Ep. 33 - Q&A: Navigating Your First Publishing Process

December 01, 2023

Question:

“I guess that I am wondering how you manage an author's expectations around their first contract, like what does that look like in terms of, um, per book royalties or do they get like, uh, some at the, at the beginning, you know, just something I would love just to hear about that process a little bit more, just to be familiar with what options are out there, what, what is kind of standard in the industry, what feels like a, you know, Uh, like appropriate for where that author's at in their life, things like that.

So those are always kind of questions, um, that come to mind because once you get the exciting news that you have, uh, something that's getting published, I think, uh, after that it's like, what happens next? You know?.”

Answer

Submission of Book Proposal: The episode kicks off by emphasizing the importance of submitting a compelling book proposal. Authors are encouraged to understand the nuances of traditional publishing and how to tailor proposals for different publishers.
Publisher Response Time: After submitting a proposal, authors enter a waiting game. Response times may vary from a few weeks to several months. The three possible outcomes include rejection, silence, or an invitation to the next steps.
Next Steps and Vetting Process: If a publisher expresses interest, authors might be asked for additional materials, such as sample chapters. The vetting process involves due diligence to ensure alignment between the author's work and the publisher's vision.
The Offer Letter: Successful authors receive an offer letter outlining the terms of the deal, which typically includes an advance and royalty terms. This marks the beginning of the negotiation phase.
Negotiation Opportunities: Authors are advised to negotiate the terms of the contract, considering factors like advances, royalties, buyback rates, timelines, and creative control. The host provides insights into what might be negotiable and how authors can advocate for their best interests.
Advance and Royalties: While advances for first-time authors typically fall in the $5,000 to $15,000 range, negotiation opportunities arise for those with a substantial following or a proven ability to sell books. Royalty terms, however, tend to remain relatively stable.
Production Phase: Once the contract is settled, the production phase begins. This involves working closely with the acquisition editor, undergoing developmental editing, copyediting, and ultimately moving through the book's design and layout phases.
Launch and Beyond: The final phase involves launching the book. The host highlights the thrilling journey authors experience from proposal to publication and emphasizes that the seemingly slow process eventually leads to the joy of seeing one's book on the shelves.

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Episode Transcript

[00:00:00] Welcome to Beyond the Book presented by Juxtabook. I'm Zach Kristensen. It's our weekly, Q&A episode. Answering your questions about writing publishing and launching your book. Let's begin.

[00:00:13] I guess that I am wondering how you manage an author's expectations around their first contract, like what does that look like in terms of, um, per book royalties or do they get like, uh, some at the, at the beginning, you know, just something I would love just to hear about that process a little bit more, just to be familiar with what options are out there, what, what is kind of standard in the industry, what feels like a, you know, Uh, like appropriate for where that author's at in their life, things like that.

[00:00:48] So those are always kind of questions, um, that come to mind because once you get the exciting news that you have, uh, something that's getting published, I think, uh, after that it's like, what [00:01:00] happens next? You know?.\

[00:01:01] To answer this question. I need to take a quick step back and discuss kind of the general ins and outs of traditional publishing and how it works when you submit a book proposal. So when I sit down with an author for the first time I go through this process of how traditional publishing works. And what has to be done is a book proposal needs to be filled out. At some point during the process. And once that book proposal is finished, you submit it to a range of different publishers.

[00:01:31] Now how this is submitted varies greatly depending on the publisher. Some publishing houses have general emails that you submit it to others will have specific individuals or acquisition editors that you send a proposal to.

[00:01:45] And depending on the size of the publisher, you might find one or two acquisition editors that cover all of the books. Where a larger publisher, each imprint usually has one or two acquisition editors that [00:02:00] oversee that imprint and the different genres.

[00:02:02] Once your proposal lands in the inbox of the acquisition editor. You're going to be waiting. It may be a few weeks or even a few months. . while you are waiting, you could expect to see receive one of three responses rejection, which is not as fun, but at least you have an answer. Silence or no response at all. So you're just going to be ghosted, which isn't my personal favorite. Or you're going to be invited to take the next steps in the vetting process. And this is exciting news.

[00:02:29] Now, depending on the publisher and the interest that they have, they may want to jump on a call with you, they may request more information. If you've submitted some sample chapters, they may ask for more sample chapters. They really want to do their due diligence to make sure that if they make an offer to you, you're going to be a good fit for what they're looking for.

[00:02:48] Once a decision is made you are sent an offer letter that outlines the terms for them to purchase the rights to publish your book. In traditional publishing, this typically includes an [00:03:00] advance and royalty terms.

[00:03:02] At this point, this is your opportunity to negotiate. So with your agent or the research you've done already find all the information you can about is this a fair deal for you as the author, your type of book, and for what you bring to the table for marketing? If you feel like you can bring more value. Negotiate for something higher.

[00:03:22] Typically a higher advance. Royalties typically do not shift that much. Now the type of advance you can expect as a first time author will between honestly, probably the five to 15,000 range. If you bring a lot more credibility and you have a following built and you can clearly show that you'll be able to sell the copies of the book that will impress a publisher, you can ask for a higher advance.

[00:03:47] Now other things outside of an advance and royalty that you could negotiate. Include the buyback rate that you have the timeline, the creative control that you have, and many other [00:04:00] things that would be important to you as an author, but may not affect your income directly.

[00:04:05] Now, once this is done and the contract is drawn up, it's been reviewed you've signed it, the publisher sign it. Now you're on to the production phase. And they're working with typically the acquisition editor that you first worked with, but they're going through reading the book, giving a developmental, edit, giving feedback on the book. You're going back and forth, rewriting the book, really doing some good polishing work on the content of the book.

[00:04:30] Once that has happened, the content is locked in and it sent to a copyedit. Where all the grammar, spelling and everything is checked for accuracy.

[00:04:41] Then comes the production phase. This is where the book is designed, laid out. All the images are inserted and there's a few round of reviews to make sure everything is, as it should be. And then after that, you're onto the launch phase of the book.

[00:04:55] So there you have it. Your books journey from proposal to [00:05:00] publication. You start out by submitting a book proposal to pick a publisher's interest. You get an offer, you negotiate on the contract and then you'd go through the production phases of finalizing and getting the book ready to launch. It's a thrilling ride may fell a little slow at times, but it's going to get you step a step closer to seeing your book on the shelves.

[00:05:22]

[00:05:28] If you have any questions about a recent episode, I'd love to hear from you. Visit juxtabook.com/beyondthebook and click the appropriate button to leave your question and we will include it in our weekly Q&A episode.

[00:05:44] Your book is just one chapter in your author journey. Think beyond the book as you craft your path. Thank you for your questions and thank you for listening.

Ep. 33 - Q&A: Navigating Your First Publishing Process

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