by Randy Peyser
Question: What’s the quickest way to get literary agents to roll their eyes in frustration? Answer: Tell them the book you are pitching to them has already been self-published.
If you think it’s easy to sell your self-published book to a publisher, please read on:
Many people approach me in the hopes of having me pitch their self-published books to literary agents or traditional publishers. Whenever I’ve pitched a self-published book to a literary agent, here is what I experience: Rolled eyeballs, a pleading look, and the same question: “Why? Why did they do that? They just killed the sale.”
When a book has been self-published, every literary agent will ask me: “When did it come out, and how many copies have sold? Now, here’s the catch. If your book has sold a small amount of copies in the time period in which it’s been out, then your book is seen as a bad investment by a publisher. On the other hand, if your book has sold very well, then they will ask, “Well, who does the author have left to sell it to?” It’s a double-edged sword.
Then there’s the issue of Amazon. Since a majority of book sales happen on Amazon, publishers will want a piece of that action. If your book is selling on Amazon already, and even if you take it down, there will be a number of used copies still floating around on that site. This will not endear you to publishers.
Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, and sometimes self-published books do get picked up by publishers. I’ve sold two self-published books in the past out of the 40+ books I’ve gotten under contract with literary agents or publishers for my clients, but it was not easy.
Another exception is that foreign rights can still be sold for self-published books overseas. I have a wonderful resource who may be able to pitch your book for foreign rights possibilities if you meet her criteria, so please do contact me if you are interested in selling your book to foreign publishers.
However, if you ultimately want to find a traditional publisher in the United States, I encourage you to not self-publish your book first. If you are a first-time author, it’s actually easier to find a publisher when your book is in manuscript form, than after it has been self-published. Why? Since you have an unproven track record, you have a better chance of finding a publisher than if you self-publish and your sales are low. So, please choose wisely before you decide to self-publish.
Randy Peyser is a Literary Advocate and the CEO of Author One Stop, Inc., a national publishing consulting firm. Author One Stop, Inc. provides editing, ghostwriting, book proposal polishing, and services to pitch books to literary agents and publishers. Randy@AuthorOneStop.com, www.AuthorOneStop.com, (831)726-3153.
I have already self-published a very very nice children’s book on domestic violence.And, it has been selling well. However, I would like to get picked up by a traditional publisher. Respectively, James L. Thompson P.S. The name of my book is Roscoe: A Respectable Dog With Good Moral Principles.
Once a book is self-published, you need to show a large and ongoing track record of sales for a publisher to want to pick that book up. You are welcome to follow up with me at randy@authoronestop.com and let me know when your book came out, how many copies you’ve sold, and how many you are selling monthly approximately.
I got a small publisher to publish my book. Can I still try to get a large publisher to pick it up? I have sold approximately 800 – 900 copies of the paperback in one year. I don’t know how many kindles because they don’t publish that information.
The standard now is that an author needs to sell 10,000 books in the first year, and show ongoing demand, for an agent or publisher to pick up that book.
Hi Randy, it feels nice to read about your guidance to authors on here. I am writing a Christian fiction book titled “The Cabin” and I will done in the next couple of months. I will need your help with selling my work to agents and Traditional publishers. I write from Uganda Africa but I am a member of several writers blogs in the US. Do you work with International writers?
I can only sell books for international authors when you have a strong following in the United States.
Sincerely,
Randy
Randy,
I drafted my manuscript into a 50 page “demo” booklet.
Nice front and back cover and the manuscript pages(50)are an intro into the story.
Can I send these out to literary agents in the hopes that someone will represent me?
I’ve taken this task solo with no experience other than a well written story that has been read by people who seem intrigued.
Any input is appreciated.
I await your response.
Thanking you in advance for your time.
Hi John,
There is a process for submitting material to agents, but your idea is not it. Please get on my calendar and I’ll tell you what is required. https://calendly.com/randypeyser/15min Thank you!
I wish to find out about your procedure for sales of book rights. I wrote a book on feminism and African development. It is about 90% completed at the moment but due to lack of funds and the will to continue, I wish to sell it off.
May you kindly help me out. I am a Catholic Priest of the Diocese of Ijebu-Ode, Nigeria; Alfred-Matthew Ikechukwu NWORIE.
I await a favourable response from you.
