Writer's Best Friend: the Acquisitions Editor
What Editors Do and How to Help Them as a Writer
Oct 31, 2008
Getting a manuscript published can seem like a full-time job but there is quite a lot an author can do. In fact, the more homework is done beforehand, the faster the way to success – publication. Therefore, don’t write a book and then look for a publisher. Assess the market, potential publishers and publishing options already while writing.
Many of the major publishing houses do not accept unsolicited manuscripts but go through literary agents to find new and promising authors, which is a topic of its own. But given the fact that there are thousands of small and medium-size publishers in the United States alone, that leaves quite a few publishers who can be approached.
Job Responsibilities of an Acquisitions Editor
Before writing that submission letter and preparing a manuscript excerpt, it helps to put oneself in the shoes of an acquisitions editor. Remember that not all of them will be full-time; in smaller publishing houses, acquisitions might be part of another department and therefore someone’s part-time duty. Following are just some of the many responsibilities of an acquisitions editor.
- Solicit new book projects and propose them to known writers. Most books are acquired this way.
- Analyze and recommend proposals for new books, i.e. going through the pile of unsolicited manuscripts. Very few books are acquired this way; mainly because the majority of proposals is not targeted and sloppily written.
- Establish a first financial estimate for a proposed book.
- Present and sell a new book project at in-house meetings to convince sales, marketing and the publisher that it would be a financially viable project.
- Reinforce manuscript schedules and deadlines.
- Work closely with the marketing and sales department and assist with book promotion.
- Travel to trade conventions and sales conferences to present new books.
How Aspiring Authors can Help Acquisitions Editors
Despite the somewhat disheartening facts, there is a lot writers can do to help editors (and therefore themselves). Every unsolicited manuscript or book proposal does get opened and reviewed sooner or later, and a well-written proposal will not go unnoticed. But even beyond the proposal, the following list shows that acquiring more knowledge about markets and processes and staying in touch with the publishing world will go a long way.
- Research before writing: What publishing house is likely to publish your book? Who is the correct contact person? Why should they publish your book? How does it fit into their publishing program?
- Study each publisher’s submission guidelines carefully and follow them exactly.
- Prepare an outstanding book proposal that includes an outline, the book’s length, where one would find it in a bookstore and its competition.
- Don’t be pushy, don’t call. An answer might take weeks or months, especially a positive one. Use the time to contact other publishers, to work on your approach and to follow the next three steps.
- Get acquainted with the production process of books and familiarize yourself with the appropriate publishing terminology.
- Study industry publications like Literary Market Place and treat them as a bible (good business libraries will provide access to them).
- Join a publishing or writers’ association and network with fellow writers and publishing professionals for further tips and information.
Rejection Letters
Negative responses regarding one’s manuscript submission are dreaded by any writer. Editors are busy people who often don’t have the time to send a response to every manuscript submission, especially if the topic was clearly off target. So do appreciate the ones who go through the trouble of sending a rejection letter because quite a bit of helpful information can be gathered from it:
- Save the responsible editor’s name and contact information carefully for future inquiries.
- Study the reason for rejection as it contains clues for the next submission. Maybe there are too many books on this subject flooding the market at the moment. Or the publisher itself may have too many books in its program on this subject, or too little.
- Keep track of the response time for future reference.
In summary, there are various ways in which writers can influence the way their manuscript submission will take. Therefore, go the extra mile and study publishers’ lists, understand an acquisition editor’s job profile, use previous rejection letters as a valuable resource, study the market and network with other writers.
For those readers interested in self publishing, read here how to avoid self-publishing scams.
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