I recently did a virtual lab for Etsy on the subject of getting a craft book published. I had already started a series of postings talking about the acquisitions process so, I’m using my notes from the lecture to highlight what are hopefully useful tips. In my first post, I encouraged people to try and put the negative thoughts aside that may prevent you from submitting a proposal in the first place. But perhaps you aren’t even there yet and just want to know how to give your proposal the strongest chance of success before you submit. Here are some tips to get an editor’s attention:
Well thought out design on blog, etsy store, website etc. Take some time to create a brand that you are happy with and stick to it.
Excellent craftsmanship/quality of work.
Knowledge of and dedication to the marketplace. This can be established through trade shows, magazine features, and any other ancillary projects that may be related to your particular craft. Show them you’re there to stay. Publishers don’t want to invest all that time and effort if you will have moved on from beading to woodcarving by the time the book is released.
Know your publisher. This is like applying to college, and you need to do your research. There are a couple of ways to go about this. First, see who publishes most of the books on your own shelf. Go to the library/bookstore and see which titles you’re attracted to. Keep on top of publishing trends within your craft area. Watch for who is advertising in the publications you are reading, the fairs you are attending and the blogs you follow. Remember that we want to find you as much as you want to find us—the rest of it is just a bit of a matchmaking process.
Follow the rules Most publishers have a set of submission guidelines that can be downloaded from their website (here’s ours). Make sure to complete all of the steps they are asking for. Don’t think that more is better and wait to write the entire book when all the publisher is requesting is a sample chapter. Unlike literary publishers, C&T and most craft publishers don’t expect you to have the whole manuscript completed.
Potential authors shouldn’t be intimidated about their writing abilities (that’s what your editor is for) since most craft books are really led by their imagery. It’s much more important to be on trend with the design and theme of the book. The purpose of a sample chapter is to show you can write well with a sample project to show that you can teach. You should include a Table of Contents with a list of the projects you would like to include. If you are proposing a process based book, then definitely describe the process and show step-by-step examples. (Don’t worry, it’s all confidential!) Make sure you follow the publisher’s submission guidelines to the t—there is really no excuse not to do that.
Next up…”What to Expect from the Process”
In a recent article, Mark Lipinski, reviews his favorite 75 web sites for quilters in Quilter’s Home Magazine. Of those 75, one was our very own C&T Publishing, along with four of our authors’ sites. Lipinski generously reviews our site with praise,
C&T’s site offers links to authors (great for guilds trying to track down a speaker), free patterns and projects and a free comprehensive list of lesson plans to teach classes from most of its books (it’s why C&T is listed and its competitors are not).
Along with our own site’s recognition, Lipinski graciously mentions some of our authors. Making #36 on the list is Carol Doak, whom Lipinski claims is the “queen of paper piecing,” and she offers free patterns on her site – a huge bonus! (View Carol’s profile.)
#38 on Lipinski’s list is our own Sara Trail, noting that Sara is a “junior quilting phenom…her Web site is a dream of stuff all geared to the young sewer in your life.” She’s making a huge impact on the growing teen-quilter market. (View Sara’s profile.)
Alex Anderson is our next sensational author making the list at #41. Alex’s web site has struck a significant cord with Lipinski, who explains that her site is filled with “free podcasts and block patterns…Alex Anderson, America’s favorite quilting sweetheart (and my friend), has lots to pass on from her Web site.” (View Alex’s profile.)
And at #45 is Artfabrik, offering hand dyed fabric and threads. Lipinski reviews this site as “Based on the cute factor, this site by fusible goddesses Melody Johnson and Laura Wasilowski takes the prize….great tips on working with fusibles in your quilts.” (View Laura’s profile.)
Catch me on Etsy tomorrow where I will be hosting a Virtual Lab on Craft Publishing! Come join the audience and ask any questions you ever wanted to know (and actually think I will know the answer to) about Craft Publishing!
For our “Follow Friday” blog today, we bring you Valori Wells’ blog from the Stitchin’ Post in Sisters, Oregon.
Valori and her mother Jean have been operating the Stitchin’ Post for many years—in fact, it’s one of the very first quilt shops established in America. They offer a full range of supplies for quilting, sewing and knitting.
Valori features adorable sewing projects on her blog, many of which she makes for her growing family (literally – congrats are in order!) as well as her experiences while promoting her books, patterns and fabric designs.
Valori’s blog is fun and informative, with terrific pictures and lots of handy links. She offers some free patterns, too!
Valori and Jean have written several books for C&T – you can get more details on all their titles by clicking on their names here.
If you operate or know of a great retailer’s blog, email the link to us at ctinfo@ctpub.com and we’ll feature it on our next Follow Friday post!
