“What are your top publishing tips?” is a common question I get asked.
After reading ‘A Nun and the Pig. Tales from South Africa’, people say they like my writing style, which reminds them of Bill Bryson. And they think the story I had to tell was different and moving. It is rather flattering. Many have also asked me how I got my book published and distributed by Amberley Publishing in the UK and Jonathan Ball in South Africa.
If you want to get your book published by a traditional publisher here are three things I’ve learned over the last couple of years. Maybe they’ll be of some use to you.
Always remember publishers want to know how many books they’re going to sell
They’re in business to make a profit. Your chances of getting published are improved if you can convince them there is a large audience interested in your work.
- Is the subject topical?
- Is it going to capture the attention of the buyers for major book retailers?
Be clear about what genre of writing you are, as they like to put books into categories, for example, travel, history, rom-com, and murder mystery.
- Is it similar to other books?
- Do you have a digital or social-media following that may buy the title?
- Would the publication coincide with a major anniversary?
- Are you uniquely qualified to write on a subject?
- Is someone famous or respected able to endorse your work or write a cracking introduction?
Getting a book published is like a sales pitch or business proposition.
Read and adhere closely to the publisher’s submission guidelines.
Don’t give them a single reason to turf out your submission. Make sure your summary of the book or blurb is strong. Pithy is a must, so read lots of blurbs. Publishers are busy people, arrest their attention early on. Standout and give them a reason to read more.
Find a good editor.
This was the single best thing I did. Together, we turned a raw draft into a more polished document ready for the publisher’s scrutiny. At times, it was painful having someone comment on what I’d so lovingly written, but it was essential. However, and this is important, make sure that you, the author, decide what amendments you accept from your editor. I accepted most of them, but not all, and that proved to be the right decision.
Communication, trust, and respect are important components of this sensitive process. My editor and I ended up becoming good friends. And we now laugh about the tussles we had over editing differences.
Good luck. I hope to see your title in the front window of a local bookshop.
Treive Nicholas
Author of ‘A Nun and the Pig. Tales from South Africa.’
Treive Nicholas is of Cornish heritage. After he finished school, he worked as a milkman in Surrey to save money to travel. He went to work in the Transkei at a school for children with disabilities, run by nuns. He was only 19 years old but kept a diary, and this diary has become his book, after almost 40 years.
