Book Marketing Coach – Mark Malatesta
Book Marketing Coach Mark Malatesta, a former literary agent and Marketing & Licensing Manager for a well-known publisher, is now offering 1-on-1 introductory coaching sessions
Schedule Your 1-on-1 Book Marketing Coaching Session
Below (60 minutes) and Get an Extra Special Bonus
Dear Author,
As your Book Marketing Coach, I’ll review any/all of the following: first 50 pages of your book or book idea, query letter, synopsis, book proposal, website and/or social media presence. I’ll take notes and provide you with my proprietary Author Questionnaire as well, to help you prepare for our time together. Then we’ll get on the phone (or Skype) for a full hour so I can tell you the best ways to write, publish, and/or market your book. I’ll answer all your questions. And I’ll record the call for you (most people listen 2-3 times, that’s how helpful these calls can be). Make sure you register now though, as calls are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis.
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Who should schedule a Book Marketing Coach session?
Book Marketing Coach sessions are for authors of all genres (fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books) who want help to write, publish, or market their books. That includes authors at all stages of development, everyone from beginners to previously published authors who’ve published many books with major publishing houses. I’ve coached New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors, as well as writers who are just getting started and those who are frustrated because they haven’t been getting the results they want from literary agents and publishers.
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What do you want or need help with?
* Traditional Publishing vs. Self-Publishing: Figure out which one is best for you during a Book Marketing Coach session.
* Book Concept/Title/Genre: Which one of your books has the greatest potential (or, how can you make your existing book more marketable)? What’s the best title for your book? Or, what genre(s) does it fit into?
* Literary Agent Research & Submissions: What’s the easiest/fastest way to find the best literary agents for you and your work? And what’s the best strategy to use when approaching them? Find out during a Book Marketing Coach session.
* Query Letter/Synopsis/Proposal: Create an irresistible query letter that gets literary agents asking to read your material and offer representation. Write a book synopsis that’s just as good as your book. Create a book proposal that gets the attention of top literary agents and generates a big advance.
* First 50 Pages: Tighten up that all-important first 50 pages of your manuscript and avoid the common mistakes that lead to rejection. Find out how during a Book Marketing Coach session.
* Author Platform: Discover simple strategies to quickly improve your credibility and influence.
* Myths & Misconceptions: Every author falls for some of them. Identify misinformation and false beliefs that are sabotaging your success and preventing you from reaching your goals.
* Should You Try to Get Published?: On a scale of 1 to 10 I’ll tell you what I think, give you concrete reasons why, and recommend next steps during your Book Marketing Coach session.
* In a Sticky Situation: I’ll show you the easiest way to fix it (i.e. bad agent, bad publisher, bad contract, etc.)
* Turn Your Book into a Business: Discover how to leverage your expertise into other streams of income—not just books.
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Additional Book Marketing Coaching Call Details
After you register for a coaching session, you’ll get an author questionnaire with important questions that will allow me to serve you better during our time together. The more I know about your book(s) before your session, the easier it will be for me to give you actionable advice during your Book Marketing Coach session. And, you’ll be able to use the information you provide to improve your pitch materials. After I get the completed author questionnaire, I’ll send you scheduling information so you can choose a day and time for us to speak.
One piece of insight or advice might be the only thing standing between you and your publishing goals, so I’ll do everything I can to help you get to the next level. We all need help to see certain things that we can’t see alone, and we all need help to apply or implement certain things at the highest level. By scheduling a Book Marketing Coach session, you’ll be able to avoid the guessing, loneliness, and costly mistakes that most authors endure. I’ll give you concrete, specific advice that you’ll be able to apply to your unique situation.
Always remember…
Getting published isn’t luck, it’s a decision.
Mark Malatesta
Book Marketing Coach
Coaching Success Stories
“Mark, finding you has been both a treat and a treasure—I just signed a contract with my new literary agent!
My career has spanned publishing, TV, and feature film. I’ve served as Creative Dir. for the Magazine Group, TIME Inc.; Dir. of Time World News Service, a Founding Dir. of TIME-Life Films; Exec. Prod. for both the CBS and NBC TV Networks; Prod./Dir.: Movies of the Week: CBS Cinema Center Films and Universal MCA.
In today’s publishing marketplace, agents come and go. They also very often seem to just want an easy pathway to make a buck. Many authors are let go by their agents because their last book didn’t do well enough and the agent doesn’t want to devote the time to help the author. That’s not what you’re about Mark. Even established authors need this type of support in today’s marketplace."
Nathaniel Lande
Author of ten fiction and nonfiction books
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“I’m psyched to have this be official. After getting five different offers for representation from top literary agents, I signed with Stephanie Tade who got me a 6-figure book deal with Penguin!
Getting multiple agents interested in my work was really important to me. I’ve dealt with agents before and gotten screwed on things contractually so I wanted to do it differently this time. I wanted choices.
Having you help me create that, and navigate my options, was really helpful. I heard other authors talk about their great relationships with their agents and it made me want the same thing. Now I have that."
Amy Jo Goddard
Author of Woman on Fire (Penguin Books)
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“After sending out the query Mark revised for me, I had the opportunity to speak with literary agents from top agencies such as Janklow & Nesbit, Trident Media, Anderson Lit, and Folio. I signed with Don Fehr at Trident and, a short time later I had a publishing contract with Berkley Books, which recently published my book in hardcover.
Before that, I sent my query letter out on my own to 30 or 40 agents and got a lot of rejections. I then found Mark online while I was researching agents. I was surprised that he offered so much during his initial consultation—for a very modest amount of money.
I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t worked with Mark. I can’t even imagine that now though, because of the grief and detours I experienced before we worked together. It was a time-consuming pain in the neck. If you want to get the attention of top literary agents and publishers, there is no substitute for working with an insider. You can’t beat experience. And having Mark on your side is incredibly valuable."
