If you have an idea for a nonfiction book or you’ve written a full manuscript, you’ve likely considered the allure of traditional publishing.
But you may not realize the full truth behind that process or what it takes for a nonfiction author to succeed in landing a traditional publishing deal.
So let’s discuss everything you need to know about seeking a traditional publishing deal for a nonfiction book.
Contents
- What is traditional publishing?
- What role do literary agents play in traditional publishing?
- How much does traditional publishing cost an author?
- What is an advance? What are royalties?
- How long does traditional publishing take?
- What are the drawbacks of traditional publishing?
- What are the benefits of traditional publishing?
- Should I pursue traditional publishing?
What is traditional publishing?
According to Writer’s Digest, “Traditional book publishing is when a publisher offers the author a contract and, in turn, prints, publishes, and sells your book through booksellers and other retailers. The publisher essentially buys the right to publish your book and pays you royalties from the sales.”
The “Big Five” publishing houses are:1
in order of annual revenue (as of 2021)
Each publisher has multiple imprints, e.g., Avery is an imprint of Penguin Random House that focuses on prescriptive nonfiction.
An estimated 688 imprints exist across all of the Big Five Publishers.2
Based on data compiled from Julienne Nova on Bookscouter, Ali Almossawi’s helpful visual of The Big Five US Trade Book Publishers, and The Big Five Trade Publishers and Their Imprints.
- Penguin Random House has more than 300 imprints and publishes 85,000 titles per year.
- Hachette has over 200 imprints and publishes an average of 15,000 titles per year.
- HarperCollins has more than 120 imprints and publishes 10,000 titles per year.
- Macmillan Publishers has at least 39 imprints.
- Simon & Schuster has at least 29 imprints and publishes 2,000 titles per year.
When a book is “traditionally published,” it is published by an imprint from one of these five major publishers or by a smaller publishing company.
Don’t dismiss the effectiveness of being published by a smaller publisher. As small press publisher Brooke Warner writes, “For the average aspiring author, the more realistic prospect is to present yourself as a good bet to a small or indie press, to expect a modest advance, and to make your case directly to an editor.” In many instances, smaller presses don’t require the need for an agent as many will accept unsolicited manuscripts. For more on submitting directly to a smaller press or indie press, read the rest of Warner’s article.
However, many authors see traditional publishing with a Big Five publisher as their white whale, the singular goal of their greatest ambition. So the question then is: How does an author get a traditional publisher to consider publishing their book?
Enter the lit agent.
What role do literary agents play in traditional publishing?
An author needs a literary agent to pitch their book to traditional publishers. Agents are the gatekeepers to traditional publishing deals. For a complete guide on this process, for both nonfiction and fiction authors, see Jane Friedman’s How to Find a Literary Agent.
More often than not, agents don’t want to sign on books; they want to sign on clients. In other words, you may have more success in landing an agent if you have ideas for multiple books.
One benefit to submitting nonfiction to a literary agent is that you do not need to have written your full book prior to submission. Rather, you’ll send a book proposal. However, writing a book proposal can be a daunting task. (If you may need help in crafting or revising a nonfiction book proposal, please contact me.)
If you’re keen to begin writing your proposal, see “How to Write a Book Proposal + Book Proposal Template.” I also recommend Michael Larsen’s book How to Write a Book Proposal: The Insider’s Step-by-Step Guide to Proposals that Get You Published. However, be sure to discover your agents’ preferences for what material they’d like to see when you pitch your book.
How much does traditional publishing cost an author?
An author pays nothing out of pocket to be traditionally published.
While the author may sometimes spend money at their own discretion on editing or marketing, a traditional publisher assumes all the risk of the book. While not all instances are similar, a traditional publisher typically takes care of the editing, production, and release of the book.
What is an advance? What are royalties?
If an agent successfully sells a book to a publisher, the publisher will offer the author an advance on royalties. The advance is an upfront payment to the author—essentially a bet by the publisher on how well the book may sell.
A low advance ($5,000 to $20,000) means the publisher is willing to take a chance on releasing the book but may have low expectations for its performance for any number of reasons. A high advance ($500,000 to over $1 million) means that the publisher has high expectations for high sales.
Let’s say that a publisher offers a new author an advance of $100,000. That advance money is against royalties, meaning that the publisher must recoup their $100,000 investment in the book before the author begins to earn money from book sales. Also, don’t forget that a literary agent earns their money based on commission, which is typically 15 percent of the advance and 15 percent from royalties.
Advances are not paid all at once. They are typically doled out over time (e.g., yearly) or as deadlines and deliverables are met (e.g., signing the contract, submitting the manuscript, publishing day).
