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3 Reasons Why It’s So Effing Hard To Be a New York Times Bestseller
A few years ago, a client of mine hit the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller lists — but never appeared on the New York Times bestseller list the way that she wanted to. Unfortunately, her story is not that unusual.
Here are three reasons why.
#1. Unlike other bestsellers lists — which are based on sales numbers alone — The New York Times is a curated list based on their own factors which are unknown to both the publishing industry and the general public. Make no mistake; the way they put their bestsellers’ lists together is a better kept secret than anything I’ve ever seen short of my Grandma’s bread recipe, which she intentionally left incomplete on any recipe card she gave to people, making her bread impossible to replicate after she died in 2005. If you figure out how the New York Times is determining their bestsellers list outside of a single person sitting in an office overlooking Times Square — let me know. Personally, I’d be surprised if there’s a consistent system outside of personal bias, because there’s just that much inconsistency.
#2. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s hard for a new title to even appear on the NYT list because the majority of both the Advice, How-to, and Miscellaneous list and both the paperback and hardcover nonfiction lists are either celebrity titles or what we call “backlist” — books that have been out for longer than a year. Atomic Habits by James Clear is the greatest example, having been on the list for 250+ weeks (as of me writing this in September 2024).
Consider this: James Clear has seen himself on the bestseller list since before we heard of Covid-19. Let that land.
#3. In part because of self- and hybrid publishers, there are more books published every year. Because of that — and people having more options for entertainment and leisure and information than ever before — it’s hard for any individual book to stand out. (Which is itself similar to entrepreneurs and experts trying to be heard on social media and through digital marketing.)
According to Circana Bookscan, which tracks book sales, there were approximately 500,000+ books published in 2023. Even though book sales as a whole are actually increasing — to more than 767 million individual copies sold — that averages out to 1,534 copies per book title. Which is far, far less than the bestsellers lists require.
I know this because my client who did not appear on the New York Times bestseller list sold over 15,000 books both in pre-order and in the first week her book was on sale. That’s why she landed on the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller lists.
For what it’s worth — I don’t think landing on the bestseller lists is a great goal for folks to have. Instead, I’d rather have my authors become what’s known as “backlist bestsellers” — books that do OK in their first year on sale and then sell consistently year after year after year. That’s the best way to have your book not only “make money” but also consistently support you and your business through word-of-mouth, leads, and ultimately sales.
Don’t Try To Be Trendy With Your Nonfiction Book
We all have something that makes us cringe. For some, it’s the word moist.
For me, at least professionally, it’s this:
What are some of the insights and trends happening in publishing right now?
I hate this question because regardless of the answer: You’re too late. And that’s true no matter who you are or what position you’re in.
That’s partly because of timelines. Traditional publishing takes two to three years from deal to finished book, and building up an audience even longer than that. So, by the time you figure out what the trend is, the world has likely moved on before you actually catch up.
But the bigger argument against chasing trends, in my opinion, is that you don’t want to be the copycat because it’s a bad position to be in.
Consider this example from country music.
Earlier this year, Cody Johnson released a song called “Dirt Cheap.” (I dare you to watch this video and not get a little emotional.) This song topped out at #14 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, and ended up on my personal playlists since I first heard it.
More recently, I heard a song called “This is My Dirt” by Justin Moore, released in November.
The song’s lyrics are different but the story and message is exactly the same. And because the release happened so close to “Dirt Cheap,” “This is My Dirt” only reached #23 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
Justin Moore’s song performed worse than it might have otherwise because it was seen as a copycat. Even if that wasn’t his intention.
Point is, people can sniff out when you’re trying to chase a trend.
Just like people know the difference between authenticity and a cash grab.
Even though most of us can’t articulate that, exactly.
That’s why it’s so important to be authentic. That will help you build the platform you’re meant to build, get the book deal you’re meant to get, and ultimately write the book you’re meant to write.
There Were More Six-Figure Book Deals in 2024
Every quarter Publishers Marketplace — the primary source of news within the traditional publishing industry — shares important data based on the book deals that have been announced.
And the third quarter report was a doozy.
For context, the general consensus at the beginning of 2024 was that publishers were trying to slash as many costs as possible.
The main reason for that was inflation, but also: pressure from shareholders.
That’s right. Even though traditional publishers are purveyors of art and culture and creativity, they are also multinational public corporations that behave . . . well, like multinational public corporations.
Hence the focus on profitability.
However, that seems to have turned around the collective ships a bit.
According to an email sent out October 15, Publishers Marketplace showed that:
U.S. deals were up 7.5 percent over last year.
Adult nonfiction rebounded fully, up 16 percent, to set a new record for the period
And most notably —
Six-figure deals and what they call “major” deals (over $500,000) were at all-time highs
So what does this mean for you?
Unfortunately not all that much.
