The path to publication can feel very opaque and uninviting to those on the outside trying to break in for the first time. It can feel like it will be impossible to cross that threshold from having this project that you care about so much to actually getting it out in the world with a publisher that is going to take it seriously, that is going to invest in you, and is really going to be as excited about this book as you are. The process of seeking out potential agents or editors for your book is the “querying” stage. The predominant advice for querying is aimed at fiction writers, so it can be difficult to figure out how to apply that advice to a nonfiction project, especially one that blurs the market lines like a literary memoir. There are so many people out there with great books trying to get published, the last thing you want to do is make a poor first impression. It’s important to avoid these common query mistakes.
In the video below, Amanda. She discusses the top five common mistakes nonfiction writers make when querying agents and publishers, emphasizing the crucial role of a well-crafted book proposal, the importance of knowing your book’s core message, and the necessity of having a strong marketing strategy. Amanda also shares practical advice on how to avoid these pitfalls and successfully navigate the querying process. If you prefer to read your writing advice, continue below after the video.
If you’re to the revision and feedback stage yet, but still just trying understand how long this process will really take, start to finish, you’re not alone! Not knowing how long it will take can be a stumbling block that can impede your steady progress and open you up to self-doubt and unrealistic expectations. Writing your first book is full of unknowns. Who needs one more??
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From a distance, the querying process for nonfiction, especially memoir nonfiction, looks a lot like the fiction process. Once you’ve fully completedyour book and are really happy with the final draft, you will do your research and compile a list of agents that represents memoirs, especially looking for those who like books that are targeted for the same or similar audiences as your own. There are some essential differences, however, and this is mainly because how memoirs and personal nonfiction function differently in the market place than fiction. Readers of fiction choose and shop their favorite authors, of course, but they are also much more willing to pick up a book based on genre, title, or book club association than readers do when shopping for nonfiction. With nonfiction, the market’s expectation is to know a bit more about the author. This is one reason why celebrity memoirs do so well, because that name recognition gets it off the shelves. For other kinds of nonfiction, readers look for expertise, whether or not they recognize the name.
So what does this mean for you, memoirist? It means that on the traditional publishing path, you have another step than fiction writers have to do and that is show potential agents and publishers that you as the author are going to play an active role in your book’s success. Your pitch needs to include making the case that you author’s vision is going to be bigger than just what is on the page. You’ve thought about context, audience, and where your book belongs once it’s out in the world. You do this through an additional piece called the proposal. You will need to have this in hand before you go into the querying process, and that brings us to our first querying mistake.
Query Mistake 1: Not Having a Book Proposal Before you Query
Nonfiction authors must have a book proposal, even if the book is fully written. This can come to a surprise to some memoir authors, because in other forms of nonfiction the proposal is sent to agents before the book is fully completed in order to judge interest and perhaps get upfront funding. (In case you’re wondering, it’s exceedingly rare, next to unheard of, that memoirs get upfront funding). If that’s the purpose of a proposal, then why do you need one when you’ve already written the book?
Query letters traditional are often quite short. For fiction, the goal is simply to show that your book has a clear premise and place in the various genres and sub-realms of fiction. A proposal does a lot more than a query letter and gives a much more complete and targeted overview of what the viewpoint of the book is and who its target audience is. The proposal also helps strengthen the query letter and provides a clear vision for the book. Having written both can only make all your material that much sharper and on point.
Secondly—most agents who are interested in your query are going to immediately ask you for one.
Now, there’s a lot of waiting in the traditional publishing game. So much waiting. More than you think. However, whenever humanly possible, you don’t want to the reason for the waiting. You’ve got interest from an agent, amazing! The last thing you want is to lose them to another project because you weren’t ready with that proposal on request. Putting an interesting agent basically on hold while they wait for you to craft a proposal might not completely lose them, but it is a red flag for that agent and there’s simply too much competition for their attention to risk poor first impression.
Don’t wait until you’re asked for one to write it, which brings us to our second querying mistake.
Query Mistake 2: Thinking a Proposal Can Be Quickly Thrown Together
If an agent asks for your proposal, and you say something like, “sure I can get that to you next week,” then really you’re throwing up two red flags for that agent. First, you’re not fully prepared, and second, you might not fully understand what a proposal is. You’re not going to be able to throw it together in a week. Don’t set yourself a deadline you can’t possibly meet, because that really signals something you don’t want to signal.
