By Leslie Wells, Patricia Mulcahy, and Judy Sternlight
How do publishers decide what to acquire? With so many books published every year into a crowded marketplace, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to this question. But with the help of guest speakers Helene Atwan, Melody Guy, and Anjali Singh, all experienced, savvy publishing professionals, we recently teased out some core principles that apply to a range of acquisitions.
Of course, a book must be excellent to begin with, in order to excite an in-house editor and the whole publishing team. 5E editor Leslie Wells described reading thirty-plus submissions per week when she was at Hyperion, looking for books that were so good, they would keep her up past midnight. “This is what most editors dream about: finding that memoir or novel that is so compelling, you can’t put it down. What we seek is somewhat ineffable; something unique about the writing that makes it stand out. That incomparable essence comes from the author’s experiences and imagination.”
Anjali Singh has been a literary agent for eight years; before that, she was an editor at Simon & Schuster, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Vintage Books, and Other Press. On the subject of what writers should be aiming for, in order to see their work published, she posed these questions:
“Do you know who you want to be? Are you following writers you admire; writers you would love to have as your peers? Read books you love. Study them and aspire to having your book be on a similarly high level. Be able to say how your book is similar, and yet the ways in which your book is also unique.”
Every publisher starts out by asking, “Does this material have a place in bookstores? If so, do we have a clear idea of how to create a readership for it?”
Helene Atwan, former Director, and current contributing editor of the nonprofit Beacon Press (she also serves on the boards of MIT Press, Johns Hopkins Press, and the Bellevue Literary Review) said that while publishing has changed in recent years, strong writing is still essential, as is the author’s sense of authority, whether in fiction or nonfiction. Readers (and publishers) need to be able to trust that an author will deliver what they’ve promised. The publishing landscape has evolved as our culture has evolved. She defines authority as something connected to experience, education, and roots, and noted the current demand for authentic voices.
Melody Guy, Editorial Director of Hay House, observed that her publisher has a clear vision and mandate with a mind-body focus on wellness, spirituality, growth, and entrepreneurial spirit. In terms of acquisitions, Melody looks for credibility and platform. It’s not enough for a writer to have numerous followers on social media; she cares just as much about their level of engagement with their followers. The content of the proposed book needs to match the interests of the writer’s followers. To keep an eye on current and future trends, Melody follows social media, and notices when certain topics cross her desk in waves, which is a tip-off that a subject is in the zeitgeist.
According to Anjali, before approaching publishing houses, both agents and writers need to establish an identifiable readership for the book. Having a platform is good, but she also considers whether the writer has a true connection to the literary community. Fellow writers and literary organizations can be valuable in providing blurbs and helping to bring attention to a new book.
Anjali explained how comparison titles can help a publisher to envision where on its list a book would belong. She cited Bridgett M. Davis’s The World According to Fannie Davis. Bridgett came up with Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father as a comp, though her memoir about a Detroit childhood with a mother who was a numbers runner was different from a story about growing up with a queer dad. But the structure and approach in both books had something in common: being raised by an unusual parent in an interesting time and place.
Anjali also stressed the need for new perspectives. One of her most successful acquisitions as an editor at Pantheon was the graphic novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, a young girl’s take on the Iranian Revolution. Anjali believed in the book, but what took it over the top was the publisher’s full support, including the academic marketing department. A publisher’s “buy-in” is crucial to making a book take off. This year is the twentieth anniversary of Persepolis, which has sold three million copies.
Participant and marketing consultant Bridget Marmion added that Persepolis established a new model for memoir in the graphic novel genre. She cited booksellers' success with it in an acquisition meeting where Fun Home by Alison Bechdel was discussed, a title which became another classic in the genre.
In talking about books that exceeded a publisher’s expectations, Helene mentioned White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, which came into Beacon Press without an agent (a rarity: a good-sized publisher that reviews direct submissions). They had modest expectations for this paperback original with an estimated print run of 5,000, but the editor and marketing team worked hard and really sold the book to the Penguin Random House sales team (PRH distributes Beacon). The initial printing jumped to 20,000, and the book went on to sell three million copies. Helene added that success for a book involves timing, culture, and platform. White Fragility stayed on the bestseller list for weeks in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.
Melody cited Fast Like a Girl by Dr. Mindy Pelz as a title with unexpected legs. Hay House initially expected midlist sales, but it took off. Published in December 2022, it benefited from “New Year, New You” marketing attention and strong social media buzz.
Some writers have studied the marketplace and set out to write “a huge bestseller.” Our 5E colleague Judy Sternlight brought up Caleb Carr, a military historian who surprised his editor Ann Godoff with The Alienist, an excellent historical mystery that did indeed become a big bestseller. Helene pointed out that it is very hard to strategically “write a bestseller” because so many factors are involved (luck, timing, passion, authenticity).
Participant Michelle Mathai asked whether Substack newsletters are more effective than Instagram, TikTok and other social media in expanding an author’s platform. Helene’s opinion was that Substack takes more effort but can be more effective if a writer is dedicated to it. Some writers thrive on social media with shorter, quicker posts, if they are willing to frequently engage with their followers. She mentioned an example of a poet who had a big following, but not much actual engagement. This echoed a point made earlier by Melody: numbers matter, but real engagement with readers or followers is more important.
A participant asked about self-publishing: Do publishers ever pick up these titles and republish them?
Melody observed that Hay House has taken on some self-published titles, but there are thresholds. If the sales are modest, Hay House probably won’t jump in. But sales of 15,000 or more might be persuasive, as long as the book and author are a good fit for the publisher’s overall vision. Melody also stressed the difference between printing books and publishing books. The house looks at sales levels and platform; they look at whether the self-published book is backlisting, or only had an initial bump and then went quiet.
5E member Patricia Mulcahy concluded with the observation that author commitment cannot be underestimated. “It is so much work to publish a book: editing, copyediting, proofing, designing a cover, as well as coming up with a sales and marketing strategy. Is the author in it for the long haul? Will he or she write other books? Will they work closely with the publisher?”
As Bridget Marmion noted, "Authors must commit to being a strong partner in their own success."