How a novel is prepared for traditional publishing will vary a little depending on the exact way an agent and publisher operate, once an author lands them. Freelance editors should be familiar with the publishing process so they can advise authors and understand their own place in the system.
Most publishers take on very few unsolicited manuscripts. That means you can’t just send them a book to consider. Instead, authors have to send them a manuscript through a literary agent.
Publishers aren’t doing this to be mean – only to be practical. By reading only submissions sent to them by agents, someone has already vetted the manuscripts and decided they’re viable in the marketplace.
Some smaller publishers accept submissions direct from authors.
Both big publishers and smaller publishers have their pros and cons, but it’s my opinion that an agent is worth getting not only because they increase an author’s chance of being selected by a publisher, but because they can provide an author with a wealth of advice and legal knowledge. They handle contracts and rights, and (should) have an author’s best interests at heart.
The traditional publishing route
The traditional publishing route goes something like this:
- An author finishes their novel to the best of their ability.
- They send their manuscript to beta readers to get general feedback.
- If the beta readers respond with oodles of enthusiasm, the author puts together a submissions package (usually the first few chapters, a synopsis and a query letter) and starts asking agents if they’re interested in representing them. If the feedback from the beta readers isn’t so good, or if the author keeps getting rejected by agents, they probably need to keep working on the manuscript, so they might send it to a professional developmental editor.
- The author lands an agent. Woo hoo! The agent might suggest more changes to the manuscript, or they might think it’s ready to submit to publishers, which they will do on the author’s behalf.
- The novel is accepted by a publisher and the agent negotiates the best deal for the author.
- But the hard work isn’t over yet. The publisher might suggest more changes to the manuscript and pair the author up with a line and copy-editor – which the publisher pays for.
- The author addresses any issues the line and copy-editor raises and goes through the manuscript to check they’re happy with the edits.
- The publisher has the interior of the book designed and typeset, and they have the cover designed, too.
- The publisher has the book proofread by a professional.
- The author address any last queries from the proofreader, and the book is ready to be published.
As you can see, the publisher ends up paying for most of the quality control services, but the author will have a little less control over the editorial and design decisions than they would if they’d decided to self-publish. The agent is paid when the author is paid – they normally take around 15%.
Important considerations
If an author wants to go down this route, the most important thing is that the foundations of their novel are solid from the start.
That means their idea is marketable, their plot is solid, their characters are vivid, their voice is strong, the pacing is balanced, and so on. Developmental editors are best placed to help authors improve their books in this way.
An author might also consider hiring a professional line and copy-editor if they feel grammar and punctuation aren’t their strengths. Both agents and publishers are flooded with submissions, so the closer a book is to a publishable standard, the more likely it is to be accepted. Publishers would ideally like to pay for as little as possible during the quality control stages, so if the book is already in fantastic shape, they’ll likely be more willing to publish it.
Saying that, authors should keep in mind how difficult it is to be traditionally published. Even if a novel is fantastic and beautifully written, an author might be unlucky and it might just slip through the cracks.
So though authors certainly need quality manuscripts, they also need a good pinch of luck to be traditionally published. They’ll also need a big dose of patience, as it can take a while for this whole process to complete.
There’s an alternative path, though, and that’s the self-publishing route.