Thanks
I just now saw your message. I apologize, but I can only sell books in the U.S. for authors from other countries when those authors have a following in the United States. Do you have a following here?
Sincerely,
Randy
I self published my first book with iUniverse do I need permission from iUniverse to republish the book. I have the copyright but there is a statement in cover that no part of the book can be used etc traditional statement.
You would need to speak with a literary attorney who can review your contract with iUniverse. If you would like a referral to one, please let me know. Thank you! Randy
Hello! If I may ask, is it still feasible to approach overseas publishers with foreign rights if a book has been self-published on Amazon and is automatically sold on their international websites, e.g. Amazon Mexico, Amazon India, etc? If a book has been sold in that country’s Amazon store, can I still sell foreign rights in that country?
I don’t have the answer to that question because I only sell to the U.S. publishers. Contact Jill@JillLublin.com. She pitches self-published books at the London Book Fair and the Frankfurt Book Fair. She would know that answer.
Contact Jill Lublin, info@jilllublin.com. I don’t deal with international rights like she does.
Hi Randy ~ I sure wish I had asked this question 3 months ago before I self published my lifetime collections of poetry. I actually thought it a wise course to get the book published first then get it in front of traditional publishers! Ugh. I just had a book launch event and so far, I’ve sold about 100 books. Now I’m looking for the best next way to sell more books. Facebook Marketplace? My own website? Amazon or other book selling sites? Please guide me here. I appreciate all your help!
Hi Micki,
The fact that you have already sold 100 books is awesome. Congratulations on that! I don’t have resources for selling poetry to publishers or to readers in general. I don’t know any publishers who take poetry.
Hi, I finished my mystery/sci fi novel last spring and sent out over 25 query letters to agents. I’ve heard from half (standard “not for me” response— all form letters, no feedback). My ARC readers have provided very positive reviews/feedback so I have a lot of confidence in what I’ve created. But, how do you really know it’s time to give up the agent/traditional publishing route and self publish?
Marc, has your book been professionally critiqued and edited? If it hasn’t, backtrack and get that handled before submitting elsewhere. (It is a service we provide.) If your manuscript has been edited and you want your book out quickly, self-publish. If not, keep querying until you run out of leads. If you would like a professional opinion regarding your synopsis and query letter, that is a service we can provide as well. Sincerely, Randy Peyser
Hi Randy. Thanks for the great info! I am currently conducting a crowdfunding campaign for a children’s book in the US (foreign language, 16/20 pages). We will reach our target soon, ensuring that we deliver 200 books – so far – to individuals, Free Little Libraries, day cares and schools in the US. I’m very excited that 200+ people, so far, will be reading my story, and learning from in May. My dilemma is this: I have an English version that’s as good as the original, and don’t know if I should hold on to it to pitch to a publisher, or include it as a stretch goal at $5,000. The story reads well in English, and works with the existing illustrations. Would you recommend that I hold and pitch the English version to a publisher, or print a limited number of unofficial copies for friends and family who want to support the book in a language they understand (English)?
I don’t think a publisher will buy it because they do not focus on cause-related books in general, even though your message and intent is beautiful. I would stick with a self-published version. Sincerely, Randy
Hi Randy,
Thank you so much for your reply. I really appreciated your feedback. It concerned me a little that you would think (and possibly others) – from my description for the book – that it’s a “cause book.” While it has layered meanings, at its core it’s a simple story of a little girl who picks flowers and then learns to replant them to make her friends happy. I appreciated your response.
Hi RWS,
The way I decide whether to pitch a book to publishers is to run it first by my children’s expert editor to analyze it. She has edited or ghostwritten many books for the top children’s publishers, so she understands what they buy. She was on faculty for the Institute of Children’s Literature for 8 years, working with 200 students per year. If you would like a bid for the analysis, please send your manuscript to Randy@AuthorOneStop.com and I would be happy to run your project by her and get that bid to you. You can also send me an email first and I will send you my confidentiality agreement before you send your manuscript to me.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Randy
I would like to transfer my published books from my 1st company to my 2nd company.
I will reply via email to your statement.
Hi Randy,
I self-published a Children’s Yoga book in December and sold 500 copies. It is in a local bookstore in my area, as well. I have 100 copies left and was planning (hoping) to send them to publishing companies in the hopes that they would like to pick it up and perhaps publish a second edition (or series based on the first book). Do you have any advice? It appears as though the chances are slim (based on what you’ve written) that a publishing company would be interested. Any insight is much appreciated.
