Authors and writers often ask how they can receive information from me when they are not an individual client of mine. I’m happy to provide 10 ways for you to learn more about making your book your hook:

1)      Free Starter Kit – Sign up for my free Starter Kit on the website at www.YourBookIsYourHook.com. You’ll receive a free 90-minute workshop recording plus the accompanying 14-page workbook to learn how to write, market & make money with your book. Authors who have listened to this workshop have benefitted tremendously. They have recreated the approach to their books and readers. Some have even gotten published as a result of putting the activities discussed into action.

2)      Newsletter – Subscribe to my free monthly Newsletter.  Receive tips and guidance each month for your book idea, project and platform. You’ll automatically be signed up for this when you get your free Starter Kit.

3)      Listen to the “Your Book Is Your Hook!” Radio Talk Show – Each week join me on Tuesdays at 9am Eastern on the WomensRadio Network at WomensRadio.com. Not on Eastern time? That’s okay! The shows are archived each week so you can access past shows quickly and easily.

4)      Read My Blog – Get tips from me & other industry experts as well as other writers and authors like you that you’ve heard on the show each week. www.YourBookIsYourHook.com/Blog

5)      Like My Page on Facebook – There you can find out about upcoming appearances, training classes and special events. Facebook.com/JenniferSWilkov

6)      Follow me on Twitter – Get weekly tips & insights about writing, marketing and publishing your book. Include me in your posts using @URBookIsURHook. Twitter.com/URBookIsURHook

7)      First Steps to Finding the Right Literary Agent – For Literary Agent Matchmaker insights specifically, follow me on Twitter at Twitter.com/litmatchmaker to keep up with daily information about literary agents, editors, publishers and more. Include me in your posts using @litmatchmaker.

8)      Connect with Me on LinkedIn – Connect with me on LinkedIn and let me know if you’re in the same groups I am. You can also join my Group called “Your Book Is Your Hook!”  LinkedIn.com/in/JenniferWilkov

9)      Subscribe to the YouTube Channel – Find out quickly who’s going to be on the show each week and other quick video tidbits by subscribing to my channel. Leave a question or comment on my video broadcasts. YouTube/user/YourBookIsYourHook

10)  Prepare & Polish Up Your Approach to Using Your Book As Your Hook – For insights into why authors get rejected in the publishing industry, how to start building great hooks for your book and how you can start your journey to becoming the next bestseller, simply go to The Next Bestseller at www.thenextbestsellertv.com.

It’s my privilege and pleasure to support you with the writing, marketing and getting published activities for your book.

Whether you entertain, educate or enlighten others with it, you’ll give a great gift to humanity and leave a legacy for yourself, your family and the human race.

And that’s why…. Your Book Is Your Hook!

As authors and writers, we’re always learning about resources and industry tools that we can use to improve our book project performance and the enjoyment of our writing and marketing experiences.  Today let’s talk about the end of the self-published era and the coming of age of the independent author.

For years, many self-published authors felt like second class citizens in the book publishing world. Without an agent or a publishing contract, they found the industry just wasn’t willing to give them credit for the work they had done – the same work their counterparts with contracts and agents had done plus much more.

You see, being self-published in the book industry is like being self-employed in the business world. You’re working for yourself. You have to make and meet your own deadlines. You have to produce and market the book, just like you would with any product you’d create on your own for sale. You have to work through the legal and financial logistics and even find and secure distribution for your book. And, you also have to take on your own visibility through publicity, a strong online presence and speaking engagements offline to connect with your audience.

Gee, when you think about it, it’s about time the moniker of the “self-published” went the way of the moniker “self-employed.” These days, the self-employed are now referred to as independent business owners. Similarly, the self-published author is now being dubbed the “independent author”.  Rightfully so…when you think about it.

After all, whether you are an independent author or a commercially published author, your book is a business all by itself.

It’s your hook! It brings people into the business you are in, whether you educate, enlighten or entertain others with what you have written.

Still, there are areas of the industry that will continue to exclude independent authors from joining the ranks of other published authors. For example, the Authors Guild does not allow authors without a publishing and royalty contract to join their organization.

