My 10-Step Book Publishing Strategy

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In The Four Pathways of Modern Book Publishing, I described the main routes for a writer to get published today, and in The Case for Traditional Publishing for Full-Stack Freelancers I explained why I believe that for full-stack freelancers like me, traditional publishing makes the most sense.

With that foundation, here are the steps I’m planning on following for my own book, based on my online course Building a Second Brain:

1. Work with a well-known, established editor who worked on the best-selling book in my genre

I emailed this editor directly, and she agreed to work with me based primarily on my online following, a brief explanation of how my idea relates to the books she has worked on, and a video call in which I made my case. I’m waiting on a formal proposal and expect to begin working together in mid-April.

The value she provides is the credibility and network that comes with her experience in the industry. She has shepherded many best-selling books in my genre into the market, and I am depending on her intuition about what people respond to as we develop the proposal together. 

2. Hire a veteran agent who knows everyone in the industry and has many years of experience in nonfiction and self-development

I was introduced to a literary agent by an established author whose podcast I was on, who introduced me with a strong recommendation. After an introductory call she agreed to work toward representing me. The prerequisite is that I hire and work with the aforementioned editor on the proposal first, which I am happy to do.

This agent represents many of the most well-known nonfiction authors in the self-development genre, and is known herself for investing in longlasting, recurring relationships with them. There are a couple hurdles for me to navigate first, but I am confident that she’ll represent me starting later this year.

The value she provides is again in her network and experience. She personally knows and has worked with many of the top executives at major publishing houses, and will know which doors to knock on and which angles to take when it comes time to negotiate. These contacts could also come in handy when I seek testimonials and partnerships with established authors. 

3. Work with both the editor and agent to create the strongest possible book proposal, with the goal of starting a bidding war

I already have a 63,000-word book manuscript, compiled from various blog series and other things I’ve already written. I’ve learned that having a full-length manuscript is actually a liability in traditional publishing: publishers don’t look favorably upon a fait accompli – they want to feel like they had a hand in shaping and influencing the writing of the book they’ve purchased, not just a take-it-or-leave-it decision. 

This means that I need to take a step back from the manuscript, and focus my attention on writing a compelling proposal. I skipped this step, but can see in retrospect that it is actually essential: the manuscript is “stuck” on certain decisions that I’ve had a difficult time making on my own, such as:

  • Who is the ideal reader of this book?
  • What is the one key message from the book?
  • What is the biggest pain this book resolves?

These seemingly simple questions distill a vast number of considerations, priorities, values, and strategic variables that I am incapable of evaluating objectively. The very immersion that allows me to write such a book makes it very difficult to think from the point of view of a novice. Once we make these key decisions in the book proposal, and that proposal is accepted by a publisher, we’ll know which direction the manuscript needs to take to make it the last 20% of the journey.

4. Seek the highest possible advance, to make sure publisher has skin in the game

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