Unsolicited Advice for Authors, Agents, and Editors
A book has to sell more copies to be #1 in December than it does in any other month.
A heated auction is not a predictor of a book’s success.
Success is a function of sales vs. expectation (i.e. advance).
The publisher doesn’t have to earn back the entire advance to make a profit on the book.
The “announced first printing” is never the actual first printing. It’s a target and often twice what the first print ends up being.
Your book should have a core market, and you should know how to reach it.
The most important person during publication is the author. But s/he must be involved *and* informed.
Most publishers are generalists. Prepare to handle the niche marketing yourself.
A jacket design makes a small percentage difference in sales one way or the other. Don’t lose sleep over it.
