Author Alex Wong On How to Get a Publisher to Publish Your Book
An Interview With Teri Gault
Think of an idea: This is basically what you want to write about and if you are willing to commit to it. Self-publishing a book is a lot of work, so you have to make sure you want to go through the process. Consider why you’re doing it, your goals, if there is a demand for the topic, etc.
Navigating the publishing industry can be a daunting task for many aspiring authors. From crafting a compelling manuscript to understanding the intricacies of book marketing, the journey to getting published is filled with important decisions and steps. As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Alex Wong.
“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.” — Bruce Lee
Alex Wong is the owner of Alex Wong Copywriting and the bestselling author of numerous books. He has published numerous bestsellers in various niches including Airbnb marketing, dental marketing, online dating, and decluttering and organizing, to name a few. Alex has trained with some of the top copywriters and internet marketers, mastering the best methods, tricks, and strategies to persuade customers. He loves bringing people’s visions to life with the power of words.
A few interesting facts about Alex:
· He is the first person in his family to graduate from university, earning a degree in psychology.
· Before becoming a copywriter, Alex worked as a waiter, customer service agent, telemarketer, animator, tutor, and English teacher. Surprisingly, all of these jobs have contributed to his success as a copywriter.
· If he could meet anyone, it would be Bruce Lee. Alex considers him an unparalleled role model.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you tell us a bit about you and your backstory?
After graduation, I went to South Korea to teach English for three years. That was my first real full-time job, and I really enjoyed it. When I came back to Canada, I had no idea what to do. I slept on my sister’s sofa for over a year. I reconnected with a college friend who was running a marketing agency for dentists. He suggested I write some blog posts for him. I was open to trying anything, so I gave it a try. It turns out there was a lot of demand for copywriting, and I went from interning for a few weeks to being hired directly at his company. I worked there for a few years remotely while building up my copywriting business.
To improve my skills, I took a copywriting coaching course and had a mentor guiding me. Eventually, I met many people with online businesses while working remotely in Bangkok. A friend who was successful at affiliate marketing gave me great advice on building a website, creating content, and marketing. We became good friends, and he even hired me for some projects.
This eventually led me to self-publishing books, which I really enjoyed. It allowed me to earn revenue from sales beyond just client work. When I first started, I didn’t know what I was doing and made a lot of mistakes. I took it step by step, did some courses, and met other authors and publishers. Over time, I’ve turned this into a full-time business, publishing a number of bestsellers. I’ve also coached many authors to improve their success on Amazon.
What was your inspiration to become an author?
It came upon self-publishing accidentally. I started out copywriting and thought that writing a book would be a good way to market my services, get my name out there, and help readers as well. Over time, I ended up liking self-publishing and the fact that I could write about anything, and there were so many possibilities.
Can you share the story of your publishing journey from the genesis of an idea to the fruition of becoming a published author?
Every journey is different. When I first started, I would publish topics that were related to my specific services. For example, one of my services originally was dental copywriting for dentists since that was my experience. So, I published a few books for dentists, such as on copywriting, blogging, and marketing. However, as I self-published more books, I became a bit more strategic since I found out that not all topics sell well.
Whether you are writing fiction or non-fiction, it is important to find a genre that you are interested in but also has some market interest. From there, you start outlining your idea, doing research, writing the chapters, editing, etc., until you are finished with the book. However, everyone is different in how they tackle a project.
Let’s break it down into steps. Based on your experience, what are 5 main steps that you would recommend for someone to get their first book published with a publisher?
1 . Think of an idea: This is basically what you want to write about and if you are willing to commit to it. Self-publishing a book is a lot of work, so you have to make sure you want to go through the process. Consider why you’re doing it, your goals, if there is a demand for the topic, etc.
2 . Research: Research the topic. If it’s fiction, think of the story, characters, settings, plot, how everything is connected, etc. If it’s non-fiction, research a genre you are interested in, read articles, journals, books, and aim to understand the topic as best you can.
