Finishing a manuscript can be a challenging endeavor, but getting a publisher to believe in it can feel even harder. You’ll need to conduct lots of research and query various potential agents before a publisher (hopefully) takes a chance on your story.
The whole process can feel exhausting at times, and you’ll likely need lots of patience and stoic philosophy to endure it. But also… a better plan. The path to getting published is paved with creative strategies and unconventional methods.
In this post, we’ll look at five unusual tips for you to consider to help you land your first book deal.
1. Use Self-Publishing as a Stepping Stone
In today’s world, the path to sharing your story is more open than ever. Aspiring authors don’t have to wait around for a traditional book deal to start building an audience and finding success. With platforms like Amazon KDP, you can take the reins yourself and publish your work directly to readers around the globe. Self-publishing can be a valuable stepping stone, allowing you to build your own platform and gain visibility while you hone your craft.
Take bestselling author E.L. James, for example. In 2009, James began writing Master of the Universe, a fanfiction based on the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. As her work gained traction across online Twilight circles, James recognized its potential as a standalone novel, prompting her to remove the Twilight references and make the book we now know as Fifty Shades of Grey.
James self-published Fifty Shades of Grey as an e-book and print-on-demand paperback in 2011, and the rest is history. The book’s explosive success caught the attention of major publishers, landing James a multi-million-dollar book deal with Vintage Books, a division of Random House.
Of course, not every self-publishing journey will follow the same meteoric rise as James’s, but her story (among others) shows that it’s possible to turn an independent release into a major success. Self-publishing might seem like putting the cart before the horse, but sometimes that cart leads straight to a book deal!
2. Engage with Agents Online
Love it or hate it, social media is here to stay, and it’s an essential tool for connecting with agents and building relationships in the publishing world. There’s no need to stress about gaining millions of followers or doom-scrolling for hours on end — consistently engaging for around fifteen minutes a day is typically enough to make an impact.
LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) are your best bets for interacting with literary agents. When setting up your profile, you should include the word “Author,” your genre, and a link to your website’s “About Me” page (if you have one) in your bio. Link to any short stories or essays you have available online for agents to easily find your work, and use a clear, professional headshot — remember, this is a business account, so first impressions matter.
Follow as many agents as you can, and interact with their posts thoughtfully. Agents often host “ask an agent” sessions; participating in these events will increase your visibility and could lead to a direct connection with an agent interested in your work. As you comment, like, and share, you’ll slowly but surely build your network. The more agents who recognize your name and interact with your posts, the better your chances of landing that book deal!
3. Pitch to a Niche Publisher
If your book fits into a more specific genre, you might consider pitching it to a smaller publisher that specializes in your niche. Large publishing houses are often more conservative with their output — they tend to prefer focusing on works with proven commercial success in order to justify their investment.
Meanwhile, niche publishers operate on a much smaller scale — they have lower overhead costs and can afford to take chances on more experimental books that have less immediate mass-market appeal but could build a loyal following over time. They are also likely to receive far fewer submissions than larger publishers, meaning your manuscript is less likely to get lost in the shuffle alongside thousands of other stories.
4. Attend Small Press Conventions
Pitching to a niche publisher is all well and good, but if you want to go the extra mile, try attending a small press convention! These are events where independent, niche, or small-scale publishers showcase their work and connect with authors, readers, and other industry professionals. Conventions are held in major cities all across the globe — there’s the Bay Area Book Festival in California, the Brooklyn Book Festival in New York, and the Small Publishers Fair in London, to name a few.
It’s important to be mindful of your expectations — you shouldn’t expect to walk out of a small-press convention with a six-figure book deal on your first go around. However, attending one will help you get your name out there and expand your network. For example, you might exchange social media info with a fellow author who could put you in contact with agents interested in work like yours down the line.
5. Translate Your Work and Submit Abroad
If you’re struggling to land a book deal in your home country, you could potentially consider translating your book and submitting it to publishers abroad instead. While the appeal of a great story is universal, literary preferences do vary around the world, and it could be that your book resonates more strongly with the tastes of readers from other countries.
If you’re fluent in another language, you can try translating your work yourself, but if not, you can always hire a professional translator instead. Once your translated manuscript is ready, research publishers in countries where your genre is popular. There are plenty of foreign markets eager for fresh voices, so looking abroad may give you a better chance at getting noticed.
Getting your foot in the door of the publishing industry and landing your first book deal can seem daunting at first, but you can improve your odds by thinking outside the box. Stay persistent, take advantage of unconventional opportunities, and keep putting your writing out there — you never know which approach might be the one that’ll lead you to that dream deal!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nick Bailey writes about anything and everything in the realm of writing and self-publishing for Reedsy, an online marketplace for indie authors.