Hi Julie,
I apologize for the delay in responding. I am just now seeing your message. It never hurts to put yourself out there. I would send a letter along with the book and tell them your statistics. Also show the size of your publicity platform, especially your social media and who you have left to sell it to. Normally, publishers want to see thousands of books sold, but hey, you never know, right?
a publisher bought my publishing rights but I want to buy them back. He says he will THINK about selling them to another publisher but has not given me a number. Can you tell me what is reasonable? He’s from England I’m in the U.S. I also self publish on Amazon under myself as GLS Press. Can I buy them back as a publisher?
I will reply privately to this message.
I manage an artist co-op and one of our artists is writing and illustrating a small children’s book.
Would it be reasonable for us to do all of the editorial/typesetting/layout/cover design/etc. and use a print-on-demand service to print a small run (under 50 books) for feedback locally before submitting the book to publishers or agents? Would this be viewed as “self publishing”? (assuming the author or co-op is the original rights holder and still owns all publishing rights)
We typically work in new and non-traditional media, so I’m interested in where “self publishing” equals “vanity publisher” and where “self publishing” means literally publishing it yourself and only relying on a printing service for the physical book. Do traditional publishers distinguish between these two things? Thanks!
Hi Katrina,
I am just now seeing your message. Sorry for the delay in responding. Once a book is on Amazon, publishers have access to your sales numbers. The book will most likely stay on Amazon, even if you remove it. All of a sudden, “used” copies will appear. You are now in competition with a traditional publisher. I never would recommend self-publishing if a person’s goal is to be with a traditional publisher.
Self-publishing is not considered vanity publishing. Self-publishing is an author taking control of every aspect of a project and the author maintains the majority of their rights. Vanity publishing involves companies taking control and maintaining most rights. There are many vanity publishers with extremely poor reputations. A newer breed involves “hybrid” publishing. With any publishing where you are paying money to be published, I always suggest having the company’s contract reviewed. If you need a connection to a literary attorney, I am happy to provide that.
Hello. I am a new writer with a self published book on kobo books but due to zero marketing boost I haven’t made a sale. I am wondering if it’s possible to sell all or some( that is international) rights if the book. Please be informed that it is a fictional young adult novel set in Africa. I do not have any us based following. Kindly advice me on the next step I can possibly take with my book. Thanks
Hi Agatha Francis, try contacting Jill Lublin. She helps self-published authors sell foreign rights for their books. She will be pitching many publishers in Germany at the Frankfurt Book Fair in a few weeks. Info@JillLublin.com.
Sincerely,
Randy
Hello Randy,
Last year I wrote and self-published Magic Thinking for Kids, that has won a CIPA EVVY Award, Living Now Book Award and recently was a finalist in Best Book Awards with American Book Fest. I have sold 600 books and recently started to speak to schools about how kids can change their thoughts to create more happiness in their life. I think it’s an important, timely topic and would like kids around the world to benefit from the book but I need a bigger reach. I am also getting it translated into Spanish and Mandarin and have been asked if it will be translated into Italian and French. What do you suggest the best way would be to get in front of larger publishers?
Thank you for your guidance!
Kindly,
Marrielle Monte
Hi Marrielle, my children’s editor has ghostwritten and edited many books for tops children’s publishers. She was also on faculty for the Institute for Children’s Literature for 8 years, working with 200 adults per year. This is the kind of question she can answer, so I will send your question along to her and get back to you with her response.
Hi, Randy,
Thanks for this very helpful article. I’ve been employed as a copywriter for a number of years and have also ghostwritten a number of books for a Christian organization. I’ve finally started on a book of my own and am already thinking through the entire process to decide if I should search for a traditional publisher or go the self-publishing route. I understand that it’s a long and difficult process to find a publisher, and I have enough knowledge of marketing and Adobe suite to do most of the self-publishing process myself. However, I’m a bit repelled by the lack of academic credibility associated with self-publishing. Would you recommend self-publishing one book and marketing it like crazy to drive up the sales as a way to establish a sort of “exhibit A” of success to help me get a publisher for a second book? Thanks for your insight.
