I still vividly remember my own ‘J.K. Rowling moment’ – the day the publisher offered me an advance for my book ‘The Merlin Mystery’.
My cousin Suzie handed me the phone. “It’s the editor from HarperCollins,” she whispered breathlessly, knowing I’d been waiting. Everything seemed to go into slow motion.
“Jonathan? This is Jane. We’d like to make your book our #1 offer at the Frankfurt book fair this year. We’d also like to offer you $150,000 cash in advance. Would you accept?”
All dreams came true in that instant. All money issues instantly vaporized. That phone call changed my life, and 18 months later it got even crazier when my book was published in 7 different languages.
Can You Get A Similar Deal?
Truth is, my journey to that ‘phone call moment’ took over a decade. I had gradually built up a waiting ‘audience’ of potential readers and supporters – a community. I had also worked in advertising for years and dealt with plenty of publishers, so I used every ounce of that marketing know-how when pitching my book.
Even so, a mass of rejection slips ensued, and it took a seemingly endless series of pitches to publishers before I finally prevailed.
The good news is that it doesn’t necessarily have to be that way for you. A new route to getting a traditional book deal has recently emerged – one that avoids all that endless uncertainty and stress.
This new route is not only much faster, but also means you start earning money before you secure the deal too…
The Solution: To Get A Traditional Publishing Deal, E-Publish Your Book First
It’s now possible to get a traditional publishing contract by having an eBook published on the Amazon Kindle™ first.
With so many changes happening in the industry, publishers are becoming more and more risk-averse – and are increasingly looking for “sure things” when it comes to new authors.
The easiest way for them to know they have a “sure thing” is to seek out authors who have e-books that are already proving to be popular.
So by having a Kindle e-Book that is even moderately successful, you’re far more likely to be offered a deal by a traditional print-publisher. (Not to mention all the earnings from sales of your ebook in the interim!)
Real Life Examples Of Success Using This Approach:
This approach has recently been used by a well known trio: John Locke, Amanda Hocking and E.L. James.
All three authors couldn’t get an agent or publisher to even glance at their books.
Instead, they self-published their books on the Amazon Kindle, and used some simple but effective (non-salesy) techniques to promote them. When they had found their audience, attracted a growing readership and their e-Books became successful, traditional publishers began to take an immediate interest and began offering publishing deals.
1. Amanda Hocking
Her break-through secret was Kindle publishing great zombie stories and then successfully attracting book-blogger reviews.
Amanda earns millions of dollars each year, and the income increases daily. It took her ten years in the wilderness, during which time she couldn’t find an agent or publisher to take her work. So she published on Amazon’s Kindle to prove that people would love her books. They did, in truckloads, because she discovered how to get book-bloggers to promote her work.
She’s now accepted a substantial offer from a traditional publisher.
2. E L James
Started as fan fiction, then onto the Kindle, then a publisher, now … a movie.
Her book ‘50 Shades of Grey’ started as fan fiction around the ‘Twilight’ franchise. Then James e-Published it on the Kindle.
Sales exploded because of the following she’d built up while writing it as fan-fiction on the massively followed ‘Twilight’ fan site. She recently attracted a seven-figure sum from a traditional publisher, and now has a multi-million dollar offer from a movie studio as well.
3. John Locke
Broke into the bestseller lists by having a series based on a central character and using the Amazon KDP Select promotional system.
John started from nowhere, but after successfully publishing a series of ‘Donovan Creed’ detective books on the Kindle, has accepted a deal from a traditional publisher after selling over a million e-Books.
The Advantages Of E-Publishing Don’t Stop There
It’s not just the increased likelihood of getting a traditional print deal that makes e-Publishing worthwhile either. There are a host of other benefits.
Firstly, by e-publishing on the Kindle, you’re published instantly. No query letters, no rejection slips, no contracts, and no two-year long wait for a book to finally ‘come out’.
