The Catholic Writers Guild

Working With Your Acquisitions Editor

Welcome back to our look inside the non-fiction publishing process.

In August we discussed the reality that your would-be publisher may request some significant changes to your book proposal, and in September we looked at factors to consider in deciding what changes, if any, to accept. Today we’ll finish up that topic with some basics on how to make that back-and-forth discussion as stress-free as possible for everyone.

Rule #1: Stay calm!

You may worry that the least little misstep will ruin everything. Be reassured: It’s the job of the acquisitions team to scout out promising talent. If they have shown interest in your pitch, query, or book proposal, they want you to succeed.

They are firmly hoping you turn out to be a competent author who is courteous and professional to work with. Focus on being that.

Rule #2: Be honest and solution-seeking.

The acquisitions team is trying to find out if there is a book that will work for both of you. This is a process of mutual discernment, and it takes open communication to make that happen.

Here’s how it works:

You said: Here’s my proposal A.

They said: Hmm, A won’t quite work. What about B?

Now you either give B an enthusiastic green light or else answer, as concisely as possible:

• These are the parts of A that I need to keep (if any).
• These are the parts of B that sound fantastic.
• These are the parts of B that I have some concerns about (keep this short but clear).
• What if we try C?
• And if not C, let’s keep talking, I bet we can figure out something we both love.

Your counter-counter-proposal might be anything from a slight tweak to a completely new book concept, but give the team options that match your ability and interests as a writer.

If on serious reflection you decide you need to stick to your original proposal as-conceived, just say that. “Thank you for considering me. It’s important, for these reasons, that I stick to proposal A. But I would love to work with you in the future if we ever get the right opportunity.”

Rule #3: Pin down deadlines and honor them.

You don’t know your publisher’s business cycle, and they aren’t living your life for you. Make a point of asking for turnaround-time information:

Is there an internal deadline coming up? The publishing committee might be meeting next week to make all their decisions for the year ahead, or you might have another six months to work through a new proposal. Ask your editor, “How quickly do you need me to get back to you? Are there any deadlines you’re facing that I should know about?”

What is their timeline for getting back to you? At each phase of the publishing process, when you turn in your work, just ask: What’s the approximate timeline before the next step occurs, so I can plan accordingly?

The same publisher will likely have some steps that happen overnight and others that will simmer for months (or longer) before you get involved again. You need to know when to be ready to jump, and when to relax and not worry if you don’t hear anything for months on end.

Meanwhile, tell your editor about any scheduling issues that affect your ability to meet the deadlines you just found out about. You don’t need to give out your life story, and if you can simply adjust on your own, that’s super.  But if there’s something your publishing team needs to schedule around, they need to know.

Live to Write Another Day

You can’t control whether a given publisher’s business needs are a fit for the book you want to write. Focus on what you can control: Invest in your reputation as an author by being professional and courteous as you do your best to communicate clearly and stay on schedule.  If your editors enjoy working with you, they’ll want to hear from you again in the future. And that is the path to long-term writing success.

 

Copyright 2022 – Jennifer Fitz