Table of Contents
   Introductionp. 1
   Setting Up Shop
      Writing the Right Ideap. 19
      To Write or Not to Writep. 19
      What Should You Write?p. 22
      Assembling Ideasp. 24
      Writers in Search of Ideasp. 35
      The Perfect Packagep. 37
      Selecting Your Dream Teamp. 37
      Models for Successp. 43
      Perfecting Your Pitchp. 45
      Getting Titular: Titles and Subtitlesp. 47
      The Facts About Fictionp. 48
      The Nonfiction Proposalp. 49
      The Value of Good Readersp. 74
      Prepare Your Package for Liftoffp. 75
      Locating, Luring and Landing the Right Agentp. 76
      Do You Really Have to Have an Agent?p. 77
      Locating an Agentp. 79
      Luring the Agentp. 86
      Landing the Big Kahunap. 95
      John Hancocking: Signing an Agency Contractp. 99
      Demystifying Submissionp. 103
      Agent Relations: Snarling Snafus and Scary Silencesp. 103
      Sending Your Brave Little Book Out into the Worldp. 110
      The Agony and Ecstasy of "Interest"p. 113
      Sending Your Book Directly to Publishersp. 120
      Rejection Sectionp. 131
      Rejection Rulesp. 132
      To Learn or Not to Learnp. 134
      Taking Actionp. 140
   Taking Care of Business
      Let's Make a Deal!p. 143
      The Selling of Your Bookp. 143
      Sifting Wheat from Chaff: The Right Publisher for Youp. 146
      Finding a Cowriter or Dumping the One You Havep. 152
      Negotiating Nuggets for Agentless Authorsp. 152
      Get It in Writing: The Deal Memop. 154
      Contract Factsp. 156
      An Askance Glance at Your Advancep. 156
      The Reality of the Royaltyp. 160
      Delivery: The First Step Toward Acceptancep. 163
      Copyright or Copywrong?p. 167
      The Many Faces of Subsidiary Rightsp. 167
      Warranties and Indemnitiesp. 171
      Author Copies: "You Mean I Have to Buy My Own Books?"p. 172
      Covering Your Coverp. 173
      Options for Your Optionp. 173
      The Rules of Accountingp. 174
      Sign Here, Pleasep. 174
      Write Away!p. 176
      Same-Paging: Getting Simpatico with Your Editorp. 176
      Getting Your Ducks in a Row So You Can Start Quackingp. 178
      Getting Startedp. 190
      More Readersp. 195
      More on Outside Helpp. 198
      Don't Let Running Out of Time Drive You Out of Your Mindp. 199
      Postpartum Depressionp. 200
      One Last Thing Before You Turn It Inp. 201
      Working with Your Publisherp. 202
      Editor 101p. 203
      The Mother of All Meetings: The Launching of Your Bookp. 217
      Preparing Your Book for Catalogingp. 222
      Six Months to Go!p. 233
      The Sales Conferencep. 236
      Making a Stink: When to Get Mad and When to Shut Upp. 238
      Enjoying the Ridep. 240
      Prepub Publicity and Marketingp. 241
      Selling Yourselfp. 241
      Working with Your Publicistp. 249
      The Beauty and Power of Networksp. 264
      To Tour or Not to Tourp. 271
      Preparing for Your First Interviewp. 284
      Building Buzz:nbsp;287
   Getting the Word Out
      Launching Your Book and Keeping It Alivep. 293
      Local Lovep. 294
      Bookstore Lovep. 295
      Making an Eventful Eventp. 300
      A Tour of Your Book Tourp. 312
      The Skinny on Local and National Mediap. 316
      Giving Away Books: Yes, That's Right, Giving Them Awayp. 326
      E-Marketing Reduxp. 327
      Book Club Heavenp. 328
      Awards as Buzzp. 329
      Keeping Your Book Ball Rollingp. 329
      The Fine Art of Sellingp. 334
      "How Many Copies Did You Say?"p. 334
      Back to the Bookstorep. 336
      Selling Books in Unexpected Placesp. 342
      The World Wide Webp. 344
      Lovely, Luscious Librariesp. 346
      Back to Schoolp. 346
      Rotten Returnsp. 347
      The Last Word on Royaltiesp. 348
      Keep the Sales Train Rollingp. 35