Hi Jaimie,
I am just now seeing your message above. Sorry for the delay in responding. I do not recommend self-publishing first for this reason: once you self-publish, if you haven’t sold 10,000 books in the first year, it’s going to be tough for a publisher to show interest in a second book.
Hello Randy,
Thanks so much for the info. I self-published my book just over a year ago, sales have not been so great but the feedback from readers that have bought it have been excellent. My question is could i still approach an agent/publisher?
Once a book is self-published, you’ve established a track record of sales. If your sales are low, publishers will not typically touch your book because they will see it as a bad investment on their part. The strategy I suggest is to increase your sales through social media marketing and other forms of marketing. If you’d like to have some referrals, please ask for them via my email and I will introduce you to some good resources. It depends on the target market for your book, so I know who I should refer you to. Email me at Randy@AuthorOneStop.com
I had a book that was self-published last April. Since then, I have sold approximately 600 copies. You mentioned if you have not had good sales, a publisher will not be interested. What is the magical number for them to be interested? It is the story of my journey through my son’s drug addiction. It is a book of hope and all the reviews, so far, have been good. I have read that if you send an inquiry to the major publishers you should not send your book and you should not say, I have a self-published book that I would like to send to you. How should you word it?
Three top literary agents I met with on the same day in separate meetings in May told me they would not touch a self-published book unless it sold 10,000 copies in the first year and the author could prove that there was still an ongoing demand for it. Now, that is to take a self-published book to a top publisher. There may be some publishers who might be willing to consider a book that has sold more than 5000 or 6000 copies in its first year, but I couldn’t guarantee that.
Hi Randy.
I have a beautiful manuscript on self transformation book. If I am allowed to brag, this book is exceptionally well written and Nobel prize worthy. I need the right publisher for it. Can you please advise how should I proceed with it.
Thanks!
Please contact me at Randy@AuthorOneStop.com and ask for my confidentiality agreement.
Randy,
Thank you so much for writing this and trying to help new authors. Unfortunately, I didn’t read this until after I had self-published my book. Sorry, I’m sure you get tired of hearing that. Anyway, my book did fairly well, 460 copies (print and digital) sold on Amazon without a dime spent on advertising, and another 70 or so sold in person. I understand the difficulties in selling a self-published book that you described above. However, I think I may have an advantage.
I’ve just begun working on the sequel, and I left a pretty good cliffhanger at the end of book one.
Also, I have a rather large social media following. Many of them want to know how this story ends since I’ve never spoken about it publicly. Do you think a publisher may be willing to pick up both books?
Hi John,
I saw your message just this moment, or I would have replied sooner. The literary agents I pitch to tell me that once an author self-publishes, they have to show 10,000 books sold in the first year and show ongoing demand. Publishers won’t invest in a second book (or your first and second book together) unless your original sales met this criteria.
I worry I might be unethical asking this question. I have self-published a novel on Amazon. It is incredibly difficult to develop a following that would result in a significant number of sales. I have great 5 star reviews from reputable reviewers. The book is only 51,000 words. What if I added another 12.000 words and changed the title, would I have a better chance of getting a publishing house or an agent?
You can position it as a second edition. There is nothing unethical about that. However, publishers will look up your current sales numbers on Amazon. They have access to that information. Your numbers are small, so the chances of getting a book deal are compromised. My advice is to work with a social media specialist or a national publicity strategist to boost your sales. I can provide referrals for each. Please contact me at Randy@AuthorOneStop.com if you are interested.
Thank you for your very helpful information.
You’re welcome. I’m happy to help wherever I can!
I’ve self published books over the years with Blurb and Amazon. Mainly adventure, mystery, and horror. My only problem is, not many people know about them and even they did, they would probably refuse to buy them since some of them are expensive. I’m working on getting my latest completed manuscript called “Fear Itself”, but I want a lot of people to know about it, maybe even have someone make a movie out of it. I don’t want it to be unknown like my others.
Hi Joseph,
Once you have a self-published book, you have a track record of sales that publishers will look up. Low previous sales do not lead to a book deal. I don’t know the movie world but I do have a connection who writes screenplays, log lines, outlines and full length scripts. She’s done over 500 shows that have been featured on TV or film. You can contact me at Randy@AuthorOneStop.com to pick up the thread of this conversation if you wish.
What are the differences between self-publishing and using a traditional publisher? Thanks.