However, there is now the new Association for Independent Authors that is setting the stage to offer resources of their own to independent authors everywhere. This, my friends, is progress. It’s a progression to recognizing the challenge met by these authors and the rewards they receive as a result of them forging a path to realize their dream of being published.

Today, there are small publishers and even large companies that are helping authors to independently publish their books now. Even Amazon has forged a solid line of business withCreateSpace and Barnes & Noble introduced their own digital independent publishing platform, PubIt, this year to support indie authors with their publishing dreams.

As both an independent author and a commercially published author myself, I know firsthand of the trials and tribulations, the choices and considerations one must make as an independent author. Often the decision to do it on your own is filled with fear and fortitude. For if that’s what it takes to get published or in some cases if that’s what it will take to get published more quickly than the traditional timeline, it will take all the courage, tenacity and patience you have to make it and succeed.

My own independent author projects have been wonderful. In fact, that’s how I became a bestselling author – as an independent. My first book, Dating Your Money, was independently published. I went from thought to sales in just 90 days: assembling the lean team of professionals; writing the book; reviewing the manuscript with an editor; overseeing the production coordinator and the graphic designer who positioned not only the text but the fantastic illustrations from a talented young artist; working through the quirks and the learning curves of working directly with the nation’s largest printer (the same one the big publishing houses use) alongside the production coordinator; securing a distributor and putting together a strong publicity plan with one of the top publicists in the industry.

Yes, it was all done in 90 days.

Yes, the audio book was professionally produced, complete with professional packaging that resembled the book, and yes, the publishing house for the project was also established – all in the same 90 days.

And yes, I was also running a entire separate company with staff when I did it. So yes, it can be done. I’m living proof! And so are many others who have become bestsellers as independent authors.

In fact, of the five times I’ve already been published, four of my books were independently published by me and my own publishing company. In fact, I’ve had one literary agent who has been after me for a few years now asking to represent Dating Your Money and inquiring if I was ready and willing to sell it when I’d see her at industry events. I’ve never given it up.

I continue to be the independent author – and the best-selling, award-winning author – of the project today and I’m still making a difference for so many with it. In fact, this year I was invited to speak at a domestic violence shelter to support women who had left their abusive relationships and who needed to build, in many cases, a first-time relationship with their money that they could understand and feel confident about. This was my intention for the book all along – to support the reader from any walk of life and with little to no financial skills with establishing a powerful and productive relationship with their money, one where they could then feel competent about discussing their finances with financial industry professionals like I was when I wrote it. In fact, the book is even dedicated to the reader.

You see, independent or not, you really can make a huge difference for others with your book and leave an incredible legacy for yourself, your family and the human race with it.

So whether you choose to be an independent author or if you are one now, or if you opt to go the traditional route and secure an agent and a publishing contract, either way the fact still remains: you can’t use your book as your hook until you have a book.

And so, to the independent authors who have published their books like I have, I invite you to stand and be recognized. You deserve it!

Jennifer’s show can be heard every week on Tuesday mornings at 9am when it is broadcast on WomensRadio.com and syndicated on Live365.com. Each show is archived for replay listeners in different time zones and countries.

For more information on this Education Corner topic and others, please refer to www.YourBookIsYourHook.com/blog for more articles and resources to help you with your books.

As a book business consultant, one of the most common questions I get asked is from authors and writers who have finished writing their books and then they say: “What do I do next?” and “How do I publish my book?”

It is my Joy, Privilege and Pleasure to help other authors and writers have a fantastic publishing experience – like I have. I’ve been published 5 times. I’ve self-published and I’ve been through the traditional publishing process.

One of the biggest decisions you’ll make is whether to self-publish or follow the traditional publishing process to publish your book. You have a lot of options to choose from and they have different requirements and activities to succeed.

To save yourself time, energy and money, it’s important for you understand the overall publishing process and to select the right route for publishing your book.

On Monday, September 13th, I’ll begin teaching the Publish It Now Training Program. During this training, you’ll prepare to publish your book and get a comprehensive look at the variety of ways you can publish it.

You’ll also find out the answer to your question about what to do next to publish your book.

