The Ebook as a Starting Point to Traditional Publishing

So let’s break this down. Traditional publishers look at is the sales of your book. They want to know whether or not it is marketable. Amazon will show sales ranks of their books, even the Kindle versions. The ranking shows how many people have bought it and shows where the book stands in compared to other books. A ranking can increase with more decent reviews. With good sales your book might draw the attention of traditional publishers.

Traditional publishers also look at whether you have a strong author platform. Platforms are a huge topic that can’t be well covered in one paragraph. But as an introduction, let’s just say that your platform is total of your marketing and PR efforts. It’s about how much name recognition you have and the number of fans you’ve developed. Your platform might include your social media presence, speaking engagements, good press coverage, and your experience delivering workshops. The basic message is this: If you don’t have a platform, build one. If you have one, make it bigger. It makes you more marketable for less cost… which is very appealing to traditional publishers.

Another way to get your book noticed is to attend writing and publishing conventions where you can meet agents, editors, other writers. You might have a chance to pitch your book to an agent or make a good industry connection or find an editor willing to read your book or an expert willing to review it. 

Finding an agent or editor is often critical to securing a traditional publishing deal. While it’s possible to submit your book directly to the publisher, that’s not the typical path. So get out there and build those sales and create a platform and let those things help you find an agent, which can help you get that traditional publishing deal.