Authorship through a traditional publishing deal is every aspiring author’s dream. It’s the satisfaction of knowing that a publisher believed in your book enough to invest in. It’s also an initial marketing push and the coveted credibility of the backing from a known publisher.
The best part: It can also mean an advance ranging up to $499,000 if you’re not a celebrity.
While it’s possible to get a great advance, it takes time, focus, and strategy to create a book worthy of such a deal. It starts with writing a great book and following some basic steps.
Here are seven steps to give yourself the best possible chance to get a publisher’s attention and be on your way to authorship.
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Have a great idea
A great book starts with a great idea. It doesn’t matter how well you write—if your idea sucks, has been widely covered and you don’t bring anything new to the table, or is completely unrelatable to your audience, your book will fall flat. It’s that simple.
Start with a great idea and build on it. Do you have a new, undiscovered angle to an evergreen issue? Or updated, 21stcentury to an age-old problem? Whatever it is, make your idea relevant, interesting, and highly targeted. This video shares some tips on how to sharpen your book idea.
Don’t rush this process, or you’ll end up with an unfocused, subpar product that ends up in the rejection pile. Once you’ve settled on your idea, pick up some writing and editing books if you need grammar and composition refreshers.
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Edit well
Editing is what stands between you holding your manuscript and you holding an actual book. Everyone needs an editor, even of your first language is English and you speak it well. Only a professional editor can tighten your prose and ensure it flows all the way to the end—even if you’re a good writer.
Skip this step and you’ll waste valuable time targeting publishers who might not even take the time to respond to your query.
If you’re up for the challenge, there are plenty of books that teach how to learn and sharpen editing skills. But you should still carve out a budget to hire editors who will help you structure, develop, and line edit your manuscript. You can find talented editors who specialize in different genres at local or national editors associations such as this one or this one, or platforms such as Reedsy where you can also find freelance writers and designers.
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Grab them by the eyeballs
What’s the best way to lure in you reader at first sentence? Start with a story. Even in nonfiction, a personal account—starting at the midpoint or near the end of the story and working your way back—will get and hold the reader’s attention faster than if you begin with statistics, narrative, or even a question.
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Get your title right
Your best title might come to you through brainstorming, at the beginning, or end of the writing process. There’s no right or wrong way to conjure up a book title that sells, but however you come about it, make sure it tantalizes, offers at least one clear benefit your reader can’t live without, and communicates precisely what the book is about. No more, no less.
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Find the right publisher
With your complete manuscript ready to go, you’ll need a publisher. Most publishers require a literary contact them first, but not all do. The agent is the gatekeeper who helps filter manuscripts and the person who negotiates deals on the author’s behalf, but many publishers today accept un-agented manuscripts.
So, how do you find a publisher? The fastest way is to buy a publisher directory that lists thousands of publishers in all genres, their contact information, and whether or not they accept un-agented manuscripts. Some publishers require a query letter and then a proposal while others request the letter and first two chapters right away. Follow the submission instructions to the letter so that your work doesn’t end up in the slush pile.
Publishers Weekly is a great resource for writers and editors. The online publication and shares some of the industry’s best nuggets: book reviews, latest titles, and newly installed literary agent announcements.
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Make your queries count
This is where many writers mess up, so here’s how to avoid wasting your time and the publisher’s:
- Edit your manuscript first. The less mistakes, the higher your chances of being taken seriously.
- Study the publishers who accept manuscripts in your genre. An excel spreadsheet is great for tracking submissions and submission specifics.
- Follow submission guidelines—no exceptions.
- Make sure your cover letter contains all the information that the publisher has requested. Keep it professional.
- Don’t resubmit your manuscript to a publisher who has said No. Agents do not handle work that has been “shopped around.”
- When a publisher does say No, keep things moving and don’t give up. Move on to the next prospect.
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Be easy
Once you find a publisher and start working together, they will inevitably ask you to make some changes to your work. Manuscripts don’t only go through the hands of the publisher–they also go through rounds of scrutiny from acquisitions and marketing.
There will most likely be changes to structure, which affects the flow of the material or its language. It’s OK to feel some pain if you feel strongly attached to whatever they ask you to change. But fighting back without listening to them constitutes negative pride of authorship, which can kill your book.
Whatever they request, make sure you listen first, speak second. Work with publishing professionals—not against them.