by James Scott Bell
@jamesscottbell
It’s been 18 years already! Can you believe it? The Kindle came out in late 2007. So did a little device I like to call the iPhone. These twin explosions (to put it mildly) changed the world of publishing and reading—and even the culture—forever (I mean, in 2006 you never saw a mom or dad pushing a stroller in broad daylight with their face glued to a phone, as little junior or missy plays with a tablet with digital bunnies instead of looking at live birds flying in the sky).
In 2007 we had two major tragedies: The Sopranos ended and Keeping Up With the Kardashians began.
Evel Knievel, age 69, died in 2007 (shockingly, of natural causes). Tony Bennett, age 80, got married (but did he leave his heart in San Francisco? I certainly hope not).
Where were you in 2007? I was on the verge of signing a new contract with a major publishing house. Traditional publishing was my home. Back then all writers longed to make it through the gates of the Forbidden City.
Then in 2008 and ’09, seemingly out of nowhere, brand-spanking new writers publishing 99¢ Kindle books directly on Amazon started raking in huge bucks. The indie revolution had begun.
It exploded over the next several years, along with prophecies of the demise of traditional publishing. At the time I noted that reports of trad’s death were greatly exaggerated, likening the biz to Jake “Raging Bull” LaMotta who was famous for getting bloodied but never going down.
And so today we have the two paths—trad and indie—firmly established, each with its own set of challenges. I have been a happy indie since 2012. It’s a joy to publish a book the moment I deem it ready. So I wonder what advice I’d give today to an author yearning for a traditional publishing contract. Let me give it a whirl.
- You’re going to need lots of patience. And by that I mean, lots.
Over at the Books & Such Literary Agency blog, Rachel Kent explains a typical timeline in trad publishing:
- Revamping the proposal with your agent for submission to editors: 1–4 months
- Agent pitching and selling the project: 2 months–2 years (sometimes longer and there’s no guarantee of a sale)
- Contract negotiation: 2 weeks–4 months
- Final book is due: 0–18 months after contract
- Editorial revision letter back to author: Approximately 2 months after book is turned in.
- Revisions done by author and sent back to publishing house: 7-30 days from the time the revision letter is received.
- Galleys to author: 4–6 months after revisions
- Galley corrections back to publisher: 7–14 days after receipt of galleys.
- Book goes to the printer: 1–14 days after galleys are finalized.
- Book ships to stores: 1–2 months after it is sent to printer.
- Book officially releases: 1–2 weeks after stores receive the product.
Note that chilling number: It can take up to 2 years for an agent to pitch a project with no guarantee of a sale. And if the book is published, there is no guarantee that it will sell in sufficient numbers to get another contract.
If it’s still your dream to be traditionally published, that’s fine. Everyone should pursue their dreams. Just be aware of the above, and:
- Don’t expect the system to change for you
It’s a glacially slow and frustrating process. It is what it is. I wish it was what it could be. So does writer and former agent Nathan Bransford. He recently offered a “Publishing Submission Bill of Rights” for the publishing industry which I like very much, including:
Article 1 – If you are a publishing professional who’s open for submissions, you owe everyone who follows your submission guidelines a timely response…
Article 2 – If you are an author or agent who doesn’t follow submission guidelines, you are not entitled to a response…
Article 3 – One month for queries and two months for manuscripts is an acceptable timeline unless otherwise agreed – If you’re a publishing professional who can’t stay on top of incoming submissions you should close for submissions, get more assistance, or request fewer manuscripts. Again, it’s unfair to authors to leave them in limbo with hazy timelines…
Article 4 – “Thanks but not for me” is not only an acceptable submission response, it’s better than saying something just to say something – The submission system should reward timeliness and clarity over detailed feedback…
Article 5 – If you receive “thanks but not for me,” you are not owed further clarification. Don’t ask. Don’t bog down the process or put undue pressure on agents and editors who simply say “not for me.” If they only have a gut feeling and don’t have anything helpful to add, don’t follow-up. Just move on.
All that said, the primary advice I’d give to a young writer seeking trad publishing is keep the main thing the main thing. The best book you can write is the main thing. And don’t be a snoot about learning the craft. Learn what works, and why, before you go off and “break the rules.” And don’t think AI is going to give you any shortcuts. If you rely on it for the writing itself, it will give you a competent product at the same time it melts your brain. And competent fiction does not make fans. Unforgettable fiction does, and for that you must tap your heart and your blood, and know how to translate them through craft.