Early registration discounts expire on August 30th – and you can even get up to 50% off your seat when you register with a friend.

Get more information at http://www.YourBookIsYourHook.com/PublishItNow.

Register Now and save your seat.

This week on the “Your Book Is Your Hook!” Show, Beth Kallman Werner, the Director of Sales and Marketing for Kirkus Media, will talk with radio personality and host Jennifer S. Wilkov about what a book review is, why it’s a great resource to have in an author’s marketing kit and when to submit for one. She’ll also reveal how self-published authors can get a review as well as how they and traditionally published authors can use a review to revive a title’s sales and interest. Ms. Werner will also discuss how to turn a potentially negative review into a positive asset for a book and its author as well as why the source of the review makes a big difference.

Bestselling author Dr. Bonnie Eaker Weil, who is internationally acclaimed, named by Psychology Today as one of America’s best therapists, and by New York Magazine as one of New York City’s best therapists, joins radio personality and host Jennifer S. Wilkov to share her updated edition of Make Up Don’t Break Up in a candid interview that reveals Dr. Bonnie’s own experience with growing up with adultery in her childhood home and how that has provided so many insights for her to help couples everywhere to survive adultery.

Dr. Bonnie, a 5-time Oprah! guest, will talk about why social media could be killing the romance in your relationship, why women should make the first move and why couples should break up to test their relationship’s staying power. She will also discuss why she updated this book and how she is using it as her hook.

This week on the “Your Book Is Your Hook!” Show, find out more about the National Writers Association, a 73 year-old writer’s service organization. Sandy Whelchel, the Executive Director of the association, will talk about some universal problems that keep writers from getting published and why some never make it. She’ll also provide information about the contests offered to writers throughout the year.

You’ll also enjoy a candid discussion with author Bertha M. Davis who was rejected nearly 100 times for her book, Growing Up In Mississippi. Ms. Davis will talk about what was happening in her head as she continued to get rejection after rejection from agents, publishers and editors. Her positive approach will inspire you to stick with your project and get it published. She did get published and went on to become a bestseller for her publisher, win awards and even got invited as a guest on C-SPAN’s Book TV.

Ms. Davis will also comment on how important it is to share your personal story with others through a memoir and what has happened for her locally in her community as well as nationwide. Her book and story take place during the time of the Civil Rights Movement and she is a living legacy who touches the lives of everyone who reads her book.

Join me as I talk with Sandy Whelchel and Bertha M. Davis this week on the “Your Book Is Your Hook!” Show on WomensRadio.

Click Here to listen to Sandy’s interview any time after 9:00 am EST Tuesday June 22th, 2010 on the WomensRadio Network.

Are you wondering why that piece you wrote just came back from another publisher?  Maybe you’re making the same mistakes over and over. Those mistakes can act as a barrier to success.  See if perhaps you’re making some of these fatal errors:

1.    Is your manuscript double-spaced on one side of clean paper?  Is the paper wrinkle and smudge free?  No editor wants to feel like they are receiving a shopworn submission.

2.    Is your manuscript free of typos, grammatical errors, and misspellings?

3.    Is the submission well edited?

4.    Did you research the publication to make certain it publishes the type of work you are sending? Surprise!  Popular Mechanics doesn’t take recipes.

5.    Is your query letter, if you’ve included one, addressed to the correct person?  Editors move around; you need make sure you are addressing your query to the right editor.

6.    Is your query letter one page or less?

7.    Did you make sure the publication hasn’t recently printed a piece similar to yours?  Check the library and research at least six back issues.

8.    Does your piece have an outstanding hook or lead?  Editors receive hundreds of submissions per week.  You need to hook them and keep them reading.  They are the toughest readers you will encounter.

9.    Is the piece presented in a logical sequence? Or if it is a fiction piece, does it have a beginning, middle, and an end?

10.     Did you include your contact information so the publisher can contact you if they have questions?

All writers make mistakes, but presenting your work to the publisher as error free as possible means it will have a greater chance for publication.

Click Here to listen to Sandy’s interview any time after 9:00 am EST Tuesday June 22th, 2010 on the WomensRadio Network.