By the time you get this email, it will be December — when the majority of literary agents have paused sending projects to editors at big houses because everyone is preoccupied with the holidays.
However what this is a reminder of is an essential truth in publishing: Everything is cyclical.
Sure, spending might go down for a bit.
But publishers need to acquire new books to function, so the money always starts flowing again.
What you need to know as an author is that the best way to get a book deal is always the same, regardless of broader economic conditions or whatever trend is happening within publishing.
Have a proven idea for a book (what I call potential)
And a way to sell that book to a defined audience (known as author platform)
That you can articulate in a book proposal (hopefully written by me and my team)
What Publishers Expect You To Know About Your Audience
I was in a meeting with a client and their future literary agent when the agent said something that made my ears perk up.
The publisher is going to expect you to take leadership of how to reach your audience.
And this reminded me, instantly, of a question I recently received.
Do traditional publishers expect me to know all the contours of my intended market/audience?
The short answer is obviously yes. But here’s a more complex breakdown of that.
When you consider your book’s audience, you’re actually thinking of three different audiences.
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
Your primary audience is exactly that. The main folks who will buy your book. For most of you, that’s your direct fans and followers. This could also be a broader demographic — i.e., educators of color, senior leaders in management roles, runners in their 40s.
To be clear: You need to be able to reach these people directly, have sold to them successfully in the past, and have the ability to market your book to them in the future.
Your secondary audience is an extension of your primary. For example, my client Ellie Diop teaches business principles to brand-new Black entrepreneurs. But a secondary audience for her could be entrepreneurs who aren’t Black or who are more experienced.
And lastly — a tertiary audience is a bit of a stretch. It’s like a “maybe these folks will buy” audience. For example, if you are writing a book on navigating gender transition — like my client Rae McDaniel did — your primary audience would be people going through it, a secondary audience could be the people helping those people like parents, therapists, etc., and then your stretch audience would be cis, het folks who are curious about non-binary and transgender folx. In other words, a tertiary audience could happen, but you wouldn’t bet a ton of money on those folks showing up in large numbers.
But wait, there’s more. For each of these audiences you want to know both quantitative information (i.e., how many people that is) and qualitative data (how these folks feel). All that combined shows that you know your stuff — and is part of what my team and I deliver when we work with entrepreneurs and experts who are ready to become traditionally published authors.
What Most Book Coaches Get Wrong
There are a lot of book coaches out there — and a lot of ghostwriters, freelance editors, and collaborators like me and my team.
(For what it’s worth: I collaborate, ghostwrite, edit, and occasionally coach but prefer the term collaborator because it’s flexible and all-encompassing.)
The biggest difference between my team and every other book coach in the world is how we select clients.
Most people who help authors with their books aren’t all that choosy about who they work with.
Outside of some basic parameters (like what kind of book you’re working on), if your idea interests them and you’re not a total asshole — they’ll work with you.
I used to do this and in a lot of ways, it’s great.
But where it tends to fail authors is in the end result.
Most book coaches, freelance editors and ghostwriters, et al, are focused on creating the best manuscript or the best proposal.
Most aren’t thinking ahead — of how successful that book will eventually be.
With literary agents, publishers, readers.
I learned this the hard way in my own business. I would focus on creating a great manuscript or proposal and achieve that goal. But I would fail to achieve my authors’ goals because their dream result wasn’t possible from the beginning.
And then authors would be — rightfully — pretty pissed at me.
That’s a big reason why I limit my work on proposals and manuscripts to people that I know have a good chance of landing a six-figure book deal — i.e., who I know I can help.
That’s also a huge factor to why my team and I are so successful. For authors who finish their proposals with us, over 80% land a traditional book deal with the Big 5 publishers.
We keep the end in mind, and are choosy about who we work with — which makes us different from our competitors.
Why Traditional Publishing Takes Longer
Right now, my team and I are writing books that will be published in 2026.
That’s because a typical timeline for a traditional publisher — from book deal to book on shelves — is 18 to 24 months. Here are five big reasons why books take longer to write and produce when you’re working with a Big Five publisher.
1. Volume.
Most of the big publishers — Penguin Random House (#1), Simon & Schuster (#2), HarperCollins (#3), Hachette Books (#4) and Macmillan (#5) — agree to publish thousands of books every year. Similarly, many literary agents sell dozens of books every year and most editors work on at least 10 books annually.
Your book can be important and worthy, while still being one of many. One of the reasons authors hire me and my team is to have someone who understands this reality and is there to put their book first.
2. Effort.
In addition to your editor, literary agent, and a collaborator like me — there are dozens of people who help produce a traditionally published book. Copyeditors (who handle grammar and spelling), cover designers, interior book designers, production editors (who handle the production and printing), typesetters, staff at the actual print shop. While it takes time to coordinate all these folks, especially at scale, I believe it’s worth it.