Further advice:
- No agent is better than a bad agent. Do your due diligence.
- Educate yourself on publishing contracts, esp. the non-compete clause and the reversion of rights clause (tie the latter to royalties, not “out of print”).
- Don’t hang your ultimate happiness on getting published. If you don’t make it, you’ll be severely disappointed. If you do make it, your books may not sell enough to keep you inside the Forbidden City. And if you do make it to the “A List” and think you’ll be eternally and gloriously happy, read the end of The Great Gatsby again.
- Manage expectations, write and learn, and find your joy in the production of good words.
Carpe Typem.
Seize the Keyboard.
Over to you now. What’s your view of traditional publishing these days? Any further advice you’d give our hypothetical writer?
Excellent advice as usual, Jim. My advice would be to consider all publishers, not just the Big Five. Independently owned publishers have shorter timelines and often don’t require an agent. BUT be sure to read every line of the contract and find someone (lawyer or friend who’s traditionally published) to help you understand what rights you’re releasing and, if possible, help you negotiate terms.
Good addition about small publishers, Sue. And about every line of a contract! The only caveat is to be aware that if it’s a startup or close to it, these often fail (like the majority of new businesses) and could leave rights in limbo unless that contract is rock solid.
A friend and I discussed the trad vs. Indie thing on a co-written book but we both came to the conclusion that if we in either case have to pretty much do all the work ourselves, what’s the point of trad publishing?
The slowness of the trad pub timeline doesn’t bother me as much as I’m very slow at this anyway. But the other thing, besides no real benefit to trad pub that I can see, is the curt “Thanks but not for me”. I understand the rationale behind it. And I get it, all of us are busy. But it is singularly unhelpful for an agent to give a curt response like that (unless someone subbed without reading submission guidelines) without at least a line or two of explanation because it means the writer doesn’t walk away any the wiser in their writing growth process.
Well, BK, I’d say that expecting to get solid and contemplated advice from a pub is asking a lot. That’s really not their job, and it takes a lot of time to do that well. That’s why “saying something just to say something” is less than helpful, IMO.
Jim,
What wise advice you have in this article. Instead of two paths, I encourage authors that there are three paths: self-publishing (where you can easily spend a lot of money–easily $10,000–and only sell a few books during the book’s lifetime) or traditional (and you gave all the cautions here) or independent (sometimes called hybrid). I’ve worked for as an acquisitions editor for the last 13 years at one of the top Independent publishers, Morgan James Publishing. We distribute to 98% of the bookstores in North America including brick and mortar stores, published over 6,000 titles and sold over 20 million books during the last 21 years, 29 NYT bestsellers and over 200 USA Today/ Wall Street Journal bestsellers. Writers retain their rights and control and ability to earn more income than traditional. David Hancock, our founder has a new book and inside it, he compares these three paths with 40 pages of details. Here’s where you can get a free copy: The Babylon Blueprint for Authors I hope this resource helps some of you–also with the marketing insights.
Terry, I’d push back on the 10 grand! These days anyone who wants to go indie doesn’t need to spend anything at all like that. There are moving parts and each writer is different, so detailed advice is beyond the scope of this comment. But it’s possible to get up and running for under four figures.
Agreed, JSB.
I pay my editor, a cover designer, and for print, a last minute “I don’t want to learn how to do this part” of the print formatting of headers and footers. There’s some cost if you consider marketing, which is up to the individual, but there are platforms that are very affordable.
Jim, I understand the ten grand is a lot but I’m talking about the total self-publishing process of writing an excellent manuscript (foundational), hiring an experienced editor for development, getting an excellent cover design, formatting your book, creating the ebooks and other versions like audio, getting your book online in the right format, then spending some marketing money. I’ve seen this number easily go to this number depending on your choices.
Terry, I would counter that you don’t need to hire a professional editor if you know how to nurture beta readers. Formatting is incredibly easy now with a one-time purchase of Vellum. Excellent covers can be had for under $300, or if one is conversant with Canva, for nothing.
Marketing and advertising are separate issues, and apply to all writers. The soundest advice is this—the best marketing is between the covers of a book, and word of mouth is what sells books and can’t be bought.
An indie writer who spends even a modest four figures to publish is tossing money away.