Secondly, an eBook goes on earning forever. The only traditionally printed books from publishers that remain on bookstore shelves for longer than a month are the big ‘bestsellers’. By contrast, your e-book will stay “on the shelf” and earning until such time as you – and only you – decide to remove it.
And last but not least, you get to keep a much bigger slice of the earnings than you could ever hope to receive from a traditional print publisher. The ‘Big Six’ traditional publishers commonly take 90% of print book earnings for themselves, leaving you with only 10%. But if you e-publish on the Amazon Kindle, you get to keep up to 70% of the proceeds.
So if you haven’t yet considered e-publishing, I strongly urge you to do so. It’s not only a great publishing pathway in its own right, but it could also help you secure a traditional print publishing deal too. I will add a ‘rider’ here: This article is not a ‘manual’, and so of course it doesn’t remotely cover all the details of the precise pathways that those three authors had to take – there’s far more to it than meets the eye.
If you’re interested in learning more about the e-Publishing process, I cover it in more detail in module 6 of my Twitter For Authors Mini-Course. (In that course I’ll also show how to build a Twitter following that will drive more sales of your e-book, including how to properly engage with book bloggers.)
What do you think of eBooks as a way to get a ‘traditional’ print publishing deal? Do you have an eBook planned, or even written?
Please do leave a comment below.
Article written by Jonathan Gunson
Author / CEO Bestseller Labs
This gives writers everywhere hope Jonathan. My second paranormal book is nearly finished, my editor will soon be tearing it up, always for the better. I have sent so many queries to agents, but no acceptances yet. I’m inspired again now.
Exciting times Jen. We could even call this process of e-publishing to get a trad deal the ‘new slush pile’, meaning it’s a way for fiction books to be market-tested. The very best will rise to the top, and I’m sure that traditional print publishers will pick more books as a result. Either way, ePublishing your book also means that it’s OUT THERE. One other thing to be aware of – a publisher will probably want to take an interest in your eBook as well, so be sure to have your agent manage that for you.
Congrats on your publishing success! I’m following the – keep writing and publishing route through some very smart advice I received from a pretty popular author. Your advice pretty much mirrors what he has to say.
I’m always happy to hear when a fellow author gets ‘the call.’ Enjoy your success… sounds like you worked for it!
Keep me posted Kim. We’re all in this boat together.
This is a market test and great advice which you provide from more angles and depth in your Twitter and Best Seller guide, thank you!
@KevinDufresne1
Kevin. This is definitely the new publishing paradigm. Some of my writers are going to take this path. PS. Thanks re Twitter – that product was several months of work. Note: I’m developing a new product for writers at the moment. Real in-depth help re – can’t say too much.
I am not sure why you say that e-books alone are the way to success. POD also provides a way to sell – to more readers worldwide – and in a more permanent form.
Hugh. Great point. I’m all for Print On Demand (POD)
This intention of this post is to make the larger point that testing books is now a real possibility for writers who, for the first time, have the chance to prove that their books are worth a traditional deal. I don’t claim that eBooks are the only way, just the most immediate, and they generate sales faster than POD – mostly because of the lower price, and instant access via Kindle. But that aside, POD via Amazon ‘Create Space’ for example, is a great path for indie authors to prove the appeal of their book.
In academic publishing payment terms are far worse than the article suggests. It’s not uncommon to receive a 3% royalty on a $60 book, or even worse, 2 free copies of your own work. Piracy is also a fear, and a reality, as many students (and libraries) won’t pay those prices. E-books are democratising the market, and it is my belief that they may now be the best route for quality fiction, as well as scholarly factual works. But being a bestseller will always be a dream for the majority (logically, not everyone can be a mass-market winner!). That said, may writers would be happy with several hundred sales. And that’s more in fact that a specialist academic hardback where the typical print run for a leading publisher is now less than 200. Kindle and Smashwords appear to be viable option for the aspiring writer – and may in time offer a bridge to traditional paper publication. The latter, of course, can also be achieved at no cost through Amazon’s Print on Demand Service, Createspace. I agree that if you want to generate more impressive sales than your immediate friendship circle you will need to master basic promotional and marketing skills. But you could see that as part of the fun? Good luck!
