How book publishers decide which books to publish

The phrase ‘speculate to accumulate’ could have been written by a publisher since speculation is at the heart of the process. Whether an agent deciding who to sign up, or a production director deciding how many copies to sign off, it is judgement not hard numbers that underlies what happens. Before a manuscript becomes a book it will have been through myriad judgement calls, on the text, the cover, the market and the sales expectations and ultimately the only real judgement that counts, that either confirms or undermines what everyone has thought about a book, is that of the reader, the person who buys it. Ironically, when choosing what to take on, agents or editors are just like the people they want to reach, readers, deciding if they like a story. If they do, and they can persuade others to as well, the manuscript has a chance of becoming a book.

Beyond these walls

 

So, for a writer, getting someone to like your manuscript is the first step and these days, unless you’re an authonomist, that process starts outside a publishing house. Most publishers, at least large ones like HarperCollins, no longer accept unsolicited manuscripts because there simply isn’t the time or resource to sift through a slush pile, so they rely on agents to carry out the first stage of filtering for them. The only hope for most writers then, particularly a new one, is to find representation. Or to reach the top of the authonomy pile…

The agent’s job

 

Some writers think that they can do without an agent and some probably can. That 15% commission might seem a lot, until you think about the fact that the Writers’ and Artists Yearbook is only updated once a year, whereas publishing staff change all the time (for example, I still get the odd manuscript because I was listed four years ago, even though I didn’t commission then and never have). What and who an agent knows – their knowledge of the different lists and imprints within a publishing house, and who buys what for which one – is priceless and key to the book’s success. For example, at Press books where I work there are five different lists, each with a particular focus, and within HarperCollins there are probably more than thirty. Multiplied across London, that means that there are hundreds of places where a book could, and couldn’t go. Knowing the distinctions is an insider’s job.

Panning for gold

 

Every editor named in the W & A Y receives hundreds of submissions per year from agents. Their job is to find not only the best for the market but the ones that they themselves like the most because if an editor doesn’t absolutely love and shout about every project bought, in a list of, say 100 hardbacks per division, where the other 99 are all fighting for the same budgets and resources, the book has little chance. Judgement is all, but once a book is chosen, so is the pitch. That pitching process starts at an editorial meeting.

The first discussion

 

Before trying to persuade sales, marketing, publicity, the financial director and the managing director of the value of a book, an editor must persuade his or her own editorial team. They will thus circulate the manuscript that interests them to this team, for discussion at an editorial meeting. All the editors on a list discuss the manuscripts at this meeting and a collective decision is made about which titles to try and buy, and which to reject. Editors are fighting not only for support, the backing to go to an acquisition meeting and try and buy a book, but also for money and space. Every list can only publish a finite number of titles per month or year, because not only is there finite resource within the company (editorial resource to process the book, marketing and publicity resource to promote it, production resource to design and produce it, warehouse resource to store and distribute it and sales resource to sell it) but there is finite space in a bookshop and each retailer only has a certain number of slots per month. If you’ve ever seen the Posy Simmonds book Literary Life , which has some brilliant and pertinent cartoons about the publishing world, particularly this one you will understand how it is impossible, and counterproductive, to publish everything. As soon as a manuscript has editorial support, both from its champion and the rest of the team, the editor circulates it more widely, to sales, marketing, publicity, the managing director and anyone they think would vociferously support it within their division. Some voices have more weight than others; the editor’s job is to get as many powerful voices as possible, particularly UK and international sales, to read a manuscript, love it, and say so.