Jim, thanks for this detail and you are right it boils down to choices. There are thousands of new books published every day and many of those new authors do not know about canva or beta readers instead they choose other much more costly (and possibly ineffective) methods for the process, then reap the results of those choices.
A realistic look at traditional publishing, Jim, along with great advice. I’ve never hopped on the query-go round, though I’ve thought about it. However, plenty of my friends and acquaintances have, with a number of them ending up with traditional publishing contracts.
Based on what I’ve learned from them:
No reply often is how agencies say “no thanks” these days. It’s frustrating as heck, but a reality.
Just because an agent appeared excited and interested at a pitch session at a conference means you’ll received any other than a “no thanks.” You might, but no guarantees.
Be prepared for publication dates to shift, with your book getting pushed back. This can be a bad sign, but in the case of one good friend recently, the publisher came through with a lot of promo, including an extensive book tour.
If you value external validation such as book signings, awards eligibility, etc., traditionally published authors still seem to have the edge over indie publishers, but that’s no longer an absolute.
As always, the only things truly within your control is the writing itself and your own mindset (to echo your advice).
All sound advice, Dale.
On the “validation” issue, I don’t see “book signings” and “awards” moving the needle all that much anymore. Ditto the cachet of being published by a house.
OTOH, people who’ve dashed off an indie or, God help us, have AI do it for them, and go around saying, “I’m a published author” cause hives.
Jim, I have little to add to your good advice about traditional publishing, but I do have a wrinkle on the iPhone introduction (assuming I haven’t already mentioned it here) . . .
I was attending the Arles Photo Festival in southern France in the summer of 2007, when a colleague received a FedEx box from the U.S. As a small group of us crowded around, he opened the package and pulled out the first publicly sold iPhone in the world (his employee was first in line at Apple’s #1 store in Tyson’s Corner, Virginia). He turned it on, and our collective mouths fell open. “Game changer,” I mumbled, not knowing then that I would soon embrace the world of indie publishing.
P.S. I have photos of this moment in digital history, if anyone is interested.
Wow, Harald, you were there! And a definite prophet.
A year before the Kindle, I was at a book fair and Sony was there, showing off its new ereader. We were in the bright sun, and the rep showed me how you could read the text anyway. “Cool,” I said. “What books can you get in this format?” He mumbled something that didn’t impress me enough to shell out a couple hundred bucks. Then came the Kindle with its access to all Amazon, and the Sony began its death spiral.
The Nook tried to give Kindle a run for its money, with the Barnes & Noble library, and kept up the fight for years. But, as we all know…
I’ve been traditionally published since 2015 and here’s why I don’t self publish – I’m basically lazy. I don’t want to learn another skill! I’d rather have an expert edit my manuscript (for free) and create an amazing cover (also for free) and then publish my books. I know many authors who self publish and that is great! But not for me at this time.
Absolutely, Jane. You totally fit the profile of a writer who just wants to write and hand off all that other jazz. I wouldn’t call you “lazy” (but then again, how well do I know you? Ha!) You’ve just got your own ROI figured out and can concentrate, as I say in the post, the “main thing.” Onward!
Great post, Jim.
I particularly like the Submission Bill of Rights.
The comparison you draw between the two paths is as succinct as I’ve read; and I checked out Nathan’s website…might have to explore that more thoroughly. Good stuff there.
Where was I in 2007? Not authoring! That didn’t start until 2015.
I was in Vietnam–my first overseas trip. What an eye-opener for this small-town American girl.
Have a great Sunday everyone!
Mr. Bransford has been very helpful to authors over the years. Enjoy!
I don’t disagree that Amazon and the Kindle were game changers. But … well before there was a Kindle, there were independent e-publishers. There was no Amazon; if you wanted a book from one of their authors, you bought it directly from the publisher’s website and read it on a PDA or your computer. Ellora’s Cave was the founding ‘mother’ of the e-book, because there was a huge market of people, mostly female, who wanted to read erotica (which Ellora’s Cave called “romantica”) in the privacy of their homes, and not have to stand in a checkout line with a physical book where the person behind the register was likely someone she knew. Other publishers followed suit. Most are gone now. Ellora’s Cave had a mainstream imprint, Cerridwen Press, and they published my first 3 titles. The Wild Rose Press began with romance short stories, and I was their first contracted author. They’re still around.
Romance is its own little world, isn’t it? I recall Ellora’s Cave, but wasn’t there some controversy and they went out of business?
