Hello perspiringwriter~
First, I have to mention that I love your ?handle.? It gave me a good
chuckle and brought me back to my ?starving writer? days. :)
Second, although you haven?t had a chance to respond to my request for
clarification, I?m going to post my Answer. If you decide to share
with me the genre of your series (assuming it doesn?t cover many
genres), I will provide any bonus material that might apply?if,
indeed, there is any.
Kind regards,
Kriswrite
A:
There are a number of qualities that editors looks for in non-fiction
book proposals for the commercial market:
1. Credentials. Non-fiction writers *must* have the credentials to
write the book. Best case scenario, the author can say they?ve had
lots of practical experience *and* have written many articles on the
subject. For example, if you?re writing a series on auto repair, the
editor wants to hear that you?re a certified mechanic with X number of
years as a pro under your belt, and that you?ve written a dozen
articles on the subject for X, Y, and Z magazine or newspaper.
Even so, in ?crowded? areas (for example, health books) these
credentials may not be enough. You might need a well-known name to go
along with it. Some editors have told me they reject well-done
non-fiction book proposals for this very reason: The credentials of
the author just aren?t high enough to compete effectively in the
marketplace.
2. A sense that the author is capable for dealing with the topic, and
the structure and organization of the book, with confidence. While #1
certainly helps establish this, a clear and precisely written proposal
and sample chapters make it even more clear.
3. The proposal must be in the same tone as the completed book will
be. Editors say the tone ?has to be right.? This is subjective, but
generally, they?re after a book that isn?t too academic or ?thick,?
yet not flippant, either. In short, they want to know that the book or
series will be readable to a large audience, and that the writer in
question can accomplish this.
4. Marketing concerns are addressed. Publishers aren?t generally
looking for the greatest piece of non-fiction ever written. What they
do want to know, however, is that there?s a need for the book in
today?s market. Explain why, if there are already two automotive
series available today, your series is needed; tell the editor what
hole it fills?how it?s different and more helpful.
5. A neat manuscript (double spaced, wide enough margins, no binding,
no fancy fonts, etc.) This is really high on many editor?s lists,
because they spend most of their day reading. Who wants to get a
headache reading a sloppy or improperly presented manuscript, when
they could be relax and read something well-presented?
6. A good?and realistic?look at who the book is for; who will buy it?
For a large trade house, the book must realistically appeal to a large
audience.
7. Link the proposal to the appropriate editor. You greatly improve
your chances of getting published if you send your query and proposal
to the appropriate editor. This isn?t necessarily as simple as sending
it to the editor who?s advertised in writing manuals as accepting new
material. Try to find the editor that has some personal interest in
the type of book you?re proposing. A book like ?Guide To Book Editors,
Publishers, and Literary Agents? (available at larger bookstores, or
through Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0871162016/qid=1086886063/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/104-6380403-8211920?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
) can help in this regard, but always double check (by calling the
publishing house) that the editor in question is still working there,
and that you have their current title.
8. Is the book represented by an agent? This is especially important
in the large trade houses. Editors always look at agented material
first; they consider it pre-screened, if you will. Because of this,
your book or series is more likely to get published if it?s
represented by an agent.
9. Write an interesting cover letter. It should be short, not
gimmicky, and not slick, but catch the editor?s eye. It should, in
about one sentence, explain what?s unique about your idea?without
hype.
10. Include sample chapters as polished as your completed manuscript will be.
B & C:
Here are some common mistakes that greatly affect whether or not your
proposal is accepted. I have lumped questions B and C together because
they are so closely intertwined; what makes your series marketable to
a publisher often has as much to do with your presentation of your
idea as anything else:
1. Not sending a query before you send a proposal. (Or, not waiting to
be asked to send a proposal.)
2. Not having the credentials to make the book marketable.
3. Being too slick, or a blow-hard. Don?t stretch the facts, don?t
spend a ton of time saying how wonderful you are, and don?t spend any
time telling the editor how great your series will be and how every
publisher will be just dying to publish it.
4. Not including realistic marketing information. Editors expect to
see facts and figures, as well as a realistic look at competing books
in the market and how your book(s) will be different. If this
information is over- or under-blown, or if you can?t prove who your
readers are, or why your series should be published, the editor will
almost certainly reject your proposal.
5. Using a different tone in the book proposal than will be used in the book
6. Proposing a long series. In most cases, a series that is too long
will be rejected. What is ?too long? varies from publisher to
publisher, so it?s important to do your homework and find out what a
particular publisher?s standards are. Make sure you don?t compare
apples with oranges; for example, don?t compare a fiction series with
your non-fiction series.
7. Proposing a series to a publisher who doesn?t publish series. Also,
proposing a type of book that the publisher simply doesn?t publish.
You can?t change publishing house policy because your series or book
is ?so needed? or so well written. It just doesn?t happen.
Also, proposing a series to be written only by yourself, when it would
be more appropriate to have several authors write it. (For example,
the ?Dummies? series would be inappropriately written by a single
author. No one person could have the appropriate credentials to write
on such a wide range of topics.)
8. Not having a well-thought out proposal. You must show the editor
that you know how you?re going to organize your series. It?s okay to
occasionally say something like, ?I?m not certain whether this section
should go like this or like this,? but generally speaking, you want to
show that you?ve taken a lot of time to think out the book.
9. Offering a non-professional manuscript. If the manuscript is full
of typos, is single-spaced, has sloppy or narrow margins, etc., the
editor isn?t likely to take your proposal seriously.
10. Rehashing old material. You must show that the way you present
your material will be fresh. Consider timeliness, too. If your book or
series is about a new software program, it will be stale in a few
months, so be sure to get your proposal out there *immediately.* In
addition, sometimes the public just isn?t ready for a particular topic
at a particular time. In the 1980s, for example ?The Internet for
Dummies? probably wouldn?t have sold very well, since, at that time,
the Internet was still mostly for ?geeks,? not the general public to
which ?Dummies? is clearly targeted.