Most traditionally published books look great; many self-published books look . . . self-published.
3. Shipping and Distribution.
Most U.S. publishers print overseas, which means that your book has to traverse oceans on a container ship. That takes months and publishers have learned to give themselves wiggle room for drama at the ports, wars breaking out, pirates — even containers of books falling overboard. Getting the books to the United States is simply the first step in distributing your book across the country to distributors and local independent bookstores.
4. Strategy.
In addition to the folks helping to produce your book, publishers also take the time to coordinate their editorial, marketing, publicity, and sales teams around every book they publish. This is a series of meetings that begins about a year before publication and is what helps your book end up in local bookstores and at the airport, get featured on TV and in media, and be shared online by influencers and your own network.
5. Writing the Damn Book.
Let’s not forget that it takes 6 to 12 months to write a great manuscript, including the time your editor needs to read what you’ve written and offer feedback, and for you to revise.
How To Publish Your Nonfiction Book and Make Money
When I asked for feedback in July, Stephen N. asked —
I understand that the majority of authors can't expect to earn much from advances and royalties.
But what does "much" mean, exactly? Is there a way to realistically determine what to expect?
Y’all. Stephen asks the tough and great questions!
Before I answer, I want to offer the same caveat I always do. My advice is for authors who want to write prescriptive, how-to nonfiction because that’s what I work on.
(If you want to know about other types of books, sign up for this.)
The idea that most authors don't earn much from advances and royalties is actually a great example of how folks misunderstand publishing — including how the money works.
First: An advance is what’s paid to an author in advance of earnings.
It’s sort of like one of those “get paid early” offers that banks do where you can use the money from your paycheck a few days early. Only in this case the author gets their money slowly, in multiple payments, usually over a year or two.
A publishing advance is not a windfall because a book deal is not the lottery. Instead, the advance is meant to help an author pay for help writing the book (by hiring someone like me) or cover the cost of paying someone to help promote and sell the book in the future.
In that way, an advance is more like a cash injection of capital into your business for a future product (your book) rather than a personal payday.
Second: Royalties only happen after you do what’s called “earning out” — meaning that you have sold enough books to cover what the publisher fronted you in the advance and all their costs too.
The easiest way to explain this is math. (Sorry not sorry.)
Let’s pretend that you were offered a $150,000 advance from BirdHouse* to publish your book.
BirdHouse paid you the advance and it cost them another $150,000 to produce your book.
On publication day, BirdHouse has spent $300,000 and not sold a single copy (except for pre-orders, which all count on day 1. Don’t ask me why; I’m not a book-sales-reporting expert).
Your book costs $30 (to make aforementioned math easy).
In order for you, the author, to earn royalties — you need to generate more than $300,000 worth of sales.
Or — sell 10,001 books — which adds up to $300,030.
From there you would get a percentage of every book sold, which varies based on a bunch of stuff we won’t get into.
The quick (and not at all accurate) math of royalties after earning out is roughly $2 to $4 per $30 book sold. And yes, the publisher retains the rest. Because they took a chance and gave you capital in advance to write the damn book.
And that’s if and when you get a book deal. And if and when you earn out.
You may already know the hard truth that most authors don’t do either of those things.
The economics of publishing are that the profit generated by big bestsellers (like Atomic Habits) pay for the financial losses of everything else. Which sucks for authors in a lot of ways, but also guarantees that editors, publishers, agents, and even I will take a chance on projects sometimes.
(In my opinion — all in all, this wacky economic setup is a good thing.)
So — how should you prepare?
Don’t count on book sales as a main source of revenue in your business.
Do think of your book as an affordable, accessible offer for your clients and customers.
Don’t believe that publishers will be interested in your book based on your idea alone.
Do understand that followers/audience/author-platform/your ability to sell books is as essential to a book deal as a great, innovative, salable idea.
Don’t make assumptions on how much or how little you’ll earn from your book.
Do research, ask smart questions and consider your goals when it comes to making decisions around how and when you’ll publish.
*bonus points if you can identify the #1 biggest publishing conglomerate in America whose name is literally [Bird] [Word] House.
Read This If You Want Your Book Out NOW
When Lauren Marie Fleming sent her first book out to publishers, she was rejected over and over and over again.
People loved what she had written, but the universal rejection was, “go work on your platform.”
And of course they had no advice on how to do that.
(Luckily, you have me, because I do.)
What Lauren decided to do — in addition to the usual stuff, like making sure her website looked good and her social media was updated — was to connect with people.
She started purposely and intentionally creating relationships with colleagues and competitors.
She was purposely kind, supportive, and generous. Connections became friends and those friendships became reciprocal, even deeply supported. Working in the film industry and for celebrities, Lauren recognized that there was power in the relationships she had built with the colleagues she saw every single day in her “normal” job.
