{"id":12755,"date":"2015-08-11T13:03:58","date_gmt":"2015-08-11T18:03:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lisatener.local\/?p=12755"},"modified":"2024-09-30T08:58:46","modified_gmt":"2024-09-30T12:58:46","slug":"whom-do-i-contact-first-finding-an-agent-getting-a-publisher-and-sending-a-book-proposal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jodieburdette.net\/lisatener\/2015\/08\/whom-do-i-contact-first-finding-an-agent-getting-a-publisher-and-sending-a-book-proposal\/","title":{"rendered":"Whom Do I Contact First? Finding an Agent, Getting a Publisher and Sending a Book Proposal…"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"bookAre you at all confused about the order of finding an agent, getting a publisher and sending a book proposal? Do you wonder,\u00a0“Where do I start?”<\/p>\n

A couple of days ago, Jennifer wrote this comment:<\/p>\n

Reading through your website and other people’s questions and ideas has been extremely helpful.<\/span><\/strong>
\n I am very new to this, however, and I\u2019m unsure of the process\/protocol in finding a publisher, editor or literary agent. Is there an order of operations as to who to reach out to first and when?”<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The first question is easy to answer: First, reach out to a freelance editor if you want to polish your book proposal and\/or manuscript.\u00a0It’s a competitive market and that extra step is almost always crucial.<\/p>\n

Next, if you can attract a literary agent, I always recommend querying literary agents\u00a0before looking for a publisher. Agents can negotiate a better offer, plus they can time the offers to increase likelihood of the book going to auction. In addition, literary agents know the acquisitions editors personally and know what they are looking for. Here’s more about why to work with\u00a0a literary agent<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"This
This publisher, New Harbinger, contacted the author directly. Since then, I have contacted the publisher directly for a client who had a modest, but not big, platform and a very focused market for her book.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The answer to the third question is a bit more complex. Jennifer is writing a memoir, so let me start there. The publishing process with memoirs tends to be a bit different from other nonfiction. In general, agents and publishers will want to see the entire memoir before signing you on. Once they like your proposal and sample chapters, you’ll need to send them the rest of your book–and you want an absolutely perfect, polished manuscript.<\/p>\n

Don’t wait until their request, however, to polish your manuscript. Once an agent or publisher\u00a0expresses interest, you want to send your polished manuscript while your book is still fresh in their minds and they are excited about it. So, with a memoir, have your manuscript fully edited before sending out a query or book proposal.<\/p>\n

That is not so true with self-help and how-to books. With these books, it’s possible that an agent or publisher has strong ideas about changing the structure or content of your book. It may save you time to write the bulk of your book once you sign with an agent or publisher.<\/p>\n

[bctt tweet=”Steps to Approach Literary Agents with a Book Proposal for a Memoir”]<\/h2>\n

1. Polish your entire memoir,<\/strong> including multiple rounds of editing–from developmental editing to line-by-line copy editing. I can help you find an editor<\/a>, through my editor referral program.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0Write a polished book proposal<\/strong>. I highly recommend consulting a book proposal coach<\/a> to write the best proposal possible and make an airtight case for your book. If you don’t have a platform\/following, you will most likely need to develop your author platform<\/a> before moving forward, as this is crucial to most publishers.<\/p>\n

\"This
This author found her agent through a friend.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Identify appropriate agents<\/strong> who represent the kind of memoir you are writing. Here are some good resources for finding the best agent:<\/p>\n