I’m a writer blog

Guidelines for writing Poems, Stories and Tales

Offer to publish – should you accept or wait?

How do you accept an offer of publication?

If you’ve decided to accept your first offer of publication, that’s easy: Email the editor promptly with an appreciative message accepting the offer. If you’ve decided not to take the acceptance, you’ll need to send a gracious and apologetic note—especially promptly.

What happens when a publisher agrees to publish your book?

Once everyone agrees on the details, the publisher executes a final version of the contract. The agent approves it and it goes to the author for a signature, and then the contract is returned to the publisher for a signature. At this point, the contract is considered executed, and the author gets a copy.

How long does it take for a publisher to make an offer?

Some publishers can provide this within 1 week, and others take 4-6 weeks, but this too will often depend on internal schedules and other work at the time. It then can take anywhere from another 2-4 weeks to accomplish the negotiation on your publishing agreement and route the agreement for signatures.

What are the chances of getting traditionally published?

One 2014 report taken from Digital Book World and Writer’s Digest Author Surveys took data from 9,000 respondents, and concluded that of those who completed a manuscript, 23% succeeded in becoming traditionally published (13.4% of the total sample).

What is a typical book publishing deal?

How much do you get for a book deal? Most first-time authors with a traditional publishing company will get between $5,000 to $10,000 as an advance. While outliers do make much more, those cases are very far and very few between and their advance is often the result of a “bidding war” between publishers.

How long does a publishing contract last?

But when they’re on the other side of the deal, licensing things like paperback reprints or foreign rights to other companies, publishers typically don’t make agreements that continue for the life of a book’s copyright. Instead, the contracts are good only for fixed periods—seven years, for example.

What percentage do authors get from publishers?

Royalty rates vary slightly, but on average, you can expect the following from traditional publishers: Hardcover sales: 15% Trade paperback sales: 7.5% Mass-market paperback sales: 5%

What happens if your book gets published?

Your publisher will launch your book at certain time of the year, usually in the Winter, Spring or Fall. This can be from a few months after the book is completed up to 18-24 months after signing the contract. While that would be quite a long wait, envision the advantage of many months to reach readers.

How long does it take to traditionally publish?

With our rules established above, the typical time it takes for a writer to go from book contract to publication is usually somewhere in the nine months to two years area. Many factors come into play for this range of outcomes, including the size of the press and how far out they plan their production schedule.

What percentage do first time authors publish?

Editors and publishers agree that the odds of being published are only 1-2%. That is, they only accept, and publish, one or two out of every hundred manuscripts they receive.

Why is it so difficult to get published?

Publishing is About Marketability (sales, sales, sales!)



Agents and editors want books that will sell, even if they aren’t as well written as another book in the slush pile. Publishers have to be able to place your book on the shelves, meaning that it has to fit in an established genre.

Is traditional publishing dying?

Books Are Alive and Well, Sort of



As of August, U.S. print book sales were up 5.5% for the year over 2019. That puts 2020 on track to have one of the best years for print sales since 2004, according to NPD BookScan. Along with print books, e-books and audiobooks are booming.

What happens after your book gets published?

Your publisher will launch your book at certain time of the year, usually in the Winter, Spring or Fall. This can be from a few months after the book is completed up to 18-24 months after signing the contract. While that would be quite a long wait, envision the advantage of many months to reach readers.



Can a publishing company steal your idea?

Here’s why reputable agents and publishers are not going to steal from you. They can’t steal it wholesale because you can show that you wrote it and submitted it. By writing it, you automatically own the copyright to those words. (Not the ideas, that would require a patent.)

What happens when you get published?

Traditional book publishing is when a publisher offers the author a contract and, in turn, prints, publishes, and sells your book through booksellers and other retailers. The publisher essentially buys the right to publish your book and pays you royalties from the sales.

Who decides if a book gets published?

Most publishers have two physical board meetings to help make the decision whether or not to publish a book. This process varies from publisher to publisher and each company has its own name for its board meetings. Thus many authors get confused when hearing different labels.

How do first time authors get published?

Here’s the simple 5-step process to get a book published:

  1. Start with genre research in the publishing industry.
  2. Finish your book and get feedback from editors.
  3. Submit query letters to literary agents.
  4. Submit your manuscript to publishers.
  5. Sign a book deal to publish the book.




How do you know if a book is worth publishing?

Seven Signs Your Book Idea is Worth Publishing:

  1. Uncontrollable Thoughts. Your book—whatever stage it is in—is always on your mind. …
  2. Constant ideas to note down. You’re ready for ideas to strike at any point in the day. …
  3. Unavoidable Rambling. …
  4. Endless rewriting. …
  5. Hesitant Sharing. …
  6. Unbiased Feedback. …
  7. Unwavering Passion.