How To Get A Book Deal

I've been helping a few people to put a pitch together to send to publishers. These people are lovely, and their blogs are distinctive, inspirational and enlightening, so I've really enjoyed working with them. I suspect they may be given their dream contracts and I wish them all the best for their publishing ventures. Their books will be beautiful.

I know other high-profile publishers who have been trying to get a book deal, and sadly failed. It's not because their blogs  were weak or uninteresting, or even low in follower numbers. (Under-the-radar blogs still have a chance of being noticed, if they have a point of difference.) It was perhaps because they didn't go about approaching the publishers in the right way.

Pitching a book and getting a publishing deal needs to be regarded with as much professionalism as you would when going to a bank to ask for a mortgage. Paperwork – lots of it – is imperative. You'll need a synopsis (short and long), a rationale of why your book will sell, a proposed target market (plus any stats or perceived 'following' you might have), an analysis of your competitor books and why yours is different, a list of marketing ideas, and a bio, photo and evidence any previous writing or publishing, so the publishers can see you can actually write. Lastly – and this is the most important thing – you'll need a mock-up. People are visual. They need show 'n' tell stuff. You'll need at least 3 chapters, with fully designed pages featuring your photos (must be your own), your copy (word) and even captions. An old school binder with some ripped out bits of paper and a few random thoughts simply won't do.

I'm very sorry to deliver this news. But getting a book deal is difficult. The thing is, writing a book is even more difficult. So if you can get through the proposal stage, you'll be fit for the arduous production months ahead.

Here are some tips.

10 STEPS TO BECOMING A PUBLISHED AUTHOR 

{Image of Osa watching NYC mayor Fiorello LaGuardia sign a giant mock-up of her 1940 book I Married Adventure via NYT Pictures}

1. NEVER, EVER, EVER GIVE UP

Ben Slbermann, the creator of Pinterest recently said: “People succeed because they don’t stop". He could have been paraphrasing Churchill. Never give up. If you really want a book deal, you WILL make it happen.

It took Hip Hotels' author Herbert Ypma 10 years to get his series off the ground. He told me that every time he approached Thames & Hudson, his publisher, they couldn't understand the concept. "Which part of the bookstore is it going in: travel or architecture?" they said. "Why does it have to fit into one or the other?" he insisted. But they weren't convinced. Ten years it took. Eventually Ypma received his book deal. The Hip Hotels books have now sold more than 2 million copies.

2. FIND A REALLY, REALLY GOOD IDEA

Don't copy what others are doing. The publishers will have already seen 100 proposals like it. Remember when Tuscany memoirs were all the trend? (Under The Tuscan Sun) And then tart-noir novels? (Adventures of a London Call Girl.) And then 'list' books with elegantly simple covers? (Schott's) And schnovels? (Self-help books disguised as novels.) Not to mention Expat Memoirs. (Eat Pray Love) And books about maps. And Darwin. And now Diana Vreeland... And 'Mummy Porn'. (I still shudder at Fifty Shades of Grey...) Step ahead of the curve. Study bestseller lists, but try to think up something different. Something innovative. Something that's never been done before. (I predict that books showing garden designs and plans will be coming back in. But maybe that's just wishful thinking...)

3. TRY NOT TO USE THE 'MEET PITCH'

As in: "XXX book is The Da Vinci Code meets The Sex Diaries". Really. Try to think of 20 other words to describe your story. 20. You should be able to do that.

4. PREPARE YOUR PROPOSAL / PITCH WITH THE SAME METICULOUS ATTENTION TO DETAIL THAT YOU'D DO IF YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE ABOUT TO WIN AN OSCAR

See that one-page synopsis you've done? Now elaborate. I usually do a short synopsis and a two-page one. Plus a rationale (why it will sell), a description of market competition and why this book is different, a description of potential readership, marketing ideas, a bio (add quirky things – they'll give the pitch personality), a full table of contents, a completed first chapter (sometimes three chapters) and any ideas for design/style.{Image via Book City Jackets and littlecommas.wordpress.com: aren't these jacket beautiful?}

5. WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW

Writing is difficult enough. Don't make it harder by tackling a strange subject. Write about what you love. It will make your writing life easier.

6. DON'T ALWAYS TARGET THE BIG PUBLISHERS

India Hicks got her publishing start with a small-ish London company, Pavillion. I don't know how many times this book has now been reprinted.

7. OFFER IDEAS FOR DESIGN, AND EVEN JACKETS, WITH YOUR PITCH

If you're creative, do some mock ups. If not, find a friend who can. Anything that shows the commissioning editor or Acquisitions Committee what your idea will look like will help.

8. MOCK UP AS MUCH AS YOU CAN TO ILLUSTRATE THE IDEA

Here are two pages from a book I pitched to a publisher several years ago. You don't even need to use final text. Just throw some jabberwocky copy in. It's the 'look' they're interested in. I use InDesign, but you can use any medium.

9. FIND SOMEONE TO SEND YOUR PROPOSAL TO

Don't just send it into the receptionist. Find  an editor. One tip is to look at books you like and see who published/edited them.

10. DON'T WORRY ABOUT AN AGENT UNLESS YOU'RE OFFERED A MOTZA ADVANCE

I've never had an agent. I would have made more money if I had but then they would have taken 20 per cent. Use a lawyer who specialises in contracts. They'll charge you $600+ or so, but it's still cheaper than an agent. In saying this, lots of authors like having an agent to do all the work.

And lastly, don't annoy publishers, editors or agents with follow-up phone calls. If they like what you've done, you'll hear within a very short amount of time. Just wait. And cross your fingers!