Query Agents or Publishers?

jonpiper · Apr 13, 2013

I'm not sure who I should query, agents or publishers.

I've completed five chapters of a planned seven chapter non-fiction book about how the economy works. The book is intended for a wide audience including businesspeople, politicians, and all those interested in the subject, a large number. It could also be used for college level introductory economics courses.

What is the best route?

JournoWriter · Apr 13, 2013

Both.

Query agents to get an entree to the big publishers. Query smaller publishers that take unagented submissions.

cornflake · Apr 13, 2013

jonpiper said:
I'm not sure who I should query, agents or publishers.

I've completed five chapters of a planned seven chapter non-fiction book about how the economy works. The book is intended for a wide audience including businesspeople, politicians, and all those interested in the subject, a large number. It could also be used for college level introductory economics courses.

What is the best route?

Do you have contacts within the academic publishing world who've published articles of yours in journals or anthologies or what have you before? Those might be a place to start?

jonpiper · Apr 13, 2013

JournoWriter said:
Both.

Query agents to get an entree to the big publishers. Query smaller publishers that take unagented submissions.

Thanks for your reply. Are agents interested in an author who would write only one such book?

cornflake said:
Do you have contacts within the academic publishing world who've published articles of yours in journals or anthologies or what have you before? Those might be a place to start?

No contacts in the academic publishing world. No published articles. I am retired. Have an MBA, Master of Business Administration, degree and am primarily interested in writing fiction; however, this subject has been on my mind for some years.

cornflake · Apr 13, 2013

jonpiper said:
Thanks for your reply. Are agents interested in an author who would write only one such book?

No contacts in the academic publishing world. No published articles. I am retired. Have an MBA, Master of Business Administration, degree and am primarily interested in writing fiction; however, this subject has been on my mind for some years.

If it's nonfic I believe your query should tilt more toward proposal, which should have outline and other stuff - including your credentials. No articles on the subject or degree in the area is going to make this kind of a tough sell I'd think (though someone could come along and contradict me in five seconds).

Maybe start with trying to place articles on the subject?

Siri Kirpal · Apr 13, 2013

Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

You will need a proposal no matter which you query. Start with agents, since they can get you in the door to larger publishing houses. If that doesn't work, approach those publishers in your field that take unagented submissions.

As stated, you will need a proposal. But if this idea is on your mind, go ahead and write the book. But also develop a platform (readership) by writing articles, blogging or whatever other method suits you.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

tombookpub · Apr 14, 2013

Personally, I'd save a couple hundred hours, and go the indy-publishing route.

jonpiper · Apr 14, 2013

cornflake said:
If it's nonfic I believe your query should tilt more toward proposal, which should have outline and other stuff - including your credentials. No articles on the subject or degree in the area is going to make this kind of a tough sell I'd think (though someone could come along and contradict me in five seconds).

Maybe start with trying to place articles on the subject?

Cornflake I've been writing it for a couple of years. Have done much research, including reviewing books already out there. Have written and edited six chapters. I anticipate another two or three chapters.

I think you're right. My query should be a proposal even though the book is nearly finished. But I do have six chapters, so perhaps my query could include a request for a read of the six chapters.

Is that ever done in a nonfiction query?

jonpiper · Apr 14, 2013

Siri Kirpal said:
Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

You will need a proposal no matter which you query. Start with agents, since they can get you in the door to larger publishing houses. If that doesn't work, approach those publishers in your field that take unagented submissions.

As stated, you will need a proposal. But if this idea is on your mind, go ahead and write the book. But also develop a platform (readership) by writing articles, blogging or whatever other method suits you.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

Thanks for your input, Siri.

Should I be worried that I don't intend to write another nonfiction book on similiar subjects? I thought agents wanted to develop a long term relationship with their authors.

jonpiper · Apr 14, 2013

tombookpub said:
Personally, I'd save a couple hundred hours, and go the indy-publishing route.

Do you mean I should self publish? I thought of an e-book. But this isn't like formatting a novel. My book has four diagrams.

Plus, I think a publisher who took it on would have the tools to sell it to high schools and colleges.

Siri Kirpal · Apr 14, 2013

Sat Nam! (Literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

An indie pubisher is a small traditional publishing house not affiliated with the big guys. As tombookpub indicates, they're easier to get into if you've got a nonfiction book with a strong niche market. The problem is you usually have to query them one at a time.

Most agents prefer writers who intend to write multiple books, but that doesn't mean they won't go for a single.

And by the way, you will need at least one of the chapters you've written for your proposal.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

jonpiper · Apr 15, 2013

Thanks again, Siri. With everybody's input, I'm formulating a query plan for both agents, and large and Indie publishers.

