My Friend Glynnis Hates Book Proposals
and why she's wrong
Friends!
Last week
and I did a Substack live to talk about non-fiction book proposals. As you can guess from the subject of this newsletter, Glynnis hates book proposals and I think she’s wrong for hating them, lol. We talked in depth about all the ins and outs and why they’re necessary. Here’s a taste:You can watch the whole thing on Glynnis’s newsletter Good Decisions!1
I actually had the headline of this post in my drafts before we decided to talk on video for it because this is not the first time she has, uh, expressed her displeasure about book proposals to me. If you don’t know, Glynnis is the author of four, soon-to-be five, books including her latest I’M MOSTLY HERE TO ENJOY MYSELF, (best cover ever, click through) and has been a journalist in New York for a long time. You may have read some of her work like Men Fear Me, Society Shames Me, and I Love My Life in the New York Times. With her career and skill, she should be able to just have her agent email a few people and get a book deal in a week, right?
Wrong, and it has nothing to do with the quality of her work or ideas. It really doesn’t work that way—anymore, or maybe ever. I’m sure there was a time when writers as experienced as Glynnis could do this, but neither of us remembers it well. And yes, a small handful of people can just have their agents call an editor and boom there’s a book deal, but we’re really talking mega celebs and Pulitzer Prize winners and people like that. The publishing gates are not thrown open wide for you once you get that first (or second or third) book deal. And that doesn’t have anything to do with your worth as a writer.
This is the crux of why Glynnis—any writer—hates book proposals. After a certain point you feel like you know what you’re doing, and can’t your editor see that, too? Can’t they see your previous work and know you’ll do another great job with this one? Don’t they trust you?
It’s not about trust. A book proposal is not a hoop you have to jump through. It’s a document publishers use to figure out if your book fits in their business plan. People who don’t know you at all, not just your editor, evaluate your book proposal. The head of marketing might not have worked there when your last book was published. Or the editorial director is new. Or the imprint recently bought a lot of non-fiction and they really need figure out if they can sell the heck out of your book to make room for it on their list. Or any number of minute changes at a publishing house between the time your last book was released and when your editor reads your new proposal.
Plus, your new book is not your last book. It’s a completely different book, even if it’s on a related subject. It might cost more or less for the publisher to produce, which affects how much money they can pay you and they make. The price of paper has most definitely gone up since your last book. As the writer, you don’t see any of these things from where you’re sitting. But the editor has to deal with them every day.
So, yes, Glynnis has to write a book proposal for her next book. (And I’ve read it and it’s already great and publishers you need to buy it as soon as you get it). She has to write it even if it’s boring and dumb and obvious and tedious. I mean, so much of writing is like that anyway! These feelings about book proposals are normal and we all feel this way and we’d all like to opt out of this part. Maybe one day, G, after you win that Pulitzer.
In other news about great non-fiction books, today is the pub day for Maris Kreizman’s I WANT TO BURN THIS PLACE DOWN and both Glynnis and I think you need to get this book ASAP. It’s filled with rage and hope and is exactly what we need ~~at this particular moment in history.~~ Run don’t walk to order it now.
Events! Events! Events!
I’ve got some events coming up, both online and off! The first I can tell you about is in Brooklyn on 7/23 at the Analog Stationer in Prospect Heights. It’s the BEST stationery store in the city and I basically want to live there. This is a VERY limited capacity event, where I will talk, take Qs, and sign books, so RSVP ASAP.
If you want me to come to your bookstore or MFA program, speak at your event, Zoom into your book club/writers group, attend your conference or retreat, email me at kate @ katemckean.com!
Take care my friends.
XOXOXOXO,
Kate
Yes, this is behind the paywall. It’s worth it, trust me.
"Your first album can't be your greatest hits."
I, too, laughed out loud.
loved this