The acquisitions meeting

Once the manuscript has been read, and is loved, by all the people that count and the editorial team feel that it, and the writer, suit their list, the next step is to look at the numbers, and to debate the book’s prospects with the whole team. Every week most publishing divisions have an acquisitions meeting and before this meeting, the acquiring editor talks to sales and marketing and the financial director, in order to get their opinions on how many copies the book might sell, at a particular price, in a specific format. This information is then fed into an acquisition profit and loss sheet. Along with the manuscript and the voices of support for it, this P and L is essential not only for persuading the team to buy a book, but also for persuading them of the ‘level’ at which it should be bought i.e. how much to pay. And often it is at this point that the process collapses. If the projected sales numbers and the advance tally, that is to say the book looks like it might earn out the proposed advance and make a profit (i.e. in very simple terms if £10000 is paid, then the book must sell enough copies to make back at least that amount, plus costs), and everyone in the room agrees that it’s a good idea, the editor is given the go-ahead to make an offer. However, if an agent is looking for a particular sum, but the sales numbers suggest that the book won’t make it back and will be unprofitable, it is up to the editor to either fight for the advance required, arguing for getting a particular writer onto a list and talking up their future projects, or go back to the agent and argue for a smaller advance.

Competing for a book

 

One of the pressures of the acquisition process that I haven’t mentioned is that most manuscripts are sent to several houses at once. And, if the book interests several of them, an auction (when publishers bid against each other) will take place. Publishing auctions are unusual in that the book may not go to the highest bidder. Often, if a book is hotly pursued by several publishers, each one will aim to meet the author and agent and make a team pitch, selling the publisher’s place in the market, what it can do for the book, why the author will feel at home on this list. They will offer as much as they can, but after that they hope that their publishing reputation will secure the book. The idea of accepting less money might seem odd to a writer but although getting the right financial deal is important so is having the right publisher. The opposite of an auction is a ‘pre-empt’: sometimes an agent will send a manuscript to just one publisher, giving them the chance to make a ‘pre-emptive offer’, that is an offer which prevents the book being sent to any one else. Usually this offer secures exclusive access to the manuscript for a fixed period of time. It will still have to go through the acquisition process internally but the editor has less external pressure. All of the above scenarios take time. An offer may be made one week, but not accepted or rejected for several weeks. Or, if an offer is not acceptable to the agent and writer, but the editor manages to secure a compromise, then the acquisition will come back to the meeting and be discussed again, until the book is bought, rejected or lost, to another publisher.

The end of one process; the beginning of several others

 

At the end of all of this debating and number-crunching, hopefully the editor has the book they want, at the right price, and the writer has the publisher they want, and the money to keep writing. Obviously, this is a massive simplification of the process. Sometimes editors go after writers, particularly celebrities who have not yet written an autobiography, or see a story in the press that they think will make a good book. But, whatever the source – agent, self-generated idea, authonomy – the editor must still fight for each and every book, for the money to buy it, for the time and resource to produce, promote and sell it, and for the space to give it the best chance. And, once bought, that championing and competing process continues throughout the life of the book.

Writing Powerful Endings

The first few lines of any story are the most important, and often the most difficult words you’ll write. The next most challenging piece of writing is the ending. Once you draw your readers in and take them through your story, you’ll need to leave them with a satisfying conclusion. Here, then, are some tips for writing powerful endings:

Fiction picture books: The story in a picture book must come to a natural, logical conclusion. The action should end at a definitive moment, with no plot points left hanging. The reader needs to be satisfied with the way the story ends; the main character (with whom the reader is identifying) must solve the conflict by the last page. The conclusion cannot be implied or left open; readers shouldn’t have to choose between several possible outcomes.

Some authors try to sum up the message of the book in the last paragraph. If your story is well written, the reader will know what the character learned without your having to blatantly spell it out. Once the action is over and the conflict is resolved, the story ends. Anything beyond that point dilutes the impact of all that’s gone before.

Chapters must feel complete in themselves. Some of the best authors limit their chapters to one scene or event, starting a new chapter with the next scene. A powerful way to end a chapter is at a climatic moment in the middle of a scene. This causes the reader to want to turn the page and see what happens next. The most effective chapters end in the same way they begin: with action or dialogue.

Novels, like picture books, must have a complete ending. Your character faces a problem or conflict during the course of the book, and once that problem is resolved, the story ends quickly. Many beginning authors add a final chapter that shows how life returned to normal after the story took place; this is unnecessary information that takes away from the impact of the story’s resolution.