If you force it, and put together that proposal in a week, it will show. Hastily put together proposals signal inexperience to agents and editors. As a nonfiction author, you really need to show you’re going to be a part of each part of this process and that you can be an asset. (By the way, you are and will be an asset to the publishing process. You can absolutely do this, just give yourself the time and space to learn the ropes and come prepared to the table.)
Queries are one-page hooks to get a response. Proposals are very different, and are often complex and time-consuming, often 60-80 pages long. They should have multiple sections and some require a good deal of research. At the very least, you’re going to be reading multiple books, figuring out how they work with yours. This is an important part of the process because you need to show you know there is an audience and market for your book and you understand what that looks like and know other books that fit a similar niche. You will also need to spend time considering what your contribution to the promotion will be, which we will get into more a bit later. Some of the research for your proposal may take some industry help and guidance, so be prepared for this to take some time. Not as long as it took you to write you book! But time all the same.
Query Mistake 3: Not Knowing What the Book Is About
This one may seem odd to you, because you wrote the book, of course you know what it’s about. Have you ever been sharing about your book to your friends or someone you’re networking with, and you find yourself tongue tied trying to explain and express all the different elements of your book succinctly? You’re book is complicated and about many different things, but when you’re pitching the book, you really have to communicate concisely and clearly what the book’s message is and how the story aligns with that message. That can be quite difficult to do, and requires some deliberate practice.
Memoir authors come to the querying stage more like fiction writers than other forms of nonfiction writers because they nearly always have written the full book already. We urge memoirists to write their full book before going into querying not only because it’s more expected of memoirists than general nonfiction writers, but because the act of writing a the book is an act of self-discovery. When you have that full book written, and then revised, and spent many months defining that it is about to yourself, you’re much better prepared to share that core meaning with others. The next step to that is drafting the proposal, which even more clearly defines that message not only on a personal level, but how it fits in the marketplace.
Query Mistake 4: Assuming the Publisher Handles All Promotion
Nonfiction authors must actively participate in promoting their book. This can come to a surprise to some authors, who presume that the main difference between traditional and self-publishing is that the house takes on all the publicity and promotion involved in actual sales. This may have been somewhat true once upon a time, but no longer. That does not mean traditional publishers don’t do any of this, but rather than you will need to be prepared to be part of the team.
Publishers look for authors who understand and can execute their promotional role and have a clear vision for how they can communicate with their audience in order to sell their book. This means that you also must demonstrate in practical terms that you can be the face of your book. That requires having an online presence that is clear, easy to find, and consistent with your book’s message and its audience.
I know. It’s a hard pill to swallow because it’s a whole different carton of eggs from writing a book. However, a strong author platform is crucial for marketing and selling the book. From what I’ve seen in working with authors at all different stages of the process, not having a strong enough platform is the most common reason that I see book proposals rejected. You can write the strongest, most compelling proposal, but if an agent doesn’t have confidence that you’ll be an active participant in driving sales, that’s too good a reason to move on to another author.
Query Mistake 5: Overemphasizing the Book’s Uniqueness
No one’s story is exactly like yours, but too many authors really try to drive this as the main selling point for their book without realizing that it’s a mistake.
You’ve never heard anything like this story before. There is absolutely nothing else like it.
“Okay,” says the industry professional, “but where would it go in the bookstore?”
Think about your experience with books, not as a writer, but as a reader. When you are shopping for books, you may not know the title you’re looking for, but you are probably browsing by genre. You want something not exactly like what you’ve read before, but you have expectations for what the kind of book you want will look like and the tone it should have. If you can’t meet some of those basic expectations, you’re book is going to be passed over for something that does. Publishers know this, so being utterly unique is not the selling point many authors think that it is.
It’s important to balance uniqueness with marketability by both understanding where it belongs in the bookstore, who the your audience is, and what sets it just apart enough from what is already on those shelves. Once you have an idea of what other books your own book is similar too, you can then focus on identifying one key differentiator to clearly articulate the book’s unique value.
So if you’re stepping into the querying stage of your process and it seems overwhelming, you’re not alone! I hope these “don’ts” help give you some parameters for what to expect and what to avoid. If you’re looking at creating your book proposal and are not sure what you need to make it the best introduction to your book it can be, we hope you reach out to us at Page and Podium. We have a program that is specifically designed to coach you through your book proposal. We also offer ghostwriting services, so if you would rather just outsource the entire proposal, we can do that for you. We have a really strong track record of getting proposals placed with agents and editors. We would love to help you out. Our package includes support through the querying process as well.
