The Path To Publishing
September 20, 20181pm EST / 10am PST
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gail gonzales
• vp, director of publishing strategy at penguin random house clarkson potter, harmony books, rodale books
• previous publisher of rodale books, rodale kids
• over 15 years in publishing
overview
• why publish
• honing in on your message and growing your platform
• various paths: self publishing, hybrid publishing, traditional
• publishing houses, agents, book deals, and proposals
• the writing process: querying and proposal writing
why publish?
• credibility factor
• speaking opportunities
• you can’t find the content you need in the marketplace
• expand your influence, platform, and reach
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priming the path
• what is your end goal?
• who is your audience and what is your vision for them?
• what sets you apart and why should people listen?
• can you distill your idea down to a 30-second pitch?
• what is the promise?
the 30-second elevator pitch
quick tips for your own elevator pitch
• who are you trying to reach?
• what problem is being solved?
• why should people care?
your platform
• getting clear on your idea and your platform will dictate your publishing path
• be honest with yourself
• social media following
• tv, print, or online media hits
your platform
• can you focus on a couple of areas to build?
• what does your engagement look like?
• how are your nurturing and growing your following
non-negotiables
• web presence
• strong social media following
• testimonials/endorsements and partnerships
• unique take on an idea/content, different angle
• voice
not to worry
whatever your situation may be,
there is a path to publishing for you
what path to choose?
• self-publishing
• hybrid publishing
• traditional publishing
self-publishing aka DIY
• writing, editing, proofreading - all on you
• cover design and file prep
• limited distribution
• marketing
• pricing
self-publishing
• immediate• control• higher royalties• retain all rights• could lead to a traditional book deal
• possible costs• no advance• responsible for all aspects• limited distribution• product can be subpar• book can get lost in the shuffle
self-published success stories
self-publishing outlets
hybrid publishing• sometimes referred to as ‘vanity publishing’ or ‘partner publishing’
• paid services
• distribution
• marketing services
• can appear as if they are traditional publishers but you are still paying for services and not receiving an advance
hybrid publishing
• usually quick to market• more support • high royalties• retain all rights• marketing services• could lead to a traditional book deal
• high cost/very expensive• no advance• poor reputations/bad reviews• limited distribution
hybrid publishing success stories
hybrid publishing outlets
traditional publishing
• the ‘Big Five’
• independent houses/presses
traditional publishing
• advance• dedicated team• wide distribution – sales team• credibility• media relationships
• lower royalties• do not retain full rights• long timeline• less control• marketing and pr can still be
largely up to you for heavy lifting
• can be difficult to get published
traditional publishing – decision makers
• editors and agents constantly do legwork to find the next big thing– scouring the internet and researching bloggers, instagraminfluencers, youtube stars
• direct submissions/the slush pile – not a promising path, though
• agented submissions
• how an agent can help you
traditional publishing – decision makers• revisit your vision/your idea – what has been published that is close to or in the neighborhood of your vision?
• which authors do you admire in the health and wellness space?
• two tactics: read acknowledgements in back of books you have singled out and/or subscribe to publishersmarketplace.com (paid subscription)
• become familiar with the health/wellness imprints
• you do not need a fully written book – non-fiction books only need a proposal
traditional publishing – decision makers
• authors ALWAYS thank their agents
traditional publishing – decision makers
• authors ALWAYS thank their agents
traditional publishing – decision makers
traditional publishing – decision makers
• familiarize yourself with health and wellness imprints
traditional publishing – to publish or not?• many stakeholders
• curation of list- what is already on their list to publish?
• comp titles – what titles are similar to yours that have had a successful track?
• voice, angle, and promise
• strength of your following/reach and subject matter (trending?)
traditional publishing – to publish or not?
• agent will set up in-person meetings or calls
• meet with editor – perhaps publisher, marketing, and pr team
• p&l is put together – offer/advance based off of p&l
• preempts and auctions
traditional publishing – recent frenzies
traditional publishing – recent frenzies
traditional publishing – the financials• no costs to the author for any creation of production of the work, although publisher may ask you to hire additional pr support
• publisher pays an advance against royalties
• hardcover royalties typically 10% of list price and escalate
• paperback royalties typically 7.5% of list price
• agent typically takes 15% of advance and royalties
traditional publishing – agents and proposals
• querying an agent – one page pitch letter
• business letter format, 3-4 paragraphs
• opening hook – compelling stat or problem you are solving – grab the reader – overall narrative of the book (remember your elevator pitch!)
• specifics of the book: genre, length title/subtitle
• who is your target market/reader?
• overview of your bio, strength of platform and credentials
• have your proposal ready to send once you hear back
traditional publishing – the proposal
• 20-30+ pages
• it’s basically a business plan
• chapter synopsis
• sample chapters
traditional publishing – TOC• overview
• about the author, including platform
• publicity and marketing
• testimonials
• proposed table of contents
• chapter synopsis/summaries
• sample chapters (1-3)
• comparable titles
• *if your book is highly visual/illustrated – you’ll want to include a few sample spreads
traditional publishing
traditional publishing
traditional publishing• you may not hear back from anyone – and that’s ok
• the most important area to focus on is growing your following – this is what publishers are counting on you to bring to them
• a small press or independent publisher is usually more willing to accept unsolicited proposals
• yes, this is a lot of work to just get to the starting line
• promoting and marketing your book is just as much, if not more work – make sure you commit to the process
closing thoughts
• many authors have worked very hard over a number of years to get to just the first step in the publishing process
• you have an important message that will help people
• keep working at building your platform
• there is always a path to publishing
questions?
Thank you!