Any subplots must be tied up before or at the same moment as the conclusion of the main story. The last chapter focuses on the main character and his actions. Show how the character has grown or changed in some way, but avoid preaching to your readers. This information can generally be summed up very quickly and dramatically with a short final chapter.

Nonfiction books: The end of a nonfiction book is the conclusion of all of the information you have presented. However, with books you have an entire chapter to make your point. Many authors title their last chapter with a question, such as “where do we go from here?” or “What Does the Future Hold for the Amazon?” The body of your chapter will answer this question, drawing from the facts in the book and posing possible solutions. If you relate the subject to the reader’s own life, he or she will continue to have an interest in the topic long after finishing your book.

Endings are important. They are the final contact you’ll have with your readers: your last chance to make an impression. Take time with your endings and write them carefully. A satisfying conclusion will not only make reading an enjoyable experience, but children will anxiously await your next work.

Book Publishing Copyright Issues

With the many advantages of electronic self-publishing over traditional book publishing, and an expanding market for the consumption of e-books, many authors, publishers and organizations are already and also contemplating becoming e-book publishers. With this new role comes new business and legal responsibilities. E-book publishers must be aware of several copyright issues relating to such things as cover artwork, tables, maps and charts, and excerpts of works to be in
cluded in their e-book. It is important to look at the following copyright issues when electronically publishing a book.

Artwork

What artwork you will use on the cover of your e-book will depend on various factors. One factor may be your budget to commission specific artwork, or to purchase pre-existing artwork. In either case, you have to consider whether you can afford and are able to negotiate an exclusive license to use that artwork, or whether non-exclusive use of
the artwork fits within your needs. You might also consider the in-house creation of artwork or a front cover photograph by an employee who creates such work as part of his duties. Works created as part of one’s duties belong to one’s employer and this means that you do not need to obtain permission to use those works on the cover of your e-book.

Tables, Maps and Charts

If you are including any tables, maps or charts in your e-book, you will need to determine the copyright status of these works. Are these works in the public domain or can you find a public domain lternative? Many government tables, maps and charts are in the public domain in the U.S., however the U.S. government may acquire and own a copyright-protected work if the work was prepared by a non-government employee.

Excerpts

Excerpts from other books and articles need to analyzed, often with a determination of fair use. Where a one sentence quote is more likely to fall within the defense of fair use, using several key paragraphs from a journal article may not. Each case is considered on its own, and the four fair use factors in the U.S. Copyright Act must be reviewed and applied to each excerpt. Similarly, in countries where fair dealing exists, e-book publishers have to look at applying fair dealing to their specific uses of copyright materials.

Some areas where you might want to double-check copyright status include using one’s own excerpts, or an employee’s excerpts from her own writings. Was the original document created as part of one’s employment duties? If not, then the individual author may own that work. If the original was created as part of employment duties, then the employer likely owns the copyright in that document or article and permission is not necessary to reproduce the work. Also, has the work
in question been previously published?

If so, was the copyright assigned to the publisher or does it remain with the original author/owner? If you are including in your e-book any public domain works, ensure that these works are in fact in the public domain. Go to the original public domain source as any adaptation of a public domain work may have a new copyright in it and may still be protected by copyright.

Copyright Notice

Once you create your e-book and are ready to publish it, you will need to consider the wording for the copyright notice/warning to include on your work. Perhaps your readers will need to agree to a webwrap license prior to accessing the book, or be subject to another form of license. Also, do you want to “lock” the e-book in any manner and use technological measures to ensure that only authorized persons may access, reproduce or forward copies of your e-book? Further, consider registering your work with the U.S. Copyright Office (or another national copyright office.) Even though registration is not mandatory, it will provide you with certain advantages should you ever have to enforce your rights.

7 Self-Publishing Mistakes That Can Sabotage Your Book

Self-publishing can instantly establish you as an industry expert–if it’s done right. Watch out for these 7 mistakes that can keep your book from being a bestseller.