Ian. It remains true that having a ‘bestseller’ remains the dream.
Fact is that aspiring authors also still love the touch and smell of paper books, in stores and especially in the reassuring sprawl of libraries. Then there’s the ‘signing’ of books, and giving of copies as ‘business cards on steroids’.
In the end that the eBook will prevail, although there’s still life in the ‘bookstore’ yet. But strange is it not, that the very thing that’s causing the decline of traditional is also making it easier for authors to get a traditional deal.
Makes absolute sense, Jonathan (as everything you say does). I tried for 7 years to get an agent in the UK, without success for my YA humorous fantasy adventure Leap of Faith and even when eventually I found one that was prepared to take me on she never felt passionate enough, or strong enough to take it to market. She was probably right not to! However I’m now published, after many revisions, by an American e-book Publisher (Publerati Publishing) and Leap of Faith is now out on most e-book retailers and doing reasonably well.
Publerati are also an agent for traditional publishers and now that my book (the second is about to come out as an extension to a series) has a place in the e-book market and a readership, Publerati are looking to place me with an established print publisher.
Exactly the Jonathan Gunson model!
Richard, ‘Leap of Faith’
is a book series, although still in its infancy. Nevertheless, yours is yet another a perfect example of proving a book in the e-market first before angling for a traditional print deal. You mention your agent; one key advantage is their understanding of rights. Always get them to manage those – such as for a ‘Leap of Faith’ movie or TV series. (TV is more possible than you may think.)
Jonathan. I totally agree about your point about Film and TV rights. My e-book publisher and traditional agent was a senior VP of a very well-known traditional house before founding Publerati and his knowledge of the minefield of IPR as it applies to rights in the various media outlets is invaluable. It lets me get on with the job of writing for one thing!
You’re also right that Leap of Faith could well be more applicable to TV than to film…or who knows, one day it might make a good Gang Show!
Love the ‘Gang show’ angle.
Hi Jonathan: I really liked the 3 examples of the writers who used e-publishing to break through in the publishing world. I had heard of Amanda Hocking, but not the other two. The thread of similarity that I see is that all of these people go into e-publishing with fictional writing. It makes sense to go this route because fiction has no pictures, so of course it fits nicely into the Amazon Kindle or other e-book devices.
With me, it’s very different and I don’t know if it would work. I am a non-fiction writer currently working on a book about faith. I suppose I could go the e-publishing route, but I’m currently visualizing a very nice designin which a page layout would tell a story accompanied by a soft picture. I would lose out on half of my book going the e-route.
Amanda. This system will work for your faith book, but not on a black and white Kindle of course which is clearly for text only.
More suitable is Amazon’s ‘Create Space’ print on demand, (POD) which is full color and suitable for non-fiction with color photographs or illustrations. Plus of course the Kindle Fire would display your work – although the issue with the ‘Fire’ is that they are not nearly as widely distributed as the Kindle B&W .
But the most effective of all with massive distribution is the iPad. Your book would work perfectly on the iPad, with the opportunity to prove itself with your audience. The doorway in is through Apple’s beautiful ‘publish yourself’ system: iBooks Author. http://www.apple.com/ibooks-author/
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why Jonathan Gunson is the master of the e-publishing domain. Jonathan: thank you for taking the time to reply to my specific inquiry for my particular situation with very specific advice. I appreciate your reply so much that I am going to print it out. I will follow your advice with the full-color layout and program and check back periodically. Thanks again!
Interesting read.
Johnathan is that figure correct, the 90% to Traditional Publishers? I’ve never come across it. It seems an awful lot.
