What Will Make a Publisher Say YES to Your Book
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ส.ค. 2024
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What goes into a publishing house’s decision to make an offer to an author? Despite what you may have heard, there’s no specific set of “checkboxes” that a book must tick to get a “yes” from a publisher. In this video, I’m offering my perspective as someone who formerly worked in editorial acquisitions at a Big Five publisher into what makes a publisher say yes to a book.
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GREAT BOOKS ABOUT WRITING/PUBLISHING:
Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer / amzn.to/3VE8dtt
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody / amzn.to/3Vyk2Bn
Before and After the Book Deal by Courtney Maum / amzn.to/3Z4at03
SOME OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS:
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones / amzn.to/3vvWItt
Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips / amzn.to/3CFz4Pt
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid / amzn.to/3CjFFi5
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MORE BOOK PUBLISHING ADVICE:
The Art of the Book Deal (and How Much Money You Can Expect): • The Art of the Book De...
How to Get Published by a Big Five House: • How to Get Published b...
5 Ways to Boost Your Chances of Getting Published: • 5 Ways to Boost Your C...
WHAT MAKES PUBLISHERS CHOOSE YOUR BOOK:
03:00 - The editor loves it
04:43 - It’s a fit for the imprint
06:53 - The broader team is on board
09:06 - The financial model shows profitability
ABOUT ME:
My name is Alyssa Matesic, and I’m a professional book editor with nearly a decade of book publishing and editorial experience. Throughout my career, I’ve held editorial roles across both sides of the publishing industry: Big Five publishing houses and literary agencies. The goal of this channel is to help writers throughout the book writing journey-whether you're working on your manuscript or you're looking for publishing advice.
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Smith The Mister bit.ly/Smith-T...
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Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
This is so timely! I met with an editor from the big five yesterday at a conference. I came prepared with so many documents, and little did I know. She practically said my query was amazing. She took the query, synopsis and first chapter and said she'll be in touch :)
Wow - congratulations!
@@truthbetold444 Thank you! What are you thinking? Please expand :)
HEHEHS AYYYEE!! Congratulations!! 🎉🎉🎉
@@tiffy_loves Thank you!
Congratulations! That is so exciting. Good luck.
I was kind of expecting a talk more about ways your book stands out to them, such as:
1. High Concept
2. New category (its own unique iconic world)
3. Commercially viable (large audience)
4. Sweet spot age category (whatever Harry Potter and Percy Jackson hit)
5. You have a rough draft of the 2nd book in the series ready
6. Your literary agent correctly submitted your manuscript to them (and how)
I’m sure there’s many criteria I missed but was hoping you could do a video on this
I went on submission last Tuesday so I appreciate the timeliness of this video. Here's hoping I can circle back with good news.
Thank you for sharing your insider knowledge on traditional publishing. I received and accepted an offer from a Big Five publisher, but I am eager to understand the behind-the-scenes process of publication.
That's amazing - congratulations! If you haven't already seen my recent video, I did talk a bit about what publishing a book with a Big Five house is like: th-cam.com/video/Pr18Bk2rzEc/w-d-xo.html Good luck to you on your publishing journey!
2.37 it starts 👍 great video thank you your content is of great value.⭐
I am finding your videos invaluable to the process of obtaining representation and ultimately publishing my novel. Your insider knowledge is well-presented in a succinct manner and yet covers a lot of industry ground. I appreciate your producing this much needed and helpful content Alyssa, thank you.
Indeed, you are just about the best distiller of information. All we want is to know the
"real deal," whether it is about getting the agents and editors or what is expected, on the way to traditional publishing. You clarify it all. Thank you.
Alyssa, thank you for answering such a pervasive concern, and for sharing your professional experience. I have never been ambivalent about my literary vision, but I have long been ambivalent about pursuing the legacy publishing model, since some facets of my work are unusual (and not negotiable, as they are the raison d'etre for the work). I am not yet to the querying stage, since I am writing a series; I am writing enough of the later volumes as the means of working backwards to the beginning, to ensure story continuity.
It would've been so useful to know why exactly would the editorial team oppose and think a book an editor loves is not a good fit. Just knowing this can happen without understanding why isn't very enlightening.
Just fished my historical fiction novel/book,for boys and young adults. Will love to tell you about it.
Would an editor hold back a book that needs some rewriting before bringing it to the broader team?
Awesome as always 🤗
Love u ❤. Thank u.
Encouraging queen 👑
When looking for a literary agent they try to push a vanity publisher off on me first, so it's getting irritating. I appreciate the insight provides.