3 . Create the book: This includes outlining, writing, proofreading, editing, formatting, cover design, and book description. You can do this yourself or have others help you with it.
4. Launch it: Get people to join your launch team to read and review it, find reviews, figure out where you will be promoting it, how to price it, check formatting, check the description, and make sure everything is ready to go.
5. Long-term success: This includes getting reviews, promoting it on sites, getting your name out there, running ads, etc. Once it is published, you have to keep up the momentum, continue to get reviews, optimize your ads, find ways to stand out, build up your brand, email lists, and think of the next books, etc.
What are your thoughts about the pros and cons of signing with a Literary Agent?
I personally don’t have any experience with literary agents as I’ve handled everything independently. Based on my research, it seems they could be beneficial for those looking to expand into the publishing industry or for small-time authors wanting to build industry connections. However, they charge a commission, and you may compromise on decisions that don’t align with your preferences. Personally, I prefer maintaining full control unless they offer access to networks and resources I currently lack.
What are your thoughts on the pros and cons of self-publishing versus traditional publishing?
From my experience, thanks to Amazon and the internet, authors and self-publishers can now publish their books without a traditional publisher. All you need is a laptop, an internet connection, and an idea for a book. Traditional publishers have many requirements and take a larger cut of your royalties. In comparison, KDP, Amazon’s publishing platform, allows you to keep 70% of Kindle ebooks and 60% of print books. You also have much more control over how you brand and market yourself. Getting traditional publishers to give you a chance is challenging if you don’t already have a large following.
Online publishing also allows authors to produce their audiobooks easily and work with narrators worldwide without a publisher’s limitations. I’ve worked with dozens of narrators and have had many positive experiences.
The hardest aspect of online publishing is finding a niche that interests you and has demand. You can be the best writer with the best story, but no one will care if they can’t find it or if there is no interest. Therefore, you must get the other steps right: choosing an eye-catching title, a unique cover, an effective book description, and relevant keywords. This includes marketing, such as generating reviews and getting exposure for your book by finding sites and people to promote it. From my experience and work with authors, marketing their books and standing out on Amazon is the most significant challenge.
Can you share your most thrilling moment as an author? Was it when you signed up with your publisher or received a box of your books? Something else? Please share the story with us!
I’d say that it was the first time I made over $100 in a month. I know it doesn’t seem like much but when you are starting from nothing, it’s a lot of money. When I started, I didn’t think people still liked print books since Kindle readers were so popular. Therefore, I only focused on Kindle books. However, after barely making anything and starting to offer print books, I was pleasantly surprised that there were still a lot of people who preferred paperbacks. Personally, I like audiobooks to consume content but I know everyone is different.
Thank you for sharing that fun story! Do you have any new or exciting projects coming up?
I’m always looking for new projects! I’m currently working with a writer on publishing their books. They were always interested in self-publishing but had no idea how to get started.
Can you share some of the most surprising things you’ve learned about the publishing industry?
There is always something new to learn. The industry is constantly changing, so you always have to adapt to new trends and updates. Also, never assume that other people are like you. I’m surprised that most of my books sell better as paperbacks than ebooks, even though I assumed that people preferred ebooks since e-readers have been so popular. Personally, I prefer audiobooks for consumption, but I have friends who prefer paperbacks.
What do you think are the most important qualities of a successful author?
Outsource ASAP: For me, any entrepreneur or small business should start hiring help as soon as possible. When I first started my website, I tried doing everything on my own. This included creating the content, contact pages, emails, and ensuring everything was running smoothly. Although I learned a lot, I would have saved so much time if I had hired others to help me. There are a lot of people who are smarter and more talented than me at their jobs and do them full-time.
I remember when starting out, I was working late into the night almost daily. As a result, my health took a toll — I experienced weight loss, digestion issues, stress, sleep disturbances, and even developed gray hair. I realize now that it wasn’t worth it. I should have taken a step back and looked for areas to outsource and get help so that I could have more balance in my life. No business is worth sacrificing your health and sanity.