Thank you,
Suzanne
Suzanne, most authors get 10% of cover price at best. That leaves 90% for the publisher who of course has to cover the store owner’s mark up, the risk factor of any advance the publisher’s given to an author against future sales, plus cover design, basic PR, editing, printing, shipping, staff, offices etc.
Hardcover book royalties often pay 10% on the first 250,000 copies sold, 12% on 250,001 to 500,000 copies, and 15% on anything over that. So for a book with a retail price of $25.00, the author earns $2.50 (10%) on each copy sold for the first 250,000.
Amazon pay 70% to the author on books priced above $1.99, and 30% for books below that. The lowest price they allow is .99c. The books also stay on the Amazon shelves ‘forever’, unlike in a traditional bookstore
Hi Jonathan,
These are some great points, and I agree this is definitely one approach to publishing your book and/or “reaching NY”. I don’t normally comment on blogs, but I just wanted to bring to your attention you are working from a few false assumptions regarding how much publishers gross from the sale of your book.
“…most authors get 10% of cover price at best. That leaves 90% for the publisher who of course has to cover the store owner’s mark up, the risk factor of any advance the publisher’s given to an author against future sales, plus cover design, basic PR, editing, printing, shipping, staff, offices etc. ”
At most, a traditional publisher could, if selling on agency terms, gross 70% of cover price just as a self-published author, not 90%. And, of course, you’re not factoring in the % charged by the distributor which could be anywhere from 5% to 24%, depending upon your volume in sales. Plus if selling on wholesale terms, which many publishers are forced to do due to distribution agreements, the publisher may only receive 50% of cover price.
It’s also important to note that these discount rates are only true of e-books. Print is still sold on wholesale not agency terms, or roughly 50%-55% discount. You used a comparison of a $25 print book paying a 10% royalty to the author and implying the publisher netted the remaining $22.50. Only in a publisher’s dreams.
That $25 book likely only paid the publisher $12.50 (50% discount), minus $2.50 distribution fee equalling a $10.00 net receipt, from which must be deducted the cost of printing (likely $3 as a $25 book is hard cover pricing) minus freight (the killer of all publishers–from printer to distribution warehouse to retailer and occasionally back–but let’s say with the most favorable conditions, terms, and truck capacity is $1). So just in hard costs and distribution and retail fees, that $25 book netted the publisher $9, from which the author is paid $2.50, or nearly 1/3rd of net receipts.
Now, I’m not arguing for higher or lower royalties for authors here. I’m a huge advocate of paying authors higher royalties, in fact. I just wanted to set you straight on your facts.
A better comparison of the 70% a self-published author could earn through kdp is if that same ebook were sold to one of the big six, who typically pay ebook royalties of 25% of net. A $2.99 book self-published would net the author roughly $2.09 (70% of cover price). That same book would net a publisher selling on agency terms $2.09 as well, minus a distribution fee of $0.21 (say 10% to use round numbers and assume the publisher uses a distributor as most do), leaving $1.88 from which they would owe the author’s royalties.
Again, not arguing the author wouldn’t make more self-publishing or that a publisher should pay higher royalties.
Just giving you more accurate numbers from which to make those decisions yourselves!
I think self-publishing is here to stay, and it’s a fantastic vehicle for many authors. Good luck!
~Liz
And a huge apology for the length of my reply! I didn’t realize it was so much from the little comment window. ; )
No problem Liz. Very well laid out details. ~ Jonathan
Liz. Thanks for all your details, which are largely correct.
In this article I’m simplifying the picture for my author readers, by using the term ‘publishers’ to refer collectively to all matters on the publisher’s side of the fence, not the author’s – including distributors %, and discounts as you describe. (I’ve been through contractual arrangments with publishers many times, and in all the ways you describe.)
