WHAT ACQUISITION EDITORS LOOK FOR

CIRCUMVENTING REJECTION LETTERS: If you pay attention, feeding birds as a pastime can be very educational. For instance, you catch the attention of a single bird with some food and two or three other birds show up. Wait a few minutes and dozens more join in.

One sunny afternoon on San Diego Bay, I captured the attention of about six shinny black water Coots with some grain but I wasn’t prepared for what happened next. Within minutes, hundreds of Coots in the water gathered out of nowhere and began swimming at lightning speed toward shore. Their mass looked more like an oil slick thirty-feet wide and twenty-feet long than a flock of birds; and that’s a literal estimate.

Hypnotized by their sheer numbers as they came ashore, I was struck by how much their identical mass resembled the immense marketing challenges writers face today: how do we distinguish one Coot from another? The answer is simple; if you don’t want to be a group-Coot don’t think like one. Think like an acquisition editor.

WHAT DO ACQUISITION EDITORS THINK?

Is this writer capable of generating sales for this title? Is his/her platform strong or weak? Don’t be a Coot.
Why should I invest time and money in this writer? Would you bet $40+ grand on you? See cost estimates. If not, why? Be tough on yourself.
How will our marketing department react to this title? Can they sell it? What will the booksellers think? Make double sure you are not a Coot here or you are D.O.A.

A GOOD PLACE TO START: Handpick the right publishers for submissions. An agent is the best bet. But if that isn’t possible, thoroughly research publishers for the following:

Specific genres
Company size
Interests
Latest books published
Distribution, and
Authors they publish

Double-check for simple things like correct addresses and current editors’ names and spelling. Check the publishers’ websites for contact information or use the Literary Market Place® (LMP) available at libraries. However, websites or the LMP are only about 90 percent accurate. Change within the publishing industry happens daily so one more step is needed. Telephone the publishers and double check names and spelling, titles and addresses for accuracy. Also ask for the name and correct spelling of the editor’s assistant.

After completing the preceding, develop a query letter. Without an agent queries are the only choice. Larger publishers won’t open your letter so save the postage and skip to possible hits among smaller publishers. It is also worth mentioning, there is a strong possibility the acquisition editor will not open and review your query, an editor’s assistant or an intern will. Before mailing the query, published writers telephone ahead and speak with the assistant.

TELEPHONE THE EDITOR’S ASSISTANT: Before calling, practice by recording your message using the same key points used in your query letter. Keep the pitch to 20 seconds if possible and practice until you feel confident but not rehearsed. When you get the assistant on the telephone, be brief and enthusiastic. End the pitch with, “Is this the type of title you’re interested in?” If yes, then ask permission to email the query letter. If snailed, address the query to the specific editor but send it to the “Attention” of the editorial assistant and include a SASE (self addressed stamped envelope).

COST TO PUBLISH ONE BOOK: Costs shown are estimated for traditional publishers in rounded USD for materials and labor. They do not include G&A, factory burden as applicable, an author’s advance or indirect costs.