Questions to Ask Your Publisher Before You Sign the Contract

Over nan weekend, you mightiness person seen a writing-and-money taxable trending connected Twitter, #PublishingPaidMe, wherever authors started publically sharing their advances. Such transparency is agelong overdue and—in this peculiar case—is meant to uncover stark differences betwixt what Black and non-Black authors get paid.

Amidst these tweets, I saw a repeated telephone to action for Black authors: Before you work together to a deal, inquire your patient astir their trading and promotion plans for your book. Ask really they scheme to support you. Ask, ask, ask. (Because their support falls short of wherever it needs to be, and publishers person to beryllium pushed.)

To assistance pinch that telephone to action, I’ve collected and expanded accusation from my past books and articles to thief authors inquire questions of their imaginable aliases existing publisher. I’ve tried to besides see indicators that will thief you announcement and situation unhelpful answers. If you person an agent, commencement by asking them these questions aliases having them assistance you pinch this conversation.

While this is simply a agelong article, it’s still not an exhaustive database of questions, and it truthful acold remains a wide database that could beryllium utilized by immoderate author. I invited proposal and insights from BIPOC to thief maine amended this; moreover, I assistance support to anyone who would for illustration to build connected it, revise it, and republish it elsewhere pinch their additions and experiences.

As pinch astir things I constitute astir nan business, I must connection a captious caveat: This manufacture tin beryllium for illustration a twelve industries each smushed together. Small aliases independent publishers mightiness person small aliases thing successful communal pinch nan Big Five houses successful position of trading muscle. Their support whitethorn look very different than a firm publisher, but it doesn’t mean that support isn’t valuable aliases meaningful. A mini property whitethorn connection much personalized attraction and enthusiasm that lasts agelong beyond nan book motorboat window. They tin beryllium much nimble and besides laser focused connected what trading leads to profitable sales—because they person to be, aliases they’ll spell retired of business. Respect that each patient has unsocial strengths (and, certainly, weaknesses).

The responsibilities of accepted publishers

To greatly simplify matters, a accepted patient has 4 overarching duties:

1. Producing nan best-quality book, sloppy of format. This includes editorial, design, packaging and production.
2. Selling nan book into accounts, specified arsenic bookstores, wholesalers, each types of retailers, and libraries—basically, immoderate spot books are sold aliases available.
3. Marketing and publicizing nan book to nan trade, specified arsenic booksellers, librarians, and waste and acquisition book reappraisal outlets (e.g., Publishers Weekly aliases Library Journal).
4. Marketing and publicizing nan book to readers, whether that’s done user trading (email and societal media, for example) aliases done accepted media and publicity (newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, and truthful on).

You’ll want to inquire questions regarding each of these 4 areas.

1. Producing nan best-quality book

• Who will your editor be? Is it nan aforesaid personification acquiring aliases making nan connection connected your work, aliases will it beryllium personification else? Will you beryllium moving pinch group who are in-house aliases freelancers? How are those freelancers selected?
• Look astatine nan publisher’s caller screen designs. If you can’t easy position nan past play aliases 2 of titles astatine their website, cheque retired nan publisher’s catalog astatine Edelweiss—free to motion up. What communicative do these designs tell? What audiences are being spoken to? Would you beryllium comfortable pinch your screen looking for illustration what you spot represented? Compare nan covers for achromatic authors and BIPOC authors. Have a chat pinch nan acquiring editor if what you spot concerns you.
• What formats does nan patient scheme to merchandise and when? This will dangle connected nan type of patient you’re moving with—and their plans whitethorn change—but a Big Five patient statement usually includes authorities to people successful each formats, including audio. They thin to merchandise A-list fabrication titles—the ones they really get behind—in hardcover, ebook, and audio to begin, past they’ll hold 1-2 years to merchandise nan paperback. Or nan patient whitethorn merchandise a waste and acquisition paperback alternatively of a hardcover. For immoderate genres, for illustration romance, a mass-market format mightiness besides beryllium successful nan mix. All of these formats get priced otherwise and nan royalties alteration for each. So fig retired what’s modular aliases expected for your publisher. You tin usually show from nan catalog of caller releases—and your supplier should know, too.

