I’m almost always reluctant to give anything calling itself an “essential guide” the time of day (See also: Anything calling itself a “Bible.”) But if you’ve never published a book, chances are you know almost nothing about how to proceed. Sure, you may be one of those romantic scribes who writes because you feel possessed to do so. New Agey books for writers often insist that real writers write because they “must”—that is, not because they must earn a living, but because a seemingly external force known as the “artistic temperament” or “soul of a writer” compels them to do it. I’ve always harbored doubts about the alleged ubiquity of the so-called writer’s soul and longed for practical advice about things like: What to include in a nonfiction book proposal or how to find an agent or how to pitch your novel.
Enter The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published by industry veterans Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry. It’s a thorough update of their earlier guide, "How to Put Your Passion into Print," and it’s got all those practical nuts and bolts you’ll need to make your book successful, whether you want to self-publish or work with a large publishing house or an academic press. Trust me on this one.
