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Copyright 2012 - Mark Waldmans Six Figure Book Camp - All rights Reserved - Page 1
Mark Waldman`s
Six Figure Book Camp
June 2-3, 2012
Westlake Village, CaliIornia
28 myths, secrets, success tips,
and mistakes that most
writers make
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28 Top Publishing Insider Secrets,
Success Tips, Big Myths & Major Mistakes
Most Writers Make
By Mark Waldman
For most writers, the New York publishing world is the
ultimate dream and goal. But if you dont understand how this
weird world of agents, editors, and publishers work, your book
will probably never see the light of day. There are hundreds of
tips I could share with you enough to fill several books, at
least but the following are some of the most important ones
that can make the difference between reading an impersonal
rejection slip and receiving a contract with an advance. And the
biggest one, as far as nonfiction books are concern is . . .
. . . to write the book in the first place!
1) Publishing Success Tip
To get big advances, don't write the book! Pour 100% of your
talent, skill and effort into building a 10-50 page Knock-Out
Proposal! That, plus a few other secrets, is what gets every
nonfiction author the biggest advances from the New York
publishing houses.
2) Big Publishing Myth
FALSE: The New York publishing world is collapsing, and
books made out of paper are becoming obsolete. FACT: from
2003 to 2009 book sales remained the same, then increased by
22% in 2010 and declined by 10% in 2011. In 2009, eBook
sales increased 9%, but there are four times more eBooks
published each year than traditional books. RESULT: eBook
authors, on average, make far less money than traditional
authors. Reuters, the international news agency, considers
eBook publishing nothing but spam: clogging [the internet]
with material that is far from being book worthy.
MORAL OF THIS URBAN MYTH: dont believe what
internet marketers are telling you and selling you. TIP: even if
you plan to self publish, write a knock-out proposal first. It will
organize your thoughts, capture the key message of your book,
and it will serve as fabulous marketing copy later on. Plus, you
can submit it to an agent, and if accepted, you can have the
benefits of both worlds. In my last book, I over-wrote it. The
publisher made me delete three chapters. Voila! I had a 60
page eBook for additional revenue. I even save my early drafts
and use parts of them for blogs, etc, without violating my
publishers contract! Sources cited: Association of American Publishers,
Reuters, and Publishers Weekly.
Forget about query letters. Most are read by a publishers or
agents intern, only 5% get shown the powers that be, and
only 1 out of 300 turn into a viable book sale. I know, because I
used to do this as a living for a year for the Jeff Herman
Literary Agency. Theres a short-cut: write a 3 page mini
proposal (Ill show you how to do that in class and give
examples that I have sold for large advances). Then, let ME
show it to the three agents I currently work with. Its the fast
track to publishing success.
4) Publishing Insider Secret
Most people sit down to write the book they want to write, but
the most successful authors write books that they know readers
want to read. You also need to know that each publisher sells
to a select audience, and if you want to sell your book to New
York, you have to identify what those readers are buying. You
have to study the competition, and propose a book that puts a
new spin on ideas that have been proven to be perennial sellers
in the past (whats known as the publishers back-list). If you
want a large advance, youll have to write about a topic that
suits your publishers readership. Youll have to identify what
publishers currently love
and hate (Ill tell you what
the current trends are in
class).
But even if you send in the
perfect proposal, on the
timeliest topic, you need to
know that youll be
competing with a dozen
other excellent competitive
proposals and ideas. And even though there are hundreds of NY
imprints poised to publish big books, you need to understand
how the selection process works.
For example, most New York houses may buy 50-100
proposals a year to fill the 10 categories they specialize in, but
at any one time, theres only a few slots open. Heres an
example of what happens each week in a single publishing
house: 5 editors sit down to present 2-3 proposals they believe
should be published. Thats 10-15 proposals vying for 2 or 3
coveted spaces. Even you have written a guaranteed NY Times
bestseller (which no one can manipulate in any meaningful way
that translates into increased sales even if you make it to the
list! so be cautious when dealing with pr people who promise
you this), the publisher may have already bought a similar
book. This happened to me on my last book: the publisher loved
it, but it would compete with another communication book they
just bought.
SOLUTION: Focus on finding an agent, not a publisher, if you
want a decent advance. Your agent has the right to
simultaneously submit your proposal to a dozen publishers at a
time (you dont!). Its never taken more than 2 weeks for my
agent to sell any of my proposals, but before I had an agent, it
took me as long as a year to land a sale with a relatively small
advance. BEST SOLUTION: have an editor or published
author personally introduce you to the agents they know. Thats
what I will do with your proposal when you write it using my
template.
Beginning writers often put too many concepts into their
manuscripts. A book is like a sound-bite. It takes one principle
one idea, one concept, one goal and it breaks it down into
10-12 simple parts. Those parts become the individual chapters
in your book. If you try to get across more than 3 basic
principles, youre going to end up with a smaller publishing
house that caters to specific professional, business, or academic
audiences.
You need to be famous, or even be an expert, to get a 5 or 6
figure advance. FACT: If you write well and team up with
someone who is newsworthy, it will be easy to land a NY book
deal. Being a coauthor or a
ghostwriter is one of the
least used strategies by
authors, but its one of the
best ways to guarantee
success. Find someone
who is making history and
offer to write their book.
The moment your name appears as the coauthor, youll become
an expert by default, and this will open the doors to writing
your next book on your own.
Another amazing strategy that very few people know about or
use: DONT write your book proposal on paper. Ill explain
why (and how) I use PowerPoint, a computer-generated
teleprompter, and a video camera to create winning proposals
and books. Neuroscientific research confirms that if you outline
your book with powerful images and a few key words, youll
write better, speak better, and communicate your message more
effectively. Its also the best way to organize your thoughts, and
you can then use your PowerPoint presentation to test out
which ideas resonate the strongest with your audience. This
strategy will generate money before and after you write your
book and will help land you speaking engagements coast to
coast!
