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Creative Culture, a literary agency in New York City that represents a num- ber of top fitness experts. She advises preparing a well-thought-out propos- al that illustrates who the target audi- ence is; why you are the best person to reach that audience; what the competi- tion is (i.e., similar books on the mar- ket); why your idea is better than com- peting titles; and how the book will be organized, chapter by chapter. Also, consider hiring an agent to

represent you; many publishers expect it. “None of the major publishers will accept unsolicited manuscripts – that is, a manuscript just sent in by the au- thor,” says Anthony Carey, a correc- tive exercise specialist and owner of Function First in San Diego, California. He worked with an agent to get his

book, The Pain-Free Program: A Proven Method to Relieve Back, Neck, Shoulder

and Joint Pain, published in 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. In addition to helping you nab a

book deal, agents decipher and negoti- ate contracts so you get the best deal possible. “My agent also advised me to budget a percentage of my advance to use toward marketing,” says Carey. Yes, marketing. Often, the lion’s share of marketing a book is the author’s re- sponsibility (or that of a PR firm hired by the author), not the publisher’s. And new authors are often surprised to learn that it takes one or two years after signing a contract before a book hits the market. These are two com- mon reasons why some authors self- publish instead.

Option 2

Become an Independent or

Self-Published Author

Self-publishing (or independent

publishing) is a burgeoning market, and a boon for authors who are un- able to or prefer not to go the tradi- tional route. After careful research, Cathy Moxley, an exercise physiologist in Germantown, Maryland, discov- ered that self-publishing her book, The

Busy Mom’s Ultimate Fitness Guide: Get Motivated and Find the Solution that

Works for You! (Fitness InSight, 2006), would be the most expeditious and profitable choice. “The first advantage of self-publish-

ing is the certainty of publication rath- er than being dependent upon whether or not your book proposal is selected by an agent and then by a publisher from the enormous competition,” she

says. “The other advantages [of self- publishing] include a much shorter timeline from idea to publication; re- taining 100% of control of the content, cover design and promotion; and keep- ing the profit for all book sales.” Based on the above advantages, you

might wonder why everyone doesn’t self-publish. For one, you have to foot the bill for all production costs up- front. Plus, it’s less credible and harder to convince bookstores to stock your book. Many retailers do not carry self- published titles at all, especially if they look the least bit “homemade.” Still, there are ways for self-publish-

ers to overcome some of these limita- tions. Moxley did it – but with lots of research, delegation and legwork. As a result, she’s been able to sell her book on her website, on Amazon and in ma- jor bookstores, such as Barnes & Noble. There are also less-involved self-

publishing options. A simple print-on- demand (POD) arrangement means a copy of your book is printed only when an order is received online. This saves you from printing more books than you are able to sell. Another self-pub- lishing option is to write an ebook and sell it from a website.

Option 3

Create an Ebook

Most digital books – known as

ebooks - are sold as PDF documents, so there are no printing or shipping costs. The money you collect is almost all profit. Ebooks can also get to market the

quickest compared to the other op- tions mentioned in this article. The time from writing your book to selling your book can be as little as a couple of weeks, according to Scott Tousignant of Belle River, Ontario, whose ebooks

include The Fit Chic.

Another benefit of being an ebook

author is the chance to capture cus- tomers’ contact info. This helps you create relationships with buyers for generating future sales – something you can’t do with customers who pur- chase books from a bookstore. The main trade-off with writing an

ebook is its lack of prestige outside the world wide web. “There is not as much credibility in the offline market, espe- cially when approaching news media outlets,” notes Tousignant. And not ev- eryone knows what an ebook is, which makes marketing and selling it more challenging.

How Solid Is Your Platform?

Use the checklist below for ideas on how to demonstrate a platform to book publishers and buyers.

4 Can you boast a strong client following?

4 Have you created a fitness program or brand that’s receiving rave reviews? 4 Do you get large-scale publicity?

4 Have your articles been published, or do you appear regularly on TV? 4 Are you a presenter?

4 Are you a notable fitness expert in your community and/or in the industry?

4 Do you write a widely read, high-traffic blog?

However, just like with any book

(self-published or not), if you know your market well, your book fills a nec- essary gap and your platform is strong, your chances of success will be great-

er. FBC

RESOURCES

Writing a Book Proposal

• How to Write a Book Proposal by Michael Larsen

Finding an Agent

• www.guidetoliteraryagents.com (How and

where to find an agent.)

• www.publishersmarketplace.com (Research

agents, including those who have sold fitness books.) • www.aaronline.org (A not-for-profit association of literary and dramatic agents.) • You can also find an agent by checking the ac- knowledgments pages of existing fitness books to see if the author thanks an agent.

Self-Publishing

• www.lulu.com (Sell print-on-demand books; build your own online storefront.) • www.parapublishing.com (Free resources and products to help you self-publish.)

• www.createspace.com (Amazon’s on-demand

publishing and inventory-free fulfillment for books, digital content, and more.)

Amanda Vogel is a Vancouver-based fitness in- structor and owner of Active Voice, a writing, editing and consulting service for fitness pros. Amanda writes for IDEA, Best Health and SELF and has co-authored books on both postnatal exercise and yoga. Read her writing tips at http:// fitnesswriter.blogspot.com, and receive her free

ebook – 51 Need-to-Know Writing & Marketing Tips for Fitness Pros – at www.activevoice.ca.

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