How Small Business Owners Attract Publishers and Literary Agents

how to attract publishers, how to get media interviews, media interviews, public relations and media interviews, how to attract pubishers

Media Magnestism: How to the Publicity You Want and Deserve

Are you a small business owner who’s still trying to get the attention of a publisher or literary agent?

Haven’t they noticed you and your writing?

What’s the deal with that?

Perhaps, they’re too busy reading about James Erwin. If you don’t know the story of James Erwin and how his responses to a Reddit question landed him a deal with Hollywood, here’s the scoop from Wired magazine.

James Erwin writes software manuals for an Iowa financial services firm. The pay and short commute aren’t too shabby. One day at work (on his lunch break) he logged into Reddit and decided to answer the following question posted by Reddit user ‘The_Quiet_Earth,’ “Could I destroy the entire Roman Empire during the reign of Augustus if I traveled back in time with a modern U.S. Marine infantry battalion or MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit?”

James posted his answers in segments and basically started writing a story that would soon get so much attention that it got him a Hollywood deal.

James was contacted by Adam Kolbrenner who runs literary management and production company Madhouse Entertainment. He forwarded the Reddit link to an executive at Warner Bros., and a producer on the movie “300” said he wanted to be involved in getting James’ story produced. Warner Bros. made him an offer. The rest is history.

Congratulations to James!

How to Attract Publishers for Your Business Book

Use your storytelling skills and answer questions on Reddit and other sites. 

If posting on Reddit could land James Erwin a Hollywood deal, it could get you a publisher and or literary agent which could lead to a Hollywood deal for your book.

Don’t hold back when you answer questions. Give it everything you’ve got.

Communities like Reddit and other websites are influential, obviously. James was encouraged by Reddit members to keep writing which is exactly what he did.

All it took was one response from James to ‘hook’ the audience and draw others into his story. Before James knew it, he was being contacted by people in Hollywood and asked if he could write a screenplay for his story. How awesome is that?

Be controversial.

Get out of your comfort zone and tick people off! Instead of agreeing with everyone, write a comment that goes against the majority. This may be scary but push through the fear. You will survive. By the way … it’s a good way to develop a thick skin.

Being controversial doesn’t mean being disrespectful; you don’t have to use foul language. Post comments that are clear and concise.

Controversy sells and is a great way to gain attention. Even though it may seem like negative attention to you, the fact is that you can attract a lot of people to a thread based on your writing is powerful.

Publishers and literary agents look for writers who have or can gain a strong following.

This is why it pays to be controversial.

Participate in writing prompts.

You can find many writing prompts on the internet and in magazines such as Writer’s Digest.

It’s important for small business owners who want to become authors to be able to accept constructive criticism. If you don’t, you may not improve your writing or storytelling skills.

You’ll want to hire an editor for your book so they can make suggestions and you can submit revisions and start pitching your project.

Of course, if a publisher or literary agent reads your writing prompt, you could have a deal in no time.

Write Your Book and Attract Publishers and Literary Agents

These are some ways your writing can attract a publisher, literary agent, producer, or even studio executive. Make sure you’re ready for the fun and excitement. You read that right. Is it work if you love what you do? You’re a writer for a reason, you love to write.

If you’ve been blessed with a writing contract, enjoy the ride!

What other tips do you have for attracting a publisher and or literary agent? Let me know in the comments below.

8 Comments

  1. I love this post, Amandah! You’ve listed some great tips here for getting noticed, most of which I never would have thought of! I haven’t done much on Reddit, but I suppose I should check it out. I’ve heard some things about it (through the grapevine) and have always felt like it went against my grain, if you know what I mean. Do you have experience there?

  2. Thanks Samantha!

    I signed up with Reddit and posted a few links but haven’t posted anything in a while. I’m not sure if it’s a social network for me. But I’d like to research it more.

  3. Hello; I followed you here from aha now where you were named one of the top 20 women bloggers on aha now. Congrats as hers is a very influential site. I agree with what you are saying here about answering questions and responding to invitations on social media. a year ago i responded to a radio show on blog talk that was looking for small business owners to com on a show about up and coming entrepreneurs. from that one show i have been a regular with them most every friday. And thanks to some posts about my experience as a blind blogger and business owns I have been interviewed for two blogs have another one to b published next week and a Skype interview for a podcast after that. hollywood isn’t calling, but my story is getting out there. so maybe soon. thanks again for the post and take care, Max

  4. Hi Maxwell,

    Your story is an inspiration to people everywhere. It’s fantastic that you’re a regular on a radio show and have a Skype interview. Keep doing what you’re doing because you never know who’ll learn about you and your story. Hollywood could call at anytime. 😉

    I know some entrepreneurs and small business owners who think answering invitations on social media is a waste of time, but I consider it was part of my marketing and PR strategy. Plus, I like to connect and meet new people.

    Thanks for checking out Savvy-Writer. I appreciate it!

  5. Hi Amandah

    Never had Hollywood contact me yet! lol But I suppose the secret is to keep getting your face out there and interact with others as much as possible. Eventually people will begin to remember you. I have read some blogs that don’t want anyone controversial reaction from anyone. They are boring and seem to want so desperately for everyone to love them. I don’t think people should go making trouble for others or like you say, being rude or mean, but graciously disagree or have a different opinion. That should be okay, as that is the way real life is.

    Mary

  6. Hi Mary,

    You never know when Hollywood will call — make sure you’re ready. 🙂

    Everyone has an opinion. Last year, I commented on a blog post and the blog owner was not happy with my comment. All I did was give my opinion in a respectful manner. But I disagreed with this person’s point-of-view and they were not happy about it. Oh well.

    Thanks for your comment. I appreciate it!

  7. Hello; thanks for the suggestions. I did some research online and publishers do seem to be looking for those authors who can generate interest in addition to the promotional efforts of the publisher. and you are right having a different take on a subject in a forum can get you noticed. recently i commented on a blog post saying that it was good but here is how i thought it could have ben better. the owner emailed offering to work with me and has since steered me to a couple other opportunities. I don’t know if the blind blogger’s story will be on bookshelves or amazon any time soon, but I am definitely making progress in the area of getting exposure and building a following. thanks again and take care, Max

  8. Hi Max,

    Thanks for stopping by Savvy-Writer. I enjoyed your interview on AhaNOW! It was an inspiration to me and other readers.

    Small business owners can attract publishers and literary agents. It doesn’t matter if you’re an electrician or a web designer. If you have valuable information that can help your audience, you can write a book or eBook. You can even get media attention by connecting with local journalists and reporters, which can help you reach your target audience more so than before.

    I’m glad to know that your writing is getting more exposure. Keep moving forward and write on!

    Have a great weekend! 🙂

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