8) Major Publishing Mistake
Assuming you have to master literary skills. The truth is
shocking: the more refined your nonfiction writing is, the less
money youll get. Youll sell fewer books because the majority
of buyers today demand quick easy reads. But theres a Catch-
22: If your language is too plain, youll sell more books, but
youll also get lower advances. New York publishers will pay
the most for writing that falls between average and great.
How do know if you fall in the middle? Read the classics, but
write from the heart. Then show brief samples of your writing
to professional writers, especially those who have been
published in popular magazines, and follow Hemingways
advice: make your writing tight and taut, and get rid of the
damned adjectives! Write your first draft trusting your inner
voice, and then revise it a few days later. As William Zinsser
wrote in his classic book, On Writing Well: The Classic Guide
to Writing Nonfiction: Anybody who can think clearly can
write clearly.[but] good writers know that very few sentences
come out right the first time. Ill give you a copy of this book
when you sign up for class, but I want to emphasize one more
point: when it comes to writing nonfiction, brevity counts. Opt
for short sentences and write shorter books. Instead of the
standard 250 pages, NY publishers are increasing their interest
in books that are 200 pages or less.
9) Publishing Insider Secret
Publishers dont really want you to get an agent
because they know theyll have to pay twice as much,
and give away more rights, than if they negotiated
directly with you. Moral: even if you sell your book
on your own, hire a literary agent to negotiate the
complexities of the contract. It wont cost you that
much and it will assure you of future representation.
u dont hav to worry that much about grammatical errors when
you ackshully sit down to rite yur book. By all means turn in a
grammatically correct proposal (have three people read it to
catch all the errors!), but when it comes time to turn in your
finished manuscript, the publisher will assign several editors to
clean up your writing for you!
You waste precious time doing all the revisions writing teachers
say you must do. Instead, quickly revise your first book
proposal draft once (yes, I know: Im disagreeing with
Zinssers advice, but hes a writing teacher and Im an
acquistions editor, so I know what NY expects. If you have a
great concept and write reasonably well, the publisher will
gladly refine your writing for you (my editor, and then the copy
editor made more changes on my last manuscript than I would
have done had I revised it a dozen times! Ill give you a sample
chapter in class to show how radical their suggestions can be;
youll want to swallow your pride and follow them because it
will always make for a better book).
Not thinking beyond the publication of your book. This is the
biggest mistake that nearly every writer makes. The book is
just the beginning, and if you dont have a
clear strategy mapped out before you write
that book, it will languish on the shelves
and you have missed the opportunity to
increase your business and further your
career. In fact, the best advice I can give
you and its a lesson I only recently learned is to plan out
your next three books before you write the first one, and what
you plan to do after youve completed your manuscript and sent
it in to the publisher.
Keep a special file of every book idea that pops into your mind.
Im currently working on a book with Andy Newberg based on
a one paragraph idea we bantered around seven years ago. In
other words, every book idea you have should be turned into a
blog, a magazine column, or a workshop. After all, the ideas
that intuitively come to you are often filled with knowledge and
insight that other people want to hear and read about. So trust
your intuition its the secret that runs the entire New York
publishing world.
If you want to really master the craft of writing, then whenever
possible write short articles for small magazines and blogs
associated with the readers you want to attract. Learn how to
master the 300-500 word how to essay or inspirational
anecdote because this will hone your writing skills faster than
any class you could take. Academic writing classes can turn
you into a Dickens or a Steinbeck, but if you want to write a
nonfiction book that sells year after year, Id rather have you
study the nonfiction books that appear on the New York Times
bestseller lists. Go to Amazon.com and read the first page of
20 of them, find the style you love best, then imitate and
emulate that style.
13) Big Marketing Mistake
When pitching your book to an agent, and when
writing the overview for your book proposal, dont
use the selling styles of advertising copy or internet
copy. Publishers hate it! Selling your book to New
York demands a unique style of promotion. Study
the copy printed on the back cover of paperback
books, and the inside sleeve of hardbacks. Youll
see that its more of a brief summary of the 3 key elements that
the reader will get from the book. This is the style that
publishers want to see. Highly successful marketing mavens
have great book ideas that publishers want to buy, but when
youre selling to a publisher, you have to know their language.
Thats why its so important to use a book proposal template
that has been proven to sell over and over again.
First Paragraphs: Theyre the most important parts of your
book. Each chapter must start out with your best writing, and
the first sentence must draw the reader in. Each additional
sentence deepens the journey, the promise, and the readers
overall experience. If the reader isnt intrigued by the end of
that first paragraph, theyll put your book back on the shelf, and
if the editor isnt intrigued by the end of your first sentence,
your proposal is likely to be rejected.
Heres the first paragraph I used to sell my proposal that ended
up on Oprahs must read list: God can change your brain.
Whether you are a Christian or a Jew, a Muslim or a Buddhist,
a fundamentalist or even an atheist, you can take control of your
mind, your consciousness, and your sense of spirituality to
make the world a better and safer place to live.
In two sentences, I made four outrageous claims. Even the title,
How God Changes Your Brain (which publishers knew was
perfect) was inaccurate (its really a book about spiritual
practices). And I knew what the publisher would think: Can
he prove it? So the rest of the proposal outlined our evidence.
We had brain scan studies (always a hot topic for a NY book),
we collected a 1000 pictures of God, drawn by members of
different religious and secular groups, and we had plenty of
exercises that readers could do (something publishers love to
have, especially in a science book). But we also had to redefine
God in a way that was brand new by showing how different
parts of the brain created different concepts and images of this
word.
MORAL OF THIS LESSON: Take a perennial hot topic like
god, money, sex, or the elimination of some inner form of
suffering but write about from an angle that no one has ever
tried before. The closer you succeed, the more money the
publisher will offer for your proposal. The perfect example of
this strategy is used by every bestselling weight loss book.