Over time, friends became community. And that community became part of her author platform.
Lauren knew that platform was key because the friends she had who published books without an audience, without significant marketing, and without a plan in place — went nowhere. So she decided to double-down on community, building her network and overall reach as the biggest part of her author platform. To this day, she’s only got a few thousand followers on Instagram.
That community supported Lauren and kept her going — after her second book idea got rejected because she wouldn’t include diet advice in a book that helped readers love their bodies.
And when she wrote another novel?
You know her community supported her when she sent queries to more than a dozen literary agents — and 13 rejections came back.
What I want you to notice about Lauren’s story is the timeline.
She started writing her first novel in 2004
Her first book was rejected in 2012 because she didn't have a platform
She started building her network as an author platform in 2014
Her second book was rejected in 2016 for BS editorial reasons (my language, not hers)
She drafted another novel that she nearly gave up on. When Lauren did send that novel to agents in 2019, most deemed her work as unsellable — or asked her to make substantial changes, including making the book “less queer” — (eye roll from me)
Her next book went to 13 literary agents in 2022 before someone was interested
Ultimately —
Eight agents were interested in Lauren’s novel, and she ended up with her dream publisher.
Not to mention a massive first printing, tons of 5-star reviews, and movie interest.
Keep in mind —
Lauren spent 20 years believing in her dream of becoming a traditionally published author.
And I’m sending you this email about her and for her because she’s my friend.
And because her book — Because Fat Girl — comes out tomorrow. Click here to order it.
This email is a reminder to never ever stop believing in yourself or your book.
As Lauren said herself:
You never know when the next yes is coming.
Sometimes, you’re ahead of the curve.
And sometimes you’re just not ready.
You just gotta keep asking.
How to Get Started Writing and Publishing Your Nonfiction Book
A while back, Mandy* submitted a simple suggestion.
How to get started for dummies.
I was tempted to make that today’s headline, but —
I don’t think you’re dummies, and
I don’t want to get sued by the good folks who were smart enough to trademark the “For Dummies” phrasing and series.
So here we are. If I were to simplify the whole publishing process down to a few simple steps, it would be this.
Understand what type of book you want to write.
Inside of publishing, this is called category but a simpler way to think about it is: Where would your book be in the bookstore? What would be its Amazon subcategory? What books are similar, and what are their categories listed as?
A few super broad examples are: Memoir, Business, Self-Help, How-to, Parenting, and Fiction.
This will do two things.
First, it will allow you to get advice that applies to YOUR book.
Everyone in publishing — from editors at publishing houses to freelancers — specializes, which means that you want to learn from folks who are giving you relevant advice.
Second, you’ll be able to understand what is necessary and expected from you to get a book deal. Because what is necessary and expected varies based on the type of book you’re writing.
Understand WHY you want to write your book.
And if everything you’re saying starts with “I” — pause.
Because while that’s not a red flag per se, it’s definitely not a good pitch.
Knowing what you want your book to do when it’s out in the world is crucial because it will help inform your path. Some authors really, really, really want to hit the bestseller list and are willing to build an empire to get there, while others simply want their book to help the folks they already serve.
How you get to that result is very different.
Know what you really, really want.
For your whole life.
This may seem radical for a book pro to say, but your book is not everything.
For your publishing path to be successful, it needs to be in alignment with who you are, who you want to become, and how you want to live your life.
I recently spoke with an entrepreneur who had a thriving business, a great idea for a book — and only 2,000 followers on social media platforms.
She had been dreaming of a book deal because she wanted her book to be an accessible product for the entrepreneurs who can’t afford her services and to act as a lead magnet for those who can.
After we talked in-depth about what publishers expect, she realized that in order to achieve a book deal she would have to grow her audience and business substantially.
Which wasn’t right for her and how she wanted to live her life.
And though traditional publishing wasn’t a good fit, she still had options to make the impact she wanted with the book she dreamed of. It just wasn’t going to be the way she expected. Which is totally OK and happens far more often than you think.
Don’t stop there.
Learning what you don’t know is crucial for success, but you need to take consistent action too.
Because consistency is what I see helping people get the book deal of their dreams in the end.
*That’s her real name. Thanks Mandy!
Don’t Believe These “Truths” About Your Nonfiction Book
As a traditional publishing expert, sometimes I get tagged on social media posts from would-be authors who have questions about their books but no one to ask.
So they naturally ask the Internet. And today I decided to address a few of the most common answers I see that are totally false.
What’s in bold below are real comments, from real people, posted on LinkedIn.
Underneath is my take as an expert in publishing who has worked in traditional publishing for 20 years AND who has helped authors both self- and hybrid publish.
If the sales were high enough, a publisher would come in later.
