I have an author on the phone. She asks me if I'm kidding. I tell her I'm not.

She says, "You mean the publisher literally told you that my content was weak but that they'd like to publish my book based on the strength of my marketing plan?"

I agree that that is what I was told from one of the wealthiest publishers in the USA when I sold her book this morning.

The author is disheartened. "It's just like you said," she comments forlornly. "I imagined they would love my material, the heck with my marketing plan."

I reassure her. "Suzanne Somers has one of the most successful diet books, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"Can Suzanne Somers afford liposuction if she wanted it?"

"Uh-huh."

"Does it matter if her eating plan has anything to do with how she actually lost weight? Or do you think the publisher bought the book because it was Suzanne's name as author?"

She takes the point. "I know a book's shelf life is just a flash in the pan, but this is more flash than pan," she says sadly.

Agreeing, I laugh and remind her that there are five stages to a book:

1. Writing the Book
2. Editing the Book
3. Printing the Book
4. Distributing the Book
5. Promoting the book

The author is 100% responsible for 1 and 5, and usually most of 2. The publisher does jobs 3 & 4. You can't do 3 OR 4 very well on your own, in the majority of cases.

Remembering this will help you organize your publishing plans. It really is all about YOU and how self-promoting YOU are and how many books YOU can help the publisher sell. If you are planning on becoming an author, make certain you do these six critical pre-finding-an-agent tasks:

1. Get the greatest possible number of PAID gigs on your calendar.
2. Get a half dozen endorsements from famous, non-poultry-based famous authors.
3. Put out a regular newsletter to at least 4,500 people on your house list.
4. Get articles you have written ON THIS TOPIC in as many magazines as possible.
5. Get yourself on a few regional TV shows and have the tapes to prove it.
6. If you don’t have a PhD but probably should, find a PhD to write the Foreword to your book.

Do these things, or get an agency like ours to help you do them, and you'll be sure to have enough flash to stay in the pan a while!

© 2007, Keller Media, Inc.  Want to use this article in your publication?  Reprints welcome so long as the article and by-line are reprinted intact and all links made live.

Wendy Keller is a published author, professional speaker and literary agent.  She helps authors and speakers make a difference in this world and she is behind the scenes supporting their efforts every step of the way.  Wendy has developed some of the best writing tools and seminars for authors available at http://www.kellermedia.com