Part Eight of “How to Find a Publisher for Your Nonfiction Book”
Last week, I talked about the first hurdle to getting your book published—how to survive the initial review process. Once you clear this hurdle, your proposal will be given more serious consideration by an acquisitions editor.
In order to get your book published, you need the acquisitions editor to become a strong advocate for your project. It is the acquisitions editor who will make a presentation to the publishing board, answer any follow up questions, and respond to any objections.
The best way to turn an acquisitions editor into a strong advocate for your book proposal is to give him or her everything that’s needed to make an outstanding presentation to the publishing board.
That’s why acquisitions editors love to see a well-constructed proposal. Such a proposal makes it much easier to prepare for the presentation to the publishing board. And why wouldn’t you want to make it as easy as possible to advocate for your project?
Think of your book proposal as a way of equipping and empowering the acquisitions editor to make a great presentation.
This includes giving it a great title and subtitle, agonizing over the wording of the book description or summary so that it gives an accurate and compelling snapshot of the manuscript, carefully considering the target audience and tailoring everything to fit that audience, taking the time to understand where and how the book might fit into the marketplace, and demonstrating how you will take ownership for marketing the book.
In other words, do everything you can to make your acquisitions editor look good.
Remember the two people the acquisitions editor has to persuade and convince that your book is worthy of publication: the marketing director and the accountant.
The acquisitions editor has to persuade the marketing director that the book will connect with a significant audience. This is about the title and content, but it’s also about the author’s platform—his or her existing audience. Increasingly, it’s about what the author can and will do to build his or her audience.
The accountant wants to know that the book is likely to provide a significant return on investment. Publishing is an industry, after all, and people’s livelihoods are on the line. The acquisitions editor has to convince the accountant that the book will be good for the bottom line.
So the best way to equip the acquisitions editor for the publishing board meeting is to think like a publisher. In your proposal, provide all of the information requested. And take time to understand why the publisher needs the information, so that you can write to persuade.
Think like a publisher, and equip your acquisitions editor to make a great presentation, and you are likely to gain a powerful advocate for your book proposal.
Continue the series: 5 Key Things the Marketing Director Wants to See in Your Book Proposal