There are really only three key elements for effective weight
loss, but if you can wrap it up in a new way even if the
strategy is unproven or even dangerous its probably going to
sell well.
One of the most common mistakes writers make is trying to be
creative with their words. Its called purple prose, and it will
even get you an F in any decent English class. Why does NY
shy away from literary writing when it comes to nonfiction
books? Because, as the research shows, the majority of
American readers have no college education. They want their
books simple and inspiring, not eloquent.
But they also want their books to be accurate true. The Big 7
publishers tend to shy away from fabulous claims that cant be
substantiated, which means that books like The Secret and
Chicken Soup for the Soul are very hard to sell. And for every
successful exception, there are thousands of similar books that
only sell a few thousand books. Thats why such authors often
have huge piles of rejection slips before they get lucky, and the
two books I mentioned before were only picked up by NY after
they had proven to be runaway successes.
Heres another insider tip Ive never seen written about before:
Most New York publishers love books that have some solid
science behind it: the science of business, the science of love,
the science of spirituality, etc. But readers dont want too much
science. They want inspiration. So heres a little secret that
does both: make spectacular claims, but give endnotes from
peer reviewed journals backing it up. If you have credentials,
thats great; if not, ask an expert to write you a 3 page preface
for your book and submit it with your proposal.
When I used this strategy in How God
Changes Your Brain, one of the most
important book review publications, Library
Journal, said that I had made a substantial
advance in the self-help/spirituality genre by
offering practical, simple advice that is
thoroughly grounded in cutting-edge
research and neuroscience. This single
sentence insured that nearly every library in
America purchased a copy of the book.
16) Secret Publishing Success Tip
What do you think is the main reason an editor or agent selects
your book? Your credentials? It helps, but the answer is no.
Your writing skill? Its essential that you be good enough,
but its still not enough. Your previous success in writing
books? It certainly helps, but again, its not the main reason.
How about the obvious: having a great proposal? That alone is
not enough, but if you think that all of the above is the right
answer, Im here to tell you that youre dead wrong. I cant tell
you how many proposals Ive seen that have all the right
stuff, but the agent and publisher still says no.
So heres the secret, and Im quoting Jeremy Tarcher, founder
of Tarcher Books, and probably the most respected publisher
still living. I was holding two manuscripts in my hands, one by
a very famous author who had sold seven million books, and
another that was utterly brilliant, innovative, and fun to read.
The famous authors manuscript was nothing more than a 1000
pages of quotes literally the worst book Id ever seen (saying
this to Jeremy almost cost me my job but Random House
agreed: they refused to publish it after paying out a $750,000
advance!).
Jeremy chose to buy the useless manuscript, and
passed on the elegant one. So I asked him why. He
said that every publisher relies on one key element
when selecting a book: intuition. He knew that with
the right guidance and the right editor (in this case, me)
he could turn the proverbial sows ear into a silk purse.
Well, he was wrong, and everyone lost money on the book, but
thats what makes the New York publishing business so unique.
No one can predict a bestseller (or every publisher would be
wealthy instead of struggling to survive), but a good publisher
has an intuitive knack to pick more winners than losers.
I would say that this was one the most important lessons I
learned working closely with Jeremy Tarcher for ten years. And
I want to pass on the same advice to you: whether your book
gets accepted or rejected, if you intuitively know that it should
be written, then write it. Its the best thing you can do for your
heart, your brain, and your soul.
Am I Giving Too Much Away in My Book? When Im
coaching entrepreneurs who sell high end products and
workshops, theres a common fear that putting ones secrets
into a book will dilute a $1000 program into a $25 book. Its an
unfounded fear. In fact, the opposite is true: by sharing the key
elements of your most successful programs, readers are more
likely to buy your products and services. This give-and-you-
shall receive philosophy is not only at the core of the worlds
spiritual traditions, its been proven by a brand new field of
science: neuroeconomics. Ill bet you can guess what Im
going to focus on for my next book, which Im coauthoring
with John Assaraf. The title gives it away: God Can Make You
Rich, and the subtitle tells you how: The Neuroscience of
Financial Success.
Now some people are afraid of sharing their book concepts, and
especially their titles with others (which cant be copyrighted),
before the book is published, and sometimes that advice should
be heeded. However, its a great way to test the sex appeal of
your book, and to simultaneously build interest and thus
future sales. If you only get a lukewarm response, you just
might want to reconsider your title, or even the underlying
concept. You can be provocative or controversial, but you must
be 100% sincere.
PS: Rarely will you get to keep the title you dream up for your book. Its
another quirk of the publishing world: they, not you, have nearly complete
control over the title. If you dont go along with them, they wont put as
much time and money into marketing your book.
One of the most controversial One of the most controversial
books of the 20 books of the 20
th th
Century: Century:
Its embarrassing when you try
to overthrow the government and
you wind up on the Best Sellers
List.
Abbie Hoffman, 1971, over 200,000 copies sold
18) Major Publishing Mistake:
Dont cherish your sacred words
because your editor will delete them
The more personal the passage, the less
interesting they may be for the reader
19) Publishing Surprise!
Many well-known authors, after publishing a successful book,
become so busy that they hire other people to write their next
book. When you see a book that you fall in love with, consider
approaching that author for a collaborative project. However,
beware: if you write too many books too fast, New York will
not take you on. They dont want your other books competing
with the one they just poured a marketing fortune into. If you
want to stay published in NY, youll have to limit your output
to one book per year or two.
Find out whats hot and whats not. Look at the Best and
Worst lists compiled by Time and other popular magazines.
Theyll give you many ideas for specific chapters in your book.