My intention instead of going into the labyrinthine reality of contracts, or commenting on the publishers real in-house situation, was to focus on the the outcome for authors – the only thing of relevance to them:
Quoting you “…that $25 book netted the publisher $9, from which the author is paid $2.50, or nearly 1/3rd of net receipts.” Fact remains that’s only 10% of the retail price. Whichever way you wish to frame it Liz, that’s far less than the average Amazon payout to an author per sale. i.e. A pretty good basis on which to make a decision to self-publish.
~ Jonathan
Jonathan,
I love the article. I’m currently considering self-publishing through Kindle. My question is this – what happens if it doesn’t sell well? Will that be a sticking point later on when trying to get other books published traditionally? Of course my biggest fear is going for it and selling only a few copies.
It’s true that a publisher is less likely to be interested in a book with few e-sales – that’s quite clear. But basically ‘the proof is in the pudding’. If your book is really good, plus you have it set up correctly on Amazon (categories, tags, keywords etc), then reader word of mouth will take over, such as good reviews, and coverage by book bloggers. (You have to work on getting that.)
Best thing to do in your case may be to exhaust the traditional publishing possibilities. When you’re certain you cannot find a publisher, then publish on the Kindle. Soon I’ll have material out that teaches how to optimise on the Kindle.
Overall, by ePublishing at least your book will be ‘out there’, and don’t forget, you have plenty of time to build sales and find ways of promoting. I’ll be posting many more tips about that.
My editor told me about the possibility of a paperback deal following good eBook sales but my marketing is shocking. Ironically my book, The Greatest Gift, is about time, a commodity that escapes me.
I have the printed version out there, self published, eBook and ePub. The eBook is on Amazon but sales are very slow despite a Twitter following of 10k and a Triberr multiplier of 400k.
I don’t know what to do next.
Ken, building an author audience takes time. It’s like any other business.
If your marketing is ‘shocking’ – therein lies the problem and the solution. Selling requires work on Amazon directly. Correct category, keywords, tags, attracting reviews, and maybe attempt KDP select. Then attract the attention of book bloggers.
I put as much info here as I can, although my time is limited, so I cover it more fully in my Twitter course. For example, directly pitching a book on Twitter is not great idea, Twitter is not an advertising platform. Instead, it works best when you cleverly build a tribe of supporters and relationships. (Then you can ask those with whom you’ve built genuine relationships for book reviews for example.)
This is a great post, John. Thank you for sharing! I have plans to self publish soon and am also interested in your Twitter class.
Calisa. Make sure you get the Twitter course at the right price. If you’re subscribed to my list, there’s a one-time only offer.
Wonderful blog post and something I’ve felt was the best way to attempt getting a huge book deal in our modern era. This is especially true since, even if you never land the ginormous book deal, you still have the opportunity to sell eBooks each and every day. Even though I haven’t landed any type of advance, I’ve been selling a LOT more books since self-publishing through Amazon’s KDP Select program than I ever did when published through indie press. And I know that I can continue to experiment with writing more novels, publishing them and seeing if the new books attract readers.
Keep me updated Marilyn. Good to hear that books are selling. Re your experimenting: If you keep moving along the corridor, previously unseen doors of opportunity will open. (We can’t predict what they might be.)
Thanks, Jonathan! Very inspiring outlook!
Another inspiring, insightful post, Jonathan! Thank you for sharing in your wisdom and experience.
A very interesting and inspiring post, Jonathan.
When I finished my first novel, I’d already met an agent at a convention who wanted ‘first refusal’ so I sent it to him as promised. That was about 14 weeks ago and despite me sending a follow up email over a month ago, I still haven’t heard back. It’s very disheartening when nobody can even drop you a quick email even if it’s just to say they haven’t got to it yet. If it hadn’t been for my meeting him and promising him first refusal, I would have published straight to Kindle. I already have quite a few people who say ‘they’re dying to read my novel’ and ‘can’t wait for it to come out’ because of some of the marketing I’ve done.
But I’m now in a quandry. Do I keep hanging on for this agent (and if so, how much longer do I give him?) or do I just go ahead and publish to Kindle? Decisions, decisions!
