~\HOP ON A CALL?/~

?????? "Let's hop on a call!"

I sometimes get this kind of message when someone has a book in the works and has either "reached out" to me, or is someone I've first responded to.

It's a phrase I will almost never use, and a thing (a vid call) I'll almost never do, this early in the process.

?????? To me, a vid call, a "happy to meet you," a conference, a consultation re: a book, can be much more meaningful if there's some writing and research behind it.

E.g., I might like to first message/email you, my potential client some questions, to answer when convenient. I want to take the time and opp to first find out something about you, that person, and the kind of book – its genre, its competition out there, newsy/timely tie-ins, how much – if any – work you've already done on it, what the motivation is...

Having this kind of background can make for a much more efficient and productive call, because it gives us something specific to work with. It's an opp for me to (once I have some response from you) then put together potential resources, responses, suggestions, for your particular kind of book.

I also can outline some of the writing/editing process, publishing and promo options that make sense for your book.

?????? Let's look for a moment at the 'competition' aspect. That book of yours will be going out into a vast and very crowded arena. You may think your offering is unique, but it likely will come up against several books – popular, classic, just-published – a whole variety in your 'classification.

Yours is new (or not even done yet), unknown, from an unknown author, and it's going to have some work making an impression.

While you're working on your own book, you can be guided by some awareness of what that book of yours will be up against. That's not to say you have to slavishly rewrite just to be 'different,' but you may be more able to see where you can fill that niche that's still well within the genre, but is fresh territory.

?????? That's the kind of thing I can discuss with you during our first chat. And it's a good approach to take if you hope to approach a traditional publishing co., which may expect you to provide a kind of competitive analysis (along with other strong components of a book-package proposal). Here are the competitors, and here's why your book is different, better, unique.

Let's not use the valuable time of a (complimentary initial) consultation by talking about general writing and publishing stuff. I can send you lots of info, articles and posts I've done, on that – and you can retain those as a general guide.

Let's, instead, use that consultation time to really focus on your particular project!

???????? It's true that as a longtime writer, I'd probably prefer to write first rather than talk first (in a vid call) anyway – but I really think that that background work will make our first call more meaningful – and me an informed participant in this special project you're undertaking.

This approach also can be helpful for you, to somewhat define and focus on the book you'd really like to do.

And I'll be writing more about preliminaries for that first hop-on-a-call, re: your book, i.e., email exchange of how much work you've done so far, why you want to do this book, whether it has a timely/newsworthy factor, etc. My knowing a bit of all that first, will contribute to that more productive convo-consultation.

There's also this reality: doing a book might take many months or a year or more. It will involve a lot of writing, and a lot of back-and-forth by document and email.. Why not get to know a bit of that process now??

???????? And oh yes – one thing I've now undertaken to do, before a call, is to be clear about the kinds of costs for writing/editing a book. E.g., my ghostwriting a book will cost a 5-figure fee, is payable in installments as we work, and requires a sizeable deposit.

I also have put together a great 5-pg. contract we can go through together and tweak a bit.

???????? Working on a book, and like help? Hop on a Comment/let's connect!

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