New York publishers pay close attention to these topics, and
you can strengthen your proposal by referring to the popularity
of specific topics featured in the Top 10 magazines published
in America
A note to doctors, therapists, teachers, scientists, philosophers,
and academics: writing in a professional style that will please
your colleagues will kill your chances of a New York book
deal. Your credentials mean a lot to publishers, and to readers,
but it has to be written in overly simple way if you want to
reach the masses. Professionals and academics often have the
most trouble with NY editors because they feel that they have
to support every statement they make. Peer-reviewed journals
require this, but its deadly for a general public book.
I even fell into that trap with my new book, Words Can Change
Your Brain. I unconsciously anticipated every counter-
argument I might get and
defended my position. My
editor had to remind me
write authoritatively, and
this required me to rewrite
nearly every page in my
book. Actually, this was
easy because all I needed to
do was delete the detailed
explanations. It took me six
weeks of intense writing,
but if you use some of the
brain-training exercises that Ill include in this class, youll find
that youll write faster, better, and with less stress than usual.
A note to graduate students: no matter how much you love your dissertation, it never
translates into a popular book. Even academic publishers will reject it. Run with the
concept, but shred those endless pages of convoluted language. You wont win the
support of your peers by publishing a popular book, but your message will reach tens of
thousands of people, something a professional book can never do.
Tell a Story Tell a Story
Thi nk in Pictures Thi nk in Pictures
Sti r Emoti ons Sti r Emotions
Even if you sell your book idea to a publisher without an agent,
you should STILL hire a literary agent to review the contract.
Trusting the publisher to offer a contract that's best for you is
like trusting the "house" to let you win in
Vegas! BOOK CONTRACTS ARE
STACKED AGAINST YOU! You need an
agent to protect your rights, especially if you
get published in New York. The print and
audio contracts are incomprehensible to
anyone but your agent, and he or she will
fight for the best domestic and foreign rights
you can get. Ill give you the names of
several excellent agents who can help you
with your contracts for very low fees.
Dont make the mistake of thinking that your book is unique. A
search of Amazon.com will show you what your competition is,
and if you dont include this in your book proposal, a New
York publisher wont buy it. And if by chance you actually
come up with something new, youre in trouble because
publishers wont know who to sell it to, and Barnes and Noble
wont have a section to put it on!
Want to know the fastest way to come up with a great book
title? Peruse the titles and subtitles of the different New York
Times nonfiction bestseller lists. Youll notice that most titles
are four words or less. Single word titles can be great, but
youll need a very clear subtitle to tell the reader what theyll
get by reading your book.
Use the New York Times hardcover and paperback best seller
lists to identify your nonfiction niche. Access them through
Amazon.com so that you can search inside the books that
capture your interest and come closest to the type of book you
plan to write. Then emulate the style and structure. As I said
earlier, dont try to be creative in your
writing unless you want to be published in
the Iowa Review. Dont get me wrong: its a
great honor, and it certainly proves that you
know how to write, but so far, in my
decades of editing, Ive only worked with
one literary giant who was able to make a decent income from a
nonfiction book: the American Poet Laureate, Robert Bly.
Heres a great way to become an expert at creating catchy
book and chapter titles. Look through recent issues of
magazines relating to the niche you are in. Any editor or
publisher can usually identify 2-3 great book ideas just based
on the magazines table of contents and you can do so as well.
Amazon.com is your #1 source for writing your book proposal.
Youll specifically need it for the Competitive Books section
of your proposal, since youll need to identify your competition
and how successful other authors have been writing on the topic
of your proposed book.
As my friend and publisher Jeremy Tarcher would tell me after
each book I wrote, Dont give up your day job! Its great
advice, especially since your book can do more for your
business than your business can do for your book.
28) Big Publishing Mistake
Believing you have to load your book with lots of detail.
Even though many strategies and skills are essential for
surviving in the business world, when it comes to books, this
approach can be deadly. When you see titles that say 7 Ways
to Maximize Your ______ or The 10 Biggest Mistakes
__________ Make, theres a reason why these books are
popular: theyre simple and easy to read. And its what sells in
the bookstores. Detailed information can kill your chances of
selling your book to New York.
In fact, this special report violated this rule by listing 28 many
tips, secrets, myths, and mistakes (at least I kept thembrief!).
And the book pictured on the left, written by an
editor of a literary publishing house, is an excellent
resource you should read, but it made two fatal
publishing mistakes: it violated the 12 point rule,
and it emphasized 78 things writers do wrong when
sending in their manuscripts and proposals. Too
much negativity turns too many readers off. So my
29
th
rule is sacred: Be optimistic, be inspiring, be
entertaining, and by all means, be brief!
I wish I had the time to share with you more secrets and tips,
but there's really no way to do this in this brief format. Even if I
wrote all of it in a book, it still would be missing key
components and the experiential understanding that you would
get if we could both sit down together and discuss your book.
Its sad to say this, but you cant become a good writer without
face-to-face interaction (and yes, I do have the 17 studies to
support this!) I was fortunate: I worked with the best in the
business (see the following page of endorsements), and now
that Im 60, I want to pass on that wisdom to you. And the
surest way to transfer my experience and knowledge of the
publishing business is through my intense two-day "Book
Camp Experience." Visit www.newyorkbookdeal.com for
more information about this workshop, and be sure to read my
bio on the following pages of this booklet.
Theres a great book inside of everyone, and its time to
put your goals and dreams into writing and to share your
vision with the world. So why not get it published the
right way, with a New York publishing house that can
pay you a great advance for the privilege of publishing it
and marketing it to the world!
Yours truly,
Mork woIJwo
Adjunct Faculty, Executive MBA Program (Communication, Leadership, and the
Brain), Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles
Associate Fellow, Center for Spirituality and the Mind,
University of Pennsylvania
Author of 12 books, including the national bestseller:
How God Changes Your Brain,
Named by Oprah as one of the 9 "Must Read" books for 2012
Testimonials:
Even though Ive written 14 books, Ive been stuck for 2 years trying to
decide what my next book should be. In the 2 hours I spent with Mark, I
went farther and faster than with anyone Ive ever working with in my
entire life! He freed me up, got me past the minutia, and got me to
instantly tap into my own inner wisdom to find the book I really wanted to
write. It would have taken any other book consultant a year to accomplish what Mark did
in two hours, and I even came up with the book Ill write after that titles, chapters, and
all! Thank you, Mark for bringing me the clarity and confidence I needed to write the
Big Book of my dreams!