All additional comments are welcome.

veinglory · Apr 15, 2013

It is my impression that agents play less of a role in non-fiction. I would advise gainst a shotgun approach. The best publishers are the slowest to respond and you want to give them that time.

jonpiper · Apr 15, 2013

veinglory said:
It is my impression that agents play less of a role in non-fiction.

I wonder if any agents or published non-fiction authors out there have anything to add.

veinglory said:
I would advise gainst a shotgun approach. The best publishers are the slowest to respond and you want to give them that time.

I will consider this, veinglory.

Siri Kirpal · Apr 15, 2013

Sat Nam! (Literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

I'm a published nonfiction writer. I sold both books myself to independent trade publishers. The yoga book was beginner's luck; I didn't know what I was doing and got the publisher within 5 days of querying...and I wasn't even asking if they'd take the book. The Sikhism book took nearly 3 years to sell. I eventually took it off the market and had an independent editor look over my ms and proposal. Took a year to revamp everything (but that included moving to a new home, etc, so it was probably more like 7-8 months of work), but I got a publisher right away after that.

So, make sure your proposal is in great shape before you approach anyone.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

jonpiper · Apr 15, 2013

Sorry, Siri, I didn't realize you wrote nonfiction. For some reason I assumed you wrote fiction.

Did your query/proposal for the yoga book include sample chapters or just an outline.

tombookpub · Apr 15, 2013

Please note that indie-publishing is the new term being recognized for self-publishing. With eBooks taking off, any writer who publishes just a book via this route (or print) without a traditional publisher involved, is independently publishing! And if desired/needed, you can file paperwork to establish a publishing company.

JournoWriter · Apr 15, 2013

Please note that indie-publishing is the new term being recognized for self-publishing.

Only by self-publishing advocates who are trying to come up with a new term to avoid the stigma. The trade publishing world regards things much differently.

veinglory · Apr 16, 2013

jonpiper said:
I wonder if any agents or published non-fiction authors out there have anything to add.

I am a published non-fiction writer (under another name) and I did not use an agent. However my book was academic (Wiley-Blackwell) and that is an area where agents play a negligible role.

Pup · Apr 16, 2013

veinglory said:
I am a published non-fiction writer (under another name) and I did not use an agent. However my book was academic (Wiley-Blackwell) and that is an area where agents play a negligible role.

Ditto to exactly what veinglory said, except LSU Press here instead of Wiley-Blackwell.

jonpiper · Apr 16, 2013

Veinglory and Pup, good information.

Mine is neither academic nor a textbook, but it is a rigorous introduction to macroeconomics.

Advanced Economics For Beginners is for a wide audience, including students and the inquisitive general population.

Curious. Did you query proposals or completed manuscripts?

Chris P · Apr 16, 2013

I've been on many an agency website where the agents are looking for non-fiction, so you might need to get that mouse clicking. It's the general suggestion to start with agents because the big publishers don't let authors query directly.

There's a book out there called Damn, I wish I'd wrote that! that describes the non-fiction process pretty well. The book's maybe a little dated now, but the general principals of writing a proposal and a few sample chapters before writing the whole thing are probably more or less accurate.

I've not been successful with nonfiction books yet, but when I was looking into academic publishers (Wiley, Oxford, etc) they were more interested if I was writing a text book, and wanted to know how often I taught the class and how many students were in the class (that's guaranteed sales, right there!). But many trade publishers publish non-fiction too.

Siri Kirpal · Apr 16, 2013

Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

My yoga book was sold without a proposal, just a sample chapter and table of contents (which was detailed enough to pass as an outline). But like I said, that was beginner's luck. (Okay, I'll 'fess up: the publisher sort of knew me.)

The Sikhism book was actually sold primarily on the ms and a cover letter in which I pointed out to the publisher that he had lots of books on religion and none on Sikhism, so what about it? However, I didn't get a contract until I had filled out an online form that amounted to a complete proposal, minus chapters (since he'd already seen those). That was for a publisher in the UK; they do things differently there. Here you'll need at least one sample chapter.

I might add: I had better luck when I wrote a good introduction. I hadn't planned on a intro, but nonfiction sales seem to require them.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

John Olexa · Apr 16, 2013

Thanks jonpiper for this thread. Thank you for all the replys as well. This has helped me out too!

veinglory · Apr 16, 2013

jonpiper said:
Curious. Did you query proposals or completed manuscripts?

A proposal with a two year deadline for completion.

Query Agents or Publishers?

Just the facts, please

practical experience, FTW

practical experience, FTW

Swan in Process

Nonfiction writer

Swan in Process

volitare nequeo

Swan in Process

Nonfiction writer

Just the facts, please

volitare nequeo

.

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

Swan in Process

volitare nequeo