Daniel Cohen
Author of Single Handed (Berkley Books, a Division of Penguin Random House)
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“AHHH! OMG, it happened! I got three offers of representation for my children’s picture book in the United States, even though I live abroad! When I woke up and found the first offer for representation in my email in box, I wanted to scream. But my family was still asleep so I couldn’t. 🙂
Just 8 minutes after I sent a query letter to one of my favorite agents, she replied and asked to see my manuscript. A short time later we had a lovely conversation. She was interested in representing me and sounded very positive and enthusiastic about my book. Since I also got offers from two other agents, I had to turn two of them down. One of them was upset and it felt like I was breaking her heart, but you just have to do it. I kept reminding myself that this is a good problem to have!"
Miri Leshem-Pelley
Author/Illustrator of Lon-Lon’s Big Night and many other children’s books
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“Mark, after you helped me land a top literary agent, I got publishing offers from THREE well-known publishers: Amacom, Palgrave Macmillan, and McGraw-Hill (they’re publishing my book in hardcover)!
I was at Disneyworld with my family, in the Haunted Mansion, when I got the call. I went outside and listened to the voicemail message from my agent. A huge smile came over my face. It was a fantastic feeling. For a moment I felt like life was perfect and the angels were singing.
You’re filling an important need so I’ll say this to every other author reading this testimonial. Mark showed me that getting a top literary agent is a science. If you’ve written a book, or you’re in the process, you’ve already invested a lot—a lot more than money. Don’t stop yourself from getting out there to fulfill your purpose and dreams. Thank you so, so much, Mark!!!"
Dave Hamme
Author of Customer Focused Process Innovation (McGraw Hill)
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“I got a book deal! After I started sending out my new query letter I had 6 literary agents request my manuscript in a short amount of time, which is awesome. Then, within 2 weeks of my agent starting to pitch my story to publishers, we had an offer. I signed a book contract yesterday. A little while later my agent told me that a TV co-producer asked for more info about my book.
By the way, the acquiring editor that fell in love with the manuscript jumped in with both feet and we just worked out our timeline for publication. She’s as passionate about getting my book out as I am, and that means everything. She read the manuscript in two days and said she couldn’t put it down. And the book is going to be published as a hardcover!"
Erika Armstrong
Author of A Chick in the Cockpit (Behler Publications)
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“Thank you Mark! After you helped me get a well-known agent with Hartline Literary Agency (for my previously self-published murder mystery), he got me a deal with an American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) approved publisher. I’m hard-pressed to find anything that I had an expectation for that you didn’t deliver on.
Before I worked with you I sent out queries, but no one ever requested my complete manuscript. Comparing your new version of my query to the one I wrote before, I can see a vast difference.
I’ve been in business for 35 years so I’m not just saying this… what you’re doing is phenomenal. There are other people offering similar services, but the difference is your success. Others might say they do similar things but, if you research them, they don’t have your background or track record."
Michael Thompson
Author of The Rector
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“Mark, you’re a miracle worker. Thanks to your help with my book, query letter, and synopsis… I now have a legitimate publisher who described my book as ‘Powerful Magic’ and it’s now available in bookstores and online!
I’m a lifelong academic writer who one day found myself writing inspired short stories that came to me in dreams and I began thinking of them as novels. That’s when I had a momentous conversation, an introductory coaching call with Mark Malatesta, the American creative writing coach, or rather, to be precise, a how-to-sell-yourself-and-your-work adviser. It was the best-spent money of my life apart (possibly) for my wedding ring."
Professor Ruth Finnegan FBA
Author of The Black Inked Pearl
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“Within 4 minutes of sending out my query letter, a top literary called me on the phone (the #1 agent on my wish list). Less than 30 days later I had three major publishers making offers. A few days after that, I signed a deal with Random House. Mark, your query letter did that.
My agent talked about the query letter you helped me create for a long, long time. When he first called me on the phone, he hadn’t seen any of my sample chapters. It was just the query letter that did it. Communicating the right thing is so important. You are a wonderful medium helping authors find their voice and elevate their writing from just a hobby to a real business… a source from which they can both learn and earn."
Lakshmi Subramani
Author of Lights Out (Random House) Bangalore, India
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“MARK, MARK, MARK!!!!!!! Holy smokes… I just signed my book deal. First, two well-known literary agents asked to represent me. One of them responded to my query letter in less than 4 minutes!!
Then THREE different publishers wanted my book and started talking about making offers. The publisher I chose is perfect for me because they produce titles for the trade, educational, and scientific markets. And they agreed to publish my book as a hardcover!!!
When I met you, Mark, it was a pivotal time. I was under the belief that I could self-publish my book with a vanity press and then seek a publisher. I didn’t know what a literary agent was, why I needed one, or how to get one. I was wandering in the dark. You guided me in the right direction and gave me a solid plan."
Mardell Hill
Author of Intestinal Health (Rowman & Littlefield)
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“Boom!!! I just signed a contract with Thomas Nelson/Harper Collins for (what I’ve been told by several people) is a very large advance for a first-time author.
Before working with Mark I submitted my book to agents but didn’t get any interest. This time around I got a top NY literary agency (Fine Print Lit). What cloud is higher than 9?
I had several agencies interested before deciding to go with Fine Print. And, to be honest, all of the attention didn’t surprise me. The query letter and proposal that Mark helped me develop were incredible. Agents actually said things to me like: ‘Scott, I read your proposal and I’m just blown away by it!' Mark is extremely talented at what he does. If you have the opportunity to work with him, take advantage of it."
Scott LeRette
Author of The Unbreakable Boy (Harper Collins/Thomas Nelson)
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