Putting Your Passion Into Print
Do you dream of getting your book published? It’s time to make those dreams come true. Or at least learn the nuts and bolts of how the publishing industry works, and get face time with be an agent and a book doctor (who also happen to be authors of everything from a bestselling memoir, to a sports book, to a humor book, to a how-to book to a YA novel) who’ve been in the publishing trenches, and can give you the tools to succeed in the ridiculous business of books.
The Putting Your Passion into Print workshop is a step-by-step, blow-by-blow program that shows you how to take an idea you’re passionate about, make a book out of it, get it published and deliver it into the hands, heads and hearts of readers all over the world. The workshop is a whirlwind, information-packed, entertaining extravaganza that removes the smoke and mirrors from the book biz. No matter what kind of book you want to write—fiction, nonfiction, business, romance, memoir, cookbook—Putting Your Passion into Print covers all the publishing bases, large and small.
We will teach you how to:
• Choose the right idea
• Come up with a blockbuster title
• Craft an attention-getting pitch
• Create a sellable proposal/manuscript
• Find the best agent/publisher/editor for you
• Develop sales, marketing and publicity savvy
BIOS
Arielle Eckstut is an agent who runs the West Coast office of the Levine Greenberg Literary Agency. She is also the co-author of three books including Pride & Promiscuity: The Lost Sex Scenes of Jane Austen (Simon & Schuster, 2001).She has sold millions of dollars worth of books and midwifed dozens of authors through the publishing process. David Henry Sterry is the author of three books including the San Francisco Chronicle bestseller, Chicken: Self-Portrait of a Young Man for Rent (HarperCollins, 2002). He is also the author of three forthcoming books including two young adult novels (to be published by Dutton in 2006 and 2007) and a second memoir, Master of Ceremonies (Grove/Atlantic, 2006). A former professional actor who worked with everyone Michael Caine to Zippy the Chimp, he is also a book doctor and media coach for authors. Arielle and David have appeared on or in over 250 media outlets including NPR’s Morning Edition, The New York Times, USA Today and The London Times. They are married and live in San Rafael, CA.
Advance Praise for Putting Your Passion into Print
“This book demystifies the process of getting published and is a must-have for every aspiring writer with a dream to see his or her passion in print. With input from agents, editors, and writers, this book is thorough, forthright, and importantly, also quite entertaining.” –Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner
“I had no idea that the code of publishing would be as hard to decipher as the secret language of adolescent girls. If only I had Putting Your Passion into Print when I started writing!” –Rosalind Wiseman, author of Queen Bees and Wannabees, the book that inspired the movie Mean Girls
“Before you write your own book, read this one first. Arielle Eckstut and David Sterry understand the process of publishing. Their advice will help you envision and frame your work so that publishers will be more likely to perceive its value.” –Jonathan Karp, editor-in-chief, Random House
“This honest, comprehensive, and inspiring book is the best description of the contemporary publishing world that I’ve seen. It should be at the center of every writer’s reference shelf for decades.” –Neal Pollack, author, Never Mind the Pollacks and The Neal Pollack Anthology Of American Literature
“Finally, a comprehensive, compelling, hilarious and amazingly insightful book about the painful and wonderful world of getting a book published. It’s as much about passion and teamwork as it is about royalties and advances. I loved it!” –Patrick Lencioni, author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and three other national bestsellers
“I wish I had had this book when I started writing for publication. It’s got the perfect blend of right-brain creativity and left-brain strategy to help you succeed as an author.”
–Dr. Betty Edwards, author of the classic bestseller Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
“Putting Your Passion into Print is a Rosetta Stone for authors, a guide that takes the mystery and uncertainty out of getting your book published. This book takes you inside the publishing industry and reveals what makes it tick. Prospective authors, listen up. This is the definitive manual on taming this lumbering giant. If you want your book to see the light of day, read this one.” –Larry Dossey, M.D., author of The Extraordinary Healing Power of Ordinary Things, Reinventing Medicine, and Healing Words
“I curled up in a big chair and read Putting Your Passion into Print like a novel. Written with insight and humor, it takes us through the writing process from idea to sequel. I wish I had a book this thorough and thoughtful and downright indispensable for every aspect of my life.” –Karen Cushman, author of the Newbury Award winner The Midwife’s Apprentice and Newbury Award runner-up Catherine, Called Birdy
“As a consultant, I make my living by understanding how companies and industries work from the inside out. To succeed as an author, you need an inside-out view of how publishing works. For that, there’s simply no better guide than Putting Your Passion Into Print.” –Geoffrey Moore, author of four Wall Street Journal and Business Week bestsellers, including Crossing the Chasm and The Gorilla Game
“Putting Your Passion into Print offers aspiring authors refreshingly honest, knowledgeable and detailed advice on not only how to get published, but how to deal with every phase of the publishing process constructively and realistically. It’s an invaluable resource for anyone who dreams about having his/her book not only published, but published well. —Jamie Raab, Publisher, Warner Books
“If you’ve ever thought about writing a book, are in the process of writing a book, or have written a book and are contemplating another, stop what you’re doing right now–and buy this book. It contains everything you need to know to proceed, especially how to press your own enthusiasm button.” –Sandra Blakeslee, science writer for major newspapers and for many bestselling books, including The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce, Phantoms of the Brain, and On Intelligence
“From coming up with an idea to promoting the finished book, these insiders tell you what you need to know and inspire you to do it—with wit, charm, and a thorough knowledge of what they write.” –Amy Cherry, senior editor, W.W. Norton & Company
“As the marketplace becomes more crowded, it is harder and harder for writers to get their books noticed. But I believe that authors who listen to the insider advice offered in Putting Your Passion into Print will have an easier time of it. They’ll also learn that writing a book is just the beginning. Getting it bought and read is where things get really exciting.” –Lynn Goldberg, CEO, Goldberg McDuffie Communications public relations firm
“Putting Your Passion into Print is an excellent addition to any author’s library. It entertains, inspires and instructs, providing a wonderfully comprehensive and inside view on the writing and publishing process.”—Mauro DiPreta, Vice President & Editorial Director, HarperEntertainment