Click Here to listen to Bertha’s interview any time after 9:00 am EST Tuesday June 22th, 2010 on the WomensRadio Network.

Growing Up In Mississippi is a vivid and descriptive biography that grips at the very core of every human emotion as memories of growing up in somewhat painfully poor social conditions in Mississippi do not deter the family, but bond them together with the unified strength and triumph most prevalent in top movies like Soul Food, or even to overcome travesties as in The Color Purple.  You will be intrigued by the strong development of characters like the wayward Uncle Wigley, a cursed character among many black families who resorts to inflicting abuse on family members. The relationship between Jay and Tish is a classic example of how women in the past wound up with larger unplanned families because love conquered all back then and even poverty.

The reader feels as if they are in the story and watching without speaking.  It is evidenced that life was slower paced, but more fulfilling even with the absence of television.  This is a modern day tale with a happy ending and heralds the rise of our families of the past through political and social upheavals as prevalent as The Civil Rights Movement.

This book is also about an African-American girl growing up with a single struggling mom of four who had to anchor the storms in her life to survive and take care of four children alone. Searching for food when there was none, working in the Mississippi hot sun from sun-up to sun-down, and haunted by racism are just a few obstacles one had to overcome.  This book is certainly a book of history and you can listen to a sample of Growing Up In Mississippi Audio Book at: www.berthabooks.com on Bertha’s home page.

Additional comments from Bertha M. Davis about writing this book:

YBIYH: What was like to write the book and reveal your personal experiences with others in your life?

B: It was like revealing history to our future youth.  In the beginning, my idea of writing “Growing up in Mississippi” (my personal experiences) was for my children and grandchildren so they could read about the struggles my life encountered as a child.  I didn’t want them to have any excuse for fulfilling any dream life offered them.  I certainly didn’t want them to get hung up on the crippling words, “I can’t.”   Since my life had so many disadvantages, I felt compelled to tell them about my struggles and see my life as an example of how you can succeed in spite of obstacles.  After only a portion of my book was read by family members, friends and book reviewers, I was encouraged to take it a step further so all readers could read my story.

YBIYH: Were you nervous about writing about other people whose actions and behavior would be exposed in your book?

B: No not really!  People’s actions and behavior were already exposed in the towns and over the television during the Civil Rights Movements and before desegregation.  If it wasn’t by personal contact, research was conducted before finalizing my book.

YBIYH: Also, what is it like for you now when you speak to others about your story? How does it feel for you?  What do you see in them … in their faces?  Do they say anything to you?

B: Sharing my life’s story with others is a challenge; history is reborn.  I don’t live in the past. I live in the present but I never want to forget the days of defeat that God has allowed me to conquer.  I feel honored to tell my life story, especially to the school children……I see in them a desire to learn more about the past….Their faces light up in amazement…..The students always say, “Thank you for coming and sharing your story with us.”  The adults react differently; some of them will purchase a book because they want to know what is said, or they simply just like to read a memoir.  There have been those who had sadness in their faces and most of them will say, “You are a strong woman,” or “You’ve been through a lot.”  Some of my readers will send me a note to say how much they enjoyed reading the book.

YBIYH: What has been the most meaningful part of your experience with sharing a story that’s so personal and yet is benefiting so many?

B: One of the most meaningful parts of my experience while sharing my personal story and benefiting so many was when I went to Key Learning Junior High School here in Indianapolis to speak with fifth and sixth graders. It blew my mind.  After my presentation, the students thanked me for coming, but a young frustrated girl came up to me and said, “I have been so ungrateful to my mom for the things she does for me and I sometimes talk back to her.  But after hearing about your life and struggles, it gave me more of a sense of appreciation,” she said.  About a week later, the young girl’s mom brought her by my house to buy her a book.  It was so overwhelming just to get one child’s attention.  She even emailed me several times to say hi and let me know that she really enjoyed reading Growing up in Mississippi.

