Early to Rise || June 26, 2018

This is How You Write an Industry-Changing Book

Interview by Jeffrey Steen

If someone named the achievements of legendary copywriter Bob Bly, they would seem utterly fantastical:

Ninety-six published books (and counting), dozens of high-profile presentations with just as many corporate trainings, nods as “America’s Top Copywriter” from publishing giant McGraw-Hill, nearly four decades of experience in writing and copywriting, and consultancy credentials with business behemoths like Digital Marketer and Weiss Research. In addition to his battalion of books, Bly has also published myriad case studies, newsletters, e-mail campaigns, briefs, op-eds, essays, catalogs, and ads.

Did we mention that he’s a self-made millionaire?

There’s little doubt that Bob Bly is a polestar in copywriting, but he’s also an untapped resource for entrepreneurs who need guidance on how to write their first, foundational book.

Many of these ambitious entrepreneurs have the same problem: They want to write a book, but don’t know where to start.

That’s why I hooked Bob Bly to chat with me about the ins and outs of the process (one he’s more or less perfected), all in an effort to give ETR readers a springboard for ideation and action.

If you’re ready for your first book-writing credit, read on…

What do you think about the assertion that writing a book is one of the most effective ways for an entrepreneur to establish authority or expertise?

Although books serve that purpose, I don’t write books for that reason. I write them because whenever I learn something—and learn it well—I feel compelled to pass that knowledge along to others.

I’m also motivated to write books because I see a lack in certain area. For example, my first job out of college was as a technical copywriter for Westinghouse. At the time, the only resource I had to use for style was Strunk and White’s “Elements of Style.” But that didn’t serve technical writers very well. So, I went to McGraw-Hill and suggested the idea of a style guide for technical writers. They loved the idea. So I worked on it and they published it in 1982. That book has sold over 150,000 copies to date.

Impressive! And a fantastic start—a reference guide like that has staying power if it’s done well. Did you start by publishing some of your technical style concepts in articles before pitching the book?

I did publish a few—mostly in marketing trade journals. I enjoyed that, but I thought that a book would be a better way to educate people. As it turns out, it was also good for my consulting business. That wasn’t my plan when I first considered it, but it definitely worked out that way.

I do wonder about how you approached McGraw-Hill. I have to imagine that’s not an effective way to pitch an idea to a publisher these days.

You’re right—and I actually misspoke. I hired a literary agent and they sold the idea to McGraw-Hill. If I had approached them directly, they never would have talked to me.

That makes sense. So how do you go about finding the right literary agent? They specialize in certain genres, right?

A lot of literary agents will cover multiple genres, but generally, yes, if you’re a business author and you’re looking to publish business-related content, then you should be looking for an agent with that kind of experience. There are several directories of agents online (Writer’s Market is a good place to start), so start looking for them there. These directories will give you information on the kind of material they work with and how you can connect with them.

Also, a quick warning. A real agent will never take money from you. They don’t ask for reading fees or anything upfront. When you publish your book, they get paid—usually 10-15% of the advance and 10-15% of royalties.

Good advice. Okay, let’s talk about your process. How do you come up with your thesis, and when do you know you have a “critical mass” of information that calls for the writing of a book?

I’m not sure there’s a formula, but there is usually a moment when I realize that I’ve learned a lot about a subject and I know I want to pass that along. The sheer volume of information I have on it is usually enough to write a book, so I create a thesis around that.

How do you take that to a literary agent? Do you offer a formal proposal?

Well, first it depends on whether you’re self-publishing or aim to work with a traditional publisher. There are pros and cons to both, but I prefer working with a traditional publisher.

So, I usually write a one or two-page synopsis of the book and share it with my agent. If he likes it, then I put together a formal book proposal.

Part of this process is creating a very detailed table of contents. This is the tipping point—if I can’t create one, then I know I don’t have enough information to write a book.