2. Selling nan book into accounts

Part of nan worth a accepted patient is nan expertise to waste your activity into bricks-and-mortar bookstores, wholesalers, room distributors, and truthful on. Your book gets pitched, moreover if it’s conscionable for 7 seconds, to accounts for illustration Barnes & Noble. Most accepted publishers still activity according to seasons, meaning they person a autumn database and a outpouring list—so location are autumn income meetings and outpouring income meetings to find what books will get placement.

• Does nan patient person its ain income team? If not, do they activity done a supplier (or a larger publisher) to transportation your book to accounts? Ask your supplier aliases editor astir this, aliases you tin fig it retired from visiting your publisher’s website. The income squad carries a batch of work for really your book gets sounded and they’re nan ones connected nan hook for securing orders and placement. They pass to nan accounts and tin beryllium responsible for building enthusiasm. You want to cognize who’s going to beryllium making nan lawsuit for your book, and if your editor has a nonstop statement to these people. If your editor doesn’t, past who does? Can you beryllium astatine nan income presentations? Can you make your lawsuit to them successful personification aliases virtually? Press for it if possible. Worst case, make a video that tin beryllium shared pinch sales, arsenic Amy Stewart discusses here.
• What’s nan planned merchandise date? Does it make consciousness to you? Publishers often put their “big” books successful nan fall, but not always. Beach sounds mightiness merchandise successful nan summer. Books that necktie into New Year’s resolutions will motorboat successful clip for January publicity. Ask your supplier aliases editor what they deliberation astir nan merchandise timing and why a peculiar period was chosen.
• Read caller book descriptions astatine nan publisher’s website and astatine online unit sites. What assemblage is implied successful nan trading transcript for their titles? What does nan patient emphasize? How is nan book being positioned? How does nan patient expect to position your book?

Important: Your editor is mostly responsible for distributing early versions of your activity to nan in-house income and trading unit to drum up enthusiasm and support. The editor will besides transportation your activity during a play income meeting, and make suggestions for really nan book tin beryllium champion positioned successful nan market. Important decisions are made while you are still penning aliases revising nan book, and you mightiness not recognize it. Stay successful adjacent touch pinch your editor and inquire astir those income meetings and trading plans!

Around six to 12 months earlier your book is released, erstwhile your book has a comparatively last screen and title, nan publisher’s income process will begin. This tends to coincide pinch nan merchandise of nan publisher’s seasonal catalogue of titles. Get a transcript of this catalogue by asking your editor. Turn to nan page that lists your title. How is it positioned? If it has a full-page listing adjacent nan beginning, that indicates A-list curen and support. If it’s buried, not truthful much. What does nan catalogue opportunity astir nan publisher’s trading scheme for your book? If you’ve been communicating good pinch your editor aliases publisher, thing you spot successful nan catalogue will travel arsenic a surprise. (More connected this below.)

By nan clip nan income calls are made, nan patient has already wished and budgeted for nan astir important trading initiatives for each book. Advance praise will often beryllium secured, large-scale advertizing campaigns will beryllium connected nan calendar, and forthcoming media commitments—such arsenic an excerpt group to tally successful a magazine—may beryllium touted arsenic a logic to perpetrate to a beardown income number. 

3. Marketing and publicizing nan book to nan trade

“Trade” is defined arsenic publishing manufacture insiders, or: booksellers, librarians and reviewers who are typically first successful statement to make your book known and visible to readers. A patient is rather improbable to person a afloat trading scheme astatine nan clip of statement signing, truthful you whitethorn not get clear aliases consecutive answers connected these issues until later successful nan process. But you tin get a wide thought of their strategy aliases thinking—and nan size of nan beforehand is apt to bespeak their seriousness.

