How To Get A Traditional Book Deal

It’s not easy to get a traditional publishing deal, especially as a new author, but it is possible. Below are some tips to help you secure that elusive deal.

It is possible to get deals with small independent publishers by pitching them yourself (if you choose this route, make sure the publishers are not vanity publishers before you commit.)

However, if you want a publishing deal with a big publisher (ie: a publisher that will see your books in major retailers) then the first thing you will need to do is find a literary agent to represent you. Once you have an agent, they negotiate with the publishers on your behalf.

This post will mostly concentrate on getting a literary agent, although some of the advice could be used to get a small publishing deal too.

Tips to secure a literary agent

The most important thing is to make sure you have a dam good book.

Literary agents receive hundreds of queries a day – your manuscript is going up against them. It has to be beyond just good.

• Make sure your story line is original, or at the very least puts a completely new spin on your idea.
• Make sure the spelling, punctuation and grammar is correct. The book will be professionally edited and proof read if it’s accepted, but if it appears you don’t even have a basic grasp of the language, most agents won’t bother trailing through it.
• You don’t need a cover or any illustrations. All of these will be done for you if you are accepted, and most agents won’t even entertain looking at any art work you send.

Choosing an agency

So, now you have an amazing manuscript. It’s time to choose who you will send it to. You can choose to send it to as many or as few agencies as you wish. Obviously the more agencies you send it to, the more chance you have of acceptance.

• Do some research. Look at agencies who specialize in your genre. Sending your manuscript to agencies that don’t represent the genre you write in is a waste of your time and theirs.
• Make sure the agencies you are submitting to are accepting new clients, otherwise, you are just wasting your time.
• Make sure you understand the submissions process. Not all agencies use the same process so check each one.
• Have a look at the various agents available at each agency, and choose the one who represents authors closest to you in terms of topic and style.

Sending your query

Agencies generally accept only email submissions now (I haven’t found any that don’t accept email), but again, make sure you check the submissions process.

• Don’t send a generic email if you are pitching more than one agency. You should know by now which agents you are pitching to. Have a look at their Twitter account and get a feel for their personalities, than tailor your pitch to appeal to them.
• Introduce yourself as a person as well as an author. If you make a personal connection, it will be harder for the agent to not even read your submission.
• Make sure you include enough of a description of your story in the query to get them interested, but keep them wanting more – if they want more, they are more likely to read your submission.
• Mention any relevant achievements that might sway an agent to represent you. Have you been a Kindle best selling author? Do you have a mailing list of 100,000+ etc. It’s time to sell yourself. Don’t hold back, but don’t overstate your achievements either.
• Double and treble check your email for mistakes. This is your first impression. Make sure it’s a good one.

After your submission

Your query is sent. Now it’s mostly a waiting game, but there’s still a few things you should be doing to help your chances of getting representation.

• Make sure you have a thirty second elevator pitch prepared. If an agent is interested, there’s a chance they might call you and ask for an idea of the rest of the book. You need to be able to sum up the book quickly and efficiently while not losing any of the parts that make it unique and interesting. It won’t bode well for you if you’re stuttering and spluttering. You know your book better than anyone – prove it.
• Ensure the rest of the manuscript (most initial queries are only a small sample) is ready to go at a moment’s notice. Don’t be caught out. The manuscript should be completed before you pitch your query and if you are going somewhere on holiday for example, make sure you have access to the manuscript. Making an agency wait isn’t a good idea.
• If you get a rejection email, count yourself privileged – a lot of agents don’t even bother to respond if it’s a no. Yes, its kind of rude, but it’s accepted practice and getting upset about being ignored isn’t going to help anyone, least of all you.
• If you do get a rejection email, make sure you send a reply – a polite reply thanking the agent for their time. You never know when you will want to pitch to them in the future. Always remain professional. Go off and have a cry or a rant first if that’s what you need to do.

The most important thing I could tell anyone, is if you are convinced this is the only route for you, then don’t give up. The right agent is out there!

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