Marcia Wieder, author of 14 books and Founder of Dream University
If you want to learn how the New York book publishing world really
works, and how to write a great book proposal one that will attract the
attention of literary agents and editors listen to Mark. Hell teach you
everything you need to know to successfully sell your book to a publisher.
When Mark refers a writer or a book proposal to me, I give it my fullest
attention because I know its going to be top-notch.
James Levine, Founder of Levine Greenberg Literary Agency, Inc.
Ive written two New York Times bestsellers, and Ive worked with the
best authors, agents, and publishers in the world, so I can tell you without
hesitation that Mark Waldman is the only go-to guy I would ever
recommend if you want to create a winning book concept, get an agent
and a great advance, and be guided through every step of the writing and
publishing process. In fact, thats why Im writing my next book with
him!
John Assaraf, NY Times bestselling author of Having It All and The Answer
Having published 52 books, I never thought I'd need a formal proposal or a
literary agent. But Mark suggested that I could easily get five times the
amount of money I'm usually given as an advance, so I used his template
and he connected me with a top NY agent who really wants to represent my
books. If you want to get a large advance for your book, there's no question
in my mind that Mark is the only person to turn to. He's the real deal!
Brian Tracy, Chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International
It has been a true joy to work with Mark for the past 5 years. From
start to finish, his writing is superb. He understands the complexities
of the nonfiction publishing world and he knows how to get your
proposal on my desk. If you want to get published in New York,
Marks class is the one to take.
Caroline Sutton, Editor in Chief, Hudson Street Press, Penguin Group USA
I had been working on "my" book for nearly a year, and I was stuck. It
wasn't going anywhere. It took Mark less than a half hour to reframe my
book into a powerful message for my fans. He showed me how to put
together a knock-out proposal in a couple of weeks. He also came up with
a great title that tied in perfectly with my PBS television program. But even
more amazing, he came with a new book idea based on my 25 years of
experience in the television industry, which Mark wants to pitch to his literary agent!
And I only need to write a three-page proposal! Mark saved me hundreds of hours of
work and inspired me to write what I've dreamed about.
Patricia Gras, Senior Host/ Producer of Living Smart, Houston PBS, and
Emmy Award-Winning Journalist
Mark is an extraordinary editor and writer a master of the trade. He
handled some of our most famous authors from inception to book
proposal to final edit with love and panache. It has been a pleasure to
have personally worked with him for nearly a decade in the development
of numerous books, four of which I purchased for my company.
Jeremy P. Tarcher, Founder and Past President of Tarcher/Putnam Books, a
division of Penguin USA
To paraphrase an old movie, a funny thing happened to me on my way
to the publisher. I met Mark and I wanted him to help me write the
proposal for a new book called Connections. He created a fabulous
book proposal and he personally showed it to Jeremy Tarcher (the
famous NY publisher). He loved my research, but it didnt excite him,
and my agent only saw it as a $50,000 book. So Mark dreamed up a
new idea, based on the subtitle from my previous book! Instead of
connections, he made it about beliefs and the brain. It was
essentially the same proposal, with a few new chapters that Mark said he would write. He
titled it Born to Believe, and it only took my agent three days to garner a quarter million
dollar advance! The book became the topic of a 14 page spread in a special issue of Time.
Marks book proposal skills have gotten me six-figure advances three times in a row, and
he uses his talent to capture the essence of my research, passion, and work. If you want to
see your book gain national attention, work with Mark. Hell turn your message and
stories into gold.
Andrew Newberg, MD, Jefferson University
Mark is a genius! He negotiated my advance on the first book, and he
restructured it in a way that taught me how to construct my next book
a truly priceless lesson. Mark unselfishly passes on great ideas and helps
his students find the right words without interfering with their vision,
and he knows how to lead a budding writer to manifest their dreams.
Without his knowledge of the writing industry, I wouldnt be published!
Toni Gilbert, ADN, MA, Founding editor: Alternative Journal of Nursing
There are many good authors with many great ideas, but getting those
ideas published is quite another thing. Mark Waldman is not only an
excellent writer, editor and evaluator of talent; he has the necessary
knowledge and insight to turn literary hopes into literary realities. There
is no question that without his help and guidance my first book would
never have been published. He helped me edit the work, develop a more
fluid style, and then dealt with the publisher on a number of thorny issues that were
beyond my personal expertise to resolve a favor I will never forget. Marks class is
invaluable for anyone intent on getting published.
Jim Stempel, Author of 5 books, including When Beliefs Fail: The Psychology
of Hope, and The Nature of War: Origins and Evolution of Violent Conflict
_______________________________________________________________________
About Mark Waldman:
Editor, Agent, Publisher, Authorand Book Doctor
I officially began my writing career age eleven, when I realized that
I could write a four-line poem to get myself out of trouble from talking
too much during class. Miss Murphy, my fifth-grade teacher, named
me Poet Laureate, and the positive attention gave me the incentive
to continue to write the rest of my life. After all, theres nothing like
putting your emotional pain onto paper to get it out of your head.
I became a publisher in high school creating award-winning newsletters for my
youth group, served as an editor for the high school yearbook, and continued to
write for, edit, and publish in-house literary and professional journals for the
various organizations I was involved with.
In 1992, I decided to try my hand at writing an article for the Journal of
Transpersonal Psychology. They accepted it, but did something unusual: they
threw away the stodgy academic part of my paper and kept the first half, which
was a memoir of how the death of my father triggered a series of
transformational experiences. The lesson learned: even in academia, a powerful
personal story can get you published far and wide. To date, Ive published nearly
a hundred articles in magazines and peer-reviewed journals throughout the world.