 

When Scott Cameron Smith and Darren Tunstall decided to write and self-publish a book, the entrepreneurs worked hard to make the book as successful as possible. Their efforts paid off.
Soon after publication, SOLD! A Proven Social Media Strategy for Generating Real Estate Leads, became an Amazon number-one bestseller, resulting in increased visibility for the authors, including speaking engagements.

Self-publishing a book is a great way for small-business owners to promote their brands and add to their income streams, says Linda Scott, owner of eFrog Press, whose company is a one-stop shop for entrepreneurs who want to self-publish. “Books are considered the new business card. They give small-business owners a way to establish themselves as authorities and connect with potential clients.”

While it’s never been easier to self-publish in e-book and print formats, many authors make some common mistakes that can get in the way of preventing their books from being successful. The following seven mistakes will sabotage your best efforts.

1. Bad Cover Design

“Covers are more important than ever now that so many books are sold online,” Scott says. “Your cover needs to attract a reader in the thumbnail view, which means it’s important to understand concepts like typography and color palettes. Always preview your cover in a small size, like 150 pixels width. Make sure you can read the title and author name and recognize the images. If the cover looks squashed and the words are unreadable, consult a graphic artist specializing in book covers.”

2. Ineffective Title

A cute title may look nice on your cover, but if it doesn’t clearly spell out the topic of your book, readers probably won’t find it. Using keywords in the title that readers might use in a search can jump-start sales, according to Smith and Tunstall, who, through their company Huntington Media, assist small-business owners with content marketing for their books.

RELATED: Guy Kawasaki’s Guide to Self-Publishing Your Next Book
“Amazon and Barnes & Noble are search engines in addition to databases,” Tunstall says. “All of the words in our title have a purpose in terms of SEO for online booksellers and Google, Yahoo and Bing.”

3. Lack of Editing

“Misspellings, grammatical errors and typos can lead to bad reviews that cannot be removed, resulting in loss of credibility with readers,” Scott says. She suggests hiring professional editors to review content and organization, and check for grammatical errors and typos.

Smith and Tunstall are glad they hired a developmental editor as well as a copy editor and proofreader. “We had our book laid out in the manner we thought was appropriate, but the developmental editor made some suggestions on organization that really improved the flow,” Tunstall says. “The proofreading and copyediting were also important.”

4. Poor Book Description

Failing to spend time on your book description, which will appear next to your cover on all online book retailers, can have disastrous consequences.

“The description is your final opportunity to grab the attention of potential readers and convince them to click and buy,” Scott says. “Spend time on this element, or spend money on a copy editor to write it.”

You can also increase sales potential by incorporating testimonials about your book from industry leaders into the description.

5. Ignoring Author Bio and Photo

Skimping on or skipping your author biography can give a bad impression.
“Your author bio is the perfect place to establish yourself as an authority, so don’t waste it,” Scott advises. “Check out bios by your competition for ideas. Be professional and show why you are the perfect person to write this book.”

RELATED: How to Write a Business Book: The Essential Guide
In the same respect, your author photo gives you an opportunity to make a good impression. “If you are marketing a serious book, don’t post a goofy picture,” she says. “Consider an image related to your topic. A carpenter, for instance, could pose on a ladder wearing a tool belt.”

6. Overstuffing the Front of the Book

Packing the front of your book with too many items, like a dedication, prologue, reviews and author biography, means that readers will get to view very little of your actual book when they download the free sample. Scott suggests linking such elements from your table of contents and moving them to the back so readers can sample enough pages to want to buy your book.

7. Don’t Market Your Book

All the hard work creating a book will be wasted if you don’t take the time to promote your creation.
“We followed our own advice when marketing SOLD!,” Tunstall says. “To sell your book, it’s important that you do things like create a website and blog on relevant topics.” The SOLD! authors also suggest creating your own publishing company, which makes your book look more professional.
Keep these self-publishing tips in mind, and you’ll soon find yourself asking, “Would you like your book autographed?