I was out before they closed (good reversion clause in the Cerridwen contract!) but I think things started when Amazon and the Kindle showed up, and the smaller “buy from me” publishing system fell out of favor with readers. There was more, I’m sure, but since I was no longer connected with the company, I didn’t pay attention.
Eighteen years? That means there are people in college today who never knew a world without iPhones and ebooks. Scary.
Two of my six novels were traditionally published. (By two different small publishers.) Both were good experiences, but for several reasons, I wanted to regain control, and I was able to get the rights back to both of those books. I enjoy the process of self-publishing, and I believe my self-pubbed books are just as good—maybe better—than if they had been trad published. The one area I haven’t figured out is how to get my books widely distributed to bookstores and libraries. If anybody has insight there, I’d love to hear it.
“Manage expectations, write and learn, and find your joy in the production of good words.” — There it is in a nut shell.
“Enjoy the process” is key, Kay! Like you, I most enjoy the speed and control of indie. (I also enjoy saying, “Key-Kay.”)
🙂
For someone like myself, who is looking to self-publish, can anyone share the name of great independent publishers?
If you are looking to self-publish, what do you mean by “independent publishers?”
The web can be maddening, irritating, and distracting, but it has opened other avenues of publishing. And not just web sites and the Kindle. For example, I’m publishing a book of essays that I send out a chapter a month via email, and people seem to be interested. No agent needed and I keep all the money myself!
(Though I do want to have a book traditionally published as well, I can’t deny that.)
Yes. Substack, Patreon, too. More to come, I’m sure.
I tried for around five years, writing a mystery series and submitting it to agents as you were supposed to do, BEFORE Bezos and his amazing machine – and hated the entire process.
It kept sending me, “Good – but not for us” and “Send us your next one” and taking forever to do that minimum.
And I’d already been chronically ill for what seemed like centuries (got sick in 1989), and could NOT handle the emotional rollercoaster.
Just wish I had been ready to take advantage of the kind of run The Mill River Recluse got – because it might have really worked for me. But if you’re sick, you’re also often ‘as slow as continental drift,’ and I’m STILL not finished.
But I gave up on traditional publishing, seeing a huge mismatch between what I could do – and what it required of authors – and haven’t looked back, publishing myself in 2015 and 2022 and hoping the final volume comes out before I’ve lost the capability to write.
Still waiting for my shiny new publicist to do something on her side that kicks up interest, while I write LIMBO.
I also believe in learning rigorous self-editing, and keeping ALL the control in my own hands – since I won’t ever have that many books out there, they have to be exactly what I want. So far, so good.
The chance of success of the traditional side is vanishingly small.
The Forbidden City has always been…forbidding. Even moeso today, with fewer slots. But now we have indie…
Oh, my goodness. There is so much here that misrepresents the traditional publishing world. The comments in particular reflect the mis/disinformation of the echo chamber formed and fueled by the self publishing industrial complex.
I’m too late to the keyboard for this response to matter, but for those who read this, from one who has actually been a part of the traditional world long enough to understand it and to have in-depth discussions with the decision makers of the publishing world, understand this:
The trad world is hungry for new talent with new voices. They have little appetite for new writers who have no voice and have duplicative ideas.
The “First Time Author” is the Holy Grail for every publisher–that fresh new voice or that fresh new idea that will excite the marketing department, and through them, the buyers.
The Big Five (or is it four now) are just a small segment of the traditional publishing world. They are small-margin profit centers for mega-corporations, and no, they don’t have the time to “develop” new talent. But independently owned publishers do have the time and the resources and the desire.
Self publishing gives the instant satisfaction of a splash page on a seller’s website. When someone buys a copy, you can tell your friends that you’re a professional writer. But just because of the way the industry works, you will have closed the door on dozens of potentially very lucrative sub-rights deals that can only come your way through traditional channels.
I’m not opposed to self-publishing or hybrid publishing or vanity publishing or printing out a manuscript and handing it out on street corners. I don’t care. What works for one storyteller might not work for another.
But for those readers out there who don’t necessarily step up to the comments section, listen up: If you want a shot at a true writing career, complete with foreign rights, access to the major chains, real marketing dollars and film deals, do the hard thing, not the easy thing. All those gate keepers that make the traditional publishing path slow are the same quality control elements that make readers trust the end product.