As a first-time nonfiction author, your chances of landing a contract with one of the Big 5 publishing houses, which include Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster are, in a word, slim.
However, as with everything, there are exceptions. It is certainly not impossible
However, as with everything, there are exceptions. It is certainly not impossible.
Despite the many publishing options available today, including hybrid publishers and independent presses as alternatives, some first-time authors have their hearts set on a deal with a known publisher.
The biggest advantages of a traditional publishing deal are:
- The perceived prestige or credibility associated with a well-known publisher
- The fact that the publisher covers all production and printing costs
- The possibility of an advance against royalties, which is like a signing bonus
- Major publishers have sales teams that can help get your book into bookstore distribution
- It may be easier to be considered for NYT or WSJ bestseller status, which rely heavily on in-store sales numbers
However, there are some disadvantages you should also weigh, including:
- Longer lead times to publication – generally 18-24 months
- Less control over elements such as cover design and cover price
- Average royalty payment of around $1/book, after the advance is earned back
The path to a traditional publishing contract
Securing an offer from a traditional publishing house to produce your book has always been challenging. If you do get a contract, it is only after you prepare a comprehensive and compelling book proposal that is represented by a skilled literary agent who has agreed to act as your sales agent in exchange for a 15 percent commission.
You can work on a book proposal yourself or opt to hire a ghostwriter for help with that. The cost for a proposal today ranges anywhere from $10,000-20,000, on average.
Preparing a book proposal
If you choose to draft your own book proposal, you’ll probably want to use Michael Larsen’s seminal work on the topic, titled How to Write a Book Proposal: The Insider’s Step-by-Step Guide to Proposals that Get You Published. Although some publishers may prefer sections in different orders, this is an excellent starting point.
As part of that nonfiction book proposal, you’ll need to prepare:
- An overview of your book concept, why it’s relevant right now, and why you’re the person to write it
- An author bio making clear why you are the best person to write this book
- A list of competing or comparable titles, which should include descriptions of 3-5 bestselling books and how they’re similar but different from your concept
- A marketing plan, which makes a case for strong demand for this title through quantitative proof that you have a following, an email list, a fan base, and that you are connected to tens of thousands of people who are likely to want to buy your book
- A detailed table of contents, with descriptions of each chapter
- At least one sample chapter, to give the editor a glimpse of your writing style, tone, and approach
The time required to put together a complete proposal can take weeks or months, so you’ll want to factor that into your planning and publishing timeline.
On the other hand, if you’re working on a work of fiction, the process is different because agents want to see the whole, finished manuscript, rather than a meaty book proposal.
Interesting a literary agent
Once the book proposal is complete, you’ll want to start sharing it with literary agents who you think may be interested in representing you. Agents are effectively book sales representatives, so you want an agent who sells your genre of book, whether it’s nonfiction, memoir, fiction, YA, romance, technical, or something else.
To determine who might be a fit, you’ll need to do some research.
One of the best places to start is PublishersMarketplace. There you can research who is representing what kind of book, who they’ve sold to in the past, and what they’re currently looking for.
Another place to connect with agents is X/Twitter. Many agents and editors post about what they want to see, so monitoring their posts on that platform may clue you into who is looking for your topic.
If you’re lucky enough to have options, meaning more than one agent interested in representing your book, you’ll want to consider:
- The agent’s track record
- The typical publishers they sell to
- How involved your agent wants or plans to be with shaping your proposal
- How excited they seem about your concept
When you decide who you’d prefer to work with, you can let them know as well as those you didn’t choose. Keep the door open for a future collaboration though.
Prerequisites
When your agent begins “shopping” your proposal around to various publishers to see who might be interested, you should know how acquisitions editors are evaluating it. What are they looking for?
Because publishers today are risk-averse, they need to be relatively sure that if they publish your book, they will not lose money.
To provide that level of assurance, you’ll want to demonstrate at least one of the following, according to an acquisitions editor at one major publisher:
- Have a track record of selling at least 25,000 copies of your last book
- Have a social media following of at least 100,000
- Have contracts for paid speaking gigs that will put you in front of 25,000-50,000 people in a year
Other factors, such as if you have a huge email list or connection to influencers or celebrities who are willing to help promote your book, should definitely be mentioned.
Likewise, your willingness to commit to buying 1,000+ copies of your books to bundle with speaking gigs or sell on your own website is another positive consideration.
Keep in mind that the break-even point for most publishers is around the 10,000-copy mark.
Since many first-time authors have not yet built up a massive following, it can be challenging to interest a traditional publisher.
However, traditional publishers aren’t always the best fit anyway. If your topic is timely or you have an event coming up for which you need books, you may not be able to wait 18-24 months no matter how much you like the other elements of working with a big-name house. That doesn’t mean your book is any less credible or important, only that the timeline didn’t work for you.
Not sure which publishing path makes the most sense for you? Feel free to email me to hear my recommendations specific to your situation: marcia@marcialaytonturner.com.
FAQ
Can you get a traditional deal without an agent?
The more prestigious your target publisher, the more likely you will need an agent to get your foot in the door. To receive serious consideration from traditional publishers, yes, you need an agent.
Hybrid and independent publishers, however, are happy to work directly with the author. You don’t need an agent to be considered by these alternative publishers.
The difference with hybrid and independent publishers is that they will ask the author to pay for the production and printing of the book, which starts at a cost of $10,000. On the other hand, no proposal is required, which saves you at least $10,000 on the front end.
Are hybrid publishers “vanity presses?”
Some are but most are not. Vanity presses are publishers that will produce any book, almost no questions asked. They typically won’t do any quality checks, such as through an editor or proofreader, and are happy to take care of the printing for you for a fee.