D:
The length of time from completed manuscript to published book varies
widely, according to the publisher?s schedule. In some cases, the
publisher may delay the publishing of a book for a particular season,
to ensure it?s not overshadowed by another volume, or in order to give
it more personal time for editing, design, etc. On the other hand, a
book may get pushed through quickly if it?s of a timely nature. (Just
now, for example, a book commemorating President Reagan better get out
quick, or it will ?loose? most of it?s audience.)
However, here?s a general run-down:
REVISIONS. Once an author submits his or her completed manuscript, the
editor will look it over and request revisions, if necessary. The
amount and complexity of revisions varies from author to author,
editor to editor, book to book. (Do know that if it?s a series we?re
talking about, the volumes are almost always composed one at a time,
not all at one time.)
If the editor has misunderstood the author?s intent for the book,
major revisions will be requested. That rarely happens, however,
because most large-house editors are pretty good about keeping in
touch with their writers. Typically, revisions have to do with clarity
and organization. The writer might expect to hear of any revisions
within a month or two?often within a few weeks. The writer will
usually be given a deadline for making revisions?usually within the
month.
The editor will then review the manuscript again; if any other changes
are necessary, the author should hear about them within a few weeks.
In larger houses, a copyeditor will also review the manuscript for
misspellings, errors in typography, etc. This whole process doesn?t
usually take longer a few months?perhaps four at most.
DESIGN. The book then goes to the designer, who establishes both the
layout and the cover design. How long this process takes depends
largely on how many illustrations are in the book. A photo-heavy book
might take a number of months (up to six or seven, in my experience);
a book with few or no photos can be done more quickly, as long as the
designer?s plate isn?t already full.
BLUELINES or PROOFS. The author will sometimes be sent a draft of the
book, as designed. (Whether or not the author is involved in this step
depends largely upon the publisher?s policies, and how photo-heavy the
book is.) It?s the author?s job to check for such mistakes as missing
captions, accidentally-left-out text, etc. The author is usually
required to return the bluelines within 24 hours to one week.
PRINTED. Once the bluelines or proofs are approved, the book goes off
to be printed. Again, the amount of time this takes varies a great
deal, depending upon where the books are physically printed. If they
are printed in China, and take a slow boat back to the U.S., it will
take longer than if they are printed somewhere in the U.S.A.
Once the books are back from printing, they are usually available from
the publisher?s catalog or Internet site. It may take another few
weeks to get them into bookstores, and another month to get them
widely distributed (if, indeed, the publisher can convince the chain
bookstores to even carry the volume).
Overall, the entire process from completed manuscript to published
book typically takes between six months to a year.
E:
Here are the main reasons the ?Dummies,? ?Complete Idiot?s,? and
similar series have faired so well in the marketplace; naturally, this
is somewhat a matter of opinion, but I have stuck to the ideas that
are most widely accepted among those in the publishing industry:
1. Clever titles. Frankly, the ?Dummies? and ?Complete Idiot?s Guides?
have not presented new material. Nor have they necessarily presented
it in an easier-to-understand fashion. But they caught the eye of the
world because the *titles* were quite fresh and greatly appealing. The
titles effectively passed along the concept of the books, which was
that *anybody* could understand whatever these books were teaching.
The titles also appealed to people?s sense of humor.
Closely related to this is cover design. The ?Dummies? series, in
particular, was unique and stood out; it was easy to recognize.
2. Unique and appealing concept. At the time, the idea of targeting a
book to ?idiots? (or folks who couldn?t understand books already out
there, or were intimidated by them) was new, fresh, and appealing.
And, apparently, there were many folks out there who *did* find the
books already in the marketplace intimidating or cumbersome.
3. The series created a ?brand,? something that?s rarely seen in book
marketing, but which clearly the public responds to. The public felt
that if they purchased the ?Dummy brand,? they were ensured certain
qualities from the product. In other words, it made their choices, as
they stood in the bookstore, a little easier. This is borne out by the
statistic that households rarely own just one ?Dummies? book; 80% of
households with the series own more than one ?Dummies? book.
4. Following trends. The series have been good about keeping a close
eye on trends, and providing books that work with these trends. After
all, folks usually only feel ?dumb? about a trend if it?s new to them.
5. The series got ?The Big Push.? The publishers backed the series? up
with much broader marketing than the average book or series gets. (For
more information on this, see the Google Answer ?How Books are
Publicized:? http://www.answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=357392
) It should be noted, however, that the print run of the first
?Dummies? book was small, and that some of the largest book chains
didn?t want to carry it. It wasn?t until word of mouth got around that
the publisher gave the series ?The Big Push.?
6. Use of humor. The use of lightheartedness and humor used throughout
the ?Dummies? and ?K.I.S.S.? series appealed to readers, who were
tired of dry how to books.
7. Organization. The ?Complete Idiot?s? and ?K.I.S.S.? series were
especially known for being organized in such a way that a person could
pick up the book, quickly find the information they were seeking, and
set the book right back down; a person didn?t have to read the whole
volume to get the information they desired. This is affirmed by the
new ?Complete Idiot?s Pocket Reference? books that are being
published.
8. Being first counts. The ?Dummies? series holds most of the market
for this sort of book (two-thirds, from the last report I read). Why?
Because they were the originators of this concept. This gives them
more of an ?expert? status in many reader?s minds.
9. For the most part, the books in these series are clearly and simply
written by experts in the field; in other words, they live up to their
promise.
RESEARCH STRATEGY:
Researcher's personal knowledge of the industry |