This is technically true but “high enough” is A LOT of books. Like millions of copies.
Given that most books sell far less than that, this outcome is super unlikely for any author. It’s only happened twice in my entire career, and I’ve worked on hundreds of books.
TLDR — This is not a thing that you should bet on. And it’s not true for subsequent books either.
You wrote the book, why give a publishing house any of your money to do the same thing that you can do and keep all of your revenue.
I feel rage bubbling up in me because this is just WRONG. Traditional publishing houses do not take money from authors.
Instead, they pay you — the author — for the right to license your book, print/distribute/sell it, and then share the profits.
This commenter is probably confusing hybrid (which is a play-to-pay model, as is most self-publishing) with traditional.
Don’t get it twisted and then blame the system you misunderstand, please.
I am going to self publish. You will retain FULL control over your work.
This is true. When you self-publish you retain all control and all rights because you’re not licensing your work to anyone (which is what a book deal is from a legal standpoint).
However — this is also why a lot of self-published books have terrible covers, are difficult to read, go to market completely unedited, and don’t sell well because the author is likely not an expert in how to structure, write, publish, and promote a book. (If you want to see what I mean — listen to the first episode of this podcast.)
Editors exist because most writers benefit from having someone else review their work before it goes out into the world. Publishers exist because they offer a specialized service that most people don’t need to master themselves (kind of like plumbers or electricians).
When I see comments like this, I notice fear and defensiveness.
This is pretty similar to:
a publisher will steal your ideas
a publisher won’t let you use your own IP
a publisher is going to restrict what you do with your own work
Which are all also false statements.
The business objective of any publishing house is to publish books for a profit.
Not to steal your IP. Not to restrict you using what made you a viable author in the first place.
The only exception to that would be if you decide to do something — say publish a journal that competes with the book you’re about to write and publish with that publishing house — that restricts sales. Then your publisher may say don’t do that because you’re going to fuck up their investment. But again, that’s rare.
For Black authors, the numbers clearly show that major publishing houses are not necessarily the best way to get reach. Many Black writers are doing it, sure! I know of a handful who secured book deals, but I still think you should self publish.
I saved the most insidious comment for last.
Historically this has been true. Most of the traditional publishing industry is white, and in the past they have had no idea how to publish or promote “Black books” because they didn’t know how to reach Black audiences. Hello, cultural segregation.
However. Since 2020, I have personally seen that literary agents and publishers are actively seeking out diverse authors. So much so that it can be easier for authors of marginalized identities (BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, etc.) to land representation with a literary agent and get a book deal than a cis, het, white person.
I don’t know what “numbers” this person was looking at, but it’s not what I see from my position as a collaborator who actively helps BIPOC authors get book deals.
As this year’s election so clearly shows — don’t believe everything you read on the Internet.
It’s crucial that authors have accurate, truthful information to help them make an informed and aligned decision for their book.
If you agree, I encourage you to share some or all of this email on your social media and tag me (@megstevenson on IG, Meghan Stevenson on LinkedIn) so that I can respond with the truth.
When To Hire a Publishing Pro (and Get Serious About Your Nonfiction Book)
So far in 2024 — over 600 people have taken my quiz.
But only 25 people were ready to work with me — less than 5%.
Out of all our quiz takers, 63% are writing books that my team and I don’t work on*
And out of the people who do want to write a how-to, prescriptive self-help book —
Most need to build their audience first.
In the quiz, there’s a question that asks you how many people you can directly reach — and if it’s less than 50,000 you get what I call our Book Deal Bootcamp result.
When and if you get this result (as 200+ people have so far this year) — what you need to work on is your business. Specifically, your content, your audience, and your reach.
That may seem counterintuitive but a book can only grow your business — not build it.
That’s because in order for literary agents, publishers, and even pros like me to be interested in your book — you’ve got to build the audience for it first.
*Like fiction, memoir, or childrens. If that’s you: Subscribe to this instead.
P.S. Thanks to Alli for submitting the question of when it’s appropriate to work with me and my team!
8 Signs Your Idea is Ready for a Book Deal
This idea is unique to you and hasn’t already been made into a book yet*
This idea is more than an idea — it is a framework, a methodology, or an approach.
You have shared this idea, gotten feedback, and refined the idea over time**
This idea has gotten results for hundreds of people**
Readers can learn this idea in book form (i.e., you don’t need video/audio/to be in person)
You are known as the creator of this idea
You have grown an audience of preferably 100,000+ who have proven they will spend money to fix the problem you solve
This idea is similar to other ideas that have been turned into successful books*
Thanks to Spring for submitting the question that inspired this blog post!
*do your research
**with preferably hundreds/thousands of people that you don’t know.
Please Stop Writing Your Whole Nonfiction Book.
Back in July, I encouraged y’all to ask me anything.