Thanks, this is very insightful. I've been following you for quite some while now. I can proudly say that you've shaped my perspective entirely about this industry. I'm writing a new story, shelved the previous ones after I watched most your videos ✌️
I'm so glad you've found my videos helpful! It means a lot. Thanks for commenting!
Curious to know more about how publishers rationalize the development of a new imprint (i.e. Quilla under TCK publishers) How will they use a really good writer/novel to enter a new genre using a novel imprint? Cheers!
I've written a little more than one page. I was just improvising while being tipsy. I wanted to understand how pantsers write because I'm a plotter, actually. Right now, I have no inspiration. Maybe a cigar and some whiskey would help.
.
Thank you. Very helpful.
Have you seen the show younger? Your videos make me picture Hilary duff working at millennial print lol. It’s my dream to be traditionally published one day. All I have right now is an unfinished draft, but I’m hoping to work really hard and start querying next year!
Hi Alyssa! Your vids are awesome! They’ve helped me have a good idea about the entire process of finding a home for my book. I’m a Christian writing a children’s book about Jesus and I’m sure I will need to reach out to different publishers other than the big 5. Well I am wondering if you have any advice for my book category. Thanks.
Hi there! I'm so glad you enjoy my videos :) I do have a Q&A video where I touch on Christian publishing: th-cam.com/video/XtNjTwtN1LE/w-d-xo.html I hope that helps!
this is great ❤❤❤
I know it wasn't the best advice, but I'm dying to know what that tweet said
Thanks so much for your wonderful videos. ..... If in my query letter I call my book upmarket adult fiction with literary fiction elements will that be acceptable or will that confuse agents? Do I have to choose between those two labels/categories when querying?
Just saying hi. Still loving the channel. Tha is for save the cat
❤
Hi! I've been following your channel for awhile and I haven't seen this question answered yet; I was wondering if my first manuscript gets rejected but I initially wanted it to be a series, should I keep working on it or just start a while new project? Thank you for providing realistic, helpful advice 💜
Alyssa, my book doesn't have any comp books. What happens in this case?😮
Is true you need 10 comp titles when your agent is submitting to editors?
Great content as usual. Alyssa, my agent has pitched my autobiography to one editor so far, because we had kind of "in" with that person through a mutual associate. However, it's been two and a half months with no response. My agent said she is going to notify this editor that she will be submitting to other editors. Do you think I would expect her to submit to multiple editors at one time, as you discussed? Thanks
Hi Alyssa, Where may I download your Assessment Booklet, please?
Hi there - here is the link again: www.alyssamatesic.com/#freebie-form
Please tell me what is the average salary by post in 2023 in publishing industry?
I am really interested to make a career in publishing industry abroad
Please reply 🙏 my comments
Hi. How does it work with the literary agent? Do you pay them or do you have arrangements on giving them a share if you get published?
It should be after you get your advance since they get 15% of what you make.
I seriously question how effective the whole query process is. I bet if they just picked random books they would do just as well in the marketplace. Just as moneyball proved that baseball had been recruiting players horribly for generations (and Daniel Khaneman showed how the Israeli army couldn’t identify officer material), I bet that agents and publishers have little genuine ability to pick books that will resonate or sell well.
Also, does anyone ever use comp titles that dont sell well? I suppose they posit how similar
Hey Alyssa, what if your novel idea is so different there are no comp titles? What would happen then?
It means you haven't done enough market research.
@@tamarleahh.2150 Hi Tamar, thanks for your response. Maybe I should have been more clear with my question, though. I don't necessarily mean any idea that the writer hasn't done enough research to find comparable titles for; what I'm getting at is high concept novel ideas. Think of Crichton's Jurassic Park, or Tolkien's The Hobbit; how did these authors ever compare their works to others out there? There just isn't anything to compare them to. Or, at least there weren't at the time.
I have the same question. There are very few similar novels to what I'm writing. There are some, but this would have a very specific and small readership, which is fine, but not likely very profitable.
On top of the other responses, it’s best to use current published works as comps. Sometimes in the current market there are no comps that really match the book. A lot of old literature can be evoked like Gatsby because most readers were likely required to read it so it becomes a good reference to agents and readers
Luck. Luck what will get a pooblisher to say anything but no.
Subjects very different from you talks
First!!!
A bit confused. Shouldn't an editor be rather neutral towards the manuscript?
All the editor has to do is to make sure the book sounds as good as possible. Isn't that what they get paid for?
When the author pays an editor to edit their work, then they work the way you want them to, dispassionately. But when an editor works at a publisher, their role is different than that. In that case, the publisher is paying the editor for their judgement and taste.
@@hiplessboy I see. Thank you.
Is true you need 10 comp titles when your agent is submitting to editors?
No. You only need 2-3. Like, my book is like throne of glass and the cruel prince for example.