Then my first marriage fell apart. The therapist I was working with and theres
no way to put this politely was an idiot, so I set out on my own to find out what
went wrong. I read everything I could find on relationships, spirituality, and
personal development.
I found my answer and I turned it into my first book, but my insatiable OCD
quest for the truth turned into a ten-year habit of buying, reading, and reviewing
300 books a year. I turned this compulsion into a business and founded the
Transpersonal Review, the first academic journal to feature the latest
developments in psycho-spirituality, counseling and mind-body medicine. In a
matter of months, I was catapulted into arenas of dialogue with the world-leading
authorities on psychology, religion, and mental health.
My editing and writing skills also captured the
attention of Jeremy Tarcher, whose world-renowned
publishing firm focused on books relating to
personal development and consciousness. He
asked me to serve as a developmental editor for him,
and he assigned to me some of the most famous
and difficult authors who were writing books for
him. My job: to gently coerce these writers into
throwing away the chapters they were the most
enamored with, but which weakened the strength of their book. I quickly became
the highest paid editor affiliated with a New York publishing house, and I began
writing my own book proposals, most of which were purchased by
Tarcher/Putnam.
Jeremy and I also worked together creating a series of other books, which gave
me the opportunity to work with such luminaries as Andrew Weil and the
American Poet Laureate Robert Bly (he was so cranky and famous, he refused to
let me edit a single word my only failure in twenty years!). I learned the ins-
and-outs of the book packaging business, but more important, to think like a
publisher who knows how to spot new talent and to guide those writers to fame
and success.
The senior editor of an imprint for McGraw-Hill also hired me to develop a series
of books for his publishing company. I designed the concept for each book,
found the right author to construct it, and paid them a decent advance for a few
months of work.
National writers conferences began to invite me to give keynote talks, and I
decided to team up with the Jeff Herman Literary Agency to serve as an
acquisitions agent. My job: to go through his slush pile of solicited and unsolicited
manuscripts and select the ones with merit. It was one of the most incredible
experiences in my career because I learned how to evaluate a book proposal in
less than three minutes. Most were rejected, and I would then work with the
authors of the remaining 10% to bring their proposals up to par. Those who
followed my advice were signed up with the literary agency.
Life was good. I had lots of clients, I taught writing classes at prestigious retreats,
and I was cranking out book proposals at an astonishing rate and selling them for
5 figure advances.
Because I had such a passion for writing, I decided to put together a
writers anthology featuring 36 original essays composed by authors
from virtually every genre of the trade: romance, science fiction,
creative non-fiction, memoir, biography, poetry, satire, etc. The book
was a big hit, and it remains one of my favorites, filled with wisdom
and inspiration for anyone who dares to venture into the commercial
publishing world. Its out of print most books only have a shelf life
of about five years but Im going to send a chapter a week to each
participant in my workshop. It will motivate you to write at your
creative best, and it better prepare you for my class.
I was working on my ninth book when I met Andy Newberg, the
famous neuroscientist who had his work featured on the cover of
Newsweek. He needed a collaborator our standing joke was
that he couldnt write and I couldnt think; therefore we made the
perfect team! and because of my connections with major
publishers, my writing skills, and my ability to construct highly
saleable book proposals, he chose me. The proposal earned us a
quarter of a million dollar advance, and the scientific discoveries
we made while writing the book were groundbreaking. For my
efforts, the Dean of the University of Pennsylvania awarded me an Associate
Fellowship at one the most prestigious centers on campus. The book, Born to
Believe, ended up being a feature story in Time magazine.
My next book with Andy brought in a $300,000 advance, and the title was the
one of the key selling points. You see, How God Changes Your Brain was the
perfect title, because the two hottest topics in America, then and now, is
neuroscience and spirituality. The book was immediately featured in Oprah, Time,
the Washington Post, and USA Today, and it also brought me onto the faculty of
Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. It put me on national television
and radio, generated dozens of speaking engagements from coast to coast,
landed me a monthly column for a national magazine, and it put me on the TEDx
stage, one of the greatest honors in my life (I now volunteer for the organization
teaching kids how to pitch transformational ideas to audiences in 90 seconds or
less).
My newest book, Words Can Change Your Brain, also got a six-figure advance
for the proposal I wrote.
This book features some of my latest research on communication and creativity,
two essential elements that a person needs to write well. Ill be guiding you
through several of these strategies in class because it neurologically eliminates
doubt, uncertainty, and the other emotional demons that bring about writers
block.
In summary, when you take this class, I want you to be assured that youll be
getting the best expert advice in the world. But even if you wrote a perfect book
proposal and you will learn how to do that in my Book Camp if you were on
your own, youd find that most of the good agents have a full clientele. They just
dont have time to read an unsolicited proposal. But they will look at your work if
you are personally introduced by someone who works within the industry.
Thats why Ive made arrangements with two of the worlds leading literary agents
Jim Levine and Jeff Herman to personally review your proposal when its
ready. Theyll tell you exactly what you will need to do to ensure the largest
advance possible, and if you follow their instructions and my advice, using the
template I will give you at class, youre on your way to success.
How long does it take to write the perfect book proposal? With most of the
people I coach from beginning writers to well-established authors like Marcia
Wieder, Brian Tracy, and John Assaraf you can go from vague concept to
rough-draft proposal in just a couple of weeks. The final proposal will take
several more drafts, and therefore several more weeks, but when its done, Jim
and Jeff will send it out to the editors they personally know. And if you get stuck,
Ill be there to help you over the hurdles that stand between you and book
publishing success.