I like both methods for different reasons. These are generalizations, and there are exceptions. But in general: With self-publishing you can get your book out quickly and make a lot more money per book. With traditional publishing, a book typically takes a year to 1.5 years for a book to come out once a contract is offered by a publisher. You make a lot less money per book, but you receive national distribution. Either way, you are largely responsible for the marketing of your book. I tell people, if you want to make more money per book and get your book out quickly, self-publish. But if you are using your book for your career, for example, definitely try for a traditional publisher. More professional opportunities can open up for you. You can typically get more media and publicity, speaking engagements, etc. My clients’ books have wound up in airport bookstores, FedEX Office and Office Max stores, in TIME Magazine and Oprah Magazine, on Hallmark TV and Daily Mail TV, and taken to Hollywood movie producers. My own first book, Crappy to Happy, is used in a bookstore scene in the Hollywood feature movie, “Eat Pray Love.” Julia Roberts holds it up in a scene and buys it. None of these opportunities would have happened by self-publishing. They all happened as a result of the authors being published by credible publishers.
I self-published my book about a year ago and even though I got the satisfaction of having my first book out there, it never really made many sales. Now I believe that I should have tried getting a publisher. I learned that is really hard so I was discouraged then. I am still looking for a publisher hopefully for this one or my next book
What genre was your first book? Do you have any kind of budget for marketing it? I might have a referral or two to help you market your book, but I need more information about your subject matter so I’ll have a better idea as to who might be a good fit for your book.
Hi Randy,
I have an unpublished fiction manuscript that I would like to have pitched.
My question is do you pitch the manuscript?
Hi Josie,
Yes, I do pitch manuscripts. My company edits and ghostwrites books, and I write/polish book proposals and pitch manuscripts to agents and publishers.
One of my clients signed a 6-figure deal with Simon & Schuster recently. My company ghostwrote the book and I pitched it to one of the agents I work with. The book was sold at auction in a bidding war.
I also had five books come out recently through publishers I secured for my clients: Great Mondays (business, McGraw-Hill, 4 publishers offered contracts); Red Mittens (paranormal fiction based on a true story); Life in a Word (gift book); Red Stocking Society (middle grade); and Structural Integration and Energy Medicine (mind, body, spirit). Three literary agents picked up other fiction projects I pitched.
Just prior to that, I had 3 books come out for my clients. Slave: A Human Trafficking Survivor Finds Life (memoir) is currently being read by 3 major Hollywood producers and was featured on national TV. Kindness in a Scary World (children’s) has won numerous awards, and I had a third book come out on Remodeling Success.
Other past successes (there are many more): Elinor Stutz’s first book, Nice Girls DO Get the Sale, was featured in Time Magazine. I polished the book proposal and secured the agent for Elinor’s second book, Hired! The book was sold to Career Press in 1 week, and FedEX Office bought 3000 copies for their stores nationally.
Pivot received a 6-figure deal in a bidding war between Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins and McGraw-Hill. It made The Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller lists.
Pivot and Adrenaline Nation were featured in airport bookstores.
My author for Finding the Wow was given a full page feature in Oprah magazine and was featured on Hallmark TV.
If you would like to speak, you can call me at 831-726-3153 Pacific Time or schedule a time that is convenient for you:
https://calendly.com/randypeyser/15min
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Randy Peyser
Hello,
I self published and put on Amazon reading your responses not a good thing further, it didn’t have many sells. I have gone in and did a few revisions and added more details on a couple characters and changed the title. By internal and title changes help to get a publisher?
Publishers will look up your previous book’s sales on Book Scan. You don’t have access to that software, but they do. So that won’t work. The best strategy is to work with a marketer who can help you get the word out about your book so you can sell it.
Hi!
I run a mom scientist blog and I’ve written a book of science experiments for kids called Science in Your Kitchen. To test how my book would go, I put up part of it as a free ebook download, and I’ve had over 3,000 downloads in the past three months. I have now put the rest of it together and I’d like to pitch it for traditional publication. Will the fact that part of it was available hurt my ability to pitch it as a full book? It was never on Amazon or any other marketplace, and it now contains double the experiments that the original part had. Thanks very much for your input!
It can still be pitched.
