Fairly frequently – about once or twice a month – someone asks me, by email, or in conversation, how to go about getting a book published.
So I thought that I would write down what little advice I have to offer in this context.
The problem is that my path is not usual. When I started, long ago, the publishing world was very different. And I was fortunate enough to meet some people who gave me my first breaks. So, in terms of breaking into the publishing world ‘from cold’ I don’t have any experience of that.
But I would start with two, crucial questions.
1. Do you really want to write a book?
I mean, really? I meet a lot of people who do not want to write a book so much as they want to have written a book. They want a physical object with their name on the spine. Please understand, writing a book is very, very hard. I mean, it’s not as hard as working down a mine or being a primary school teacher. But it takes a lot of effort and self-determination. So, maybe ask yourself, what am I actually looking for? Is there another way to tell my story? A video? A blog? A podcast? You have to want to do it.
2. What have you got to say?
The second thing is that you have to be sure you have something to say. Something that hasn’t been said before. People are fascinating – everyone has their own story – but that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a book in it. What’s the USP of your book? What will it do that others can’t?
Let’s assume that having read this, you still want to write a book. You’re going to need a few things:
- A good, preferably great, title
- A proposal document
- At least one sample chapter
You might want to write the whole thing, of course, and worry about publication later. That’s a perfectly acceptable way to go about things, although it carries a risk. But initially, any publisher will probably only want to look at these few items.
Put a proposal together
This is what sells the book to any publisher.
When I propose a new book to my editors, I always write the blurb – the bit on the cover which describes what it is and tries to sell it to the customer. You might think that I am getting ahead of myself in doing this, but my theory is that it helps me to identify what this book is, and the publishers to see how it might be sold. It also helps to identify what’s different about this book.
At any rate, you will want to try to answer these questions:
- What’s it called?
- What's it about?
- Who's it aimed at?
- What's in it (list the chapters and the structure as best you know them.)
- What makes it different?
- What's the competition?
- Who are you?
- What credentials do you have for writing this?
- How many can you sell? (Publishers love it if you have a ready-made market, e.g. if you're a speaker or teacher or have a podcast.)
Start sending it around
Look for publishers who publish the kind of book you intend to write. There is no point sending your poetry to a publisher who never touches the stuff. Many publishers have information on their websites about how to submit stuff and who to send it to. (e.g. here’s one from Penguin.) But you are probably better in looking for a smaller publisher to start with. Most of the big boys only accept stuff through agents. Talking of which…
Some genres require an agent
I’ve never sold fiction, at least not directly. But my understanding is that in traditional book publishing, the most popular genres – fiction, children’s books, etc. – are nearly all sold through agents. So if that’s what you are doing, you will need to find an agent. Since I’ve never had one, I can’t advise on what would work. The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook and The Writer’s Handbook have the addresses of all UK literary agents.
Should I publish it myself?
I can’t answer that for you. There are lots of print on demand services now which can publish your book for you if that’s what you want. Or you could output it yourself as an ebook or pdf and distribute it that way. (Again – not an expert on that.)
But what I would say is don’t go to a printer or a book packager and get thousands of copies printed. Please. You do not have a distribution network to get them into bookshops. You will end up with a garage full of books and an empty bank account.
Beyond this, I don’t know that I have any advice. I think the key thing is to think through those first two questions. And remember – there are loads of ways to tell your story these days that don’t require print and paper. Explore blogging. Make a video. Think about an eBook. There are lots of ways to find an audience.