A Publisher's Conversation with Authors: Do Connections Matter?

It is Tuesday. Time to tall turkey. Monday's madness is over, and Wednesday will take us over the hump, so Tuesday it is--for some serious discussion with authors. Tuesday talks mean to address authors in waiting and self-published authors who would like to go a more traditional route or who would at least like to take their steps with a publisher by their side.

Today's topic asks if connections matter. Well, of course, they do. But how do they fit in an author's life and success? 

While one might wish that a formal proposal was a matter of seeking publication on a level playing field, unfortunately getting someone to look at your proposal often means having a contact at a publishing house. From the other side, publishers often look for recommendations from authors they have already published and trust. Closed circle, right? Well, maybe not. Here are says to make contact with publishers and build relationships:

• There is the traditional way of making contact--through a literary agent. When a colleague and I published our first book, we asked a highly published friend what he wished he had known before publishing his first book that he knows now. His answer: get a literary agent. Then, this kind soul connected us with his literary agent. Literary agents know publishers. That takes the onus of a new and unknown author.
• In a similar way, if you have a friend who has a good publisher, ask for an introduction. I got to know one of our authors before ever receiving a proposal because she wrote an endorsement for a book we were publishing by a friend of hers. She made an effort to get to know the press in the process, She proposed one book that we turned down as not right for us; then, she proposed another that was right for us--and we gave her a larger than average advance.
• Are you editing a book? Whom do your authors know? Ask for them to make the connection for you. 
• Attend book fairs and exhibits--places where publishers go. Check out those publishers who publish in your areas of expertise and strike up a conversation with them. See if you "click" with any of them, and when you do, ask if you can follow up with email. Many will say yes. Then, do follow up. Don't take up a lot of the publisher's time but make your pitch. You target that pitch now that you have had some communication with the publisher.
• Does the publisher maintain a blog that accepts comments? Read it faithfully and leave comments. Your name will ring a bell when it is time for you to make a proposal.
• And there is always the chance acquaintance. One of our books was written by an author I met on an airplane in a unique fashion. I was upgraded to first class, and she got my premium seat in the main cabin. The plane was delayed, and, after meeting at the ticket agent counter to have our tickets changed, we had plenty of time to talk. She had plans for a book -- and she had an interesting story. We stayed in irregular contact over a couple of years, and then she presented a book proposal and rough draft. It was too rough, but I had already invested time in her and so sent her to a developmental editor, who helped her develop the book into an awarding-winning volume that we published. And the relationship continues. Take advantage of these kinds of unexpected opportunities.

The bottom line is that connections do matter. While a certain number of cold proposals are accepted, it is easier to target a proposal when you know someone. You might have an unexpected opportunity like that of the author on the plane to make a contact. You cannot, however, count on that. Follow the suggestions above to cause a contact to happen,

Lesson for today's Tuesday talk: Put simply, connections matter, and it is generally up to you to make them happen.

 Read more posts about publishing HERE.

The Tuesday talks reflect real discussions between the management of MSI Press LLC and our own authors or those would-be authors who come through our doors but don't make the cut--yet. If you have a topic that you would like addressed, leave the question in the comment section. Chances are, in our 18 years of publishing first-time and experiences authors, we have had a conversation with one of our authors that we can share with you.

                             

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