I self-published what was to be the first volume of a series of Middle Grade books. (I tried for six months to find an agent first). It has done moderately well on Amazon (4.2 rating, between 500 and 1000 downloads). I want to try to find an agent for the second volume. It would be nice for the first to be picked up by the publisher but not mandatory for me.
How do I approach an agent about this? I will not lie but I would like my work to be judged on its own merits and not on potential difficulties.
If I rewrote a few sections so that it might be the “first” book of a re-launched series, would that be legitimate to present? Or should I change enough of the book to make it more easily the first?
Thanks.
Hi CK, I just now saw this message. May I ask how many downloads you’ve had to date? Once a book is self-published, a mid-range publisher wants to see 3500-5000 books sold in the first year. A large house wants to see 10,000 books sold in the first year. The agents I work with will not touch a self-published book unless the author has sold 10K books in the first year.
Hi Randy,
I authored (and retain rights to) a series (3) of picture books, each on the theme of inclusion, set in a “soup kitchen” type social enterprise of a pretty high-profile non-profit that I’ve contract with. The org’s Founder is a best-selling adult spiritual memoir author with a large publishing house. The non-profit is not a faith-based org whose mission statement is not spiritual, but is known as a spiritually centered group.
My fee was paid from a grant and the marketing team originally intended to self-publish these for our social enterprise employees and large social media following.
Now, one of the org’s CEO’s suggested – in light of heightened int’l award/publicity the org’s just received – that I pitch the books (with myself as author) to a publishing house and hold off self-publishing.
As the Founder is supportive of my the books, the CEO suggests I ask him (who is agented) to assist in pitching for publication…but, as his audience is adult, I’m not sure I should. CEO says because Founder’s publishing house has a large children’s division, I should try through him/his agent/etc. before we do the self-publishing idea this fall.
Obviously, I am clueless as to what my next steps should be! I’d appreciate any advice.
Much thanks!
We spoke a while ago, A.B. I am curious where your project is now.
Thanks for sharing your insight.
I wanted to ask about the “double-edged sword” you mentioned.
If a self-published book has decent traction or good momentum, I am guessing most self-published authors would not be motivated to approach a publisher. But, if a self-published book does not have any traction or momentum but it is well written and does have “potential” why wouldn’t a publisher recognize the opportunity?
Example; my book was published in 2019 and while I have sold books on Amazon, I do have a day job that is too lucrative to walk away from, yet. Up until now, my book has been more of a tool for public speaking, consulting and hopefully seminars in the near future. My book was also recently adopted as a text book at Cal Poly in in California. As bad as it may sound, selling book retail has not been my focus, yet. My guess is that in the hands of a professional marketer book sales would grow substantially.
I guess the “double-edged sword” you mentioned seems a little baffling to me because I would imagine a “true” diamond in the rough would be the most lucrative to a publisher.
Your thoughts?
Thanks
Hi Greg,
From what I observe, the competition is way too high for publishers to consider a diamond in the rough. The winning combination is a great manuscript that is ready to go + numbers to potentially “prove” the sale of the book. A book needs to be treated like a business because it’s not a publisher’s hobby. They are investing time and money into every project – sales teams that contact Barnes and Noble book buyers, sending it out to reviewers, printing costs, foreign rights sales, securing distributors, audio rights, etc. They are looking for projects that they believe will bring them the greatest return. Once a book is on Amazon, it is now in competition with a publisher. Even if you take it off of Amazon, “used” copies will suddenly appear. Once a book is self-published, publishers also want to know who you have left to sell it to. I think you are right that getting publicity and marketing support can help. I am not a marketer or publicist. My “lane” is to “get the content right” and “get the book sold to a publisher.” I wish you luck in securing more sales!
Hello Randy. I’m so glad I stumbled upon this page. I have recently just finished the manuscript of what I hope will become a novel. It is a Fictional spiritual thriller that is based in some historical facts and very edgy. It is unpublished and after reading many of your answers to other authors, I understand that self-publishing is NOT what I want to do. Everyone who has even heard excerpts from my book thinks not only will it be a page turner, but thinks it would make an excellent movie. My protagonist is conflicted between her family’s Satan worship and her new found Christian faith. Her powerful mother vows revenge on those who inspired her daughter’s new faith. Her daughter gets caught up in the spiritual crossfire. Perhaps it could be pitched better, but that’s sort of the gist. There are many surprises, funny characters, secrets, suspense and spiritual conflicts that ensue. How can I get representation by a reputable, traditional publishing company? I would be honored to receive any advice you could offer me. Thank you in advance.
