Truth From the Trenches: How to Land a Nonfiction Book Deal

I’m a developmental editor and a ghostwriter. That means I develop and pitch nonfiction projects for sale to the Big 5 for a living, and I’m an author myself. I have been grappling with the rapidly consolidating, dazed and amazed publishing marketplace since the year of the big rain eight centuries ago. And I can tell you, navigating the upside-down universe of commercial trade publishing is like becoming Alice. ?For real.

In the beginning of almost every writing process, my authors will innocently and hopefully ask me, should I try for a book deal with a publisher? Of course they ask. It’s the holy grail for writers. The pie in the sky. My answer is often, well, that depends on your goals for the book, the time commitment you are able to make, etc. All of this is true. There are, however, some hard stops about what it takes to convince an agent and ultimately an editor that you are a going concern. Here are a few golden rules to bear in mind.

1.??????? Publishers want to buy books that sell

Publishers aren’t there to elevate new artists or make immortal literary statements for the ages or change the world. Of course, everyone in publishing hopes for these intangibles, but at the end of the day, publishing companies are multinational media mega-conglomerates. They are there to sell books. And I don’t mean a few books. The expectation is that you can push out at least 50k copies within the first year. And that’s the low bar. If you can’t demonstrate that kind of viability right out of the gate, it’s not worth their time or yours.

2.??????? Platform, Platform, Platform.

Nonfiction books sell on platform. They have to stand on the foundation of an existing message and an engaged and growing readership. Platforms can be about anything. I’ve done proposals with platforms based on everything from community brand building and digital nomadism to the female orgasm and period positivity. ?While every platform varies, the elements that publishers look for is not. They want large and engaged social media followings, big subscriber lists, speeches, online curriculum, and traditional and nontraditional media. They want author and brand visibility and scale. ?Just like Miss America has to stand for world peace or more maps, nonfiction authors today, and their books, need to stand for something that readers can rally around.

3.??????? Publishers Don’t Actually Sell Books

While publishers are all about books that sell, they are famously terrible at actually selling them. And they don’t seem to care. Let’s just say they haven’t fixed the problem since the printing press was invented, so I’m not hopeful about this changing any time soon. Their solution is to rely on the author to do all the heavy lifting when it comes to book sales.? So just be aware then when it comes to sales volume, the buck stops with you and your personal brand team.

As you’re coming up with a publishing plan for your next startling work of earth-shattering genius, remember, in today’s publishing world, market viability comes first, and good writing thought leadership, comes second, or even third, unfortunately. When I pitch a project, before I can even submit the proposal, an agent will ask me, “Who’s the author? What’s their platform like?” And I have to say, “You are not going to believe it, but this author is the next best thing since sliced bread . A legit phenom just waiting to happen. And the very next thing that agent will do is Google the author to make sure I’m on the money. If I’m wrong, that agent might not be as eager to take my call next time. So when I pitch a project, I better be pitching the truth.

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