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How The Traditional Publishing Process Works

By Morgan Hazelwood

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About Morgan

I’m an actively querying fantasy author, with one published short story. I’ve attended over a dozen pitching and querying panels and workshops, and am a convention speaker.

I’ve rewritten dozens of queries for other authors, often netting agent interest.

I’m also a blogger, vlogger, and podcaster from my lair in the DC Metro area. In my not-so-copious spare time, I am a voice actor for Anansi Storytime, (a fairytale audio drama), a member of Broad Universe and Manassas’s Write By The Rails, run several writer support groups, and serve on the Baltimore Science Fiction Society board (home of Balticon, Baltimore’s premiere science-fiction and fantasy literary convention).

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Literary Agents

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How Traditional Publishing Works

Traditional publishing produces the books you find widely distributed across bookstores, libraries, and ebook stores.

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You send a query letter to a literary agent
The agent asks for your full (manuscript)
The agent asks for The Call and offers you representation
You sign with the agent
Your agent sends submission packets to editors at traditional publishing companies
An Editor makes an offer with an advance!
You sign the contract - get the first part of the advance
You get a marked up manuscript to edit
You revise your manuscript and send it in
You get the final draft to look over for typos
You send it in - get the second part of the advance
The cover reveal
Often a year later, the release date! - you get the final portion of your advance
Once your manuscript ‘earns out’ the value of the advance, you start getting royalty checks. (~25% of books ever ‘earn out’)

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What is a Literary Agent?

Versed in the field
Familiar with publishing houses and their Editors*
An eye for the market
Sometimes editorial
A contract negotiator for books
Only gets paid if you do��SIDEBAR: Why do I capitalize ‘Editor’? These aren’t just people who edit your work, these are the people at the publishing houses / magazines who buy pieces to publish (w/marketing’s approval).

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Picking Literary Agents To Query

Picking the right agents to query keeps you from wasting both your time and theirs.

Best Practices:�1. They’re currently open to queries�2. They represent your genre�3. They work for a reputable agency��Places to Look:�1. Manuscriptwishlist.org�2. Twitter’s #mswl�3. [Year] Guide to Literary Agents

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2 Ways To Pitch Your Manuscript

Logline/Elevator Pitch��A single sentence that you can tweet or recite when someone (an agent) asks what your manuscript is about. Used at in-person pitching events, chance encounters at conventions, or during twitter pitch events.�
Query Letter��A business letter consisting of your manuscript stats, your brief biography, and a 1-2 paragraph description of your world, main character(s), and the stakes involved. Used via�email, online form, or postal mail to any selected agent — ones you’ve met�and ones you haven’t (cold querying).

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Drafting a Logline

Protagonist + inciting incident + �protagonist's goal + central conflict

“When a killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community, a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer must hunt the beast down before it kills again.”��“A toon-hating detective is a cartoon rabbit’s only hope to prove his innocence when he is accused of murder.” *

Best Practices:

Avoid specific names
Keep it short
Try to use conceptual irony
Use strong verbs

* https://screencraft.org/blog/the-simple-guide-to-writing-a-logline/

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Writing a Query Letter

[SALUTATION] Dear [Agent Lastname],

[STATS] [Title] is a [WordCount] [genre]. It combines the [trait] of [book 1] with the [trait] of [book 2]. [Any personalization here]. (You can put a logline here if you/the agent asks for one).

[STORY] When [main character] [inciting incident] happens, [goal is thwarted].

[Main Character’s] [next action]. [Consequences].

[Things escalate]. Now, [main character] must decide [option1] and [consequence1] or [option2] and [consequence2].

[BIO] I write from my home in [place]. In my spare time, I [hobby 1 and 2. Especially if relevant to story themes]. [Include related degrees, but otherwise skip.]

[CLOSING] Thank you for your time and consideration.

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Query Best Practices

Best Practices:

Use comps (comparison novels)�- should be respected, but not blockbusters�- try for <3-5 years old (shows you know the current market)�- X meets Y or The X of [book] plus the Y of [other book]
Keep it under a page (350 words)
Don’t make it a synopsis�- Don’t give away the ending, and don’t turn into a recitation of events.
Focus on stakes�- Back-cover blurbs and queries have 2 different jobs. You want specificity in the query letter. Show how it’s both Like and Different from others in the genre.

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Managing Expectations

While every agent has their own submission guidelines and given ‘time to respond’, it is not uncommon for them to take twice the stated time. I suggest not nudging until that period has been reached.��The term “I just didn’t connect” is used by agents during rejections because… earlier hopefuls ruined the option of feedback for us:�- To keep writers from arguing with them�- To avoid feedback that the writers think they can fix everything in a day and then resubmit, ad nauseam�- Because they get hundreds of queries a week and have actual clients they need to work for

Sending out queries in batches lets you gauge the market and the effectiveness of your query and opening pages — only.� 1. If you’re getting form rejections� - it might be your query, your opening � pages, or the market�2. If you’re getting partial or full requests� - your query is working, as are your opening � pages. Maybe, look at your pacing and your � ending.�3. If you’re getting R&Rs (revise and resubmit)� - your voice is strong, you have something � that the agent is connecting with. Take their � advice, but make sure you’re doing it in ways � that ring true to you, for the story you want to tell�

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