Hi Doris,
I have a solid connection to make for you to a Christian ghostwriter who has many connections to traditional Christian publishers. Has your book been professionally edited? One of my editors specializes in editing books for a Christian market. That is a service we can help you with if you so desire. Do you have a social media following? That is an important step in getting a publisher interested in your project, too. You are welcome to follow up with me at Randy@AuthorOneStop.com as you wish.
Sincerely,
Randy
Hi Randy,
I was contacted via email by a “literary agent” asking me to consider an agreement with a major traditional publisher to sell my book exclusively. How do I know this proposition is not a scam? They recommend that I re-publish it independently, have a new ISBN number assigned, etc. through a company they work with. Should I have a guarantee from the “major publisher” before agreeing to republishing?
It’s a scam. Run!
Thank you for the great article! I know it’s from a few years back but I still wanted to reply. I admit I got my gruff up a bit at the agents’ reaction to self-publishing and the snarky reply of, “Why? Why do they do that?” We do that because many, many of us have miserably failed in the traditional world of publishing and have found it impossible, as a first time author, to get any attention or interest from agents. After awhile, one becomes highly jaded and disillusioned about their work and begins to question their project, their talent, their ambition and everything else about their beloved writing ventures. Only a person who writes understands the frustration that comes with rejection after rejection, or even better, no response at all, for a project they may have put years into. It is extremely difficult to get recognized in the literary community if you have no name, no contacts and nothing but your talent and skill as a writer to go on. Self-publishing is sometimes the only option when a highly talented writer just cannot break into that world. I applaud those authors who refuse to allow the politics of publishing companies and literary agencies dictate the worth of their work. I have known dozens of first-time authors who simply cannot gain access into the industry, despite the high quality and salability of their project. As you said, I always commend them for self-publishing and taking their writing careers into their own hands instead of waiting on some agent to check their query folder and pass over their project with barely a glance (if they’re lucky enough to even get a glance!) When I was first traditionally published, it was honestly out of pure luck that my query was noticed among the hundreds of others that sat in my agent’s inbox. Since it is often that a writer feels like one grain of sand in an agent’s hourglass of queries, it can often be a very long, painful and fruitless endeavor. Most writers just want a chance to share their work with the reading world. Making money is nice, but not typically a first-time writer’s main objective, so why leave your work sitting on your laptop because the writing industry is a basically closed one to the majority of new writers? Indie writers, imo, are often the best ones because they write simply for the love of the craft and do not need the validation of an agent or publisher to pursue their purpose of sharing their work. Thank you so much for encouraging authors to be proud of their indie status. This was such a great article!!
Thank you for your kind words.
I like self-publishing, and I also love, love, love securing literary agents for people and contributing to their success in that way. I primarily get book deals for first-time authors.
Like any industry, relationships matter. I’m grateful to have over 22 years of industry contacts in place. It makes a difference. I know that it can be frustrating to not hear back from agents if you are not known. I’m glad that self-publishing exists for that very reason. However, if I have a great manuscript in my hands, I know that I can open doors for people that they will never be able to open for themselves.
Keep writing and enjoy the journey! We’re all here to make our impact in the ways that are right for us. Have fun in the process!
Hey Randy hope you are doing well and thank you for your forum and advice to all of us. I wrote a story of roughly 180 pages from start to finish, but now I am stuck on what to do next, what would your advice be? Thank you.
Hi Ridhwaan, the next step is a professional Read Through and Written Analysis. In the analysis, the strength or weakness of the work is determined. We use the Comments bar in Word to point out the issues that need to be addressed by you. In this analysis round, we are also discerning whether or not we believe an agent or publisher will be interested in offering you a book deal just based on your content (provided you are interested in traditional publishing). A typical process is: we send the author our Confidentiality Agreement, then the author sends us the manuscript in Word. We analyze the manuscript, then the book goes back to the author to input changes. When the author has addressed the issues, the manuscript comes back to us for editing. Sometimes more than one round of an analysis or of editing is necessary, since everyone’s writing is different. Some manuscripts come in strong. Others need more work. We just do what needs to be done. Here is my schedule if you’d like to speak. I’d like to learn more. https://calendly.com/randypeyser/15min