Another meaningful experience was when Growing up in Mississippi was taught to fifteen students at Southwest Education Center in Phoenix, Arizona in 2006 during Black History Month. (15 books were ordered)  The children who attend this private day school range between the ages of thirteen and eighteen and they absolutely enjoyed the book.  The majority of the students came from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and had difficulty with reading but Growing up in Mississippi was comfortable enough for them to read without causing them any major frustration. “Growing Up In Mississippi has truly given some of my students the will and motivation to try to achieve a more prosperous destiny.”  These words came from the Lead Teacher/High School Facilitator there.

Click Here to listen to Bertha’s interview any time after 9:00 am EST Tuesday June 22th, 2010 on the WomensRadio Network.

As authors and writers, we’re always learning about resources and industry tools that we can use to improve our book project performance and the enjoyment of our writing and marketing experiences. Today let’s talk about getting rejected.

As authors, we open our hearts and pens to share stories. Some we dream up and craft into clever and courageous novels. In others, we talk of real life experiences in either a memoir or a how-to book so we can share the knowledge we’ve gained with others.

Sometimes, we choose to share a piece of our nostalgia with children everywhere by taking a song, poem or story that delights our own children and giving this gift to the world by sharing it through a beautifully illustrated book.

On occasion, we’ll include something out of the ordinary with a book like an audio recording, tickets to an event, or opportunities to subscribe to more of an author’s knowledge or upcoming projects.

Not every person who wants to be an author makes it. Many get rejected. Some get rejected over and over and over again.

As a result, some quit and lose their tenacity to stay in the game and keep pitching their project.

Others continue to take criticism and guidance, re-craft their project and then trot it out again to see if they got it right the next time.

And there are those won’t listen to the advice sometimes offered in a rejection and continue to take the same package to another person, hoping they’ll see the merit in their project and want to take it on.

It is a privilege to be a published author. Although there are hundreds of thousands of books published every year, there are hundreds of thousands more that have been denied and authors that have been disappointed and perhaps discouraged.

As an author, getting rejected may be a part of your publishing path. It’s not uncommon. Rejection is often a part of the process for many of us. Heck, even Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, the co-authors and co-creators of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® books and who were acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records for selling millions and millions of books, started by getting over 130 rejections before connecting with the publisher that would pick them and their book up.

The guest author on today’s show, Bertha M. Davis, got rejected nearly 100 times before taking on a publisher that wasn’t necessarily so well-known, but nonetheless would publish her. Who knew that Bertha’s book would go on to become a bestseller for her publisher? So many before Infinity, a print-on-demand publisher, had said no. Who could predict that Bertha and her book would be featured years later on C-SPAN’s Book TV? Not the agents, publishers or editors who told her “this is not for me” and “I can’t take this on.”

Ask yourself: Do you really want to work with someone who wants to reject you and who doesn’t feel good about your project? Not really. It’s not good to have to work with anyone who isn’t as crazy and gung ho about your project as you are. Although the truth is no one will ever be as dedicated to it as you are, you want someone who is passionate about your project and wants to see it published.

Take rejections for what they are:

1)   An indication that perhaps something in your project is not ready to be published. If advice is offered, consider it because it is what is keeping that publisher or agent from taking it on. Weigh it properly and don’t let your ego get bruised by it. Heed the advice you feel is helpful.

2)   A sign that you may not have the right format or you may need assistance with crafting your pitch. If you’re not sure why you got rejected and didn’t receive an explanation, consider having your package reviewed by an experienced consultant or editor.

3)   Encouragement to test your fortitude, commitment and courage to stay the course with your project.

Authors are a wonderful mix of emotional strength, creative force and incredible transparency. They give us permission to see inside their hearts, minds and imaginations. Few are rewarded for revealing themselves.

Look at the rejection you received today as a stepping stone that will lead you to the rewards you seek tomorrow.

You’ll also enjoy a candid discussion with author and executive coach, Gary Cohen, who co-authored the book, Just Ask Leadership: Why Great Managers Always Ask the Right Questions (McGraw-Hill).  Gary talks about accepting the challenge to write the book after being encouraged by Time Magazine’s youngest editor, even though Gary has been diagnosed with three learning differences. Find out how he got to interview four-star generals and Fortune 100 CEOs for his project and how long it really took him to complete it. He’ll also share his experience of going to Book Expo America when he met the publishers and got picked up by McGraw-Hill as well as how he’s using his book as his hook to attract more speaking appearances.