And RaShonda did. She asked —
Honestly, how can I get my manuscript out to publishers?
Someone else — clearly thinking the same — asked:
How much of your transcript* you need done before pursuing the traditional publishing route?
Before I jump into haterade, I love that you’re asking this question.
And here is the answer.
You do not need to write an entire book (aka manuscript) to get a book deal.
This advice applies specifically to how-to prescriptive nonfiction.
Which is: books about business, self-help, personal growth, inspiration, parenting, personal finance, and anything where you’re teaching someone to improve their life.
If you’re writing anything else, please: Subscribe to my friend Kate's newsletter instead. (She is a literary agent and will be way more helpful to you, I promise.)
You don’t need to write your manuscript to get a how-to book deal because traditional publishing doesn’t work that way.
Instead, you need a book proposal — which is what I help folks with, when they are ready.
(Have more than 100,000 followers? You might be ready — take my quiz here to find out.)
For the rest of you, who aren’t ready — yet — I suggest doing any or all of these instead of writing your manuscript:
Sharing what you want to teach with your ideal audience.
Getting results for your methodology with those ideal audience/clients.
Growing your audience and author platform.
Learning all you can so that you don’t make simple mistakes like focusing on the wrong thing.
*Assuming this person meant manuscript, because you definitely do not want to send an unedited transcript to publishers. And don’t even ask about screenplays.
How Publishing Your Nonfiction Book Can Be Like Flying Through a Blizzard
Today’s publishing advice comes to you from the shores of Puget Sound, where my team and I gathered for our annual retreat. We were talking about travel mishaps when my executive assistant Daneka spoke up.
“Back in the day, my dad was one of the gate agents that had to deal with delayed flights and irritated passengers. One day, there was a big snowstorm so none of the planes could take off. Most people knew it was a weather delay and that they’d get an update when it stopped snowing. But this one customer in my dad’s gate area would get up — every half-hour or so — and ask for an ‘update.’
“My dad couldn’t really do anything, but this customer was getting more and more pissed.
“What do you know now?
“Have there been any changes?
“Finally after a few hours, the customer lost his cool. He asked my dad, ‘When is it going to stop snowing?’”
My team all laughed at this punchline because, obviously, Daneka’s dad didn’t know.
He wasn’t a meteorologist. He didn’t have an up-to-the-minute forecast.
Instead, Daneka’s dad suggested that the customer call Mother Nature for an update — which made everyone else in the gate area laugh and clap. Because the weather? Completely out of his control as a gate agent. And yet — this particular customer was holding him accountable to it.
And this bit of the story is why I’m sharing it with you, because in addition to being funny this story is similar to book publishing.
I’m an expert in helping entrepreneurs like you get book deals, but there are a ton of factors outside my control. To be honest, there are so, so many blizzards in the tiny snow globe of traditional book publishing.
For example — the presidential election. Every four years, literary agents stop submitting book proposals to publishers after September because everyone is distracted. No one knows what is going to happen in November. And that is the snowstorm for a handful of my clients who recently finished their proposals and have to wait.
Another storm is social media algorithms and online marketing strategies. If you’ve been an online entrepreneur for a minute, I bet you remember social media and email hacks that used to work to get followers and clients . . . that are totally ineffective today. Changes in the online landscape can be a ground stop for those who are in the process of creating and testing content to grow their audience and author platform.
Similarly, your personal choices and mindset can shape the environment you experience.
When I asked for feedback in July, I received so many amazing questions that I will answer in upcoming blog posts. But I also got heartbroken messages from folks who had invested too quickly in shady publishers, who self-published without considering the consequences, or who clearly didn’t slow down and read what I’ve been sending about who I am and the work we do. That’s your own personal snowstorm — and each of you reading this post gets to decide how much you want to pay attention and how much you want to shovel out.
Lastly — and probably most importantly — I suspect this lack of control and agency creates a ton of frustration and anger among authors. Similar to the customer in Daneka’s story — you want to know when it’s going to stop snowing, when you’re going to have an audience big enough, when the publishing gods are going to finally accept you. It can be easy to rail an industry that is opaque and doesn’t move the way you expect it to. Or seek someone like me to answer every question and solve every problem even though I’m not the right person to help you. (I’m talking to you, folks who are writing novels, children’s books, and memoirs.)
But the reality is: Publishing IS opaque, slow, uncertain, and in lots of ways unknowable. And that’s true even for me as an expert. In a way, the book business is exactly like Mother Nature and her snowstorms.
All you can do is control what you can control. Especially your mindset, your approach, and what you do in the meantime.
Because spoiler alert: That customer demanding answers?
Got on the plane at the same time everyone else did.
I Won’t Treat You This Way
Last year, I found out a client — who I had known for a decade before working together — stole a proprietary framework I taught at a workshop. That I let her join for free.