I wish I’d read this article before I queried the agent, that’s for sure!
Thanks for sharing this – it makes so much sense!
14 weeks? Carlie, you may have to hussle a little. Go chase that agent just once more. Phone don’t email, then you will know. You may be surprised at how they respond, because it may be that they are (like all of us) simply run off their feet. I assume you haven’t actually ‘signed’ with this agent? Later it is still perfectly possible to pick up an agent to handle other rights (TV etc) once your book is successful on the Kindle.
Thanks for this informative article, Jonathan.
Jonathan,
Thank you so much for this brilliant post. I’m currently working on two novels, one of which I think will turn into a three-part series, and it’s so nice to know that at the end of it, there are options other than repeatedly getting rejected and disappointed by publishers which I’m sure makes many authors wonder why they bothered in the first place.
I am a huge advocate of keeping print books alive, but the world is changing and we all have to change with it if we don’t want to be left behind. But, I will be doing some print on demand, as every time I think about getting published, I think about holding that book in my hands. It’s going to be the most amazing feeling.
So thanks so much for the inspiration, you’ve made me realise it is totally possible, and that if I want to make it happen I can, I’ve just got to stop procrastinating!
Sarah x
Three part series Sarah? Excellent.
Plus, your attitude means you’re highly likely to succeed on the Kindle. You see, what most writers don’t yet fully understand is that once an e-book is on Amazon, it doesn’t go away again, and when readers discover your series over time, books that did not necessarily sell well at the start, get picked up by readers of the later books.
The earlier ones each rise Phoenix-like from the ashes. This incredible syndrome is only just starting to dawn on many writers. That’s why I encourage the writing of a SERIES. And the more books in the series the more powerful the effect. Requires patience and commitment, but it pays off in a way that has only become possible for the first time since Gutenberg invented the movable type press.
It’s still early days yet – the frontier is wide open for those awake enough to stake a claim.
See http://bestsellerlabs.com/the-hottest-tip-no-fiction-writer-can-afford-to-ignore/
Jonathan, you killed it with this short but epic blog post.
I tell you, I can pick this post and write a 35 page ebook out of it. I’ll be publishing some of my blog posts and works on amazon kindle in the next few weeks (have got like 15 ready-made now) just waiting for my designer to compelte the cover image.
Sheyi
Sheyi, yes, A lot of craft and content goes into each post. My overall intention is to to encourage writers to stick to their path. These days thanks to Amazon it’s possible to have a break-out best seller far more easily than ever before.
Excellent article! Module 6 definitely looks like a great buy!
This is an excellent post. One book in my series down, learning about tagging and looking forward to your Twitter course.
Thanks!
Hi Addison. Great you’re doing a series. I assume you’ve seen this article: http://bestsellerlabs.com/the-hottest-tip-no-fiction-writer-can-afford-to-ignore/
When you’re under way with ‘TFA’, do ask any questions. Here to help.
[...] And remember, it’s also an effective pathway to getting a deal with a publisher later on when you successfully publish on the Kindle first. In fact, you’ll find the information you need about this here: ‘How To Get A Six Figure Book Deal’ [...]
Hi Jonathon
I’ve just stumbled on your site via Twitter – what an informative place it is!! I shall be popping by more regularly from now on.
Thank you
Vicky
I am an avid story writer, at a young age, it helps to know that there is a sort of community support system for writers! I was wondering what my first step should be when the final touches have been put on my story, any advice would be helpful. Thank you
Kiara
Firstly you need an editor to be sure your story is optimal. (I’ll leave that to you to research)
Then you need an agent. Here are some places to find one:
http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/new-agency-alerts
http://www.querytracker.net/
Most publishers don’t accept manuscripts or submissions directly. So here’s a great resource for you from Noah Lukeman: How To Write a Great Query Letter http://www.WriteaGreatQuery.com
~Jonathan