• Will your patient put successful beforehand reappraisal copies (ARCs)? Publishers often nutrient beforehand reappraisal copies of your book astir 4 to six months anterior to release, and nonstop them retired to whomever they deliberation will astir apt connection placement, reviews, aliases coverage. ARCS are sent arsenic people copies done nan message and/or digitally done services for illustration NetGalley. Ask your patient who they expect to target pinch ARCs. They mightiness attraction connected independent booksellers, definite types of libraries, influencers specified arsenic Bookstagrammers, book clubs, aliases a operation of communities, but ideally you’re looking for a scheme that is specific, realistic, and tangible. Note that immoderate mini presses can’t play nan ARC crippled anyplace adjacent for illustration nan Big Five—it tin beryllium clip consuming, costly and frustrating. This isn’t needfully a woody breaker; conscionable get clarity connected what they scheme to do instead.
• Will your patient thief you meet booksellers, librarians, aliases others anterior to nan book release? Assuming there’s not a pandemic going on, publishers’ income and trading teams will be bookseller and librarian conventions, and different industry-facing events, to marketplace upcoming books. Select authors get invited to these events, too. And editors are often asked to prime 1 aliases 2 titles they’re astir excited astir from each season’s database (such arsenic nan “buzz” books astatine BookExpo). When you motion your contract, it whitethorn beryllium excessively early for nan patient opportunity wherever your book is positioned successful nan season, and if you’ll beryllium 1 of these prime authors, but nan quicker you tin find out, nan better.
• Will you spell connected tour? Publishers aren’t arsenic gung-ho astir backing tours arsenic they utilized to be, but location tours aliases targeted metropolis tours still happen, particularly erstwhile there’s a dense accent connected appealing to independent bookstores and libraries.
• Where will nan patient advertise? Some publishers advertise caller releases successful Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Shelf Awareness, book nine sites, and more. One outlet is not needfully amended than another; it depends connected nan income and trading strategy.
• Does nan patient scheme to push for recognition—such arsenic book awards, nine selections, etc? There are each kinds of book nine picks, literate awards, and typical types of nickname a book tin receive. Does your patient deliberation your title is correct for specified exposure? Why aliases why not?

Publishers whitethorn effort to unafraid promotional show for your book astatine a awesome retailer. Such displays are ever paid for, and nan retailer (not nan publisher) makes nan last telephone connected what gets show space. It’s improbable for a patient to unafraid specified placement until aft they transportation nan book to their accounts, truthful show confirmation whitethorn not hap until adjacent to nan merchandise date.

4. Marketing and publicizing nan book to readers

Some publishers tin do a tremendous occupation of producing a value book, trading a book into accounts, and getting books connected shelves passim nan state … but past nary 1 shows up to bargain those books. These days, it’s basal to measure a publisher’s expertise to scope readers directly.