I told her what she did wasn’t cool and didn’t get a response.
So, because of karma (and the likelihood that a lawsuit wouldn’t be worth time and money) I let that ‘ish go.
And in June, I got an email from her trying to sell me on an “intimate” offer that she promised she wasn’t automating.
Y’all.
This is what I will never, ever, EVER do to you.
I’m not the type to sell, sell, sell just for the sake of selling.
While I love money (who doesn’t?) I also deeply want my clients and the people to learn from me to be successful.
That’s why I offer so much free information in these emails and on my Instagram.
That’s why my team and I created the quiz to help you know if we’re right for you (with free, vetted referrals when we’re not a good fit).
And it’s why we only work with people that I know have a very good chance of getting a book deal — and try to teach the rest what they need to know to get there.
I care about you.
My team of editors and readers cares about you.
And while that doesn’t mean we don’t mess up sometimes (particularly with the techy automagic that allows us to reach 12,000 people at once across platforms) — I make it a point to act with integrity and give you the best advice possible.
Does that mean I’ll always tell you that you’re amazing, always agree that you’re right, always say yes to what you’re asking?
Heck no.
Because I’m honest, and more than a little tough.
But I trust that you can handle it because you’re here.
You’re an expert or entrepreneur that wants to be at the top of your game, who dreams of being an author today.
I’m here for that, and glad you are too.
10 Reasons You WON’T Get a Nonfiction Book Deal
Usually, I like to offer hope and a path forward in my content.
But today I’m going to identify the 10 biggest reasons why I see people opt out of traditional publishing (whether they intend to or not).
When you read these statements, I want you to think: Is this me?
And if so — what does that mean for you and this dream you’ve got?
You don’t want to build an audience of 100,000 +
You prioritize other things
You choose to self- or hybrid-publish instead
You expect someone else to market and sell your book for you
You decide that everyone in traditional publishing is an evil corporate being
You don’t read (carefully) so you’re not listening or submitting to the right people
You don’t follow through on your commitments so you consistently fall short of your goals and intentions for yourself and your business
Deep down, you doubt whether you can achieve this goal — and let that overpower you
You focus on future decisions that you haven’t encountered yet rather than the hard work ahead of you
You choose to focus on your competitor’s success rather than your own
Here’s the Right Publishing Path for You.
OK, so: That’s a trick headline.
I don’t know what publishing path is right for you. Most of the time, I’m dropping into your inbox to share how traditional publishing works because that’s what I know.
However, I’m not against self-publishing as an avenue for authors — or working with a hybrid publisher either. Both can be appropriate for authors and often, even a better choice than traditional.
There isn’t a singular choice that is best for everyone.
That’s why my goal in offering free information is to help you make the right choice for YOU.
And what choice should that be?
In my professional opinion — that depends on what your goals are.
Some folks want to create a large impact and are comfortable building a large audience and infrastructure in their business and life to support all of that. For these folks, traditional publishing is the best option because:
The distribution a traditional publisher offers can support and fulfill their goals of selling 20,000+ books to their existing audience
An advance helps to pay for help from people like me to get the book written and ready for publication
Another route simply wouldn’t match with their brand aesthetic and vibe (i.e., hybrid or self-publishing would feel amateurish or low-rent)
Other people want to stay niche and serve the audience they have — which is totally fine.
Self- or hybrid-publishing can be the right choice for authors who:
Just want to get their book out there
Want to control the timeline and distribution, and have creative control
Are OK with selling fewer copies of their book
That said, marketing messages from these publishers can be misleading.
Many self- and hybrid publishers make a big deal about rights and profits without mentioning that you may not make your initial investment back. (In those models, authors pay to get their book published and costs vary a lot.)
The truth is that most authors who publish through these methods don’t sell many copies of their book and therefore don’t make much profit from their book.
So the promise of keeping 100% of the profits/revenue?
Doesn’t matter as much when those numbers are low.
And no matter what publishing route you take, remember this:
You’re going to have to market, promote, and sell your book no matter what.
Whatever You Do, Don’t Listen To the Poets
When my client booked a week at a writing retreat to draft her book, I thought uh oh.
I worried that she would be in community with what I call “Writers” — artsy, creative, dreamy people who aspire to write novels, poetry, plays. People who I feared would give her advice that wasn’t bad, per se, but wasn’t appropriate for her situation.
(My client is writing a book on business finance for Simon & Schuster.)
After checking myself on my (many) assumptions, I told her that it was likely she would be surrounded by fiction authors, poets, and maybe someone writing their life story.
In that conversation, I shared that those authors’ experiences — with writing, with selling books, with their publishers — likely wouldn’t be similar to hers. And, therefore, not really indicative of anything that could or would happen with her book.
Then I said something important and unequivocal.
Whatever you do, don’t listen to the poets.
