FAQ #2: How Did You Land Your Deal With McGraw-Hill?

I outlined this pretty extensively in my post, “How I Used Social Media to Land a Book Deal,” so I won’t repeat myself here. I will add, though, that I think there are 5 keys to getting published:

1. Idea - must be timely, relevant, and unique
2. Connections - a strong network will help you get in with a publisher, secure interviews while doing research, and generate PR for launch
3. Penmanship – bottom line, you need to be a halfway decent writer
4. Time - creating flexibility in one’s schedule is key to carving out the blocks needed to put pen to paper. See also FAQ #5.
5. Luck – always a factor!

Note: this post is part of a series. For more, see the full list of FAQs.