• Does nan patient person a publicity staff? Will you beryllium moving pinch a publicist? Are they in-house aliases freelance? Once you’re put successful touch pinch a publicist, you’ll want to inquire astir their strategy. A general, wide outreach scheme is seldom to your benefit, particularly if it can’t beryllium measured; a circumstantial scheme of onslaught (“Let’s make judge everyone who loves XYZ knows astir this book”) tin beryllium measured and much effective.
• Will location beryllium a pre-order campaign? A pre-order run by nan patient mightiness effort to thrust beforehand buzz astir nan book, peculiarly done integer channels. Some publishers will advertise pre-orders connected societal media and usage that accusation to thief pass nan wide trading campaign—perhaps moreover tweaking nan title and screen creation if they judge nan positioning is off.
• Similar to nan previous: Will location beryllium an early reappraisal aliases influencer buzz run anterior to release? Publishers mightiness put successful giving distant ARCs connected Goodreads, NetGalley, aliases complete social. This is typically done successful 2 waves: respective months anterior to release, past conscionable preceding nan release. This helps build visibility and reviews connected Goodreads and different media outlets. (Note that Amazon doesn’t let for customer reviews anterior to nan merchandise date.)
• Does nan patient person an email newsletter list, societal media accounts, aliases different places wherever it discusses caller releases? Figure retired each nan assets of your patient truthful you tin guarantee they’re promoting your book done each their owned media.
• Where will nan patient advertise? Warning: People wrong nan manufacture often opportunity advertizing successful places for illustration nan New York Times doesn’t waste books and is done only to fulfill an author’s ego. Whatever you deliberation astir this, it is existent that an advertisement that runs successful a special-interest publication aliases successful a niche email newsletter whitethorn beryllium acold much effective successful driving income than mass-market advertising. Much depends connected nan book and nan wide quality of nan campaign.
• Study caller titles from nan patient astatine their website aliases an online retailer—what’s nan reappraisal activity like? Are location editorial (professional) reviews listed that bespeak personification avidly reached retired to nan media? Follow nan publicity breadcrumb way for caller titles. You want grounds that nan patient submits nan book to due media outlets for coverage.
• Ask for nan writer questionnaire. Most publishers will inquire you to complete an writer questionnaire. This archive asks astir each facet of your web and platform, including names and interaction accusation for important relationships aliases master connections, accusation astir your section and location media, and overmuch more. The much nan patient knows astir your resources and imaginable networking opportunities, nan much they tin perchance support your book. They’ll want to build connected your existing assets. After you taxable this questionnaire, travel up astir it. Ask what nan marketers aliases publicist will do pinch nan information. Ensure it gets used.

It’s good known and moreover acknowledged by publishers that not each books are adequately aliases equitably marketed and promoted. Partly this is because publishers motion much books than they tin sufficiently support pinch existing staff, positive they’re apt to propulsion their weight down a fistful of titles each play (the ones that received nan largest advances, usually).

Promotional opportunities for books tin beryllium competitory fixed nan constricted (and sometimes shrinking) number of book reappraisal outlets and different sum opportunities. Publishers are besides blameworthy of not reasoning creatively astir how, when, and wherever books tin beryllium reviewed aliases talked about. The extremity consequence is that publishers tin trust connected dream unsocial that a book finds its audience.

It’s important to recognize that, erstwhile your book releases, astir of nan publisher’s income and trading activity is—in their eyes—already finished. Much of nan media sum that happens will person been seeded weeks aliases months earlier. If thing happens to thief nan book summation income momentum successful its first 3 months aliases so, nan patient will move its attraction to nan adjacent play of books. If nan book doesn’t waste successful capable quantities successful its first six months connected nan shelf, it will beryllium returned and not restocked, to make measurement for adjacent season’s titles.

If your motorboat ends up being a disappointment, and it was a hardcover release, location is still hope. It whitethorn find a caller life arsenic a paperback merchandise and person a 2nd changeable astatine bestseller lists arsenic good arsenic editorial coverage. Or, if your book scores a awesome grant aliases media attraction aft its release, that whitethorn springiness nan patient a measurement to re-sell aliases re-pitch nan book to accounts, to reason for a bigger buy. 

What a cookie-cutter trading scheme looks like

I’ve seen a bully number of book trading plans from publishers that are terribly generic and could beryllium applied to astir immoderate title they release. Here’s a stripped down type of really they look. Notice location are no specifics—no circumstantial people, publications, aliases communities mentioned. No circumstantial retailers aliases libraries aliases reviewers mentioned. No circumstantial bookstores mentioned. This is simply a boilerplate, a starting point, without overmuch worth to anyone successful its existent form.

Your turn

If you’re a published author, what did you inquire your patient astir their trading plan? What benignant of answers did you person (or not)? What do you wish you had asked your publisher?

For authors presently struggling pinch whether to judge an offer, I dream that your supplier tin adequately guideline you. If you don’t person an agent, you’re invited to scope retired to maine pinch questions utilizing my contact page. However, I’m not an agent, and I’m not a lawyer, and sometimes nan champion adjacent measurement is uncovering 1 to assistance you. I tin nonstop suggestions if you scope out.