While the book biz has seen industry-wide changes, the fundamentals to approaching, convincing, and nailing down a publisher are the same. This also applies to mistakes writers make in submitting books.
On average, Prism Publishers - our small-but-mighty indie pub house in Toronto - receives up to 50 manuscript submissions per week. Large publishers, like HarperCollins, might get this in an afternoon. With books flying in, left and right, we have some pretty simple (but strict) criteria for skimming submissions off the slush pile.
In this article, I'm going to answer the frequently asked question: "Why do acquiring editors reject so many of the proposals and manuscripts each week, often after only a glance at the first few pages?"
Here's why, and what you can do about it...
#1 Elaborate Your Concept
Even famous writers are expected to present fully elaborated book concepts when they approach their publishers. Before Cormac McCarthy submitted the manuscript for his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, The Road in 2006, he sent Albert Erskine (his editor of 20 years) a statement of "concept." It looked something like this:
"A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is grey. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food—and each other."
The "concept" is the core idea of any book project. Acquiring Editors are disappointed when an author or agent sends us a project with a concept that is weak or inappropriate.
We see too many memoirs, for example, that are motivated by hurt and resentment. Or books that are clearly calculated efforts to climb on the bandwagon of a perceived hot trend, like crossover vampire love stories, or terrorist infiltrations of suburban St. Louis. Or quick and easy programs for financial success, satisfying marriage and perfect kids based on no research or track record. No thanks.
Here’s what we’re actually hoping for:
Re-read McCarthy's statement of concept. It's got all the ingredients of a publishable story: A strong premise that has energy, intensity, utility, focus and vision. We want books that will grab readers and resonate for their own lives. We want authors who have something new to say about an important subject or story, who bring a fresh voice or unusual perspective to a topic of concern to many people. We need authors who are passionate about their ideas and stories, who bring to their work a maturity, expertise, and a visceral compulsion to write that comes from the heart.
An editor can usually tell right away if a concept has a new idea or point of view.
It’s also helpful for you or your agent to know as much as possible about any given editor's special interests or personal biases.
#2 Submit a Complete and Convincing Proposal
Acquiring Editors can tell pretty quickly when a submission is canned or formulaic. Beware of clearing your throat with digressive warm-up sentences or hyperbolic claims of grandiose brilliance. Too many proposals appear to reinvent the wheel without acknowledging the competition. Too many authors are uninformed about the importance of self-marketing. Not enough writers hold themselves to a high-enough standard of good writing.
The bare-boned essentials of any book proposal I’d like to receive should include:
• A two- or three-sentence hook that tells me what the book is about and why you’re the best person to write it.
• For non-fiction, include a chapter outline with a few paragraphs for each, a total of no more than two or three pages. Same thing if it’s fiction: Give me a thorough synopsis of the story.
• Your platform, including your education, career status, track record as a writer, appearances in print or broadcast media, and your plans for a website, blog, and online marketing. I also like to see a video that shows your ability to talk about the book without a script – this could be a professional interview or even just a video you created at home.
• A serious and honest analysis of the competition. Tell us is how your work is different.
• A sparkling example of your writing. Usually the first chapter is enough, but if it’s a first novel, send in the entire manuscript. Conventional rules say to start with a query letter, but with a novel, I recommend that you be more assertive and send the whole thing. It’s the best way for us to see what you can do, beginning to end.
#3 Get Repped!
You’ve probably heard that unrepresented manuscripts don’t get any attention, and it’s true. They end up in the slush pile.
Editors at most publishing houses won’t even open an email or a package from someone they don’t know. They want to see a project a respected agent recommends, rather than spend hours going through unsolicited emails and proposals.
Finding the right agent for your book is crucial.
It’s your job to find an agent who knows which editors might be interested in your work.
It may not be easy to find the right agent, but remember, they’re also looking for you. Go to writers conferences where agents appear, search their websites, find their names in the acknowledgment pages of books you like, find a friend who has a good agent, and of course SCOUR LINKEDIN. There are tons of qualified agents on LinkedIn, and I receive queries from at least three a day.
But beware of any agent who charges you for reading the book. That’s a scam.
#4 Write, Rewrite, Re-Rewrite, and Then Write It Again
Your proposal, sample pages, or complete manuscript must be held to a high literary standard. Some common problems I see are proposals that jump from idea to idea with no apparent logic or linear sequence. Or they repeat the same idea over and over. Or the writer assumes that I’ll be able to understand prose that twists and turns with bewildering shifts in time and place. Or the writer creates two-dimensional characters who all speak in the same voice.
And, surprisingly, I see proposals with too many typos and poor grammar. Sure that stuff can be fixed, but it indicates a lack of care and professionalism.
Compare yourself to the best and see how good you can make your work.
Raise the bar. Be tough on yourself. Seek feedback beyond family and friends. Remember that writing is rewriting. Some fine authors I’ve worked with laboured over every word, and were actually never quite satisfied. They always feel it could be better. And it can.
Here are some suggestions:
• Take a writing class that provides discipline and high standards.
• Hire your own developmental editor for content, style, and organization (not a copy editor for spelling or punctuation) with a track record of published authors.
• Be prepared to take the time needed to produce well-organized, highly polished prose. Yes, I know Dan Brown gets away with clunky writing, but that’s because he’s a master of cliffhanging and page-turners.
#5 Come With a Platform and Plan for Self-Marketing
I’ve seen proposals from writers who say their book will sell itself or that they’re too busy or shy to participate in publicity or marketing.
Ouch.
We depend on authors to cooperate and participate in a big way on selling their books.
This doesn’t mean every writer who submits a proposal needs to come with a celebrity status platform. But your proposal should demonstrate a willingness to understand and be effective at self-marketing. Even writers who are intrinsically shy can enter an online community that relates to their book and present their information, ideas, and stories.
To give your book the best chance of success these days you need to provide your prospective agent or publisher with your own marketing plan for the book.
That means starting a website and blog before you even go for the agent or book contract. Get that URL based on your preliminary title, build your website with expert help, and start blogging, tweeting, commenting on other sites, and building your presence on social networks.
Conventional self-marketing is also still important. Learn to stand on your feet and speak extemporaneously about your book. Seek invitations to appear at professional and community events. Approach local media as an expert in your field, or with a great story to tell about your novel. And get to know the owner of your local independent bookstore. They may be interested if you can pull in 50 people on your personal list for a reading when the time comes.
Hire a publicity agent if you can afford it. Publishers love to see that kind of commitment!
Motivated writers can navigate the changes in publishing
There’s never been a better time for a writer to navigate the big changes in book publishing. Agents and editors are tearing down old conventions and experimenting with new ideas. No one in the book business knows exactly what the digital revolution will bring next.
Dive in and you’ll have a much better chance of success.