So I look forward to seeing you at the Book Camp, where youll be empowered to
see your vision come true. I want you to register now because your class starts
right away! Ill start sending you the first chapters
of my workbook that is filled with preliminary
advice and exercises that will allow you to get the
most from the intensive weekend program. Youll
also receive other materials so that you and I can
immediately begin working together personally,
right up until the event itself. So register now so
you can begin to create the perfect book proposal
that will open the doors to the New York publishing
world, where the advances are huge and the free
publicity is profound.
PS: I almost forgot! One of the main reasons Jeremy Tarcher hired me to coach
his most famous authors was my experience as a therapist (see my boring
academic CV below). Writing a book for a NY publishing house is an intensely
personal and gut-wrenching experience because it requires you to pour out your
soul and expose your vulnerabilities in just the right proportion to capture and
hold the readers attention. Nearly every writer puts too much or too little in, and
this where an editor the book doctor must use profound diplomacy to help
an author craft the perfect book. My pledge to you: I will use my 30 years of
counseling and coaching experience to help you through every emotional hurdle
that every writer struggles with when they put their lives on the lines of every
page of their book.
PPS: If you want to see my boring but academic CV, here it
is!
PPPS: When you come to class, Ill tell you how to construct
your author bio for your book proposal. Its a unique style of
writing that must be adhered to if you want a NY publisher to
take heed.
PPPS: Ive read through this document four times, and each
time I find a fatal typo! So writers tip 29: for important documents, like your book proposal,
have two other people proof read. Our brains our often blind to our faults, and especially our
typos! Email me the errors you find, and Ill send you a chapter from my next book, Words Can
Change Your Brain.
EDITORIAL POSITIONS
Columnist: Science and Spirituality, for Science of Mind magazine. January 2010 to present
Acquisitions Editor: Jeff Herman Literary Agency, New York; 2005-2006
Developmental Editor: Tarcher/Putnam, 1995-2005.
Developmental Editor: Lowell House/Roxbury Park, 1998-2000; founding editor of New Visions series.
Founding Editor: Transpersonal Review, 1994-96 (Literary review journal in psychology, religion, & medicine).
Senior Research Editor: Alternative Medicine, 1993-94 (encyclopedic reference book, Burton Goldberg Group).
Founding Editor: Special Reports: Transpersonal Perspectives in Psychology, 1989-93.
PUBLISHED BOOKS
Words Can Change Your Brain: 12 Conversation Strategies for Building Trust, Resolving Confflicts, and
Increasing Intimacy
With Andrew Newberg (forthcoming from Hudson House/Penguin, 2012)
How God Changes Your Brain: Breakthrough Findings by a Leading Neuroscientist
With Andrew Newberg (Ballantine, March 2009)
Born To Believe: God, Science, and the Origin of Ordinary and Extraordinary Beliefs
With Andrew Newberg (Free Press, September 2007)
Why We Believe What We Believe: Uncovering Our Biological Quest for Meaning, Spirituality, and Truth
Co-authored with Andrew Newberg, MD (Free Press, September 2006)
The Art of Staying Together: Embracing Love, Intimacy and Spirit in Relationships
(Tarcher/Putnam, 1998)
Dreamscaping: Creative Ways to Work with Your Dreams, with Dr. Stanley Krippner
(McGraw-Hill/Lowell House, 1999)
Love Games: Deepening Communication and Resolving Marital Conflicts
The Spirit of Writing: Classic and Contemporary Essays Celebrating the Writing Life
Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious: Reflecting American Culture Through Literature and Art; four
volumes:
Lover, Seeker, Shadow and Healer (Tarcher/Putnam, April 2003)
PUBLISHED ARTICLES
(partial list of over 100 essays and articles)
Meditation effects on cognitive function and cerebral blood flow in subjects with memory loss: a preliminary
study
Newberg AB, Wintering N, Khalsa DS, Roggenkamp H, Waldman MR. Journal of Alzheimers Disease, 2010.
Cerebral blood flow differences between long-term meditators and non-meditators
Newberg AB, Wintering N, Waldman MR, Amen D, Khalsa DS, Alavi A. Conscious Cognition, June 4, 2010.
Development of a Mindfulness-Based Dialogue Practice: Preliminary Data on the Effects of Compassionate
Communication on Intimacy in a Workshop Setting (M Waldman, A Newberg, Stephanie Newberg). In review. 2011
Religious Experience: Psychology and Neurology
(Roggenkamp H, Waldman MR, and Newberg AB) In: William P. Banks, (Ed), Encyclopedia of Consciousness, Volume
2.Oxford: Elsevier, 2009
Cerebral Blood Flow Effects in Long Term Meditators (with Newberg, et al).
Journal of Nuclear Medicine 48: 111P, 2007.
Measurement of Regional Cerebral Blood Flow during Glossolalia: A Preliminary SPECT Study
(with Newberg, et.al). Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 2006
Science, Psychology, & Medicine: Integrating East and West
(with Dr. J.Nelson). Alternative Journal of Nursing, August 2004
Looking at Indians Through White-Tainted Eyes
Preface to Hozho: Walking in Beauty, by Paula Gunn-Allen, 2001
Chicken Soup: The Making of a Jewish Joke
in Dancing on the Edge of the World, by Miriyam Glazer, 1999
A World of Dreamers: Reviews and Commentaries
Association for Transpersonal Psychology Newsletter, Summer 1997
Understanding Transpersonal Psychology
Transpersonale Psychologie und Psychotherapie, Spring 1996 (Germany)
Spirituality and Business: Preliminary Comments and Reviews
(with R. Jue), Association for Transpersonal Psychology Newsletter, Summer 1993
The Case of Julia: Kundalini or Psychosis?
Journal of Transpersonal Psychology 24(2), 1992
Integrating Buddhism with Psychotherapy
Mindstream, 2(1), 1992
War Diary: Meditations on Violence and the Enemy Within
Anima (a feminist literary journal), 18(1), 1991
Reflections on Death
Journal of Transpersonal Psychology 22(2), 1990. Conference and Speaker Presentations (partial list of 60 lectures,
seminars, and workshops)
Living the Dream
Keynote Speach for Martin Luther King, Jr. Interfaith Conference,Irvine,CA, January 2011.