How long does traditional publishing take?
Long.
From the time an author lands a literary agent to the time the author’s physical book is available in bookstores, the best-case scenario is typically eighteen months.
Many reasons for this comparatively slow process exist:
- The seasons of publishing: new books are often revealed in one season (e.g., the fall) and released the next (e.g., the spring). Sometimes a book effectively has to wait its turn so as not to be overwhelmed by others releasing in the same season.
- Slow summers: The wheels of traditional publishing slow down in the summer.
- The pursuit of excellence: Literary agents often want to spend significant time honing a manuscript or book proposal before submitting it to publishers so they can seek its highest advance.
- Book creation: Once a trad publisher has purchased a book, the physical creation of the book (or ebook or audiobook) requires significant time. Remember that the Big Five create and release hundreds of titles per year.
What are the drawbacks of traditional publishing?
Time to publish
For many, the length of time traditional publishing requires is its greatest drawback. With self-publishing processes available that allow anyone to publish a book as soon as the writing is finished, it’s difficult for some authors to wait eighteen months or longer to see their book exist in the world.
Control
An author may not want to relinquish any control of their book. When an author pursues traditional publishing, they need to know that many people will be speaking into all aspects of their book.
Pay
An author may not want to work on the advance payment model or give 15 percent of earnings to an agent.
What are the benefits of traditional publishing?
Distribution
By far, traditional publishers (especially the Big Five) have the means and connections to get an author’s book into the most bookstores, both physical and digital. Distribution channels will vary based on the publisher, but if an author wants their book to be available in bookstores, traditional publishing is the path to choose. An author may make less per book but stands to sell more books due to greater availability in the market.
Additionally, the well-known best-seller lists are most often comprised of traditionally published books. For example, the New York Times bestseller list uses sales of print copies from bookstores as one of its metrics. If an author’s book is not available in a majority of bookstores across the country, its chance to make the NYT bestseller list is negligible.
Expertise
Literary agents, acquisitions editors, and the other dozens of types of publishing professionals have expertise that authors don’t. Especially for those who have decades of experience, they know from trial and error what works and what doesn’t. While an author may be giving up some control of their book, they should rest assurred that their book is receiving expert help at every step of the publishing process.
Credibility
While a majority of readers don’t know the name of the publisher of their favorite books, there’s arguably still cachet in being able to tout yourself as an author with Penguin Random House, for example. Plus, the increased exposure of an author’s book in hundreds of bookstores increases that author’s name and brand recognition.
Should I pursue traditional publishing?
Since I work with nonfiction authors, my advice is geared toward them. If you write fiction, see Jane Friedman’s “How to Get Your Book Published.”
The single most daunting hurdle for nonfiction authors seeking traditional publishing is lack of a platform.
As Brooke Warner, publisher at She Writes Press, states: “In my experience, most writers aren’t realistic or ready to confront how very real a barrier lack of author platform is when it comes to getting traditionally published. The publishing industry sets a high bar when it comes to expectations on this front. They want you to have lots of followers, to be actively engaged on various social sites, to have previously published work (either books that show sales or online essays or stories that are published on prestigious or well-read sites). Other things that might tip the balance when it comes to platform: a popular newsletter or blog; podcast; a popular YouTube channel; a post or story you’ve written that’s gone viral.”
There is no magic number for platform. Some say 10,000. Others 20,000. But the source of the audience matters. Ten thousand followers on a social media platform are not the same as 10,000 email subscribers; your email list is ostensibly more engaged with your content than your social media followers.
Secondary matters that can lead to not receiving a traditional publishing deal include:
- poor writing
- submitting a book on which you’re not a noted expert
- trite memoirs
- inflexibility as an author
In other words, you should pursue traditional publishing for a nonfiction book if you have:
- a substantial and growing platform of engaged followers
- proven writing ability (or the income to hire a writer)
- expertise about the topic on which you’re writing
- patience
- flexibility
If all five of these characteristics describe you, then traditional publishing through the help of a literary agent may be a viable publishing path for you.
P.S. In due time, I will write about the other publishing options available to nonfiction authors, including hybrid publishing and self-publishing. In the meantime, I once again recommend Jane Friedman and her insightful, in-depth, consistently updated article on The Key Book Publishing Paths.
- 1
in order of annual revenue (as of 2021) - 2
Based on data compiled from Julienne Nova on Bookscouter, Ali Almossawi’s helpful visual of The Big Five US Trade Book Publishers, and The Big Five Trade Publishers and Their Imprints.
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