What happens when you submit a book proposal to a publisher? This seems like a silly question, but if you’ve never been taught how the book publishing process works (and honestly, who was?), then you’ve probably found yourself wondering exactly this.
Essentially, when you submit a book proposal to a publisher, it moves through several steps in the publishing pipeline. (Note: These steps and the order in which they occur vary by publisher, so I’m providing here an overview of what generally happens.)
The first person who will likely read your proposal is the Acquisitions Editor (AE) for the press. Acquisitions editors are publishing staff who specialize in a particular field (e.g., History, Business, Political Science, Mathematics, or even subfields within each, depending on how many AEs the press has). They may have an advanced degree in one of those subjects, but not necessarily. Still, they’re knowledgeable about the topics and what types of books do well (i.e., sell) in those areas.
It’s common to see an AE as a gatekeeper, but it’s better if you see them as your ally. AEs want to work with you and help you succeed; they want to publish books. But what they really want is to publish the right books. And if the AE likes your idea and thinks your book has promise, then they take on the job of convincing the other publishing staff that YOUR book is one of the “right books.”
A caveat: if you’re submitting your book to a particular series, you may first send your proposal to one of the Series Editors. If they like your book, then they will pass the document to the AE. But the first publishing staff to read the document will be the AE.
Now, if the AE likes your book but thinks the proposal needs a little work, they may ask you to tweak it a bit by revising and resubmitting it. If this happens, don’t be offended. This is a good thing! If the AE didn’t like your book, they would simply desk reject it.
If they ask for an R&R, that means that they think the book has promise and they want you to polish the proposal to make it as persuasive as possible before they send it on to the other publishing staff and the reviewers.
Remember: The AE is on your side; if they’re investing time in you, it’s because they believe in you and your book.
Once the proposal has the support of the AE, they’ll either pass it on to other publishing staff or send it out for peer review (the order of these activities simply depends on the publisher). The reviewers will read your proposal, draft feedback, and issue a decision to the AE indicating whether or not they think the book should be published by this press and, if so, any changes that should be made. The reviewers base this decision on your proposal package, which may include a couple of chapters of the book (see your publisher’s proposal guidelines for more information) and your CV.
If the book proposal gains the support of the peer reviewers, the decision then goes to the publisher’s internal committee (made up of editors and representatives from the marketing and sales teams).
Again, the AE is your ally through this process. They are the person who is shepherding your proposal (and your potential book) through the hurdles of each stage. When the AE takes your proposal and the reviewers’ feedback to the internal committee, they are trying to sell your book to the publishing team. Your proposal is the best tool that the AE has to make a strong case that your book is worth the time, money, and effort of the publisher.
At a university press, the next and final stage will be the Editorial Board, which is composed of faculty from across the university and a variety of fields. The AE will present them with your proposal and sample chapters, the reviewers’ feedback, and your responses to the reviewers. Again, the AE will work to convince the Board that your book is intellectually rigorous and a valuable investment for the press.
If you and your book make it through all of these trials, congratulations! You will have earned a contract from the publisher!
Phew, that was a lot of information. And it’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to drafting a proposal and getting your book published.
I hope this helped to demystify some of the proposal submission process, but if you’re still feeling lost (again—totally normal!), consider signing up for our 6-Week Book Proposal Challenge. Download the course preview to learn more and be notified when the challenge goes LIVE!
I hope your new year is off to a fantastic start!
P.S. Don’t miss out on our FREE list of 20 academic book publishers (10 university presses + 10 commercial presses), with direct links to their submission guidelines!