Join me as I talk with Lee Salz and Gary Cohen this week on the “Your Book Is Your Hook!” Show on WomensRadio.

At the end of May, it’s time for every type of publishing professional to descend on New York City for Book Expo America (BEA), North America’s largest book industry event, which annually attracts approximately 1000 authors to its convention. New York Book Week (May 23 – 29, 2010) was a new concept debuted this year by BEA organizers to embrace all literary and book activity in New York City and which was designed to draw attention to authors, books and publishing.

Steve Rosato, Show Manager for BEA, said, “One of the things that we most wanted to do when we made the decision to keep BEA in New York City for the next few years was to work closely with the community.  New York is the publishing capital of the world and there is already an enormous amount of literary activity taking place in the city.  It seemed only natural that all of us should band together and call attention to our individual and collective efforts.  That’s what New York Book Week is all about.”

The last week of May saw the Jacob Javits Center in New York City buzzing with authors of all kinds and books in all forms. There are now bestselling electronic reader authors and audio book authors who stand alongside the traditional paperback and hardcover book authors.  For the first time, the Audio Publishers Association launched their own sound stage at the event so attendees could walk in and listen. Even the Guinness Book of World Records now has a digital strategy being introduced through their new application called “Guinness World Records: At Your Fingertips” which was developed for Apple’s iPad.  The face of publishing is changing rapidly and there was much debate during the event.

A CEO panel presented the opening plenary discussion which was entitled the “Value of a Book”, and stemmed, in part, from an Op-Ed piece that appeared in The New York Times (January 2, 2010) by Jonathan Galassi, President of Farrar, Straus & Giroux, titled “There’s More to Publishing Than Meets the Screen“.  BEA and American Booksellers Association officials acknowledged that this is a watershed year for change in the industry, and it is critically important to get leaders and opinion makers with different interests and from different segments of the industry together in one room to discuss the many aspects of “value” in books. Panelists included senior executives from International Creative Management (ICM), Workman Publishing, Ingram, Penguin Group (USA), American Booksellers Association (ABA) and the Incoming President of the Authors’ Guild.

Even the event itself went digital and adjusted its structure to accommodate and acknowledge the changes happening in the industry. BEA developed its own official iPhone application by Sideways to support conference attendees during the event. The application was a free, all-in-one that provided an exhibitor directory including specific booth numbers and contact information as well as daily schedules of special events, conferences and autographing sessions. There was also an official BEA Twitter feed, YouTube video channel, blog and Facebook page.

Book Expo also introduced a new conference this year in association with the Gotham Writer’s Workshop and The Writer magazine for “Do It Yourself” authors who want to self-publish, with an entire day dedicated to resources, sessions and talks designed to inform, educate and empower the self-published to go forth and get published. In past years, BEA has integrated these publishing vendors into the main event; however, this year organizers acknowledged the need for a day to be set aside to serve these authors specifically.

The event provided great opportunities for attendees to mingle with celebrities and the better known authors including Barbara Streisand, the legendary actress, singer and director, who delivered the opening night keynote presentation about her upcoming book My Passion for Design to be published by Viking (November 16, 2010).

Musicians also turned out during BEA. Neil Sedaka, arguably the greatest songwriter of all time, signed an exclusive CD made just for BEA that includes two brand-new, original, never-before-heard songs written just for the giveaway and his new book entitled Waking Up Is Hard To Do published by Imagine Publishing, which comes from his bestselling children’s CD of the same name. Famed music legends Peter Yarrow and Paul Noel presented the new Peter, Paul and Mary children’s book, The Night Before Christmas, which is also the last performance ever from the trio.

Beloved comic strips such as Ziggy by Tom Wilson even have new books coming out and other books celebrated their longevity and popularity including HarperCollins’ celebration of the 50th anniversary of To Kill A Mockingbird.

From booksellers learning how to open their own bookstores to librarians, authors, literary agents, foreign rights agent, publishers, trade publications and press, Book Expo America and New York is still the place to be to get published, get noticed and get your book out further in the marketplace.