Have multiple income streams: During the pandemic, like many businesses, my revenue declined significantly, likely by half. It was a challenging time, and I realized the importance of having multiple income streams to mitigate risks. I’ve known many people who lost their jobs during this time.
Despite the downturn, I was able to maintain financial stability because I had diversified my income sources. In addition to revenue from clients, I also generated income from ads, book sales, and other streams. This diversified approach ensured that even if one area experienced a decline, I could still manage and find other ways to earn revenue.
Use your advantages to your advantage: As a second-generation child born in Canada, I am acutely aware of the privileges and advantages I’ve been afforded. My upbringing in a developed country, fluency in English, and access to education and healthcare are blessings I do not take for granted.
Recognizing these advantages, I strive to leverage them responsibly in my career endeavors. Whether it’s teaching English in Korea, writing for clients, or self-publishing, I aim to use my skills and resources to create opportunities for myself and others. Additionally, I am mindful of the ethical considerations involved and seek to ensure that my actions contribute positively to the broader community.
How do you handle feedback and criticism about your writing?
As an author, it’s part of the process and you have to take all types of feedback — both positive and negative. It’s the only way to improve as an author and to improve your work. I always ask others for their thoughts and feedback for my covers and manuscript to ensure that I may be missing something I’m not aware of. The saying is that you’re not a true author until you get a 1-star review. Even though they suck, I use that feedback to improve my works for readers.
I’m pretty sure that most of us have experienced writer’s block. Is there any particular book, quote, or concept that has helped you overcome obstacles along the way?
“Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” — Bruce Lee.
I just try to take every day step by step to gradually reach my goals. If I have to make changes along the way, that’s fine, as I will learn from my mistakes and experience. Minimize distractions and focus on what is important. Focus on one thing at a time and aim to do deep work.
I also like this one: “If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.” ― Bruce Lee
How do you stay motivated and disciplined in your writing practice?
I just take it step by step. There are days where I don’t want to work but I still put in the time since I know if I don’t put in the work, no one is going to help me. I work in 50-minute chunks where I work for 50 minutes and take a break for 10 minutes. I repeat this 4 times before I take a longer break.
I also make sure to balance my work with other activities such as working out, rowing, resistance bands, listening to audiobooks and podcasts, and relaxing with movies and shows on Amazon Prime. I like that they offer a lot of old movie classics that I can check out and catch up on. This helps to avoid burnout which has happened before.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about them?
I have met a lot of great people along my journey. One person I met was when I was living in Bangkok, Thailand. I was working remotely for my friend’s company and trying to start my online business as well. I struck up a conversation with him at a café where he was reading a self-help book, and we became good friends. My friend, who’s an experienced affiliate marketer, provided invaluable guidance on starting an online business, including website creation, content development, SEO, and WordPress. His mentorship and friendship have been instrumental in my entrepreneurial journey, underscoring the importance of seizing opportunities and learning from those around you.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I guess it would be a place where everyone can come together and just talk about their struggles, goals, and mental health. I think with entrepreneurs, especially when working online, there is a lot of pressure to constantly hustle and put in the extra time, which is important but can lead to burnout. We tend to forget to focus on our well-being as well. We are also by ourselves a lot of the time in front of our computers, so I think a community where entrepreneurs can come together and talk about their mental health, worries, and other struggles would be a great place for support and feedback.
How can our readers follow your work online?
https://alexwongcopywriting.com/
https://books2read.com/ap/xqNQkY/Alex-Wong
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
About the Interviewer: Teri Gault is a published Author of Shop Smart Save More with Sheryl Berk, published by HarperCollins. As founder of The Grocery Game, Teri has been seen on Good Morning America, Today Show, ABC 20/20 and more. Teri is currently a Publicist and a Purveyor of Hope and Health at www.Unite2020Pandemic.com