I just spent 5 days in NYC for the Book Expo and had the best time. I traveled with Susanne, our Acquisitions Editor, and Sandy, our Sales Manager. We must have walked about 5 miles per day, seen about 25 neighborhoods, we went to Chelsea Market, the east side, the west end, Soho, Fashion Avenue, Time Square…OMG my feet were killing me! I took the subway for the first time and then a bunch more times.
Susanne, our Acquisitions Editor, and me in our BEA booth
So back to the show, we had a great show, exhibiting in our new distributors pavilion and were able to show several new titles to interested book buyers. The most popular titles were Sew with Sara and Cupcakes! The book stores were really excited about these two titles for kids and teens.
It was such a treat to see one of our authors, Anita Grossman Soloman came by the booth to say hello and to see what was new. She took a few pictures of Susanne and I in the booth. I also had a woman come by the booth on the last day and she sang a song to me. When she sang it was sweet and funny, and she had a nice voice. The song is Once in Love with Amy, by Frank Loesser, written in 1948. The funny thing is my Dad had a good friend who was a nightclub singer and played the piano, and I had a major crush on him when I was around 5 so he would sing that song to me whenever I saw him, maybe that was why I had the crush? While we were in NYC we also saw some amazing sites including Paula Nadelstern’s exhibit at the American Folk Art Museum. More on that in another post.
Great news! Each Friday we will feature one of our retail customer’s blogs. We’re doing something like the “follow friday” trend you see on Twitter, where people recommend their favorite tweeps (that’s short for “twitter peeps” – oh, and “peeps” is short for “people”….sigh)
Today we’d like to highlight The Quilt Shop in Danbury, Connecticut!
They feature quilts in progress, video clips, and a slide show of samples from their class schedule.
And ya just gotta love their book displays :-)
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
If you manage or visit a great retailer’s blog, hook us up! Email your blog links to ctinfo@ctpub.com and we will check them out for upcoming Follow Fridays.
The state of Kansas chose 15 books written in the past year for the 2009 Kansas Notable Books List and a C&T Publishing title made the list.
State Librarian Christie Brandau and Roy Bird, director of the Kansas Center for the Book announced that Making History Quilts and Fabric from 1890 -1970, by Barbara Brackman was among the books chosen. Read the article here.
I do think this is one of our most fascinating titles. Barbara takes you on a fun journey discovering the true story of fabric in America. Plus I love all the old images included in the book. What do you find most interesting about the role fabric has played in American history?
Back in January, I did an interview for the Sew Mama Sew blog with a focus on the process of publishing a book.
I was so surprised to receive over 400 responses to my interview! Some wanted my job, some just enjoyed a view into the world of quilting, but mostly I heard from people who were intimidated about submitting a book proposal. As the Acquisitions Editor here at C&T, I thought it would be helpful to start a series of articles for our blog in the hopes of demystifying the process.
Part 1: How do you know if you’ve got what it takes to write a book?
The world of both publishing and quilting can seem very small and tight-knit, so the combo may feel like a double whammy. I don’t argue that it can feel intimidating. Much of the intimidation may come from our reluctance to have confidence in our creative work. When you create, it is often so tied up in representing a part of who you are that the merest hint of criticism can be crippling.
I also admit that the reality is that, as in all types of publishing, C&T reject more proposals than we accept because we only publish a certain number of titles every year. It’s also true that an author with an established profile gets our attention, and that part of our list is comprised of repeat authors. However, both the publishing and the fabric industries thrive on innovation, creativity and, more often than not, fresh inspiration.
So, my advice is: don’t listen to the naysayers who tell you that you don’t have enough experience or that you aren’t a big enough name in the industry. You really won’t know until you try it. Everyone has to start somewhere. Today, I called three wonderful fabric artisans who haven’t been to Quilt Market, have never taught a class, and aren’t even showing you a new technique…and I invited them them to be three of our brand new C&T authors because what they do have is creativity and a fresh vision.
So what is stopping you?
Here is the link to our Submissions Guidelines
I was so excited when I turned on the news here in the Bay Area and learned a local mom was using her quilting skills to raise much needed funds for her kid’s school. When I heard how much money was raised, my jaw dropped. Carol Munch has raised more than $300,000 and has even invited the students to participate in the quilt making. Watch the news story here.
We would love to know if you have any similar stories. Have you ever used your creative talents to give to those in need? Tell us your story. You never know who you can inspire and what could come of sharing your talents.
Well, it’s impossible not to be inspired when my RSS feed is full of goodies from both the icff 2009 AND Quilt Market blogs. As the Acquisitions Editor, I usually can’t share too much of what I am working on (and all of the wonderful people I met!). I wish I could do my part to contribute and show you all the wonderful fabrics, pattern makers, and designers, but my hands are tied on this one and my lips are sealed.
But I am totally and completely in love with the Echino booth.
Continue Reading…
Subscribe via RSS
Email the Blog editors
Sign up for our Newsletter
Flickr
YouTube
Twitter
Facebook
Technorati
