Comments on: 3 Things You Need for a Successful Book

By: Andrew Turner

Andrew Turner — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 12:59:00 +0000

Surely if a book is any good it stands on its own without blogs , social media and the like. Are you not trying to persuade the reader that the average is worth reading?

By: The Odds Are Ever In Your Favor | idowords

The Odds Are Ever In Your Favor | idowords — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 13:33:50 +0000

[…] minutes on the internet and you can find out exactly what agents are looking for. There’s a whole site devoted to (helpfully) critiquing query letters. […]

By: How to Make the Most of a Conference - Rachelle Gardner

How to Make the Most of a Conference - Rachelle Gardner — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 03:01:41 +0000

[…] But what I gathered at my first three-day conference changed my vision. A new plan emerged once I learned what publishing houses were looking for: […]

By: Tips for Writers | Dust 2 Diamonds

Tips for Writers | Dust 2 Diamonds — Sat, 18 May 2013 03:10:28 +0000

[…] I was going to title this post, “3 Things Publishers Look for in a Book,” or maybe “3 Things Agents Look For.” But then I realized that the three keys of a successful book apply across the board. It doesn’t matter you’re using an agent, if you’re going through a publisher, or even if you’re self-publishing. There are some essentials that every writer needs to consider if they intend for their work to attract readers. Click here to read this interesting article. […]

By: Success For The Writer | allbettsareoff

Success For The Writer | allbettsareoff — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:45:37 +0000

By: Kelly Kilen Kuhn

Kelly Kilen Kuhn — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:17:00 +0000

In reply to Charity. Wow, am I glad I came to Rachelle's page today to comment on her post! I hadn't known you'd responded (which is why I've taken so long to reply). Thank you so much for the link! Even though my hopes for numbers were lower than Amanda's reality, I don't mind. I just needed to know what the goals are. Thanks again, Charity.

By: Friday Features #54 [4/22-4/30/13] - YESENIA VARGAS

Friday Features #54 [4/22-4/30/13] - YESENIA VARGAS — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:15:17 +0000

[…] 3 Things You Need for a Successful Book – Rachelle Gardner […]

By: Blogs | Books: Publishing, Reading, Writing

Blogs | Books: Publishing, Reading, Writing — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:03:39 +0000

[…] From Rachel Gardner: 3 Things You Need for a Successful Book […]

By: Christy Fitzwater

Christy Fitzwater — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 11:10:00 +0000

Thank you, Rachelle, I just heard from my agent that my platform and my execution need work -the idea is strong. It’s encouraging to hear you say the same thing!

By: Sterling Editing » Written on the internet

Sterling Editing » Written on the internet — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:07:47 +0000

[…] Rachelle Gardner on the 3 things you need for a successful […]

By: Laura Libricz

Laura Libricz — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:13:00 +0000

In reply to Nancy Petralia. Hi Nancy, Thanks for your comment. I write historical novels set in Germany in English and it seems the subject is a bit obscure for the average reader. I never thought of contacting cultural societies. Wonderful idea!

By: Christina Banks

Christina Banks — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 01:16:00 +0000

Great post, Rachelle. I am still a little ways away from looking for agent representation. I’m honing my craft, reading books, taking courses, and practicing what I’m learning. I love my story ideas, and believe others will too, if I can execute them properly. The area I struggle the most with is my networking and platform building. As an introvert, this doesn’t come easily for me. It was nice to hear that strengths in the other two areas could make up for my deficiency in platform building.

By: Natasha Crain

Natasha Crain — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 02:43:00 +0000

This was such an interesting post. Everywhere you go, you hear about the importance of platform, but to actually see it ranked before topic and execution (for non-fiction) is eye-opening. I loved seeing how you fit the pieces together in a sliding scale as well. As someone else mentioned, it begs the question of what a medium vs. large platform is, but I know there aren’t hard cut-offs.

The area I’m most uncertain of would be my topic. Of course, I think my topic is unique, important and commercially viable, but I’m sure everyone does! It’s “untested” because I haven’t yet queried (currently doing the sample chapters). The appeal remains TBD. I think I have a strong platform, but that is in the absence of hard numbers for comparison.

By: Barbara McDowell Whitt

Barbara McDowell Whitt — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:26:00 +0000

Rachelle, my compelling topic is that I wrote my book in the 1960s with nightly entries in one-year-diaries. In 2010 I began a blog in which I am posting
the entries from my high school and college diaries, 50 years after I wrote the original entries. I have always had strong writing skills. Since my blog, by its nature, is “static,” I practice my writing skills when I leave comments on other people’s blogs or on social media sites. Some authors and agents think of platform as skills rather than or in addition to audience, so I am working to gain exposure in both of these areas.