Traditional Publishing
Query Quest Begins!
I’ve decided to put my most recent book forward for traditional publishing. I haven’t been involved in that side of publication in 10 years. At that time, late 2010s, eBooks were the harbinger of literary doom, publishing houses were pulling back investment in new writers, and blogs were the coolest thing. I submitted some query letters for Archer, got a few requests for chapters, and nothing came of it.
Then I had a baby or two, went back to school twice, and am in a very different place than I was a decade ago. The market is completely different, eBooks are a powerhouse, yes, but print is also thriving. There are many different options to get published and ‘traditional’ wasn’t one I was thrilled to pursue again.
But… what if I did? I’ve done the self-publishing round of self-edits, cover design, and marketing and its exhausting. Or expensive.
With traditional publishing, they do all of this for you. You get less in returns, obviously, but you also have to do less upfront work. So, while I’ll keep doing my self-published series, why not try with a new story to get into the traditional world? If it doesn’t work out, I have a system and platform to fall back on. Win-win.
The basic premise is this:
I write a story.
I ‘query’ agencies for representation.
If an agent picks me up, they then pitch it to a publishing house.
An editor at the publishing house takes on the project.
The story goes through revisions and editing.
The book is marketed based on what genre and market sector it fits into.
The book gets published!
We all get a cut of the profits.
This process can take over a year from initial query. Once the relationship is established, you can submit new books through the same channel. But all this is dependent on the agent and the publishing house having a potential market for your book. This is why writing to a trend is so difficult. Unless you can get a book out in a few months, you’ll likely be behind the trend. It also explains why some books suddenly rocket into mainstream awareness. Mainstream interest and the genre of the book align, creating interest and sales.
Now, I am not a marketer or a publicist. (Because these are two separate jobs, apparently.) I am, however, a system thinker. I may not understand all the details, but I can appreciate all the steps needed and considerations taken for a book to go from draft to published. This helps me keep perspective when an agent or editor says ‘not for me.’ They are making decisions as a professional in a vast marketplace. It does not speak to the inherent quality of my work.
That being said, it is never fun to get turned down. So, I will do this query thing for a solid chunk of time, maybe until the end of the year, then go about my usual method and release it independently. I cannot let myself get bogged down in chasing the ‘right’ way to reach literary success. There are so many avenues these days, I can make my own way and share my work with you all.
My first book, Archer 887, is a 2022 Indies Today Awards Contest Finalist, and is on sale now through online book retailers. Pick up a copy, leave a review, and let me know what you think!
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Installments from my full-length fantasy novel, The Lost Hero, post each Saturday, for paid subscribers only. I am also on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
(I also write about my work as an RN on my Substack: This Is My Nurse Face. Crazy stories, advice, and vents about inpatient nursing.)
Thanks for reading!
