're trying to get published in self help and/or psychology you need something to prove you're qualified to advise others in those areas. (I spent a lot of time as an editor in esoteric non-fiction: I have seen what's needed here.)

You need to have some sort of qualification in psychology, or you need to have faced your own demons and triumphed over them; or you need years of coaching others to succeed. Something along those lines.

If you can't prove your worth like that then you need to have written a book that is mind-blowingly great. That takes common problems and deals with them in ways that no one else has dealt with them before--with proof that your methods work.

You need a platform for nonfiction, period. Publishers aren't interested in nonfiction unless you have a proven platform. Also, are you saying you don't have a degree in the field you are writing in? I'm almost certain that if you write a book on psychology publishers and agents are gonna expect you to be a psychologist or have some professional standing in the field. In nonfiction your platform, popularity and experience are a huge factor.

A degree isn't required if the author can prove that they can do the work. A platform isn't necessarily a large following on social media. Popularity doesn't necessarily translate into sales if method isn't proven.
 

Isa_Halley

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Thanks so much for all REPLIES GUYS- MUCH appreciated.

I'm considering now approaching Publishers as a different strategy. Obviously not going anywhere with the Agents! Then, option three is SELF-PUBLISH.
 

cornflake

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There are publishers of non-fic who accept unsolicited submissions, however, their standards are the same as those most agents have, and publishers who accept work often have larger piles of it to wade through,

As for self publishing, it's a perfectly viable option, but shouldn't be one of like, last resort. It should, ideally, be a path you choose for particular reasons. because you want to go that way and put in that kind of work.
 

Isa_Halley

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There are publishers of non-fic who accept unsolicited submissions, however, their standards are the same as those most agents have, and publishers who accept work often have larger piles of it to wade through,

As for self publishing, it's a perfectly viable option, but shouldn't be one of like, last resort. It should, ideally, be a path you choose for particular reasons. because you want to go that way and put in that kind of work.

Thanks so much dear Cornflake :) It really gives me something to think about now. I did think of it as a last resort...but maybe it's a good option like you said. Especially for my book! I think amazon does it. Need to dig deeper.
And like some folks said I need an online presence, starting with FB page, www, and maybe twitter and insta....

I was so rigid in my approach and naïve perhaps. Time to try a different Path :)
 

Lisa Driscoll

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If your book is deeply spiritual, have you tried looking for agents/publishers in the Christian (or whatever) market? They may be much more open to your religious book. It's a tricky spot right now. Also, I wouldn't worry about 25 rejections. I have come across the number several times of average amount of rejections being about 80. Chin up - you'll get there.