ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

It took a village to raise this book, so I have many people to thank:

My Author Training 101 beta students, who not only read and used but also offered feedback on the first and, in some cases, the second draft of this book and also provided “aha moments”: Rhonda Rae Baker, Dindy Yokel, Michelle Thompson, Penney Fox, Krystyna Bellamy, Amanda Socci, and Robert Medak.

Later readers: Victoria Hudson, who was one of the first writers to use the How to Evaluate Your Book for Success workbook, which has been integrated into this book. And my agent, Verna Dreisbach, for also having the idea to include business plan/book proposal reviews and for helping me find acquisitions editors to complete them.

Phil Sexton, my publisher, for helping me locate additional editors to do reviews and for being an approachable publishing pro who listens to his authors’ concerns.

Those clients and students who contributed their work for review: Krystyna M. Bellamy, Rhonda Rae Baker, Amanda M. Socci, LaDonna Robinson, Dawn Raquel Jensen, Penney Fox, Deborah Cipolla, Meg Hill Fitz-Randolph, Haseena Patel, Shameema Patel, Charlene DeCesare, and Reba Cross Seals.

The acquisitions editors and agents who offered feedback on the business plans and proposals submitted by my students: Valerie Gray, Brooke Warner, Brendan O’Neill, Michelle Howry, Andy Ross, Verna Dreisbach, Katharine Sands, Sheree Bykofsky, Georgia Hughes, Janet Rosen, Rita Rosenkranz, Gordon Warnock, and Lori Perkins.

Eva Pohler, Francis Guenette, Kathleen Pooler, Fredric Meek, and Linda Joy Myers for their suggestions on how to map out a memoir. C.S. Lakin for letting me peek at her novel proposals. Kristen Eckstein for providing information on determining page counts.

James Scott Bell for his early feedback on my concept and fabulous foreword.

James Duncan, my editor, who pulled together two manuscripts and juggled a variety of additional pieces into a cohesive book—from one developmental editor to another, kudos! Also to Kim Catanzarite, Rachel Randall, Rachael Ward, and the entire Writer’s Digest staff!

My husband, Ron, who continues to support my goal of becoming a successful author.