How to Lose Readers by Selling Your Book (and why you shouldn’t) byJenn Flynn-Shon

I am very excited to introduce Jenn Flynn-Shon, who has very kindly produced the following guest post about how to sell your book without selling your book!

Vanity Publishing vs Print-on-Demand

Lesson #6: Avoid vanity publishers like the plague.

I could almost leave this blog there.  But I appreciate that there are those of you that don't know the difference between vanity publishing and print-on-demand.  Or even that print-on-demand exists (I didn't when I first started writing).  So, here's a nice explanatory table for you:

Doing your market research for you...

Lesson #5: Make sure you do your market research before taking the plunge.

So, you've written your story, submitted it to agents and publishers and got a long list of rejections.  But you still can't let it go.  You know it has promise.  And you just can't bring yourself to consign your charming characters to gathering dust in a box.

七転び八起き (Fall down seven times, get up eight)

Lesson #4: 七転び八起き (Fall down seven times, get up eight)

So, you've sent out your query letters and waited.  And waited.  Then the replies start dribbling in.  None of them good news.  But why?! 

How to get your picture book published

Lesson #3:Give your submission as much attention as your  manuscript.

Once you've edited your work and got some independent feedback (paid or otherwise), the next step is sending it off to agents and/or publishers with a well-polished query letter.  But which ones? And how?