Consciousness, Spirituality, and the Brain
Keynote Speaker: Mind Science Foundation Distinguished Speakers Series,San Antonio,TX, April 2010.
Spirituality and the Brain
Church lecture/workshop series (Methodist, Episcopalian, Lutheran, Unitarian, Unity, Center for Spiritual Living, etc.)
2007-2011.
Neuropsychology, Meditation, Communication, and Emotions
Nonprofit/public-service lecture series (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, psychotherapy associations, hospital
administrations, university faculty and students) 2007-2011.
Compassionate Communication, Mindfulness, and the Precuneus
UCLA Speaker Series, sponsored by Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC), Cousins Center for
Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), Center for Neurobiology of Stress (CNS), and the Collaborative Centers for Integrative
Medicine (CCIM). September 2008.
Meditation, Communication, and the Neuroscience of Compassion
UCLA Harbor Hospital Grand Rounds Lecture, March 2008.
Spirituality and the Brain
Moorpark College Faculty Lecture Series, Year of Science and Religion, March 2007.
Intentional Communication and the Brain
Intentional Living Conference,Los Angeles, April 2005.
The Neural and Spiritual Transformation of Personality
Keynote Lecture, Imagery International Association Conference, 2002.
Advice to Writers, Young and Old
Esalen Institute, Summer 2001 (Resident Teacher to Esalen Staff, Sept. 2001).
The World of Publishing
Speaker and Program leader for Willamette Writers Conference 2000, 2001.
Spiritual Issues in Psychotherapy A Jungian Perspective
Los AngelesCounty Psychological Assn. 1995 Conference.
Prozac: Changing Society, Changing Consciousness
Los Angeles County Psychological Assn. 1994 Conference.
An Introduction to Transpersonal Psychology
Pepperdine University, School of Psychology (lectures, 1992-1995).
Transpersonal Perspectives in Psychotherapy
Los Angeles County Psychological Assn. 1993, 1992, and 1991 Conferences.
CONFERENCE AND SPEAKER PRESENTATIONS
(partial list of 90 lectures, seminars, and workshops)
Compassionate Communications Weekend Training Esalen Institute, 2010-2012
Music, Spiritual, and the Brain: A 5 Day Retreat (with Yuval Ron): Esalen Institute, 2010-2012
Living the Dream: Keynote Speach for Martin Luther King, Jr. Interfaith Conference, Irvine, CA, January 2011.
Consciousness, Spirituality, and the Brain: Keynote Speaker: Mind Science Foundation Distinguished
Speakers Series, San Antonio, TX, April 2010.
Spirituality and the Brain: Church lecture/workshop series (Methodist, Episcopalian, Lutheren, Unitarian, Unity,
Center for Spiritual Living, etc.) 2007-2011.
Neuropsychology, Meditation, Communication, and Emotions: Nonprofit/public-service lecture series (National
Alliance for the Mentally Ill, psychotherapy associations, hospital administrations, university faculty and
students) 2007-2011.
Compassionate Communication, Mindfulness, and the Precuneus, UCLA Speaker Series, sponsored by Mindful
Awareness Research Center (MARC), Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), Center for
Neurobiology of Stress (CNS), and the Collaborative Centers for Integrative Medicine (CCIM). September 2008.
Meditation, Communication, and the Neuroscience of Compassion, UCLA Harbor Hospital Grand Rounds
Lecture, March 2008.
Spirituality and the Brain, Moorpark College Faculty Lecture Series, Year of Science and Religion, March 2007.
Intentional Communication and the Brain, Intentional Living Conference, Los Angeles, April 2005.
The Neural and Spiritual Transformation of Personality, Keynote Lecture, Imagery International Association
Conference, 2002.
Advice to Writers, Young and Old, Esalen Institute, Summer 2001 (Resident Teacher to Esalen Staff, Sept. 2001).
The World of Publishing, Speaker and Program leader for Willamette Writers Conference 2000, 2001.
Spiritual Issues in Psychotherapy A Jungian Perspective, Los Angeles County Psychological Assn. 1995
Conference.
Prozac: Changing Society, Changing Consciousness, Los Angeles County Psychological Assn. 1994
Conference.
An Introduction to Transpersonal Psychology, Pepperdine University, School of Psychology (lectures, 1992-
1995).
Transpersonal Perspectives in Psychotherapy, Los Angeles County Psychological Assn. 1993, 1992, and 1991
Conferences.
EDUCATION, SUPERVISION AND ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS
Adjunct Faculty: Executive MBA Program,LoyolaMarymountUniversity, Los Angeles, 2009-present
Faculty: Holmes Institute, MBA Program for ministers, 2011- present
Associate Fellow: Center for Spirituality and the Mind, University of Pennsylvania, 2006-2011
Advisory Board: United Voices of Youth, 2009-present
Advisory Panel: Alternative Journal of Nursing, 2003-2010
Chair: Los Angeles Transpersonal Interest Group, 1990-98
Regional Coordinator: Spiritual Emergence Network, 1995-99
Director: Heartline Psychological Information and Referral Service, 1986-94
Member: Association for Transpersonal Psychology 1989-2000
Member: American Counseling Association 1992-2000
Faculty and Board Member: Stillpoint Foundation for Transpersonal Studies, 1992-93
Psychoanalytic Supervisory Study Group: Bruno Bettelheim, 1988-90
Group Supervision: Southern California Psychoanalytic Institute: 1989-90
Society for Evolving the Self-Matrix (training 1980-1987; ministerial credential 1987; board of directors 1985-1989)
Director: Centering Association (a nonprofit association of complementary therapists, 1977-1982) University of California,
Santa Cruz, B.A., 1973

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