How to GET YOUR BOOK PUBLISHED from START TO FINISH

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How do you get your book published? (Even if you haven’t written it yet.)

SKIP THE Google rabbit holes and “expert” opinions on how to get published FROM your step-uncle who works in insurance (and has never published a book…OF COURSE).

 

Stop wondering whether you should trust that bitter blogger who says “Big 5” publishers will treat you like a data point, or if Ralph from creative writing class is right that literary agents hate novels that open at sunrise (that’s a thing I just made up, don’t worry).

In Behind the Book, a club for writers, you’ll get informed and evidence-based intel on HOW TO GET PUBLISHED from 3x published novelist and writing coach Mary Adkins.

 
 

Hi, I’m Mary Adkins!

NOVELIST, FORMER LAWYER, MOM

 
 
 

AUTHOR of the NOVELS:

“Best Book of 2019”

-Good Housekeeping and Real Simple

“Best Summer Read”

-Today.com

“Best Book of 2021”

-New York Post

My novels are published by HarperCollins and available in 13 countries across the world.

these days, I teach writing books & GETTING PUBLISHED to aspiring novelists through a program I created called the Book Incubator.

But long before I was published, I was a miserable lawyer trying to figure out how on earth to land a book deal.

Remember Ralph-from-creative-class, above? Yeah, you know exactly who I’m talking about.

 

For six years, I was stuck in a loop, hobbling together how to land a book deal from anyone and their brother: Ralphs, Rachels, Rhondas.

Or Blog posts randomly plucked from the Internet.

Or the occasional Reddit thread.

By the time I finally found my way to signing with a literary agent and we sold my first novel—then my second, and my third (and then sold them in 13 other countries in separate deals)—I thought, hey, I’ve figured a few things out.

I decided to share what I’d learned.

 
 

Enter: my UNABASHEDLY BIASED OPINIONS and TIPS for navigating the publishing process

 

YOU’RE INVITED TO …

Behind the Book:

Monthly Publishing Workshops with a Publishing Author

 
 
 
 

A private club for writers run by HarperCollins novelist Mary Adkins

 

As a member, you’ll be invited to monthly workshops on:

 

  • Here is our calendar of monthly LIVE workshops with me (Mary) for 2023:

    JAN: How Does Colleen Hoover Do It: Breaking Down the Craft Choices of a Record-Setting Author

    FEB: Query Letter 101: I share my query letter that landed my agent

    MAR: Synopses 101: I share my current memoir synopsis & a template for writing your own

    APR: Reading between the lines: how to interpret responses from lit agents to your query

    MAY: So your agent has sent out your book...what next?

    JUNE: What's negotiable in your book contract?

    JUL: How much I made on my books and average advance size based on 1,400 authors

    AUG: Fiction vs. memoir markets (read: what publishers are looking for): How are they different?

    SEP: Most common agent querying mistakes I see

    OCT: Self-publishing financials broken down

    NOV: Biggest book promotion mistakes I see authors making (and what to do instead)

    DEC: Do you have to be on social media as an author? Alternatives to miserable platforms

  • At the start of my writing career, I had no clue how publishing worked.

    In fact, my first round of querying literary agents (after googling “what is a literary agent?”) involved sending a mass, unpersonalized letter to over 200 agents who didn’t even represent my genre. *Cringe.*

    You may not know much about book publishing—and why would you? But you should, if you eventually want to publish. Knowing the publishing landscape is going to empower you to make smart decisions, from what kind of literary agents to pitch, to how to pitch them, to what aspects of your book deal are worth negotiating.

    In our monthly live workshops, I do the heavy lifting for you, keeping you up to date on what you should know about the publishing industry and how it applies to you as an as aspiring author.

    Plus, you’ll get my not-so-shyly-worded *opinions* (lucky you).

  • Who doesn’t want to pick the brains of industry insiders—people with the sort of invaluable expertise and insights you can’t find online?

    Joining the club gets you a kind of “VIP access pass” to trainings with special guests (agents, editors). These trainings are only offered to club members.

    From a 60-minute interview with my literary agent to a 60-minute interview with my editor at HarperCollins, you’ll get to step (not even peek—we’re going to full-blown hang out) behind the curtain to learn how books—and book deals—get made.

Testimonials & other
Gayle Brown, Former Program Member

When I was completing my first draft of my first novel, I looked at it and thought, I have no idea what to do next. I turned to the Internet and got lost in a rabbit hole of information. Then I stumbled on Mary. In her program, I completed a manuscript in eight weeks start to finish...and it was in a genre that I never thought I could do. But with Mary's encouragement, I did it, and that manuscript landed me a literary agent on the one-year anniversary of when I started the program. I never could have done it without Mary and the support of her community…I didn't know what I didn't know.

Gayle Brown

Kate Stone, Former Program Member

I finished my book today. Over the last three years, I’ve lost a job, quit a job, and started a job; moved my whole family to a new city; sat in the hospital with my child as she fought for her life; served as the contractor as I built my parents a house; lost three beloved fur children; and homeschooled kids in a pandemic. I resigned myself to finishing my book...someday. And then I met Mary. And then I wrote: before my kids woke up, after they went to bed, when I should be doing paid work, and everything in between. And today, while my children were parked in front of the TV babysitter, I finished the 78,097th and final word.

Kate Stone

Elizabeth Holly, Current Program Member

Working with Mary is the best thing I did for my writing. Mary’s brilliant methods allowed me to write the book I’ve been dying to write. I’ve learned things from Mary that have revolutionized the way I build characters and craft stories. She has changed my overall outlook entirely.

Elizabeth Holly

Rachel Hartmann, Former Program Member

I’d been writing excerpts of my memoir for over ten years but couldn't figure out how to put it together. I needed a plan for how to move forward and finish the draft. Now, instead of thinking I need three hours at a time, I carve out 30 minute or an hour a day. Mary has demystified the process of writing a full first draft. I never thought it would be possible to write after a full day of teaching, but I'm doing it!

Rachel Hartmann

Graham Gremore, Former Program Member

For years, I tried many different times to write a novel, but I could never seem to finish anything. Mary gave me the tools I needed to finally get the job done. I completed my first draft in five months, which is pretty incredible considering my previous attempt took over three years and I still never made it to the end! I couldn't have done this without Mary's guidance and support. If you're serious about finishing your novel, working with her is the smartest investment you'll ever make.

Graham Gremore

Fiona Campbell, Current Program Member

I was making very slow progress on my draft and thinking too much about about querying agents while I was still drafting. The incubator gave me the support I needed to finish my draft. A lot of programs have an overwhelming amount of content, but Mary makes sure she is only giving us valuable lessons and not cutting into precious writing time. The Book Incubator was the best investment ever!

Fiona Campbell

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

$99/month

Just $49/month

That’s less than 1/6th the cost of any decent creative writing class—and here’s why it’s better:

  • I don’t just tell you how to get published—I show you exactly what the process was like for me, along with actual numbers & terms from my book contracts.

  • By hearing what I’ve learned from my own publishing process, you’ll learn what to do (and what not to do).

  • You’ll hear directly from publishing industry insiders on what they’re looking for and how they work with authors.

  • You’ll no longer waste your time in a Googling frenzy or have to piece together for yourself what’s entailed in publishing your book.

Join & get your FIRST PEEK & LESSON right away

PLUS AN EXCLUSIVE 60-MINUTE CHAT WITH MY LITERARY AGENT.

You’ll be reading (and watching) in the next 5 minutes.

© 2020-2022 MARY ADKINS

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