(Ironic, because we’re both Swifties and we had this conversation literally a week before The Tortured Poets Department came out. IYKYK.)
So often I hear folks saying something like,
“I heard this from so-and-so . . . is that true?”
Or
Broad-generalization-not-based-in-fact followed by immediate and intense worry
But here’s the thing.
Whatever that story or generalization is that you’ve been told, heard through others, or read on the Internet, has nothing to do with YOUR unique situation.
That’s because every book is different.
Because every author, every business, every goal, every day is different.
Writing, publishing, and otherwise. So when you hear a story about someone’s failure or even their success — know that is just one story. And guess what?
It’s not your story.
. . . As for my client — she realized I was right the very first night she gathered with the other writers at her retreat — whose books, goals, and dreams were different from hers.
Not better, not worse.
Just different.
How Many Followers You Need to Get a Nonfiction Book Deal
In this blog post I’m not going to give you a specific number you need to fit in order to please the Publishing Goddesses and get a book deal.
Because there is no magic number.
Sometimes I wish there was — like when a client with the ability to sell lots of books gets turned down by literary agents for what I think are dumb reasons. Or when editors at publishing houses don’t see what I do in a project.
Traditional book publishing is subjective and whimsical (and not in a good way).
One of my favorite stories to tell is that I only got to buy what became a massive bestseller because the publisher’s son believed in it. Not my colleagues, not the boss. Nope. The boss’s son, who at the time wasn’t even out of high school yet. I’ve been in rooms where people who don’t know how Instagram works or even that Canva exists say that a million followers isn’t enough.
I could tell you more but I don’t want to discourage you.
Because there is hope.
When folks ask me for a magic number, what they’re looking for is a level of certainty that doesn’t exist. However, the certainty that does exist is this:
A good book will sell everyday (meaning that most book ideas aren’t time-bound or timely, so your idea can wait for you to build an audience and brand around it)
Content is queen — because developing content like marketing emails (ahem) and social posts helps to grow your business, solidify and narrow your ideas, and make you really good at explaining who you are and what you do (which, by the way, is also awesome for Reels and audience-building)
Followers are good but the ability to sell is better. Meaning that not every entrepreneur or expert is going to sell their book through social media. Some folks’ businesses run entirely through facilitation, or speaking, or courses, or email.
What matters, ultimately, is your platform in the most basic sense of the word.
How many people do you have listening to you?
How many of those folks have bought from you before?
How many people can you reach through the network you have?
How will you mobilize your customers, network, and audience to not only buy the book but also spread the word creating a network effect where word of mouth starts to sell your book?
And ultimately, how will your efforts and your book generate a profit for the publisher?
When you can answer that . . . you could be ready for a book deal.
Stop With the Prescriptive Memoirs
Back in May, I got a referral from a fellow editor friend. She had a client who was looking to write a book proposal and thought we could be a great fit.
Then I saw two dreaded words in a sentence that always makes me shake my head.
I’m writing a prescriptive memoir . . .
No. Just no. You’re not writing a prescriptive memoir — and neither is anyone else.
That’s because there is no such thing.
Your book is either prescriptive — meaning how to, as in the prescription you get from a doctor —
Or it is a memoir, a historical account or biography written from personal knowledge or special sources. (And yes, I took that from the dictionary.)
Why this gets twisted is the result of a short-lived fad within traditional book publishing where prescriptive memoirs were briefly (and in my opinion, terribly) a thing. What you need to know about that incorrigible trend was that it’s not happening anymore because it didn’t work.
And it didn’t work because of a little thing we call category.
Meaning, when I walk into a bookstore or peruse a website like Bookshop.org (or Amazon) I’m typically looking for something. As a reader, I’ve got a book in mind. I want to read a personal story, or maybe a novel, or perhaps buy a book to solve a problem.
But I’m usually not looking to do all three of those things.
And that’s what you’re asking someone to do when you are writing a prescriptive memoir.
Think about it this way. When you have a book that tells a story and also gives advice on a specific problem — where would that book be shelved?
Where does someone go to look for it?
Where does someone find it?
If you are thinking, wow, Meghan, I wouldn’t know where to look — you would be right.
And you have single handedly, on your own, uncovered both why the appetite for prescriptive memoirs did not last in traditional publishing as well as why those two words make me cringe today.
As for my potential client, she wasn’t writing a prescriptive memoir. Instead, like most of my clients, she was writing a how-to book that had stories from her life.
Which — to be absolutely, 100% clear — is still a how-to book.
Knowing what type of book you’re writing is important, because most folks in traditional publishing specialize. My team and I only work on prescriptive (how-to) books, which is why we ask you what type of book you’re writing on our free quiz.
(Which, spoiler alert: also helps you figure out where you are on your journey. So you should take it now if you haven’t already.)